Alliances Francaise USA Convention | Louisville

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The Federation Alliances Françaises USA and The Alliance Française de Louisville, KY cordially invite you to the 2011 CONVENTION AND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE FEDERATION October 27 - October 30, 2011 The Brown Hotel 335 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 502-583-1234 or 888-387-0498 www.BrownHotel.com
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PROGRAM OF EVENTS
BIENVENUE A LOUISVILLE! And.... we're off! Welcome to Louisville on behalf of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA and the Délégation Générale USA. What a team we have had in place in this city named for a King, and where every effort has been polished to a brilliant shine to ensure a wonderful meeting, productive exchanges and camaraderie among francophiles and francophones devoted to the mission of the Alliances Françaises. Our heartfelt thanks to the Louisville committee on site, to Charles Pooser, President of the Louisville chapter, and especially to Becca Brodarick and Charles Coulon, co-chairmen of this event. The “finish” should be spectacular! Mimi C. Gregory President, Federation of Alliances Françaises USA A warm and hearty bluegrass greeting to those attending the Fédération des Alliances Françaises 2011 Convention and Annual Meeting in Louisville. We are very happy to welcome you to the River City and hope that your stay with us will be most enjoyable. The AF-Louisville convention committee has been working hard to make this a superb experience for all attendees, and, when all is said and done, we certainly hope that Louisville will have proven to be a memorable venue for our annual gathering. We are justly proud of our city and her history, including her strong and lasting connections to the French-speaking world, and we relish the opportunity to show her off to our fellow francophiles. So do come join us for a bourbon and a burgoo or two and, of course, please travel safely as you head back home from our little bend in the Ohio River, filled with wonderful memories. Sincerely yours, Dr. Charles Pooser President of the Board of AF-Louisville Federation of Alliances Françaises USA – Board of Directors Honorary Board His Excellency François DELATTRE, Ambassador of France to the U.S. The Honorable Charles RIVKIN, Ambassador of the U.S. to France Mr. John H. BRYAN M. Pierre CARDIN M. André COINTREAU Mrs. Hedwige COINTREAU de BOUTEVILLE Mr. Frank GEHRY Comte Gilbert de PUSY de LA FAYETTE Ms. Diana ROSS President Mimi GREGORY, Alliance française de Bonita Springs, FL Vice-Presidents Marie-Laure ARNAUD, Alliance française de Charleston, SC Becca BRODARICK, Alliance française de Louisville, KY John G.W. “Jack” McCORD, Alliance française de Chicago, IL Treasurer Matthew WYATT, Alliance française de Nashville, TN Corporate Secretary Carole CROSBY, Alliance française de Chicago, IL Board Members Elizabeth AMIN, Alliance française de Louisville, KY Barbara de BRAGANÇA, Alliance française de Boston, MA Katharine BRANNING, French Institute Alliance française, NY Eileen BRAU, Alliance française de Puerto Rico, PR Charles COULON, Alliance française de DuPage, IL Richard GALTON, Alliance française de Berkeley, CA Dominique GREGOIRE, Alliance française de Providence, RI Renée KETCHAM, Alliance française de Greenwich, CT Louis KYLE, Alliance française de Philadelphie, PA Josette MARSH, Alliance française de Hawaii, HI Bernard METAIS, Alliance française de Berkeley, CA Alwyn ROUGIER-CHAPMAN, Alliance française de Grand Rapids, MI Barbara TUCKER, Alliance française de Pittsburgh, PA Federation Office Manager Larissa ROLLEY 53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 1225, Chicago, IL 60604 Tel: 312-431-1880 Email: federation@afusa.org Louisville 2011 Planning Committee Co-chairs Becca BRODARICK Charles COULON
Thursday October 27 8:30 am – 9:00 am and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Citation B – 1st Floor and Hall Area Conference Registration At your arrival, you will have received your own registration package complete with conference material and suggestions on local restaurants and attractions to enjoy while in Louisville. Please visit the registration booth at any time during the conference if you have questions. 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Citation B – 1st Floor and Hall Area Exhibitor area Make sure to visit our exhibitors during the conference. 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Citation B – 1st Floor Opening Session Federation of Alliances françaises USA President Mimi Gregory and Délégué Général de l’Alliance française Jean-François Chénin, along with Fondation Alliance française Déléguée Isabelle Morieux will kick-off the 2011 Annual Convention by addressing conference attendees with welcoming remarks. 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Theater Square Marketplace, 651 South 4th Street Welcome Reception Take this opportunity to connect with Alliance colleagues and friends at this charming location just steps away from the Brown Hotel. Pre-registration required. 