Alliance Française du North Shore (IL) Founded in 1912 as "The French Club of Evanston" P.O. Box 1750, Evanston, IL 60204 USA

Put a little French in your life
and join our
Alliance Française du North Shore (IL).

  We are but one chapter of the not-for-profit cultural and educational Alliance Française organizations, a worldwide network which seeks to educate its members about francophone cultures, language, history and literature.

    Is your French a little rusty?   Pas de problème!   Come and enjoy the camaraderie of French-speaking people in Chicago's  northern suburbs along the shores of Lake Michigan (Northern Cook County, Lake County). Benefit from our excellent lecture programs which take place once a month (on Monday afternoons) during our September-April Lecture Season, and benefit from our many year'round activities.

        Il y en aura pour tous les goûts!

  If you are interested in being part of a friendly francophone environment, visit one of our Lecture programs for the nominal sum of $10 at the door.  If you wish to join for the year, $50, print out our  Membership form , and mail it to us with your check. All skill levels welcome, fluent to beginner. Our members range from native speakers to present and former French teachers to present and former French students. We do not have any office space, so please write to us at AFNS, P.O.Box 1750, Evanston, IL 60204, or by email, alliancefn @ yahoo.com.

Membership Benefits
Among the many benefits of an annual membership:
--You will receive monthly reminders of upcoming Lecture-Program Topics and Café events by postcard or e-Rappel;
--Members receive their own copy of our annual Member-Directory (published each November),
--Members receive one or two "NewsBrief" newsletters sent out each year.
--The Lecture-Program entrance fee is waived for members.

--Members are also extended privileges at our club's small 'lending library', to borrow from our small collection of French-language books, magazines, publications which are on offer before each Lecture. Ask for Chantal Shapiro or Monique Whiting. Do you have subscriptions to francophone newspapers or magazines such as Paris MATCH, or l'Express? Once you have finished, please bring your old copies to our 'lending library' so they can be circulated to interested members.
--Members are also elegible to access the Members-Only activities such as: Cercle de Lecture, Cercle des Contes, Ciné Club and Classe de Conversation.

Our Year-'Round Activities

--- "Café Conversations" ---
"Café Conversations" Morning Edition:
One Monday-morning a month, (usually first Mondays) at 10:00am, we meet at a café "pour bavarder en français." Rendez-vous at the Panera (Wilmette), at 1199 Wilmette Ave, (just east of the C&NW rail tracks).
Bring a friend! Purchase your refreshment and then look for us at the pulled-together tables near the south exit. Open to Members and non-Members, beginners to fluent. Listening in French is required. We generally have 12 to 24 participants each month. Join us! Mark your calendar now for :

- - - September 3, 2007, 10am-11am (Yes, Labor Day) - - - October 1, 2007, 10am-11am - - - November 5, 2007, 10am-11am - - - December 3, 2007, 10am-11am - - - January 7, 2008, 10am-11am - - - February 4, 2008, 10am-11am - - - March 3, 2008, 10am-11am - - - April 7, 2008, 10am-11am - - - May 5, 2008, 10am-11am - - - June 2, 2008, 10am-11am

"Café Conversations" Evening Edition:
One Monday-evening a month (on the second or third Monday nite of the month) at 7:30pm, we meet at a café. Rendez-vous at the Panera "LincolnVillage", 6059 N. Lincoln Ave, just east of McCormick Blvd., for one hour.
Panera is at the intersection of Lincoln and Jersey St. (3200 West); the building is one door east of the Borders Books Building. Purchase your refreshment and look for us at the tables that are pulled together.
Open to Members and non-Members, beginners to fluent. Listening in French is required. We generally have 6 to 12 participants each month. Mark your calendar now for :

- - - Aug. 13, 2007, 7:30pm to 8:30pm - - - September 10, 2007, 7:30pm to 8:30pm - - - October 8, 2007, 7:30pm to 8:30pm - - - November 12, 2007, 7:30 to 8:30pm - - - December 10, 2007, 7:30 to 8:30pm - - - January 21, 2008, 7:30pm to 8:30pm (note: 3rd Monday!) - - - February 18, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm (note: 3rd Monday!) - - - March 10, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm - - - April 14, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm - - - May 12, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm - - - June 9, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm - - - July 21, 2008, 7:30pm-8:30pm (note: 3rd Monday!)

Our Lecture Programs:    

Si vous voulez améliorer votre compréhension et expression
de la langue française, venez vous joindre à nous,
pour écouter et converser en français.

