Memories Through Membership Stories
AF Membership Memories
My first contact with the flagship Alliance Française, as a student in Paris, led to my discovery decades later of the Alliance Française de Minneapolis-St. Paul. I joined a conversation group at the Baker Court site in St. Paul, met welcoming and interesting members, and attended many of the dynamic cultural programs and ongoing festive social events.
Soon thereafter, I was hired as registrar, with responsibility for editing Le Bulletin/Le Courrier. I enjoyed writing articles about the talented teaching staff, the AF’s move to the North Loop Warehouse District in 1998, and the rich cultural scene involving the Twin Cities’ French community. The Grande Salle, especially, was an ongoing hubbub of activity with receptions for various national and international speakers, authors like Polly Platt (French or Foe? Savoir Flair!), film star Elodie Bouchez (La vie rêvée des anges), and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, who was presented a medal bearing the likeness of General Charles de Gaulle by the Consul of France Dominique Decherf.
I joined the Board of Directors in 2001 after leaving the staff mid-1999. As a board member, I could volunteer my time and energy to help continue the mission of the school and cultural center. During my term as president (2006-2008), French Ambassadors Jean-David Levitte (2002-2007) and Pierre Vimont (2007-2010) visited the Twin Cities, highlighting the importance of the Alliance Française in the community and beyond. Executive Director Christina Selander Bouzouina was also brought on staff in 2007.
In addition to fundraising efforts and serving on various committees (gala, programs), I was enriched by the experience of working with a savvy team of board members, and meeting many enthusiastic and dedicated students, teachers and AF members. I also enrolled in various classes and benefited from the instruction par excellence that I received. Although no longer a board member, I currently volunteer as part of the Library Committee, helping to keep an abundance of books and media resources (5000+) available to all Alliance members and staff. Through my participation as student, staff, board member, and volunteer, I have enjoyed a memorable and fulfilling relationship with the Alliance Française, a connection to French language, culture, and members that I value with each passing year.
- Peggy Linrud 12/06/2021, Alliance Française Member, Library Committee Member, Former Board Member, Former Employee
For Vincent Francoual, being a member of Alliance Française “means that I get help to have our daughter to speak, act and think French. It is always good and refreshing to hang out with French people (I do miss the French attitude sometimes). The Alliance is a piece of France in the Midwest.”
Vincent has enjoyed making memories and having access to benefits through Alliance Française. “The event with Pere Noel & Chloe is one of my favorite memories. I like events like Le Petit Déjeuner, and the Bastille Day event is always fun. My wife Brenda (from North Dakota) is also taking French in hope to get a French passport.”
– Vincent Francoual, Alliance Française Member and Board Member
I love the Alliance Française because I love France.
Lots of people join the Alliance Française because they want to take language classes. I have never taken a class at the Alliance - I learned to speak French as a kid - but I still get a lot out of being a member. I love going to Alliance events, like the monthly P'tit Dej breakfast, where I get to practice French with fellow Francophiles, or Ciné-Club, for free French films (with English subtitles).
One thing that I have discovered at these events is that we each love a different France - France as we imagine her. Some love the France of fashion and elegance, while others love the France of gastronomy and fine wines or the France of chateaux and ancient villages. Personally, I love the France of liberté, égalité, solidarité, and subversive penseurs like Simone de Beauvoir and Michel Foucault. And I love the muscular democracy of a country where citizens pour out into the streets by the tens of thousands to protest bosses, or fuel prices, or violence against women.
And the great thing about the Alliance is that it offers something for all of us - from classes on French language and literature, to wine tastings and cooking classes. La Boutique, a little shop inside the Alliance, offers stylish French merchandise ranging from cookware and cards to books in English and French. There is also a lending library with thousands of hard copy books, including recent winners of France's most prestigious literary awards, and hundreds of French films on DVD, plus Culturetheque, an online library with thousands more books, movies, magazines and more. Alliance Française members also get a free year's subscription to TV 5 Monde, the French global television network, that includes French language movies, tv shows, newscasts and sports - that's worth more than the cost of membership, all by itself.
I also need to mention - I love the fact that the Alliance doesn't just celebrate France - its programming celebrates the diversity of the Francophone world, from Senegal to Lebanon and Quebec to Morocco.
And finally, a plug for the Alliance's language classes. Speaking French - even a little - can open the door to richer experiences when you travel. Here are some photos of my Francophone adventures around the world.
- Jeremy Iggers 12/6/2021, Alliance Française Member, Marketing Committee Member, Former Board Member
"I remember going to class at Alliance Française on Saturday mornings when I was a kid. My sister and I would go to our class, read Lili, la Petite Grenouille with our teacher, and after class I would always want to explore la bibilotheque. I would admire the covers of books I couldn't read, and beg our mom to let us borrow them. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. Years later, I am now the Marketing & Membership Coordinator at Alliance Française and believe memories are what brings people back to Alliance Française and makes them stay."
- Kristi Manning, Marketing & Membership Coordinator at Alliance Française, Mpls/St Paul
"As Francophones, being members of the Alliance keeps us connected with the French Language and we meet other people similarly interested in staying connected with the language. We have a number of reasons for being members of the Alliance. First and foremost, the MSP Alliance under the leadership of our Executive Director, Christina, is a very welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in addition to all they offer in terms of French classes, great cultural events, great opportunities to connect with other members of the international community. Every event we attend is always fun and we usually meet one new person we did not know before. We love Bastille Day fun. We have attended several Bastille Day events for the last several years and it is an event that we looked forward to every year. Of course the restrictions of the pandemic have changed some activities in the past year or so. The Alliance, however, continues to deliver great programming and fun events for its membership. We love just about everything the Alliance offers. We have enjoyed the yearly Gala, serving on the board and committees, petit déj, cultural events and many more. The Alliance is a unique organization that offers French courses including great French literature, great programming, a wonderful diverse and inclusive environment and most importantly an opportunity to speak or learn French."
- Allie Cole & her mother Jacquie Regis, Alliance Française members