8:00 pm Proof at 21c Restaurant, Gallery 3, 702 West Main Street, Louisville Patrons Dinner Pre-registration required. Friday October 28 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Citation B – 1st Floor and Hall Area Conference Registration & Exhibitors At your arrival, you will have received your own registration package complete with conference material and suggestions on local restaurants and attractions to enjoy while in Louisville. Please visit the registration booth at any time during the conference if you have questions. 9:00 am – 10:15 am Secretariat Room B, 1st Floor Travailler et communiquer ensemble / Work and communicate together Presenters Jean-François Chénin, Délégué Général de l’Alliance française Muriel Piquet-Viaux, Déléguée Générale Adjointe Alice Brunot, Déléguée Générale Adjointe Moderator Katharine Branning, French Institute – Alliance française, New York NY What tools and methods are available to federate initiatives and ensure that all Alliances benefit from them? What sites are available to promote and defend the image of the Alliance française? Find out about these elements through this workshop led by the Délégation team. 10:15 am – 10:30 am Citation B – 1st Floor and Area Coffee Break, Meet our Exhibitors 10:30 am – 12:00 pm Secretariat Room B, 1st Floor e-Learning, a new offering for Alliance française chapters Presenters Beth Gemmill, Middlebury Languages Interactive Dr. Aline Germain-Rutherford, Middlebury College Moderator Mimi Gregory, Alliance française de Bonita Springs, FL An internet-based, e-Learning curriculum represents new opportunities for Alliance française chapters large and small. It can provide support to those students who may not be able to take official classes at your Alliance, and allow small, non-teaching Alliance chapters to market a formal learning program to their members. The Federation has engaged with Middlebury Languages Interactive to make an e-Learning product available to AF chapters. The product will be demonstrated in this workshop, and workshop attendees will receive detailed information on how to offer this product through their Alliance. 12:10 pm Main lobby by guest elevators Les Dames aux Foulards et Les Messieurs aux Cravates Photo Shoot Made in Lyon, France, by the Cedric Brochier silk works to commemorate the 100 years of the Federation of Alliances françaises, the foulards have an elegant design inspired by 18th century Lyon silk works. A blue cravate was designed in Chicago for gentlemen. Both the foulard and the cravate are available to purchase in the exhibitors area. 12:20 pm – 2:00 pm Crystal Ballroom 3rd Floor Prix Charbonnier Luncheon The Prix Charbonnier is awarded annually in memory of Daniel Charbonnier who was the Federation of Alliances françaises’ first President. This year’s award will be presented in the magnificent Crystal Ballroom to Patrice Courtaban, Chief Operating Officer of TV5MONDE USA, for his ongoing patronage of the Alliance française network in the USA. Pre-registration required. Patrice Courtaban 2:10 pm – 3:20 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Collaborative Efforts Among Community Stakeholders Presenter Cathe Dykstra, President & CEO, Family Scholar House, Louisville KY Moderator Christine LeBlanc, Alliance française de la Nouvelle Orléans, LA Engaged community leaders have unique opportunities to create innovative programs and provide solutions for community problems by working together toward common goals. But, how do we get started? In difficult economic times, how do we use existing resources and attract new ones so that our efforts create communitywide ownership in the results? Using her experience developing Family Scholar House, Cathe Dykstra will discuss strategies for engaging other organizations and groups in your community and involving Board leadership in a new paradigm for achieving your mission. 2:10 – 3:20 pm Secretariat Room B, 1st Floor “Le déjeuner sur l'herbe” : Fundraising with events Presenters Jack McCord and Molly Fiden, Alliance française de Chicago, IL Moderator Christina Selander-Bouzouina, Alliance française de Minneapolis, MN Event fundraising does not need to be a huge black-tie gala! Smaller events work well and provide an opportunity to raise money while promoting French culture. Discussing two different models, AF Chicago Executive Director Jack McCord and Director of Development Molly Fiden will present ideas for hosting a successful fundraising event. 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Arc-en-Ciel, a management software for your Alliance française Presenter Thomas Ruellan, ATL Software Moderator Nanette Melton, Alliance française de Tulsa, OK Does your Alliance need a ready-to-use and efficient software package to track your budgets, school enrollments and student performance tracking? The Arc-en-Ciel product might answer that question for you. It is used by various chapters outside the United States and will be demonstrated in this presentation. 