Looking through cupboards in the Fountain Hills Community Center, Janet Maceyko came across a dusty photo album with pictures of local club gatherings from yesteryear.
A member of the Spanish …
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Looking through cupboards in the Fountain Hills Community Center, Janet Maceyko came across a dusty photo album with pictures of local club gatherings from yesteryear.
A member of the Spanish Conversation Group, also known as the Spanish Club, Maceyko saw pictures of former club members and thought, “Wouldn’t that be fun to try and get current and previous members together?”
Maceyko said the club began in 1994, making this year its 30th year gathering and talking in Spanish about anything and everything under the sun.
Hoping to bring members old and new under one roof for the first time in decades, Maceyko and Spanish Club Facilitator Linda Eelkema are inviting all current and former club members to a private gathering on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 3 p.m.
The event will include refreshments and live music. To obtain an invitation, send an email to Maceyko at MACEX4@msn.com.
‘Use it or lose it’
Spanish Club members gather every Monday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Community Center to practice their conversational Spanish.
Maceyko says what attracted her to the club was its informal structure; no grammar lessons, no vocabulary lectures - just simple conversations in Spanish.
Like many non-native Spanish speakers, Maceyko took Spanish in school. Now, she just wants the opportunity to converse with others.
“This is the perfect group for me because while there are other classes at the Community Center where you learn the language, I am not interested in that anymore,” she said. “I just don’t want to lose the skills I have.”
One of the longest-serving members of the club is Gertrud Roberts, a German-born Fountain Hills resident who has been attending club meetings for 25 of the last 30 years.
When she first started attending, Roberts said very little Spanish was spoken. It took some time for conversations to take off and many members left because not enough Spanish was spoken, she said. What helped tremendously was the addition of many native Spanish speakers to the club who encouraged the non-native speakers in their Spanish-speaking journey.
“Many who are fluent like Kim (Mandel) are needed to push you along and help you out when you get stuck,” Roberts said.
Despite growing up on the East Coast, Spanish Club member Kim Mandel spent several decades living and working in Argentina.
After studying abroad during her junior year of college in Spain, Mandel took a job in journalism in Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires.
“When I first arrived in Buenos Aires, I was the ‘gringa with a Spanish accent’ because the Spanish in Spain is different in Argentina,” Mandel said. “I love that country very much and it was a great way to be immersed and learn the culture and the language.”
Mandel, along with other native Spanish-speaking club members, help bring conversations to a higher level by offering guidance all while having fun along the way.
Linda Eelkema is the current club facilitator who organizes the Monday morning meetings, moderates discussions and brings “Temas” or themes to discuss like Spanish customs, world cultures and more.
Spanish group members also enjoy gathering for social events for the holidays or for Dia De Los Reyes, a religious holiday that is celebrated in many Spanish-speaking cultures.
New members welcome
The Spanish Club accepts new members year-round. Those interested in joining should have a basic knowledge of Spanish and come ready to engage in a fun, engaging environment.
Gertrud Roberts said when she first started attending the club, she was eager to start conversing with her Spanish-speaking cleaners.
“I got a little better at it and now I speak very well. You need to practice it or else you lose it,” Roberts said, who also speaks German, English and French.
The Spanish Club’s mission statement is to improve its Spanish, to learn more about Hispanic and world cultures and to enjoy social activities together.
“We are always open to new people because it is good for the whole group,” Roberts said. “They bring new perspectives, which is a good thing.”
Former members who wish to attend the upcoming 30th-anniversary event should send an email to Janet Maceyko at MACEX4@msn.com.
We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Cyrus Guccione can be reached at cguccione@iniusa.org.
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