The section completed the content and design of the presentation for the 125th anniversary of the Société at La Hougue Bie and with the help of Geraint Jennings and Chris Aubin, the contributions of photographs from members and much patience, Jèrriais can be seen and commented upon. The display was linked with areas at Hamptonne presently still in use and this enabled us to use the language again later in the year at our Open Day.

In March we started a language resource project. Using Les Mille Premiers Mots as a guide, members began translating the French, and assigning Jèrriais words to the pictures of items in various environments. This has continued to develop and we hope to have the first draft of Les Mille Preunmièrs Mots by the end of the year.

April was celebrated with another "chasse en vouaituthe" compiled by members of the committee, with all the clues and questions en Jèrriais checked very kindly by Dr Frank Le Maistre. The route wended its way across Trinity towards the south coast and everyone arrived happily at the correct place for afternoon tea and prizes. Copies of the Scavenger Hunts for 1997 and 1998 are available for anyone to try in their own groups.

We continued to concentrate on the language and in addition to improving our Jèrriais, we improved our French, not only using the project but also using language games compiled by Geraint Jennings. These are in the form of word searches, puzzles, tongue twisters, labelled sketches and opposites, and all are designed to be fun and mind concentrating! An evening of reading, recitation and singing was proposed by Joyce and Brian Gilbert and members took courage and presented a variety of pieces.

In July, during the temps péthissabl’ye we walked through town learning the names for the different shops, roads and items for sale or consumption, kindly organised and led by Geraint Jennings.

Since Geraint Jennings has developed his Internet page and included many articles in Jèrriais, we have received numerous requests for information and help. We have contributed to research and discussed the language with visiting researchers, both via questionnaires and meetings. The Société has now put Jèrriais on its Internet page and we are receiving enquiries from many countries, via our address:-

http://members.societe-jersiaise.org/geraint/jerriais.html

We are continuing to liaise with the Tourism Department concerning their publications and initiatives and have had the support of many people to provide a service to others and to help to increase the use of Jèrriais.

In September, we had an Open Day at Hamptonne, where, with the help of the Baking Team (Graeme Robbins, Bill Millow and David Bishop), Sadie Rennard and several Section members, we extended our Exhibition display and provided names and l’information in Jèrriais for Lé Preinseu, La Boulang’thie, La Bouonne Tchuîsinne and La Tchèrquéthie. We also had some excellent pain et gâches à vrai all of which were sold.

In September too, we took part in La Foire dé Jèrri and at the Société Jersiaise stand, conveniently situated next to the L’Assembliée d’Jèrriais and Le Don Balleine stand, Geraint Jennings demonstrated access to the Internet and the variety of items en Jèrriais that he had made available.

Finally, this was an auspicious year in Jersey. As a result of the initiative of Hautlieu’s Head Teacher and Lé Congrès des Parlers Normands-Jèrriais which consists of representatives of L’Assembliée, Lé Don Balleine, La Société and Les Êtudgiants, Jèrriais was taught as part of the Options Course. We hope that the Primary sector will be able to follow suit next year.

When you arrive at the terminal in the Airport, you will see signs wishing you farewell and welcome en Jèrriais, and they may soon appear at Jersey harbours. Congratulations are due to the Congrès and its members, to John Denize, Mr. Lanyon and to Captain Nibbs for helping to increase the use of Jèrriais in those very public places. Thanks are also due to the Harbours and Airport Committee for agreeing to them.

• You will see from your Fieillets that in the Autumn several events occurred at which much Jèrriais was spoken. Between them, our meetings included two which concentrated on finishing the first draft of Les Mille Preunmièrs Mots. This we did at a highly successful meeting in November and concerning which we have had a positive reply from the publishers - Usborne Publishing.
• Lee Manning attended the 4th European Conference on Immersion Programmes in Teaching Minority and Second Languages and so will also be able to contribute to our knowledge and hopefully to the Primary Programme.
• Geraint Jennings has done amazing things with the computer (Internet!) and deserves our many congratulations for having promoted the language and the Section both at home and abroad.
• We have continued to receive letters from several different countries asking for information and help both with studies, completing questionnaires and wanting correspondents. We have supplied several translations between us (i.e. the members), the last being for a farewell speech en Jèrriais from a Guernseyman to a Jerseyman retiring from command in the Army Technical Support Agency in England.
• Our umbrella is finally for sale in the office and we are trying to develop a patio variety to also include Jèrriais.
• Thanks are also due to Djonni L’Mousse for continuously providing us with examples of Jèrriais previously used, and also of other examples of dual use. We supported his suggestions for new road names and congratulate him on their acceptance.
• We have initiated 2 products for La Mare Vineyards.
• We have sent letters to the Census Dept. and to the Treasury re representation of the language.
• We submitted several ideas for the Millenium Mosaic.
• We have supported representation by the Congrès on the U.K. Committee of E.B.L.U.L. (European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages).

We will keep in contact with all these people and departments and will report back to you on their progress.

We have had another good year and made steady progress in several different directions.

Thank you very much indeed for your support, help and encouragement - it gives us the incentive to continue.

Finally, I would like to thank the Committee very much indeed for all the effort and thought throughout the year. They have helped in the planning, organisation and implementation all in their spare time.

In 1999, we look forward to developing our language skills, to helping others to improve their knowledge and to providing information about Jersey, its history and its language.

Mèrcie bein des fais à touos lé monde qui nous a aîdgi chutte année.

Thank you again to all those who have helped us this year.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday February 3rd 1999 at 8.00pm in the Committee Room top floor at the Société Jersiaise, Pier Road. The evening will involve designing an exhibition for us to present Jèrriais to the public via the show case in the Museum for the J.M.S.

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