Vierville educational leisure: activities and memories

An association dedicated to leisure and manual, cultural and fun activities was created in Vierville-sur-Mer. Its constituent assembly was held at the school on Monday, October 15, in the presence of a dozen people who came to listen to the organizers present their project.

After reading the statutes, the assembly appointed Andrée Oxéant as president, Suzanne Déboté as secretary and Georgette Racine as treasurer. Jean-Marie Oxéant, mayor of Vierville, was appointed honorary president, and Abbé Tourquetil honorary member.

The cut announced a first meeting on Tuesday, October 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Vierville school. Interested persons could then join the association.

Four months after its creation at the initiative of three inhabitants, without particular advertising, the Vierville leisure association had 45 members. She wanted to allow people of all ages to meet every week around various activities. Andrée Oxéant was the president, Suzanne Debote the secretary and Georgette Racine the treasurer. The mayor and the city council had made available to them, as early as the previous October, a heated room in the old school.

The meetings were held on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.: board games, painting on fabric, embroidery and sewing were on the program. Pyrogravure and cane workshops were to be added, others could be created according to the wishes of the participants. Every week, about ten people took Mr. Chedal's English classes; Ms. Poitevin provided sewing advice.

The association also welcomed neighboring municipalities: about fifteen members came from Formigny, Englesqueville, Saint-Laurent, Asnières or Louvières. In particular, the founders wanted to attract older people who wanted to break their isolation.

The annual fee was 40 F. The municipality had voted for a grant of 1,200 F and lent the room free of charge; the parish provided tables and chairs, while residents had donated. Registrations were taken on Tuesday afternoons at the old school or with Mrs. Oxéant.

Created a year ago to allow residents to get to know themselves better and get out of isolation, the Vierville Educational Leisure Association had thirty-two members of the municipality and the surrounding area. At her first general meeting, Ms. Jean Oxéant presented a very positive assessment and renewed activities.

The meetings took place every Tuesday afternoon: sewing, painting, pyrogravure, crochet and board games. Mr. Chedal-Anglay gave English lessons every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and Mrs. Poitevin gave sewing classes every fortnight.

A trip and a Christmas meal were planned, in addition to the usual snacks. The annual contribution of forty francs gave access to all activities.

On Sunday, August 10, on the occasion of the fair of all things, the association Loisirs éducatifs viervillais presented and offered for sale the objects made during the year. Sewing, embroidery, knitting and collage were a demonstration of the patient and precise work of the members.

The association had forty members who met every Wednesday afternoon in different workshops. Many visitors to the fair went through their stand.

During the annual flea market, Loisirs éducatifs viervillais put up for sale the objects made in its weekly workshops. The association met two afternoons a week, Friday being more particularly devoted to manual creations.

President Christiane Fontaine presented the novelties of the year: pyrogravure, painting on glass and patchwork. Handmade cards, knitwear and other works also showed the know-how of the members, described as close to an artistic approach.

On the occasion of the flea market, the members of the Loisirs créatifs de Vierville presented their work, as well as achievements prepared by other residents of the municipality. This meeting also allowed them to make the association known to visitors.

Officials announced a resumption on September 2, with meetings every Tuesday from 2:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Board games and manual activities of all kinds were on the program. They recalled that these activities were not only aimed at the elderly.

A snack accompanied each session: the association thus put conviviality in the foreground, before the production of objects.

In its edition of Tuesday, February 24, 2009, La Renaissance du Bessin tells the success of the first meal organized by the Viervillais Educational Leisure team. Nearly eighty guests had met on Saturday evening around homemade tripe prepared by the volunteers, followed by a teurgoule. President Christiane Fontaine was delighted with this participation and the desire of the inhabitants to meet.

The article recalled that the association offered activities and meetings all year round, on Tuesdays from 2:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the old school.

The November 20, 2010 cut announces the twentieth anniversary of Loisirs éducatifs viervillais. It attributes its creation to the initiative of Georgette Racine and Andrée Oxéant, who wanted to offer activities to the inhabitants of Vierville and neighboring municipalities. President Christiane Fontaine indicated that about forty people had joined from the first year, a number still comparable at the time of the article.

Sewing, embroidery, crafts and games occupied the Tuesday meetings from 2 to 5 p.m. in the old schools. The snack maintained a friendly atmosphere. New members had arrived over time, but many participated from the beginning.

Every year, the association sold its achievements at the fair for everything and organized a trip and a meal. Members were to celebrate the anniversary at the restaurant on November 24. The office brought together Christiane Fontaine, President, Andrée Oxéant, Vice-President, Marie Gouget, Secretary, and Henri Guédon, Treasurer.