INSIDE
Une étudiante française à
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Rockhampton
Le Coucou
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2011 AGM of FAFA
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Social and Cultural Activities
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Positions Vacant
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le bulletin
Alliance Française de Central Queensland
Issue 6
Tenth Anniversary
July 2011
Susan Yates (President)
Sandra Pearson, M. Pierre Labbe and Susan Yates cut the cake
On the weekend of June 11-12 the Alliance
Française celebrated a big milestone: ten years
since the establishment of our branch in
Rockhampton. We are proud to be part of the
Alliance Française network, which is the largest
French teaching association in the world, with
around half a million students in over 130
countries. To honour our birthday, we invited
the charming Monsieur Pierre Labbe, Chief of
the Cultural Section of the French Embassy, to
spend the weekend with us. He arrived on
Saturday morning and returned to Canberra on
Sunday afternoon. He was very impressed with
the beauty and heritage of Rockhampton, thanks
to a tour of areas of architectural interest such as
Agnes Street, Quay Street and Lakes Creek
conducted by Carol Gistitin and Gayne Kidd,
and a visit to the Archer Park Train Museum
on Sunday morning.
On Saturday evening, June 11th, our most
significant event for many years took place at
the Leichhardt Hotel. About 40 people came to hear a talk given by M. Labbe on the French language, and immediately
afterwards about 70 guests attended a cocktail party, complete with musical entertainment and a birthday cake. The
evening reflected the wonderful way people in the Alliance Française work together. It was a collaborative effort, its
success due not only to the hard work of members of the Committee, in particular Nola Pontifex, but also to a selection of
French music performed by different people connected to the Alliance Française: Shania Dekkers, a 13-year-old singer and
student from our children's classes; Unisong, led by Janet Stevenson, a member of our conversation group; and the Mistral
Woodwind Ensemble.
M. Labbe's presentation was delivered with passion and flair. He discussed the phenomenon of la francophonie,
which refers to the group of countries, many of which are former French colonies, where French is spoken as the first or
second language. He also explained the origins of the French language, which draws some of its vocabulary from other
tongues, including Arabic (words like pyjama) and of course English (le weekend, le marketing). M. Labbe's main argument
was that we should be grateful for the huge variety of languages in our world and, rather than complaining about the
'contamination' of one language by another, should relish the cultural richness that is brought to us by the influence of one
language upon another and should nurture as much as possible our minority languages such as Basque, Breton and Occitan
in France.
The idea of establishing a branch of the Alliance Française in Rockhampton was born in 2000, when I moved here from
Wollongong and had the good luck to meet Sandra Pearson, a highly respected French teacher who was working at that
time at Glenmore School and the Rockhampton Grammar School. Sandra and I gathered together a group of supporters
and on November 29, 2000 we held a meeting at the Rockhampton Art Gallery, which was opened by the then Mayor, Cr
Margaret Strelow, to discuss the possibility of starting up an AF in Rockhampton. The members of the Foundation
Committee were Anne Batalibasi, Jim Callan, Natalie Heaton, Chieko Klerkx, Pascale Levacher, David Neish, Melanie
Nicolson, Sandra Pearson, Annabelle Ritchie and Susan Yates. (Continued Page 2)
Alliance Française de CQ
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July 2011
Tenth Anniversary (cont)
After many meetings, our Foundation Committee
produced a constitution, which was ratified not only by
the main office of the Alliance Française in Canberra but
also, on 28 June 2001, by the overarching authority of the
Alliance Française in Paris. From March 2001 we offered
a program of classes in East St, in the former District
Court building, which belonged to the university. Classes
are now conducted at Glenmore High School, thanks to
Pascale Levacher, who teaches there. We have had a long
succession of dedicated teachers including Sandra Pearson,
Jessie Chizzoni , Bernadette Bernleitner and our current
teachers Filomena Olsen, myself and Pascale Levacher.
There are three levels of classes for children at the Girls
Grammar School on Saturday mornings.
