euskalkultura.eus

Pehuajo, Argentina.  “Member’s Day” is on its way to becoming a traditional event at the Etxe Alai Basque club in Pehuajo, in the province of Buenos Aires.  In fact, the proposal was very well received, not just by Basque descendants but also by the entire community.  The response has also served as a great motivator for those involved in the ceremony and who are in the middle of organizing the third edition.

The goal is clear: “Institutions are made up of members, men and women. And ours give their all for so that Etxe Alai continues to grow,” the board of directors said to EuskalKultura.com when explaining the need for the event in 2011.  The club is now announcing that the 2013 “Member’s Day” will be held on June 9 and that the program will be to socialize and share “a good meal and drink” with friends.   

First dinner of the year

Meanwhile, the Basque club is developing a full program of activities.  These include language classes, taught by Alejandra Bengochea who travels from Trenque Lauquen every week to teach Euskera at Etxe Alai. The dancers get together every week as well, on Thursday at 18:30.  These activities are in addition to yoga and loom workshops that have taken place for some time at the Pehuajo Basque club.

[Alejandra Bengochea, teacher in Trenque Lauquen, is in charge of Etxe Alai’s Basque classes (photoEE)]

Etxe Alai doesn’t only organize classes, workshops and courses; they also organize parties that are also a good excuse to go to the clubhouse.  In this case, Pehuajo gathers its members and friends at its monthly dinners.  The first of this year was held on May 11 and called by the new board of directors that gathered more than 60 people.  The event coincided with the Day of the National Anthem, and during dinner verses of the Argentine and Basque national anthems were sung.

Looking into the future, the club has other projects, some that will be realized with the collaboration of the local administration.  In regard to this, Etxe Alai also informed us that they building improvements will soon begin and they will also plant a new oak on the “Lagunak” walk in the city, inaugurated as part of the 50th anniversary of the Basque club in 2006.

Finally, the club also told us that Etxe Alai news can now be followed on Facebook at “Centro Basko Etxe Alai de Pehuajó.”