FRENCH CLUB
The French Club is the oldest of the 3Ls language clubs and Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month from 12.15pm until 2.00pm, in the Graham Hills building, from October until April. Our talks are mostly delivered in French by invited speakers or our own Club members.
Our President John Parkhill has offered some reflections on our Club meetings during the 2019/20 session, in the note below. We look forward to welcoming everyone to future meetings later this year.
Our annual subscription is £10, payable at your first meeting. This also gives access to facilities at the Alliance Française, including its Médiathèque.
Membership of the 3Ls Association is a prerequisite of joining the club.
Membres du Comité 2019-2020
President: John Parkhill
Vice President/ Secretary*: Diane Campbell
Treasurer: Colin Browning
Committee Member: Mary Crearie
Committee Member: Moira Kerr
Committee Member: Anne Stevenson
Committee Member: Margaret Todd
*Contact Details: dc3lsecretary@btinternet.com
French Club Programme 2019-2020
3Ls French Club – Reflections on 2019/20
Well, who would have thought that just as we were heading towards the end of term there would be a pandemic?
Apart from the disruption lockdown and self-isolation brings, all 3Ls and club activities are suspended for now! And that is a Blow!
I understand that clubs are invited to provide reports not only for their members but also the wider association membership. Who knows, it may spark interest in a club when things return to normal?
Anyway, we here in the French Club have had another enjoyable, very enjoyable range of informative and entertaining speakers. I will not list our programme here as it is available to examine on the 3Ls website which is where you will be reading this, Non?
Each year has seen our committee exceed the previous year’s excellence and I wonder how they manage to continually do it?
External speakers are always the bane of a club the “back bane” (Scottish joke). We have regulars who are always able to provide a new subject notwithstanding previous visits. The committee through personal connections access others. A feature of our “external” speakers is that we have for a few years formed a connection with the French Faculty at Strathclyde University and this has proved a veritable cornucopia of talent and not too far away either. These speakers include a Professor, students, interns and others.
We maintain our inter-generational connection with Holyrood School pupils and a committee member is to develop this relationship further.
However, the Jewels in the Crown of our presentations were, are and always will be, those made by our own members.
These can be an entire individual presentation or a shorter one as part of the “pot-pourri” session. Regardless of length they are absolutely great! Sadly, the lockdown has meant that we will be unable to attend them this term but what delights await us next term.
Stay safe and take care.
Best Regards
John
John Parkhill: French Club President