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Secretariat Room B, 1st Floor S'engager dans la démarche Qualité / Engaging in to the Démarche Qualité Presenter Isabelle Morieux, Déléguée Amérique du Nord et Océanie, Fondation Alliance française Moderator Alexandra Stafford, Alliance française de la Nouvelle Orléans, LA How do you make an Alliance work better? What are the questions one must ask? What indicators must one retain to appreciate the organization’s activity and improve its practices? How and with what objectives must one manage ongoing personnel training? These questions and more to be addressed during this workshop. 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Gallery Boardroom 16th Floor Federation of Alliances françaises Board of Directors Meeting Evening program On your own. Dinner suggestions provided in your registration packages. Alliance Française de Louisville Presents A Pedagogical Day for Kentucky and Indiana French Teachers In conjunction with the Federation of Alliances Françaises, U.S.A. Convention & Annual Meeting L'Amérique fleur-de-lysée Friday October 28 Unless otherwise noted, pedagogical day programs take place in the Louis XVI Room, 3rd Floor 8:30 – 9:00 AM Citation B, 1st Floor Registration & Exhibitors 9:00 – 9:55 AM French Classroom 2.0 Presenter Jean Amick, French instructor and Chair of World Languages at Kentucky Country Day School Use the internet to give your students a place to post their work, see and comment on the work of others while allowing you to give them feedback. A class website is the answer to the need to keep students 'plugged in' and to put the francophone world at their fingertips. 9:55 – 10:05 AM BREAK 10:05 – 11:00 AM Technology in the Language Classroom: Using videoconferencing software to facilitate collaboration between American and French students Presenter Dr. Julien Carriere, Bellarmine University The high technical proficiency of students and the ubiquity of smart phones, laptops and internet access provide unique opportunities for the language teacher. One such opportunity can be found in videoconferencing. In this session Dr. Carrière will discuss his partnership with a French colleague at the Université de la Méditerranée (Aix-Marseille II) which is facilitating bilingual group projects for his students this fall. Following the presentation of this ongoing project, there will be a question and answer period. 11:00 – 11:10 AM BREAK 11:10 AM – 12:10 PM Learning Québécois French Presenter Dr. Wendy Yoder, University of Louisville Discuss the differences between standard French and that spoken in Québec through an excerpt of Michel Tremblay’s play, Les Belles-Soeurs, the first significant literary work to be written in joual (now referred to as “québécois). This workshop will include a reading by the participants of the excerpt. For too long the Québécois have had to face the negative reactions of standard French speaking to “their” form of French. It is important to realize that what is spoken in Quebec IS a language, with a fascinating history (including the fact that French speakers in colonial Quebec spoke a purer form of French than over 90% of people in France). In more recent years, much attention has been drawn to Acadia and the migration to Louisiana. This workshop will focus instead on Quebec as it is today as reflected in the language. (This includes information on the Language Laws, the inclusion of Indian vocabulary in the language, and why certain words are more likely to be taken from American English rather than from a French equivalent.) 12:10 – 12:20 PM BREAK 12:20 – 2:00 PM Crystal Ballroom, 3rd Floor Prix Charbonnier & Ambassador’s Luncheon 2:00 – 3:00 PM Sights, sounds, action Presenters Dr. Charles Pooser, Indiana University Southeast Kelly Farmer, PhD candidate, IU-Bloomington Nicolas Fortin, French instructor, IUS and Uof L In this lively, interactive session, three teachers will demo a variety of strategies for strengthening foundational French and varying classroom activities. Nicolas Fortin, Québecois extraordinaire and instructor of French at both IUS and UofL, will present some innovative approaches to using u-tube in the classroom. Dr. Charles Pooser, coordinator of French instruction at IUS, will then act as a guide for a brief trip around the francophone world, demonstrating how he has combined jump-start lessons in French phonetics with an introduction to the French-speaking world beyond Europe. Finally, Kelly Farmer, doctoral student in French linguistics at IUBloomington, will show us several creative ways in which individual white boards can be used in the classroom to encourage interactivity, better assess learning and simply rev up the fun quotient. 3:00 PM End of Pedagogical Day Saturday October 29 8:30 am – 3:45 pm Citation B – 1st Floor and Hall Area Conference Registration At your arrival, you will have received your own registration package complete with conference material and suggestions on local restaurants and attractions to enjoy while in Louisville. Please visit the registration booth at any time during the conference if you have questions. 