FAQs

FAQs – Chesterfield Twinning Association (CTA)

What is a Twinning Association?
Twinning Associations promote international friendship and understanding through education, tourism and civic opportunities between two localities.

Who does CTA twin with?
CTA is currently twinned with Gravesham Borough, Kent, England.  Gravesham Borough is the burial site of Pocahontas, a native of what would one day become Chesterfield County.  She was the daughter of Indian Chief Powhatan and the wife of John Rolfe.  After visiting England in 1617, she became ill and died just before her return to the New World.  She is buried at St. George’s Church in Gravesend, which is in Gravesham Borough. 

CTA continues to research other connections which could result in additional twinning associations in the future.

Does CTA have regular meetings
Yes, CTA normally meets once a month at various restaurants around Chesterfield County.  We normally enjoy conversation and our meal before starting the business portion of the meeting.

Does it cost to join CTA?
Membership dues are:

$10 Student
$25 Individual
$40 Family
$100 Corporate (includes 3 memberships)

If interested in joining, please complete & mail in our membership form to the address listed on the form.

Do I have to live in Chesterfield County to be a member?
No.

Can I come to meetings before joining?
Yes, CTA encourages anyone with interest to attend a couple of meetings before deciding if they want to join.

How do I find out about upcoming meetings?
Please use our contact form and a reply will be sent to you shortly.

How often do twinning visits happen?
Visits can vary from year to year.  Since its inception in 2005, numerous visits have taken place.  The last Gravesham visit was in 2014 when over 20 visitors from Gravesham journeyed to Chesterfield.  In May 2015, 12 CTA members traveled to Gravesham.

We anticipate the Gravesham Twinning Association will be visiting Chesterfield in late May of 2016.  In addition, since 2017 is the 400^th anniversary of the death of Pocahontas CTA plans to travel to Gravesham for that commemoration.

What happens on a Twinning visit?
Twinning visits are typically for one week.  The hosting organization will develop a daily itinerary for the visit of things to do and see.

When visiting another twinning association we mostly stay with local families.  A typical visit starts with breakfast provided by your host and then it’s off to a wide variety of group activities and sightseeing provided by the host twinning association.  The only cost to a CTA member is for your airfare, treating your host to a meal during the visit (normally dinner), and personal spending money.

If I host someone in my home during a twinning visit, what are my responsibilities?
Host families provide accommodations, breakfast each day and transportation to/from planned group activities.  Hosts are encouraged to come along on the daily activities but are responsible for paying their own admission fees and for their own meals (if applicable).   Most food and travel costs for the visitors during twinning visits are covered by the host association.   During the visit, your guest will treat you to a meal (normally dinner).

If I can’t host someone during a twinning visit, are there other ways I can participate?
Yes.  Even if you can’t host just being a member of CTA and helping with all the coordination leading up to and during a visit is a great way to participate.  During the visit, you could be a day host.  Some examples of day hosting functions:  (1) coming along on daily activities to help look out for our visiting friends; (2) providing transportation to a visitor if their host has a prior commitment on a given day; (3) helping with set-up at a venue being used during a visit.

Is there anything else I need to know about twinning?
Yes.  Twinning provides an opportunity to make friends in another country and gives you a chance to explore and see that country through the eyes of a local.  We have lots of fun and see much more of the wider world than we would as a typical tourist.  Even if you never travel with the association to another country, just being involved offers an opportunity to meet new local friends and learn more about the world.