In the first year we also offered lectures, French film
evenings, a free Conversation Group at the Wild Parrot
Café, games of pétanque, and celebrations for Bastille
Day and Christmas and we continue to offer a wide range
of social and cultural activities.
There have been many highlights over our ten years.
These include the visit to Rockhampton of the French
Ambassador, M. Pierre Viaux, in September 2002; also in
2002, a Mardi Gras at St Aubins Village which attracted
100 people; in June 2007 an immersion French weekend
workshop with teachers from the Alliance Française of
Brisbane, attracting 25 students, both local and interstate;
children's classes, which started in May 2009; a very
successful series of French language workshops for
children in January 2011; the establishment in 2010 of our
state of the art website, thanks to our former student and
committee member Steve McCutcheon; and two very
successful French film festivals, the first in April 2010
and the second in April 2011.
The Alliance Française has been incredibly lucky over
the years to have attracted so many capable committee
members. In particular we are indebted to the current
committee: Vice-President, Pascale Levacher, Treasurer,
Nola Pontifex, and Secretary, Pat Handley; also Bernadette
Bernleitner, Dawn Kyreakou, Nerida O'Hare, Filomena
Olsen, Steve McCutcheon and Beth Scott, as well as
Maree Burke and Greg Moore, two francophiles who are
not members of the committee but who have helped
enormously with a very important element in our social
events: choosing and buying wine.
We are very grateful to all the students and members
who have shared their love of France with us and
supported us over the years in so many ways, whether by
attending conversation group or film evenings,
encouraging their children to write up and illustrate their
stories for French homework, or staying up late cooking
goodies for the French film festival. Your good humour
and sense of camaraderie have made these last ten years
fantastic.
Un grand merci à vous tous!
July 2011
Une étudiante française à Rockhampton
Amina Konta
Depuis longue date je souhaitais me rendre en Australie.
Quelque raison mystérieuse m‟y poussait. C‟est grâce à un
accord entre mon université à Paris et la Central
Queensland University que j‟ai eu la chance de vivre et
étudier pendant un an à Rockhampton.
A la Central Queensland University, j‟ai suivi des cours
variés allant de la musique à l‟informatique en passant par
les sciences sociales et les études multimédia. La qualité
globale des enseignements ne m‟a certes pas déçue. Les
cours de musique m‟ont donné l‟opportunité de me
produire en public. J‟ai également pu acquérir de
précieuses compétences informatiques. Enfin, l‟université
m‟a ouvert les yeux sur de nombreuses choses.
J‟ai été ravie de la qualité de vie que j‟ai gagnée à
Rockhampton. L‟environnement naturel et social y sont
pour beaucoup. Il n‟y avait vraiment rien de plus
rafraichissant pour moi que d‟être entourée d‟une
végétation colorée et abondante après la métropole
parisienne. L‟humanité et la chaleur des habitants m‟a
également beaucoup touchée.
Si le coût de la vie m‟a paru quelque peu élevé en
certains points, notamment l‟alimentation, j‟ai trouvé qu‟il
était aisé de se loger à moindres frais. Après avoir loué une
chambre confortable dans une maison pendant un temps,
j‟ai cependant décidé de travailler en tant que surveillante
dans un internat de filles en échange du logis et du couvert.
Cela m‟a été d‟un grand secours financier.
Parallèlement, j‟ai enseigné le français auprès des toutpetits au sein de l‟Alliance Française puis en cours privés.
Les revenus que j‟ai tirés de ces activités ont ainsi constitué
mon “argent de poche”.
Concernant mon passage à l‟Alliance Française, s‟il a été
de courte durée, il a été enrichissant à plusieurs égards. J‟ai
pu acquérir une expérience très intéressante auprès des tout
-petits. La rencontre avec les acteurs de l‟Alliance a été une
autre source de plaisir. Je suis très heureuse d‟avoir fait la
connaissance de sa présidente Susan, ainsi que de Pat,
secrétaire de l‟Alliance et Pascale Levacher, enseignante.
Bien que Rockhampton ne soit pas des villes les plus
excitantes, je n‟ai aucun regret quant à l‟année que j‟y ai
passée. J‟ai fait la rencontre de très belles personnes,
aujourd‟hui chères à mon cœur.
