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The new board of directors of the Beti Aurrera Basque club in Chivilcoy, Argentina has gathered every Monday since January planning activities that strengthen “the Basque life of the Euskal Etxea and allows it to explore the culture of Euskal Herria in its different expressions.”  The 2016 program includes several proposals for all tastes that also cultivates stronger relations between the Basque club and the entire community of Chivilcoy. 

Chivilcoy, Argentina.   The Beti Aurrera is facing 2016 with renewed energy and after reorganizing internally the Club has published the intense plan of activities that has on mapped for this year.

The first event will take place this Saturday, April 2, when they will celebrate Aberri Eguna with a dinner – empanadas and ribs, for 160 people.  During the evening, there will be dancing and videos of the landscape of Euskal Herria will be shown.  On April 17, the event includes Basque film.  Carlos Gabilondo will return to Chivilcoy, this time to show Amama, accompanied by the film’s star, Iraia Elias.  Basque languages classes will also resume in April, on Tuesdays from 17-20:00.

In the following months there will be more community events.  For social gatherings with dinners will take place in May, and July to celebrate the club’s anniversary; in September to greet spring, and in December to celebrate the end of the year.  On June 26, San Juan will be celebrated with a fire, effigy and witch, as every year.  On July 9 the Literary Contest “The Tree of Gernika,” will take place and will conclude in September with an awards ceremony.  Also in September, on Friday the 9th, they will pay tribute to the club’s patron saint the Virgin of Arantzazu.

The club dancers will also represent Chivilcoy at “Buenos Aires Celebrates the Basque Country” as well as at Semana Nacional Vasca this year in Necochea.  In regards to this national event, the locals also plan to attend with a Tamborrada Group, in collaboration with players from Laurak Bat.  Among other plans for 2016, the Basque club has also started working with the Lagun Onak choir to organize a choir in Chivilcoy.

An Active March

Beti Aurrera also began March vigorously by starting dance classes.  There are four groups that practice on Fridays at the Euskal Etxea: txikis (under 6) at 17:30; kids ages 6-9 (from 18-19:00; older kids from 19-20:00 and adults, in training, at 20:00.  As soon as practice started, the dancers had their first performance on March 20 as part of the city’s Solidarity Festival.

On March 12-13, a member of Beti Aurrera participated in the FEVA event in Mar del Plata, “Reflection for Growth.”  On the same weekend, that same representative presented the club in Mar del Plata a bilingual book of poetry published last year by the club.

Finally, on Good Friday, the club opened its doors for Stations of the Cross, “involving the club in this way with the neighborhood,” according to club sources.

They Chivilcoyan  Basque institution would also like to add “attempts to facilitate communication with our members," "and so we will keep our Facebook page updated,” Nelba Calonge de Letamendi, board member told EuskalKultura.com.  “Along the same lines, we are in touch with local TV so that they also share our activities.  They are also planning meeting with the city’s Director of Culture to present him their work projects for the year, to coordinate common activities to integrate the Basque culture into the municipal cultural plan,” Letamendi said.

-For more information the club’s new email is: centrovascochivilcoy@yahoo.com.ar