Our congratulations go out again to Sofia Mancinone, the Senior Prize winner, and Sienna Moore, the Junior Prize winner, both are from Regional School District 12, Shepaug Valley School. They were our two outstanding French students who won our Concours prizes of $500 each, a “Certificat de Mérite en francais“, and a copy each of “Rochambeau, Washington’s Ideal Lieutenant” written and signed by our member author Jini Jones Vail. The event was held at the American Association of French Teachers Prize Ceremony at the Hopkins School in New Haven on May 14th. Prizes were awarded by President Nancy Marie-Odile Callahan, assisted by Vice President Evelyne Purdy, and Joanne Hutchings the Language School Director. Our best wishes go out to both students as they plan to continue their study of French after high school.

Our French Discussion Groups are the perfect way to practice the French language skills you are learning, or are trying to improve. The format for initiating the discussion depends on the facilitator and is different at each of the site locations spread around the region to accommodate all our members living in different parts of Northwestern CT.

All discussion groups are free to AFNWCT members. We request a $5 suggested donation to those participants who are not members. Below are the locations and meeting times planned for this Fall/Winter quarter.

Southbury AF Center:

1st & 3rd Wednesday: 12 noon to 1:30 pm. BYOLunch WEEKLY DROP-IN ACTIVITY PROGRAM.

  • French Discussion and Conversation –  and enjoy a new topic listed on the Events Calendar each month

4th Wednesday: Jeux de Société – Scrabble, Trivia Pursuit, Mille Bornes…. played en français!

Also:

2nd Thursday: 1-3pm Ciné-club French Movies with English Subtitles. Check the website for the title to be shown.

New attendees should RSVP in advance by calling (203) 707-0710. Facilitator: Marda Gutierrez

Saturdays 1-2x/month: 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. CAFE CONVERSATION. Read and discuss en français topics such as French art, literature, politics, history, music, and current events. Contact Brigitte at café@afnwct.org if you would like to volunteer to bring refreshments or if you wish to present or suggest a subject for discussion.  Facilitators: Brigitte Blais and Fran Hellman

Morris Location:

1st Thursday of each Month, Monthly French Discussion Group led by a French native, previous discussion subjects have covered such topics as le Cidre, les Cadenas d’amour, Les Santons de Provence, Roquefort cheese, Le Beaujolais Nouveau. To receive a copy of the article or handout prior to the meeting and to RSVP, write to: afnwct@afnwct.org.  Facilitator: Jean-Marie Gutierrez

Brookfield Public Library:

Various evening and afternoon times “Parlons Français”  French class – Free admission to all. RSVP through the Brookfield library website or click HERE. Facilitator: Colin Harrison

 

If you know of a free meeting location and/or are interested in helping us start a new location, please let us know.

Thanks to our two experienced niçois members, Jean-Marie and Marcel, the Alliance Française of Northwestern CT had for the first time a Pétanque league that ran from June through October 2016. Trainings were held at in May so that each “non-initiated” player could learn the proper techniques, the rules of the game and some strategy.

Each of the 16 league participants played at least one game against all the others, in teams of two, rotating the teams three times. Maître Jean-Marie maintained and updated regularly the spreadsheet with the schedule of games to be played, points scored from each game and helped to coordinate new scehdules each time someone had a conflicting schedule. Fortunately, we had two courts for the matches: one in Southbury and one in Bethlehem. Part of the fun was the ‘après-jeu’ snacks and Pastis” served after each match.

The weather cooperated for most of the summer up until the final round that was scheduled for Sunday, the 9th of October, bien sûr, when Hurricane Matthew decided to come up the coast. Since the celebratory dinner was already in the works, we came together anyway to enjoy some delicious potluck hors d’oeuves and delightful conversations.

Miraculously, the rain stopped early enough to allow the top four players: Marcel, Jean-Marie, Terri and Jim D, to play their final round. The weather was not ideal – around 53 degrees and damp, but having been exposed via Twitter to #ExtremePetanque, the players decided they were up to the challenge! (Notice the change of clothing from the early hot summer matches in shorts to the ponchos, sweaters, jackets and hats for the finals.)

To add to the excitement, there was a tie for first place so Terri and Jean-Marie had to play another game: finishing just before dark.