8:45 am – 11:00 am Secretariat Room B, 1st Floor Federation of Alliances françaises Assemblée Générale This is the annual business report of the Federation, which includes reports from the President, the Treasurer, and chairs of Federation Committees. The One Book, One Federation selection for 2011 will be officially introduced at the meeting. Election of new board directors will also take place. Attendance is strongly encouraged for all attendees, especially chapter presidents and/or executive directors. 11:15 am – 12:15 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Making Social Media work for your Alliance française Presenters Caroline Planque and Kelsye Nelson, Brown Paper Tickets Moderator Charles Coulon, Alliance française de DuPage, Naperville, IL Facebook, Twitter, Flickr …. The world of social media is all around us and the use of it can be complex and a full time job in itself. This workshop will help you guide the maze of exciting outreach opportunities for your Alliance via the social media avenue. 11:15 am – 12:15 pm Citation Room A, 1st Floor Frames and Smart Steps to French Presenter Muriel Piquet-Viaux, Déléguée Générale Adjointe Moderator Dominique Grégoire, Alliance française de Providence, RI Frames and Smart Steps to French have established themselves as standards for teaching French in the Alliance chapters in the USA. But the stakes and objectives of these programs are often misunderstood or seldom used. This is a toolbox for the pedagogical organization of your Alliance. 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm Lunch on your own. Lunch suggestions provided in registration packages. 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm Gallery Boardroom, 16th Floor Federation of Alliances françaises USA Board of Directors Meeting and Working Lunch 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Developing a Conference on French as a Foreign Language – Experiences from Puerto Rico Presenter Cyril Anis, Alliance française de Puerto Rico, PR Moderator Eileen Brau, Alliance française de Puerto Rico, PR The Alliance française de Puerto Rico is working in conjuction with the University of Puerto Rico's foreign language department to organize a conference on teaching French as a foreign language. The history of this program as well as all the logistical and financial strategies to make it work correctly will be discussed in this workshop. 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm Citation Room A, 1st Floor Louisville French Immersion Week-end: A Recession Success Story Presenters Drs. Julien and Melody Carrière, Bellarmine University, Louisville KY Moderator Juliet Jones, Alliance française de Memphis, TN The Alliance française de Louisville regularly organizes an Immersion Weekend in the spring. Immediately following the Recession of 2008 interest was low so the program was restructured and revamped. Several radical changes were made including the move to a new location and the use of a new catering service, and using feedback from previous years, the pedagogical and cultural aspects of the weekend were tweaked. Although the overall cost went up, the experience was better and interest higher. This session will describe the organization, promotion, and carrying out of Immersion Weekend 2010. 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Traveling through France via cultural conferences Presenter Joel Binet, France-Alliance Bacchus Moderator Anne Leplae, Alliance française de Milwaukee, WI Joel Binet has produced several conferences and discussions for the Alliance française network in Europe on themes as varied as French history, gastronomy and technology. Come find out how your Alliance could benefit from programming on themes as varied as D'Artagnan, the wine-growing regions of the Loire Valley and the TGV. 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Citation Room A, 1st Floor Table Ronde Discussion on Strategic Planning Moderator Alwyn Rougier Chapman, Alliance française de Grand Rapids, MI Every Alliance should have some sort of a strategic plan. What is yours? Do you have a vision in place for your chapter? This will be an interactive discussion on the benefits of strategic planning and how to keep it simple, understandable and effective, and on how to provide a structure to allow your board and members to participate more meaningfully in your chapter's activities. 3:45 pm – 5:15 pm Secretariat Room A, 1st Floor Merci Yanks, a successful performance for the Alliance française network Presenter Catherine Ladnier Moderator Renée Ketcham, Alliance française de Greenwich, CT Merci, Yanks, first performed to honor the 65th anniversary of VE Day, chronicles the liberation of Europe through letters and period music. The letters, written by Americans soldiers to loved ones back home, tell a story of World War II through the eyes of the “ordinary” GI Joe as he marches through France and Belgium to Victory. Merci, Yanks commemorates the bond between the American, French and Belgian peoples and has been performed to numerous audiences in the French-speaking and American communities. Come find out how it could be relevant to your chapter’s programming. 