From the editor
Again a warm thanks to the contributors to this edition:
to Susan for writing about our anniversary and recapping
on the first 10 years of our history; to Bernadette and Bill
Moore for their story of a dream come true; to Amina
Konta who, during her short stay in Rockhampton,
enriched our lives; and to Nola Pontifex and Fil Olsen for
sharing their experiences at the FAFA AGM.
I am planning to have the next edition ready for
December so please send in your contributions - sooner
rather than later.
Pat Handley
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Issue 6
Le Coucou
Bill and Bernadette Moore
In 2010 we leapt out of our comfort
zone and bought a pretty house in
Normandy France. Folly perhaps! We
did not want this to turn out the way of
many TV reality shows so we did our
homework and spent about 6 weeks
exploring, before falling in love with a
pretty stone house, surrounded by
apple trees, in Normandy. Somewhere
in the trees a cuckoo was singing and
2011 AGM of FAFA
Nola Pontifex, Filomena Olsen
This year the annual AGM of the
Federation of the Alliances Françaises
of Australia was held in Canberra on
the weekend of 13 - 15 May. We
found the weekend stimulating,
informative and lots of fun.
The weekend was jam packed with
meetings, information sessions and of
course the annual dinner. The
evening was special as the dinner at
the Saffron Restaurant, Manuka, was
so it was christened Le Coucou.
preceded by un coquetel hosted by
the French Ambassador, Monsieur
The process of buying is a bit different in France. We used an „Agent
Michel Filhol and his wife, Catherine
Immobilier‟ (estate agent) who spoke English and she helped us navigate the
at their residence at Yarralumla.
regulations and negotiations before signing the „Compromis de Vente‟ (pre-sale
A new constitution was adopted,
contract). There was quite a lengthy cooling off period but we remained steadfast
changing the way the members of the
and returned to France three months later to sign the „Acte de Vente‟ (Deed of Sale) FAFA committee are selected. The
directors of the capital cities are
at the offices of the local Notaire.
automatic appointees and other
A couple of useful tips if you are thinking
representatives are voted in at the
of buying in France:- beware of French
AGM. Even though the new
inheritance laws and check the „Plan Cadastral‟
constitution opens the way for more
carefully. After signing the Acte the learning
members of the regional alliances to
be on the federal committee, the
curve seemed to steepen - gas, electricity,
result of the voting was that most of
insurance, French bank accounts, septic tanks,
the members continue to be from the
stone pointing, rising damp, French land tax
capital cities.
requirements, all tricky but trickier still if you
Of particular interest to us was an
don‟t speak French. Somehow we seem to have negotiated each of these steps avec un address by the European Union
Ambassador to Australia, David
petit peu de françias and have made lots of friends along the way.
Le Coucou is in a tiny commune of about 20 houses with the local village Pont Daly. He spoke about the history of
the formation of the European Union,
D‟Ouilly about 5 kms away. The village has la poste, deux tabacs, un supermarché, un hôtel, and recent developments in countries
la bibliothèque, le boucher, la boulangerie, l'épicerie, la banque (avec le guichet automatique). On wishing to join the Union. He was
weekends there is a small market and in the summer the town has a dance floor by
very interested to speak to us as his
uncle, Father Con Daly, was a priest
the river bank.
in Rockhampton for many years.
There are so many beautiful places to explore. To the north is the artistic
A major topic which caused much
centre of Honfleur, where everyone sits around the harbour eating great bowls of
interest was the presentation of a
moules. To the east are the beautiful countryside, the cheeses, and the half-timbered
„Guide to Quality Approach of
houses of the Pays d‟Auge. The west is steeped in the history of the Western front, Alliances Françaises Activities’.
with the Peace museum at Caen, and the D-Day beaches. Mont St Michel rises out This document will act as a guide to
alliances in all aspects of running their
of the sea to the south like a fairy castle. All are within a day of our home.
organisations.
