Le Rochambeau - juillet 2024

Bonjour à tous on this last day of June 2024! The Paris Olympics are just a few short weeks away and many of our members are either already in France for the events, or will be leaving soon. We look forward to a few exciting weeks of Olympic events.

Did you know that 124 years ago, during the first Paris Olympics, fishing in the Seine was an event? The short article below recaps what sounds like an almost completely different type of Olympics than we will be having in a few weeks.

Here are few updates on some of our recent activities.

We are delighted to announce that we successfully completed our second children’s French Summer Camp a few weeks ago. We had an over-subscribed camp that centered around the upcoming Olympics in Paris. Many thanks to our teachers Kaitlyn Pullin and Florence DeFiglio as well as all the assistants and Heartwood Grove School in making this summer camp a big success. Below is a picture of the campers receiving their medals.

On May 30th, Chantal Marechal, former VCU French professor, gave a memorable and humorous lecture on the history of Paris through its bridges at the Libbie Mill public library. The large audience in attendance was very engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. The Richmond library is already planning a second session in December this year. We will let you know the specific date once it is finalized.

Looking forward, I would like to remind everyone about the upcoming Bastille Day event on July 14th. We're looking forward to fun afternoon at the Industrial Tap House.   There is still time to register and we look forward to seeing everyone there. You can register here.  Your registration includes a variety of appetizers, a drink and dessert.

And, earlier in the day on July 14th, St. John’s Church will be hosting their “Liberty or Death Reenactment” followed by an opportunity to meet the Marquis de Lafayette. Yes, there is still time travelling done at St. John’s! You can find more information about the event here.

On July 13th at 11am, our Alliance Française member and teacher Hannah Foster, along with a few volunteers, will be conducting a Bastille Day educational event for children at the Chesterfield Library in Chester. This event is free to the public and is primarily focused on audiences age 4 to 10. You can find more details here.

Also on July 13th, Scott Kohler will be hosting our monthly French conversational group. This event starts at 3pm and is being held at the T-Caf Café. Please register here if you are planning to attend.

And if you are looking to make a trip north to Washington, the French Embassy is hosting a Garden Party on July 20th to celebrate both Bastille Day and the Paris Olympics. You can find more information here.

On July 20th, our long-time member Eliot Norman will again be performing at Natalie's Taste of Lebanon along with the RVA Baroque group.  If you would like to make a reservation, please contact Eliot at this email address:  eliotnorman1948@gmail.com

On August 11th, our French Family group will be hosting a family lawn games and reading event. If you haven’t attended one of these events previously, this is a great way to start your children on the French learning path. You can register for the event here.

On August 24th we will be holding our Book Club discussion at the West End Public Library. This discussion will be centered around Amélie Nothomb 23rd novel, “Journal d’Hirondelle”. If you are not familiar with this prolific Belgian writer’s work, this is an easy and relatively short read, and a great introduction to her unique form of drama.  You can register here for the discussion.

We are currently working on our educational program for the fall. If you have specific interests in French language learning, whether traditional A1/A2/B1/B2-type educational programs, or topical interests, please let us know. You can contact our Educational Director, Françoise Mullen at RichmondAFCR@gmail.com. We hope to announce our plans in early August.

And finally, we are looking for additional help in the leadership of your Alliance. If you have an interest, please let us know. You can contact me at BrianBurns.AFCR@gmail.com

Excerpt from the June 28, 2024 Financial Times on the new book "Aux Armes! Sport and the French, an English Perspective"