The President’s Report

May News and Notes

        Census 2010 is upon us, and I am happy to announce that the Language Club membership has reached 200!  Thanks to 74 new members, we greatly increased our enrollment from last year!  How did we achieve these goals that we set for ourselves?  Here’s how:

 

        We offer 17 different classes.  Whether you are a beginner, have an extensive language background, or are somewhere in between, we offer a variety of classes in various languages for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels as well as conversational classes to accommodate your needs.  What’s more, members are free to explore all classes and discover their own learning level.   Our highly-trained, experienced teachers take their teaching and preparation seriously, while understanding that there is joy and fellowship in learning together. 

 

         We are proud partners with the Deaf Group.  The Deaf Group is a part of Language Club, bound by the Charter Club Rules and Regulations and the Language Club's Operating Procedures.  Both groups complement each other by increasing our membership numbers to ensure Charter Club status, and we both gain the privileges of using Sun City Grand rooms for all of our meetings, classes, and social events. 

         We have fun together by enjoying member events.  Our Spring Fiesta party was well attended by 120 members and guests.  Kurt von Allmen planned a grand surprise for the entire club by hiring the Mariachi band, “Nacional de Mexico.”  The band kept the tempo and mood lively, playing favorite Latin tunes as guests were served a Mexican buffet.  Aleta and Nic Basso handled the 50/50 raffle and collected $159 for the Language Club treasury to be used for teaching materials and classroom supplies!

        The chrysalis of the Spring Fiesta was not the sum total of our fun and camaraderie.  Our French teacher, Super Hero Extraordinaire Kurt von Allmen, furthered the Language Club goals of increasing oral fluency by funding our two Foreign Film Festivals in conjunction with the LLA film classes of Fred Linch.   The films provided enough enrichment so that Language Club will continue a film series next term.  Gale McCall and Ted Gray will spearhead a committee that will look at possibilities.  Stay tuned for the future date, time, title and place….. Finally, mark your calendars now for the Holiday Party on Friday, Dec. 3, in the Agua Fria Room, which is certain to be an extravaganza! 

 

          We look to the future.  The Nominating Committee (Carol Hoser, Chairperson, Sandra Oehler, and Virginia Heilman) will be seeking people to run for the offices of President, Vice-President, and Secretary for the year 2011.   Job descriptions for these offices fit other standard club offices, except that the president will also be the principle liaison between the Club and the Association.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know more about how CAM operates.  In this modern era, it is always helpful for officers to have a basic knowledge of some computer technology.   I have enjoyed being president for these two years, and I strongly recommend that you run for any of these offices.  A leadership job is always made easier with supportive members and a competent, amiable Board.  I can definitely tell you that Language Club fits the bill.

        We mean business.  Language Club dues are $15 for October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011 and can be paid starting September 1, 2010.   That’s a bargain for all you receive.

        Please return library books no longer being used to ensure that they are not lost or misplaced.  However, if you would like to keep a book for summer study, please let Jill Hurt, our librarian, know.  You can make a note on the library book check out sheet in the Ocotillo Building.

        Keep current this summer by visiting our website at www.grandlanguageclub.com, which Ted Gray will be keeping up-to-date throughout the summer with class information and other items of interest.

        Be on the cover of the October 2010 issue of the Grand Times!  The Language Club will be featured on the cover of this issue, so if you have any photo(s) you think would be representative of our group, please email it to me so that I can forward it to Sharon Blatnik.

        That’s how we did it!  In closing, I would like to thank everyone for your fantastic support and good will.  It’s hard to say good-bye to all the classmates and friends, but it is nice to have our classes and activities to look forward to in the fall!

 

Paula Parkel

Language Club President, 2009-2010