We are hoping to have the house and the attached „gite‟ (apartment) ready for
The Touring French Film
rental in 2012 so if you are interested contact us: [email protected] Festival was also on the agenda.
Rockhampton received special praise
for the way it conducts the festival
and Nola was given an opportunity to
talk about our way of doing things to
other regional alliances.
Overall, it was a great weekend
with lots of opportunities to network
and get fresh ideas. Next year the
AGM will be in Perth, tentatively 11 “The follies
13 May.
which a man regrets most in life are those which he didn‟t commit”.
Alliance Française de CQ
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July 2011
Social and Cultural Activities
Classes
Adults
Beginners, intermediate and
advanced
Wednesdays 6.30 - 8.30 p.m.
Library, Glenmore High
School
Qualified Teachers
Conversation evening at the Parkhurst Tavern
The last six months have been a busy and enjoyable, with two major events - the
tenth anniversary (already covered) and the Touring French Film Festival.
Although our numbers for the film festival were not as good as last year, it was still
un grand succès. ‘Ensemble c‟est trop‟, a comedy dealing with some thoughtprovoking social issues - the effects on young families when their parents‟
marriages fail because old men wish to „frolic‟ and also the effects of not explaining
truthfully the answers to children‟s questions - set the
scene for an enjoyable festival.
As well as these films, Rocky Flix features French
films, the latest being „Incendies‟ a heart-wrenching
drama with beautiful scenery. We thank Judy Couttie
for arranging these to be on a Thursday night.
The conversation group continues to meet most
Fridays at the Heritage Hotel at 1 pm for an hour or
so. There have been three evening conversations
this year: Parkhurst Tavern, the Thai Taste
Axelle & Fred at conversation
restaurant in North Rockhampton and Saigon by
the River. Each evening has attracted about twenty people and the meals and
camaraderie have been most enjoyable. At the Thai Taste we farewelled Jean-Paul
and Charlotte Wattiaux, who had been spending time with their daughter,
Catherine, former teacher of the children‟s classes. Jean-Paul and Catherine had
both been very supportive of the Alliance and we wish them well in their new life
in New Caledonia. We have also enjoyed the company of
Axelle and Amina, students of CQU at these evenings.
After the Bastille Day celebrations, our next big
event is the live-in French language immersion
weekend to be held at North Keppel Island, 15 -16
October. Please register your interest soon. Information
about the venue can be found on their website and the
cost will be around $150, all inclusive.
Marilyn & Sam Wiliamson at the TFFF
Positions Still Vacant!
Treasurer: A new treasurer is urgently
required. Nola resigned at the end of last
year but her position has not been filled.
She is continuing to act as treasurer but
she needs to train someone ASAP as she is
taking long service leave soon. As well as
the usual duties of a club treasurer, skill in
July 2011
handling wages is a necessity.
Secretary 2011: I will be resigning at
the end of this year. While the Alliance
could function without a secretary, it
cannot function without a treasurer.
Children
Preschool
9.30 - 10.30
Primary
9.30 - 10.30
Secondary
10.30 - 11.30
Saturday mornings, RGGS
Music Room, via Little
Athelstane Street.
Private
By arrangement
Susan Yates (0410 878 536
Bernadette Bernleitner(4933
0301, 0438 642 778)
Interpretating
Bernadette Bernleitner
NAATI qualified
Calendar 2011
Conversation group Fridays,
1 p.m. at the Heritage Hotel.
Evening Conversations, replacing
the lunchtime meetings as advised.
Bastille Day Dinner
16 July
Immersion Weekend 15 - 16 Oct
AGM
7 Dec
Terms
Adults
Term III
Term IV
Children
Term III
Term IV
13 July - 14 Sept
5 Oct - 7 Dec
23 July - 10 Sept
8 Oct - 3 Dec
Websites
Alliance Française de Central Q‟land
www.afrockhampton.com
Federation of AF‟s of Australia
www.alliancefrancaise.com.au
North Keppel Is Education Centre
nkieec.eq.edu.au
Bernadette Moore
[email protected]
Please Help!
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Issue 6