Claudie Chourré

I have been known to rant and rave about many things and many people, but today I come here not to bury but to praise Caesar.

Our pétanque club is manned by volunteers and unbeknownst to many they often work long hours in the background to make things happen.

Many people for instance come to our picnics and find it natural to find everything “ready to eat”. And they never give it a second thought.
But a picnic for 60 to 70 people is a huge undertaking requiring a lot of planning and preparation.
And this job is done by a handful of (unpaid) volunteers.

Our club, unlike a business organization, never rewards its workers in any form. They don’t even get a pat on the back for a job well done.
That’s why I always try to single out people who contributed to the welfare of our club.

Lately, it has come to my attention that Claudie Chourré is going to leave the Board of Directors at the end of the year.
It is a crying shame and we are sorely going to miss her, for Claudie is one of the oldest Board Member and one of the hardest workers in our club.
In the Soviet Union she would have been known as a  Stakhanovite, an overachiever, and she would certainly have been given some medal.
But in our organization, nada!

Unlike some lesser figures she never blows her horn and that’s why I feel compelled to be her personal horn blower.

Claudie was born in Southwest France, in the province of Bearn located at the feet of the Pyrenees Mountains.
She is from the same area and the same hearty bread as d’Artagnan, the beloved hero of Alexandre Dumas’s Three Musketeers.

She came to the United States around 1962 and along with husband Jean, she worked hard to be a success, and that she did.
She is now surrounded by a large loving family of children and grandchildren.

The club is going to lose a lot when she retires and if I could, I would personally kiss her on both cheeks and award her the “Médaille d’honneur du travail” and “honi soit qui mal y pense” the Order of the Garter.
She bloody well deserves it!

Next time you see Claudie, give a big hug and be sure to let her know how much you appreciate the countless hours that she devoted to our club.

Alain la Foudre