Program Date @1PM sharp.	Planned Lecture Topics ('07 - '08)
Sept. 17, 2007	M. Frédéric Robinel, Director of the Learning Center of AF-Chicago, formerly of Toulouse, France, will discuss "la situation socio-économique de la France et les changements en cours depuis la dernière élection présidentielle"
Oct. 15, 2007	M. Eddie A. Maettaoui, chef-owner of Tagine Restaurant, 4749 N. Rockwell, Chicago (Lincoln Square), will discuss "Maroc: l'ancienne et la nouvelle cuisine marocaine: cous cous, tajines, briwats, etc". Tastings follow the talk.
Nov. 19, 2007	Musicians Amy Conn (soprano) & Rick Ferguson (pianist) will perform some gems of French art song from the vocal repertoires of M. Gabriel Fauré and Mme. Germaine Tailleferre, with program commentary (in French). ...Ms. Conn, a music teacher, has performed with Music of the Baroque, the Bach Chamber Choir, and Musical Offering, among others. She is also on the faculty of DePaul. ...Mr. Ferguson is the co-founder/artistic director of Musical Offering of Evanston, themusicaloffering.org. He teaches music in innovative ways, and is a performer of solo, chamber, and orchestral works both here & abroad.
Dec. 17, 2007	M. David Gista will present "Les bibliothèques imaginaires." ...Mr. Gista teaches at the Art Centers of Evanston and Highland Park. He completed his MFA at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris (ENSBA). He is currently represented by Galerie Darthea Speyer of Paris and Thomas Masters Gallery of Chicago. www.davidgista.com.
Jan. 14, 2008	"Causerie", open to Members Only, various Discussion-Topic Circles.
Feb.11, 2008	French Music by Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764) and Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) will be performed by Nelson Cleary, violin and Gregory Shifrin, piano. Also, NB: Half-Season AFNS Memberships are now available (Feb-thru-May 30,'08) at $25.00 and may be purchased at the door or by mail. Become a Member!
Mar.17, 2008	SUBJECT: to be announced soon... because Prof. Michael Loriaux, Northwestern University Dept. of Political Science, will be unavailable.
Apr.21, 2008	Dr. Zakia Gooding, specialist in cardiology, will present “Un petit aperçu sur l'Algérie: A personal account of life in Algeria - culture, history, geography and politics”
May 19, 2008	Déjeuner de printemps. Our Annual Spring Luncheon will be held at Capriccio's Restaurant in Northfield. Begins at NOON. Pre-paid Reservations MUST be received by our Treasurer by May 8th. $34 for Members, $39 for non-Members. (Tax and Tip included.) Please fill out the formule d'inscription to purchase your Déjeuner reservations, a copy of which is mailed to Members in late April, or is available by request to our email account. Déjeuner 2008 is a 4-course meal which includes a Glass of wine with Terrine de légumes; Choice of Potage Parmentier -Or- Salade de laitue avec framboises, noix, fromage de chèvre; Plat principal: choice of Coq au vin -Or- Saumon coulibiac avec beurre blanc et la sauce d’aneth -Or- Vegetable dish; for Dessert, choose either Crème brûlée -Or- Tarte aux fruits; choice of Coffee or Tea accompanies the Dessert.

NOTES:
-- Our '07-'08 Lecture Series began on September 17, 2007.
--Our Program starts promptly at 1:00 PM S-H-A-R-P.   Arrive by 12:50pm to find your seat.
--Meet in the Wilmette Public Library's Auditorium (lower level), 1242 Wilmette Avenue.
--Members admitted free; Guests and Visitors pay $10 at the door to help defray our expenses for the meeting.
--The Library has elevators if you wish to avoid stairs.  
--Parking: You may park in the St. John's church lot *south* of the Library, but DO NOT PARK in the "Library Lot" (north of the Library) unless you have a Wilmette windshield sticker; we have reserved 12 spaces in the center of the Church's lot, and 8 slots accessed from Park Avenue.  (Carpooling is optional, email ahead to request carpooling suggestions.) 
--Come at 12:45pm to socialize in French and/or browse our 'lending library', a tableful of materials in French.
--You will also hear announcements of current local francophone events.
--Our Guest Speakers and Presenters give 45 to 60 minutes program.
--We present refreshments after the Lecture, contributed by members, and socialize in French.
--We generally conclude by 2:45 or 3:00pm. 
--Our Lecture Program's Conference topics are also announced in local papers such as in the Pioneer Press' Clubs, Lectures, or Community calendars found in its "Diversions", "Images", or "Peek-at-the-Week" pages. We often have listings printed in the NorthSHORE Magazine "Calendar", as well.
--Nearly all our Presenters are fluent francophones.

This view looks north towards The Wilmette Public Library, 847-256-5025, 1242 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette, IL, 60091

W.P. L. is located just 1 block west of GreenBay Road. (At the corner of Park Avenue and Wilmette Ave). The convenient #213 Pace Bus runs on GreenBay Road nearby.

Our Classe de Conversation (for Members Only):

AFNS Classe du mercredi soir: We offer one class per week and it is held during our Lecture Season (September to April) only. It is an "Advanced-Intermediate & Advanced Level" Classe de Conversation (par Prof. Roland Dubosq) on Wednesday evenings (7:00 to 8:45 p.m.) at the Wilmette Library.
Various materials are used: articles, poems, songs, grammar worksheets. No text is required. Current events are followed on TV5-Monde.
Fall quarter Classes began September 12, 2007, fee was $140.00.
Students may easily join this class part-way thru the series, for a prorated tuition, whenever there are open seats, maximum 14 students. You may also request to be added to the waiting list if the enrollment is currently full. AFNS Membership is a prerequisite. Each 10-week or 13-week series will not be offered unless 8 or more students have registered and pre-paid by the deadline. For current information, email the club at alliancefn@ yahoo.com. If you wish to audit one class to see if the level and format suit you, please email the club to arrange your visit.

     If you are looking for other levels of French, call Mme Janine Pefley at 847-251-6517 or call the New Trier Extension office (NTX), Northfield, Illinois, to leave a message at 847-446-6600, or visit their "NTX Course Catalog Online" at http://www.newtrierextension.org/ where you will find 10 to 16 excellent courses for francophones on a semester schedule.

Our Cercles based on pre-Selected Readings (for Members Only):