top of page
​

2022 Columbia Maryland Convention 

​

My Fellow Firestonians, members of the Association of Firestone Residents in the Americas (AFIRA), my dear brothers and sisters, for and on behalf of the Executive Committee, I am pleased to extend warm greetings to all of you and welcome you to the 7th Annual National Convention and Reunion of our beloved AFIRA hosted by Region I here in Columbia, Maryland from July 29-31, 2022.

Let me use this medium to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Region I for your hard work and tireless efforts in planning this year’s convention and reunion as we recognize that hosting such a program entails a lot of time, efforts, and resources.

Amidst the prevailing circumstances in this country creating constraints on financial and economic resources, your presence at this year’s gathering is a clear manifestation of the love and commitment that you have for our common heritage- Firestone. We are also very grateful to all our members who for one reason or another could not be able to join us in person this year. We miss your presence here and pray that you will be able to join us next year. Since our ascendancy to the leadership of this unique organization, you have accorded us your unconditional cooperation and support. For that we are grateful.

Fellow members, like every family and every organization that is worth its salt, growth and maturation will not be a linear equation. We will all not agree on every and all things, but I have been very pleased and grateful that when we do have our disagreements, they are done in a polite and respectful way. This is the spirit of Firestone that we were raised to honor. It remains our ardent hope and prayer that AFIRA will continue to be guided by the love and concern that has always been part of our Firestone values.

As we endeavor to achieve this administration’s Four Point Plan of Action (4 pt. POA) presented at our inauguration in July 2021, we thank you and appreciate all your generosity in the construction of our signature project – the AFIRA Cotton Tree Public Library. Let us continue to work together to make the completion of this Library a reality this year.

In closing, we look forward to your inputs and participation in all the activities planned for this convention and reunion. However, please let this reunion not be all about business. Please make having fun a priority and you are permitted to ‘enjoy yourself.’

May God bless the works of our hands as we strive to ‘change the lives of many’ by expanding their possibilities.

THANK YOU!!!

​

Samuel S. S. Kieh

President, AFIRA

​

​

bottom of page