Deutsche Gesellschaft estab. 1847 -- Deutsches Haus inc. 1928

Goings on at the German-American Cultural Center

Lisa Hollis

 
Fred Snyder, local writer and author of Letters to Charlie . . . and one to Jane, will be the featured speaker on Saturday, January 19, 2002, at the GACC. The 7:30 p.m. program will include readings from Snyder’s book, a collection of letters home during his service in Vietnam. A reception will follow.

The GACC has a new president, Colonel Lester Hopper, and a new first vice-president, Sevilla Finley. The organization has also changed their hours to Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is also open on Saturdays for events as announced.

Volunteer Party

The Deutsches Haus would like to thank all of the people who volunteered to make this Oktoberfest our most successful yet. We will do this by having a Volunteer Party on Saturday, December 29, 2001 from 7:00 p.m. to midnight at the Haus. Anyone who worked at the Pre- or Post- Oktoberfest work parties or during Oktoberfest is invited.

Vom Historiker des Hauses

OUR PAST PRESIDENTS

     In July financing of the alley was achieved by loan from President Odenheimer of $3,000.00 secured by a mortgage on Lot 12 of the Clio Street property and the sale of the three Deutscher Gessellschaft Bonds for $3,000.00. Construction was begun in August and the Bowling Alley became a reality with its opening in September, 1930

Colonel Richard A. Kuntz, AUS (Ret)

Reminder
2002 dues must be paid before 12/31/01 in order to vote in January 2002.
Mail or drop off your dues at the Haus
Attention Membership Chair Michon Shinn. Dues are $40.

Danke Vielmals:

The Christmas Decorations looks Great!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Herzlich Willkommen
unsern neuen Mitgleidern

(Welcome Our New Members)

Albert V. Deckert
Bob Durocher
Charles Flubacher
Anthony J. Gendusa III
Scott Rongey
Anne G. Smith
Dolores Netzhammer
Karen Embacher Surbeck

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Last month we put out a request for information pertaining to the origin of Deutsches Haus’ prized pig, the ever-watchful boar by the bar. We haven’t found out exactly where he came from yet, but we’re getting closer. According to Hubert Vahrenhorst, the boar’s head may have its origins right here in Louisiana, not in Germany as we previously thought. If anyone else can shed some light on this, e-mail us or talk to a member of the Monatsblatt staff. We’ll update you with our pig’s pedigree in a future issue.

Election Night
Tuesday, January 22^nd, 8:00 p.m.

Deadline Sat. Jan 5th to have candidates biography into
Ray Garrity for Board Election
Mail to: Ray Garrity, 4533 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie, LA 70006
or Fax to: 455-5927.

DEUTSCHE SPIELE

THE GERMAN GAME INVASION!
By: Greg J. Schloesser

For the past several years, there has been an ongoing European invasion. No, it’s not a covert military action, nor is it another wave of British rock bands invading our shores. Rather, this time, the invasion is a landslide of quality board games.

Board games? When most Americans think of board games, they tend to think of mindless pastimes enjoyed by children. Most adults left behind such child’s play many, many years ago. Just about the only board games adults will even bother to play are games such as Monopoly, Scrabble or Trivial Pursuit. With the abysmal quality of most American board games, who could blame them?

Interestingly, however, in many European countries, most notably Germany, board gaming is much more sophisticated and is an activity that is regularly enjoyed by most adults and families. Since board gaming is so popular, this has created a demand for high quality, intellectually stimulating games that are loads of fun to play. This demand is being met in a huge way, with literally hundreds of new adult and family oriented board games being released each and every year. It’s big business and is taken seriously by just about everyone. In addition to several large game exhibitions and shows each year, there are several annual national awards given for outstanding games. The two most prestigious are the Spiel des Jahre (Game of the Year) and the Deutsche Spiel Preis (German Game Award). Both of these are eagerly anticipated every year and their presentation receives massive publicity in the European press. Winning one of these coveted awards usually translates into significantly increased sales, sometimes exceeding one-half million copies for the recipient!

I have been a board gaming fanatic for practically my entire life. I grew up playing the traditional American favorites, eventually graduating to more complex and detailed historical simulations, commonly known as "war games." When these incredible German games began reaching the shores of the United States, however, I was quickly won over by their level of quality, ease of understanding, intricate strategies and the clever ideas they introduced. Since 1995, I have hosted a weekly board gaming group at my home in Marrero and we play these new style German games almost exclusively. My collection has topped 600 games and shows no signs of abating.

