Upcoming Noon Programs
į Friday, February 6th: Don Dagenais, a board member of the Lyric Opera Guild, will speak (in English) on the upcoming production of Giuseppe VerdiÕs La Traviata, which will be presented (in Italian) by the Lyric Opera starting on March 14th.
į Friday, February 13th: Alejandro Siqueiros, with the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City, will speak in Spanish about life in Mexico. He is the husband of LCF Spanish instructor Patricia Siqueiros.
į Friday, February 20th: Michel Escoffier, the great-grandson of Auguste Escoffier, the world-renowned French chef who originated organization and passion in French cuisine, will entertain us with stories about his great-grandfather, in French. After the program, members are invited to join Michel and others for a luncheon at Aixois. If you would like to attend the luncheon, please call Aixois at (816) 333-3305 for reservations.
į Friday, March 6th: Helene Cohen, a native French speaker from Montreal, Canada, will speak in French about Carla Bruni, wife of Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France.
Recruiting New Board Members
We will elect new board members for the upcoming year at our annual meeting on April 24th. This is a critical issue for our all-volunteer-run organization. We invite all members to consider serving in some capacity. Tell any board member, listed at the end of the newsletter, that youÕre interested. They can also answer your questions about board roles (which are more fully described in the Livret on pages 49-50).
Here are the positions:
President: Coordinates the work of the Board, contracts with instructors
First VP: Membership Chairman: Oversees enrollment process and produces the annual roster (the Livret)
Second VP: Social Chairman (primary functions are holiday and spring parties and summer luncheon)
Treasurer: Manages financial business of the organization, including payroll and investments
Asst. Treasurer: Assists the Treasurer; serves as Chair of the Textbook Committee
Secretary: Records minutes of Business Meetings; handles correspondence; serves as Chair of Program Committee
Asst. Secretary: Produces newsletter and organizes publicity during summer months
The Board meets approximately six times a year. It is possible to carry out these responsibilities around travel, work, or family obligations.
Keep the Snacks Coming!
Having tasty snacks to get us through our Friday morning studies depends on you. ItÕs traditional that snack donations tend to wane at this time of year—so we need volunteers to step up now. You donÕt have to feed the entire school—three or four other members will contribute, too. And your treats donÕt even have to be homemade.
YouÕll find the sign-up list to bring treats in the Social Room.
Snow Policy
La Causerie Fran¨aise follows the Shawnee Mission School District practice on snowy or icy days. If the Shawnee Mission District closes its schools due to bad weather, La Causerie will also be closed. In case of inclement weather, please listen to the list of school closings on television and radio or check the DistrictÕs website: www.smsd.org
February 6 Lyric Opera Program with Don Dagenais at noon
February 13 Spanish Program with Alejandro Siqueiros at noon
February 20 French Program with Michel Escoffier at noon
March 6th French Program with Helene Cohen at noon
First person to call: Alicia Girardeau, assistant to the board.
President Dalene Bradford
1st Vice President (Membership Chair) Judith Walter
2nd Vice President (Social Chair) Jeff Piehler (co-chair)
Carol Cowden (co-chair)
Secretary Judy Pearlstein
Assistant Secretary (Newsletter) Paula Kartus
Treasurer Inez Pennington
Assistant Treasurer (Textbook Chair) Joan Daniels