Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can everyone attend the Annual Meeting of the Federation or is it just for chapter officers?
Attendance at the Annual Meeting
is open to ALL Alliance Française members and their guests.
While only designated delegates can vote at the Assemblée générale, everyone is welcome to attend the sessions, workshops and special events.
If there is no Alliance Française in your area, we can provide you with a list of nationwide chapters.
2. Are all Alliances in the United States the same?
There is a great deal of variety among the AFs in the United States. The first Alliances, created at the turn of the twentieth century, were francophile groups that organized lectures and other cultural activities. Over time, some of these AF expanded in size and began offering French classes. Also, during the middle decades of the twentieth century, the Federation encouraged American colleges and universities to affiliate their French clubs or French departments with the Alliance Française network.
There are today three types of Alliances in the United States:
• Smaller AFs which organize cultural events but do not offer classes;
• "Teaching" AFs which offer French classes in addition to numerous cultural events; some offer one or two classes while others run full-fledged schools;
• University-affiliated AFs known as "centres associés".
The Federation includes all three types of AFs and their members are welcome to participate in all Federation activities.
3. If there is no Alliance Française in our area, is it possible to create one?
First, check the Alliance Locator
to see whether there is an AF within driving distance. If so, you should contact the President to see whether you could establish a satellite in your area. There are precedents for this: for example, the AF of Boston and Cambridge now offers activities in Newton.
Second, check to determine whether there was once an AF chapter in your city which over the years became inactive. Perhaps the by-laws are still in effect and can be reactivated. (This is particularly true in the New England area where, historically, many francophone communities had their own Alliance.)
The creation of a new Alliance Française chapter as well as the reactivating of a dormant former AF requires the authorization of the Alliance Française de Paris. Applications are submitted for preliminary evaluation to the Délégation Générale in Washington, DC. Your dossier will need to include a list of the proposed officers, a description of the locale you intend to use, a description of the types of activities and French classes you are planning to offer, and an outline of your proposed financial structure.
For more complete information regarding the application procedure, contact:
Délégation Générale de l'Alliance Française
Ambassade de France
4010 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20007
phone: 202-944-6353
fax: 202-944-6347
email: dgi@alliance-us.org