WINNERS: 1st place Gold was Jean-Marie, 2nd place Silver was Terri and 3rd place Bronze was Jim D and 4th place was Marcel. Once the medals ceremony was concluded, everyone went back inside to get warm and eat our final courses, including cheese and dessert and some sparkling wine.

We’re sure to have another league next year so watch for the signups in late Spring. You won’t want to miss out on all the fun!

It’s clear when you watch the videos that these players were the top four.

THERE ARE MORE PHOTOS OF THE SEASON AND THE FINALS

Voyage au Monde Francophone

On Sunday, September 25, 2016, 60 members and guests came together to celebrate the Alliance Française of Northwestern CT’s 95th anniversary. Participants took a trip around the world to many French speaking countries through our taste buds. We tasted food from Algeria, Canada, Provence, Alsace, Louisiana, la Belgium, Gabon, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Lebanon, Senegal, Switzerland, Tunisia and Vietnam. Many businesses and friends donated items for our Silent Auction and a lot of people worked hard to make this event happen!

During the recent GIVE LOCAL of Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills fund raising campaign the Alliance Francaise of Northwestern Connecticut was extremely fortunate to receive $1720 from more than 25 generous members and friends.

We recently received the information regarding the website transaction fees – slightly reduced to compensate for the website glitches that happened for most of the first day of giving. More importantly, we were delighted to be awarded $151.12 in bonus funds from the Connecticut Community Foundation and its generous sponsors.

Learning for lifeThese funds will enhance our French Language School, provide funds for instructional resources such as guides, textbooks, CDs and DVDs; help us develop training workshops for area French language teachers and support guest speakers for our cultural and educational programs.

We wish to thank all our generous donors who believe in and support our mission to promote the French language and the many cultures of the Francophone world.

Donations are always welcome. Click HERE to go to our DONATIONS page.

Once again tragedy stikes in France. This is now the third time in only 18 months that the press has called me as President of the Alliance Francaise of NW CT to comment on a terrorist attack in France: the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, the deadly attack in November 2015 in Paris and now Nice.
Pictures and videos from the aftermath of last night’s attack along the normally beautiful, wide, palm-tree lined Promenade des Anglais brought tears to my eyes. My husband went to High School in Nice when his family relocated from Algeria in 1961. Then, after we were married, we lived in the area for 3 ½ years before moving to the States. My daughter was born in the neighboring town of Cagnes-sur-Mer so our hearts are especially breaking right now. Family and friends have been letting us know they are safe but the sense of dread and fear must still be palpable to all.
How sad that the night brought so many people out to enjoy what was probably a spectacular fireworks display! Typically on warm summer evenings in Nice people will linger late into the night to enjoy a drink or dessert in the restaurants that face the beach, or simply stroll along the spaciously wide sidewalk that runs along the Mediterranean sea for miles. Traffic had been re-routed so people could also walk in the wide boulevard meaning many innocent people were easily killed and so many injured.
The city, as well as the entire south of France, was/is surely full to the brim with tourists from all over the world and I am saddened by how this will affect the hospitality industry. It seems that the common thread in the last 2 attacks was the desire to prey on an international crowd who was enjoying life – the fact that they were celebrating a national holiday was probably an added bonus.
I’m feeling very sad.I feel a sense of hopelessness – what can we do to bring peace to this world? I feel frustrated and angry – when will this madness end?

And, actually my thoughts turn to a more certain determination to continue our work to teach French and promote the cultures of the francophone world. Learning a new language – any language – helps us communicate better with other people so that we can better understand their traditions and be open to different ways of doing things… that may be the best path to peace.

Sadly yours,

Marda Gutierrez, President

Want to have more meaning in your life and do something that is satisfying and of great service to your community? We are seeking members who wish to be actively involved and will volunteer to help your organization.
On July 10, the membership will elect the AFNWCT Officers and Board of Directors for the 2016-2018 (two-year term).
Why not volunteer your services to help keep AFNWCT growing stronger!