3:45 pm – 5:15 pm Citation Room A, 1st Floor Ciné, Cinéma et ciné-club: How to organize successful movie programs at your Alliance. Presenters Cyril Anis, Alliance française de Puerto Rico, PR Alice Brunot, Déléguée Générale Adjointe Aimée Laberge, Alliance française de Chicago, IL Moderator Catherine Hamelin, Alliance française de Kansas City, MO How do you organize and handle a cinema/movie activity in an Alliance française? What should you accomplish and with what programming, what partners and what tools? This presentation will help you find some idea. 6:20 pm – 6:30 pm West Broadway Entrance, Brown Hotel Board buses to go to the Kentucky Derby Museum. 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Kentucky Derby Museum, 704 Central Avenue, Louisville Kentucky Derby Museum Tour and Buffet Dinner In presence of special guest, jockey Frederic “Freddie” Lenclud This will be a special opportunity to wrap up a day full of workshops and meetings in a unique environment. Return buses to the Brown Hotel will depart around 10:30 pm. Pre-registration required. Sunday, October 30 Tour 1: Maker's Mark Distillery and Lunch at Old Talbott Tavern Departure from Brown Hotel: 9:30 AM, Return to Brown Hotel: 4:15 PM Pre-registration required. Bring money for lunch at Old Talbott Tavern: Average bill is $13, order off menu, guests responsible for their own bill. Located 80 miles from downtown Louisville, Maker’s Mark Distillery has a rich tradition of bourbon-making that spans six generations. Maker’s Mark uses pure, iron-free limestone spring water to achieve their unique taste of bourbon. You’ll learn more fun facts about bourbon-making during the tour. On the way to the distillery, you’ll stop by for a quick look at My Old Kentucky Home, inspiration for Stephen Foster’s beloved song. Then, it’s lunch at the historic Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown. Said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America, legend has it that exiled King Louis Philippe and his entourage stayed there, even painting murals on the upstairs walls. Tour 2: Museum Row on Main You’re on your own to experience 9 original Louisville attractions all packed in 6 amazing blocks. Packets with detailed information regarding each attraction, maps and walking guide will be provided in the registration conference bags. Most of the museums listed below have Sunday hours of 12-5 PM and admission prices in the $9 range (check website or registration packet for specific details). From the Brown Hotel, it is an approximate 1 mile walk or a short taxi ride to all the attractions on Main Street. Stop by as many as your schedule allows. A selection is included below. Frazier International History Museum Glassworks Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Louisville Science Center Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft 21c Museum Muhammad Ali Center The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts A VISIT TO CHURCHILL DOWNS IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR CONFERENCE ATTENDEES.** Please sign up at the registration desk by Friday evening, Oct 28, if you are interested in going, so that we can coordinate volunteers to accompany you. Meet our presenters from the Délégation Générale in Miami, FL Jean-François Chénin, Délégué Général, Director, Alliance française de Miami Jean-François Chénin studied philosophy at Grenoble University and economy of education at Université de Bourgogne. He started his career as a teacher in elementary school. He spent some time in two ministerial cabinets (Education and Women's Rights). He managed the Mission Europe and created the Research and Development Department of ONISEP (Office National d'Information Sur les Enseignements et les Professions). He worked abroad in the French cultural network (Director of the Institut français de Tel Aviv) and for Alliances Françaises (Deputy Cultural Counselor and Délégué général de la Fondation Alliance française in India). He has managed, in France, a private company producing intermediate products of pastry. Alice Brunot, Déléguée générale adjointe, chargée des affaires culturelles A graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure and of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Alice Brunot started her career at the Alliance française of Bologna, Italy as part of an international progress which led her from Paris to Bologna and then to Madrid, Spain. In her different and diverse missions, she was responsible for high-profile cultural events in various domains such as living art, audio-visual programs, current music and macro-exhibits. Muriel Piquet-Viaux, Déléguée générale adjointe, chargée des affaires éducatives Before serving in her current position in Miami, Muriel Piquet-Viaux was the director of the Institut français and of the Ecole française in Thessaloniki, Greece from 2006 to 2009, and director of classes and examinations at the Institut français in Thessaloniki from 2004 to 2006. Upon returning from her first extended stay in New York City in 1997, she created a consulting company specialized in educational planning, which she led until 2004. She has led numerous expert missions in France and overseas, and educational training sessions at the Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques, at the BELC, at the Credif and at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée in Besançon. She holds a DESS from the Sorbonne University and is the author of several French teaching methods and educational and teaching tools. Meet our guest from the Fondation Alliance française in Paris Isabelle Morieux, Déléguée Géographique Amérique du Nord et Océanie An educator of teachers of French as a Foreign Language (FLE) in France and overseas, and an author of educational tools to teach FLE (CLE, Hachette, Cavilam), Isabelle Morieux started her career as an educator at the CAVILAM and was then in charge of the process to certify FLE-teaching centers in France at the CIEP in Sèvres, before directing its Normalisation et Qualité unit. She is now the Déléguée Géographique Amérique du Nord et Océanie at the Fondation Alliance française and is responsible for Education and the démarche qualité. Some of our guest presenters Cathe Dykstra, President and CEO, Family Scholar House Cathe Dykstra has a B.A. in Economics from Wake Forest University, and over 20 years of experience in social work with the goal of assisting special populations through unique approaches to attaining and maintaining self-sufficiency. As the President of Family Scholar House, Ms. Dykstra is committed to promoting the importance of education as an asset that appreciates over time and provides long-term self-sufficiency through career-track employment. Family Scholar House’s mission is to end the cycle of poverty by giving very low-income single-parent students the support they need to earn a four-year college degree. With three campuses in Louisville and outreach programs in Carrolltton, Kentucky and southern Indiana, Family Scholar House has increased housing capacity and expanded services to meet the growing needs of our region. In December 2010, Family Scholar House was recognized as the Not-for-Profit of the Year by Business First. She is actively involved in community service on non-profit boards and in her church. Beth Gemmill, Director of Business Development, Middlebury Interactive Languages Beth Gemmill has a BS in elementary education and special education and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. After teaching in public schools for 12 years, Beth began working in the educational technology industry. She has 20 years experience working for several companies including Scholastic, Educational Resources and Gateway Computers. Beth has helped numerous districts implement curriculum and technology-based solutions and she is passionate about the importance of professional development and the role it plays in succesful implementations. Beth has been with Middlebury Interactive Languages for 1 year and she focuses on working on partnerships to enhance the way MIL courses are delivered to the public. Dr. Aline Germain Rutherford, Associate Vice President, Language Schools and Graduate Programs, Middlebury College Aline Germain-Rutherford received a Doctorat de Didactologie/Didactique des Langues et des Cultures at La Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III. Professor of Linguistics at Middlebury College, she is also the Director of the French School and the Associate VP for Language Schools and Graduate Programs . The author of numerous publications on faculty development, second language pedagogy, speech technology and the integration of sound pedagogy in e-learning practices, she has headed several national and international research projects, specifically on faculty development and multicultural issues in post-secondary education and online environments. She has been a visiting professor and keynote speaker in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. she is also the recipient of the 3M National Teaching Fellow Award, a Canadian award for excellence in teaching and leadership in Higher Education. She is now leading the French development team for the Middlebury Interactive Languages courses. One Book – One Federation Selection for 2011 Le banquier et le perroquet by Philippe Simiot Etienne Girard was born in 1750 to a family of modest means in Bordeaux, where his father owned a merchant ship. His birthplace was a prosperous port city that grew wealthier each year thanks to its wine, but even more so from its monopoly on Santo Domingo sugar and from the slave trade. The eldest of nine, motherless at age 12, ill-favored in looks, and with a blind, drooping eye, Etienne was an unhappy child. He first set to sea on his father’s ship when he was 14, and 10 years later he won his license as a merchant marine captain. Girard then began his own shipping operation, made some bad business decisions, and vanished from his hometown, never to return. In 1776 he settled in Philadelphia, where he opened a shop, and the following year decided to become a citizen of Pennsylvania. Etienne became Stephen. Thirty years later Stephen Girard was the richest man in the United States. As a shipping magnate he traded with China and had agencies all over the world. As a financier, he bought up stock in the First Bank of the United States and personally underwrote half the loan that funded the War of 1812 against England. He thus saved the young nation from bankruptcy, and perhaps from