Further, these games have proven immensely popular with nearly everyone who plays them, from young children to adults. Folks who haven’t played board games since their youth are now discovering a wonderful new venue of entertainment that they can share and enjoy with their families and friends. These games are fun, stimulating and challenging. It is truly amazing the impact these games are having on folks and their families. I can now rarely go to any type of family function or get-together with friends without them begging me to bring along some of my "neat" games!

So, what are these games and where can you find them? Sadly, they have not yet penetrated into the American toy store giants such as Toys R Us. However, you can find them in area hobby shops such as Hub Hobby on North Broad or, to a lesser extent, at Galactic Games on West Esplanade in Metairie. The most common and abundant sources, however, are on the internet. The three most popular Internet games stores are:

Fun Again Games: http://www.funagain.com
Boulder Games: http://BoulderGames.com
Fair Play Games: http://www.fairplaygames.com

Fun Again Games maintains an extensive website, filled with pictures, descriptions and reviews of these games. You can order games directly online from these vendors and their prices are far less expensive than what you will pay in a retail store.

There are also some fantastic websites discussing these games, each filled with tons of reviews, articles, discussions, etc. Some of the better sites are:

Board Game Geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com

Westbank Gamers: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/~westbankgamers

If you haven’t already guessed, the Westbank Gamers site listed above is our own website. Our gaming group is one of the most well-known and active gaming groups within the gaming hobby. We maintain one of the largest and most frequently read websites as it is chock-full of game reviews, variants, news and information. Stop by and check it out!

Gaming has truly enhanced my life. I can think of few other social activities that allow folks to gather and spend fun, quality time together. Good, quality games can do just that.

Over the next year, I’ll be spotlighting various German games in a regular monthly column in the Monatsblatt. I’ll tell a bit about the games, their mechanics and what makes them so unique and fun. I’ll cover a wide variety of games which will appeal to both adults and children. I hope you will be tempted to try some of these games, but be warned: gaming is highly addictive and it might just change your life!

Presents The Second Annual Saturday Children’s Series

The German-American Cultural Center, 519 Huey P. Long Avenue in Gretna, presents their second annual Saturday Children’s Series. The special events for children and families are held at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month, except February, January through July of 2002. Admittance is $2 per child, and $1 per adult. The program is funded by a grant from the Arts Council of New Orleans and the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

July 13^th: "Children’s Storytelling Workshop" by the Terrific Traveling Troubadours, a 90-minute workshop for ages 8 to 12 to perform their own original stories. (Reservations are required, limited to 20 children.)

For more information, call the GACC at 363-4202 or 366-6855.

(Gaming at the Haus)

Beginning on Friday, January 25^th, 2002, the Deutsches Haus will be the site of monthly board gaming. The games being played will be the very popular German board and card games, which are great fun and challenging to play.

Gaming will begin at 6:30 PM and last until 11:00 PM. Haus member Greg Schloesser will have a large selection of games available and will be happy to teach everyone who is interested.

Plans are to meet on the 4^th Friday of each month, but circumstances may occasionally occur which will force the date to be changed. Notification of such changes will be announced in the Monatsblatt.

Come on by and enjoy some great fellowship, fun and games! See you at the Haus!

Reminder !!!!
2002 dues must be paid before 12/31/01 in order to vote in January '02.
Mail or drop off your dues at the Haus attention
Membership Chair
Michon Shinn.
Dues are $40.

JIM’S CORNER

Here’s a drink recipe to help ring in the new year, 2002-style!
-Baileys Irish Cream (2 parts)
-Amaretto (1 part)
-Light rum (1 part)
Mix ingredients well and served over crushed ice.

Happy Holidays!

Monatsblatt Submissions Invited

The Monatsblatt staff would like to offer an invitation to all of our readers to submit articles for upcoming issues. Just drop it off at the Haus attention Monatsblatt, e-Mail to deutscheshaus@home.com or contact a staff member. Photos are welcome and will be returned.

Notice of  Meeting
Annual Election Meeting January 22, 2002
New board members
will be elected.

GERMAN LANGUAGE CLASSES
Karlheinz Von Bargen
885-0589

James Copeland, Janice Daughdrill, Jeff Graf, Dr. Charles D. Hadley, Hans-Georg Heinemann, Margaret Ingram, Col. Richard A. Kuntz, AUS (Ret), Claus Sadlier, Joseph Stephany, Jr., and Anna Whitely
Haus Steward: James Copeland

Monatsblatt

Issued monthly except July by Deutsches Haus

For ads: Jan. 20
For articles and announcements: Jan 24
Preparation for mailing: Jan. 31