AFNWCT Board of Directors roles & responsibilities:gavel-568417__180

  • Provide the overall leadership and strategic direction to AFNWCT
  • Set policies
  • Ensure adequate resources to carry out the mission and vision of AFNWCT
  • Serve as ambassador to the community, encouraging others to support AFNWCT

To volunteer for any of the following Officer or Board of Director positions, please click HERE to submit your name to the Nominating Committee or call (203) 707-0710 no later than June 15.
A brief description of the open positions are as follows:
President: Work collaboratively with the Board of Directors to develop and implement programs and strategies to make continuous progress towards the achievement of our core mission. Maintain the fiscal integrity of the organization to reflect present needs and future potential.
Vice President: Preside at meetings in the absence of the President. (Ideally this position is combined with a Committee Chair position.)
Secretary: Record the minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee and of the general membership and any other meetings as may occur.
Treasurer: Record all financial transactions; maintain the membership list; prepare and submit quarterly reports to the Board of Directors, present the Annual financial report to the general membership at the Annual meeting.
Language School Director: Organize class schedules, manage potential student inquiries; select teachers, conduct routine observations and evaluations of teachers and devise and implement a student satisfaction/evaluation form.
Program Committee Chair: Plan and organize the annual calendar to include at least one special educational or cultural event per quarter; collaborate with guest speakers and other committee chairs to implement and publicize the educational and cultural programs.
Membership Committee Chair: Develop techniques to recruit new members; seek out and procure business partnerships that increase the value of being a member; help new members feel welcome and become involved.
Hospitality Committee Chair: Provide a warm, inviting environment for attendees; collaborate with program committee and volunteers to ensure the set-up and cleanup of special events.
Publicity Committee Chair: Collaborate with program committee to ensure events and programs are publicized through print, on-line and social media; assist in managing official afnwct.org website, Facebook, Twitter and other such website accounts.
Board Member/Legal Consultant: Review governing documents and contracts for the Board; assist in ensuring legal compliance of state and federal laws.
Board Member: Please identify your area of expertise where you feel you can add value to our organization.

To be considered for any Board position, please be sure to submit your name to the Nominating Committee at: conseil@afnwct.org no later than June 15. All Members (no matter how long you’ve been a member) are welcome and encouraged to join the Board.

WE ALSO NEED:
Committee Member Volunteers: (Program, Membership, Hospitality and Publicity: see descriptions above) Please send your name to volunteer to assist with any or all of these committees by clicking HERE.

Thank you for your consideration and continued support!
Best regards,
Marda Gutierrez, President

Give Local Logo

7PM TUESDAY UPDATE: Around 10:30 AM on Tuesday, the online giving website portals stopped operating correctly – CCF is requesting that no one try to give until Wednesday morning. We will keep you updated on FB.

What is Give Local 2016?   

Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills, hosted by the Connecticut Community Foundation (CCF), is the local CT campaign that is held as part of the Give Local America online community giving event to encourage donors to lend their support to the nonprofit organizations such as ours, that work every day to make our communities stronger.

How Does it Work?

Between 7 AM Tuesday, May 3 to 7PM Wednesday May 4 you can go online and make a tax-deductible donation* to the Alliance Française of Northwestern CT.  In the coming days, we’ll provide you by email with a direct link to our profile page. The minimum donation is $10 – there is no maximum amount.  We cannot accept checks or cash donations. All event-related donations must be made through www.GiveLocalCCF.org during that 36-hour period. In the coming days, we’ll provide you with a direct link to our profile page. The minimum donation is $10 and there is no maximum amount.

We will receive bonus funds for every dollar donated during this 36-hour campaign from the Connecticut Community Foundation (CCF) and their generous Give Local sponsors.

AFNWCT GIVE LOCAL SPECIAL EVENTS:

HELP US RECEIVE $250 IN MATCHING FUNDS!

We are delighted to announce that a generous donor has pledged up to $250 in matching funds for donations made online to the Alliance Française of NW CT during this 36-hour Give Local campaign.

That means, if 25 people go on-line during this campaign and donate just $10, we’ll receive this $250 match.

That’s in addition to any bonus funds provided by the Connecticut Community Foundation!

PORTES-OUVERTES – (OPEN HOUSE)

ChampagneMay 3  from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Come have a glass of bubbly and see our Alliance Française Center in Southbury where we teach classes and host many of our programs and activities. We’ll provide an update on where we stand with our campaign goals.