a military defeat of incalculable consequences. A secretive, solitary man, childless, unhappy in his marriage, rightly suspected of being irreligious, Girard was disliked by his fellow citizens, who speculated about the origin of his wealth and the personal habits of the “little Frenchie.” Upon his death in 1831 Girard bequeathed his vast fortune to a foundation dedicated to the support and education of orphans. Today a life-size statue of him stands before the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a major avenue in the city bears his name, and Girard College boarding school¾where, at the behest of its benefactor, French must be taught¾grants full scholarships to each of its 700 students. The shadowy areas of this singular man’s life, both in his financial achievements and in the personal realm, inspired novelist Philippe Simiot to create an imaginary diary, Girard’s journal from 1776 to 1831, in which he reveals the truth about his dealings with money and women, and about his own deep nature. Witness to the birth of the United States, moving in the same circles as Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Adams, and later such French figures as Chateaubriand, Talleyrand, and Joseph Bonaparte, Girard had a privileged vantage point on a historic era in Franco-American relations. In these fictional musings he observes the actions of both sides with a sharp eye and uniquely independent judgment. About the Author In his first career, under another name, Philippe Simiot was an aeronautical engineer. He specialized in defense and space, in particular the Ariane rocket program, and became assistant director of the European Propulsion Society (SEP). Upon reaching retirement age, the engineer turned novelist. Taking on the pen name used by his father, Bernard Simiot, who died in 1996, Philippe added two titles to the series Ces Messieurs de Saint Malo, created by the elder Simiot: Carbec, mon Empereur (Carbec, My Emperor) in 1999 and Carbec l’Américain (Carbec the American) in 2002. It was in the course of research for these novels that he learned of 19th-century banker Stephen Girard, the first American multimillionaire, who was a native of Bordeaux. Simiot then conceived and wrote Le Banquier et le perroquet (The Banker and the Parrot: 2006), a fictional diary kept by Girard from 1776 to 1831, when he lived in Philadelphia. The novel evokes the birth of American democracy in lively prose and an original form, and received the highest award from Bordeaux’s Académie des Lettres the year it appeared. In 2010 he published Une partie de zanzibar (A Round of Zanzibar). The title refers to a dice game played by colonial troops in the late 19th century and evokes the themes of Simiot’s novel: chance, fate and exoticism. The tale of an “ shattered” Breton family, the book takes readers from Lorient (Brittany) to Nouméa, Bucharest and Cayenne, and ends on July 14, 1900, at the Universal Exposition in Paris. The social and political tensions within French society during that era, the stances of the church and the army, and the Dreyfuss Affair form the backdrop to this remarkable saga. Philippe Simionesco 1931- Our special guest at Saturday evening's Kentucky Derby Museum event: French jockey Frederic “Freddie” Lenclud Frederic Lenclud was born in Avesnes, France and resides in Louisville, KY. He ranks among the top 100 jockeys in the US. He has won numerous events and competitions in New York State, Florida, and Kentucky. He was the leading apprentice at Churchill Downs for the 2010 spring/summer meeting. He rode three winners in one day at the Louisville oval on May 6, 2010, the first time that feat had been accomplished since fellow Frenchman Julien Leparoux did the same in 2006. He rode a limited number of races in France and England before moving to the United States to work for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. He later found employment with trainer Ian Wilkes, who helped him get started as a rider in Kentucky. He had no family background in racing and was encouraged to pursue a career as a jockey by his high school guidance counselor in 2001. He investigated enrollment in the French jockey school and spent four years there to get "the highest level of education" possible. Un grand merci to our sponsors and our meeting patrons! Un merci encore plus grand to the team of volunteers at the Alliance française de Louisville who helped plan the local events for us this year! Left to right: Debbie Clark, Aida Touma, Julien Carriere, Lynn Roberts, Samia Kudmani, Alan Parsons, Nancy Erwin, Victoria Gaar, Becca Brodarick Committee members not pictured: Elizabeth Amin, Marie Bradby, Evelyn Cohn, Melissa Guidry, Kathy Nieder, and Wendy Yoder
Please click PayPal Payment to register and pay for your 2011 Louisville Annual Meeting events via PayPal. Please click 2011 Louisville Registration Form for a .DOC of the 2011 Louisville Registration Form. Please click 2011 Louisville Registration Form for a .PDF of the 2011 Louisville Registration Form. Please click 2011 Louisville Program for a PDF of the 2011 Louisville Program. Note: PDF's require Adobe Reader which can be downloaded here.