May 4: 12 – 1:30pm

Bring your Lunch and attend for free our French Discussion Group held weekly on Wednesdays.

BBR PHOTO CONTEST:

We’re also holding a special BBR photo contest.  Post your original photo of someone or something that represents Bleu Blanc Rouge – or the tri-colors of the French flag on our AFNWCT Facebook Page and then SHARE it on your own. We’ll tweet them during the Give Local campaign from 7 am May 3 to 7 pm May 4. The winner will receive next year’s AFNWCT membership.

*We are a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code (Tax ID # 06-1598522). Your kind donation will be used to enhance our French Language School with funds for instructional resources such as guides, textbooks, CDs and DVDs; help us develop training workshops for area French language teachers and support guest speakers for our cultural and educational programs.

One of my favorite French traditions is giving bouquets of Muguets (Lily of the Valley) to friends and family members for the 1st of May.  I love its fragrance and their delicate bells-shaped white flowers accented against the tall green leaves make a beautiful display – indoors and out.

The Muguet, originally from Asia and Japan more precisely, has adapted to the climate of France since its arrival during the Middle Ages. It has long time been a symbol of renewal and Spring and, since Charles IX started the tradition of offering Muguets on May 1, as a token of “bonheur” or good luck.muguet-premier-mai-L-kWOdgw

Since 1936, it has also been associated with Labor Day, celebrated in France on May 1st. Long ago, when workers would demonstrate, they would wear a red triangle on their lapel as a symbol of the 3 divisions of time in a day: work, sleep and leasure. The triangle was replaced by the “églantine” rose and then by the Muguet.

For weeks leading up to the 1st of May, in France, in preparation of the holiday, you would easily find plants and bouquets sold in florist shops and on street corners… This year, remarkably for our New England weather, you’ll probably find them in your own yard! So have a look around, pick a few flowers and leaves and share them with your friends and family!

Bonne Fête!

Voulez-vous nous aider?  Mercredi, le 9 mars, nous allons avoir une journée pour organiser notre bibliothèque. Venez nous aider pendant une heure, deux heures ou toute la journée entre 9h et 17h.

Grâce à la gentillesse de nos membres et d’autres “amis,” nous avons actuellement plus de 400 livres français: des romans, des dictionnaires, des des collections de littérature, poésie et contes, etc.  Cette collection de livres est potentiellement un vrai trésor qui pourrait servir d’une très bonne ressource pour bien promouvoir la culture française aux résidents de cette région.

Unorganized Books

Unorganized Book Donations

Malheureusement, aujourd’hui, ces livres ne sont pas bien organisés et ils ne sont pas très accessibles aux membres et surtout pas au public. Nous voudrions faire un fichier de tous nos livres pour pouvoir poster sur notre site Internet notre Bibliothèque AFNWCT. Comme cela ce serait facile de rechercher un livre particulier soit par titre, soit par auteur, catégorie ou genre…   Nous voulons mettre les romans en ordre alphabétique par auteur et séparer les autres livres par catégorie. Amenez votre ordinateur portable pour nous aider à saisir les renseignements sur les livres et faire une entrée de données, ou venez simplement pour nous aider à organiser et mettre les livres sur les étagères.

Nous allons faire une petite pause de 12 a 13h pour déjeuner et avoir notre réunion habituelle de discussion française, qui se passe tous les mercredis au Centre AF.  girl-1034421_640 (1)

Idéalement, une fois que nos livres seront bien organisés, nous voulons avoir des heures de permanence régulières quand notre Centre AF  sera ouvert quand nos membres AFNWCT et le public pourraient venir feuilleter et emprunter nos livres, demander des renseignements sur nos activités et cours de français, payer les cotisations pour devenir membre de l’AFNWCT, etc.

Heures d'OuverturePour pouvoir avoir les Heures d’Ouverture, nous avons aussi besoin des personnes qui seraient d’accord pour commettre à passer quelques heures dans notre centre AF de façon régulière. Ce n’est pas nécessairement 2 heures par semaine – par exemple cela pourrait être 2 heures par mois à condition que ce soit un jour qui correspond avec nos heures de permanence….

Si vous voulez bien nous aider – écrivez bibliotheque@afnwct.org ou téléphonez-moi (203) 707-0710.  Et Merci Beaucoup!