French Barbizon
School of Painting Rallye Game by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
What is a “rallye?”
In
France, aristocratic women organize junior cocktail parties for teens and
college students called “rallyes.” The
people who are not invited to these events call them “dating services for the
aristo-turds” as they jealously leaf through the pages of Paris Match magazine.
The
young rallye participants pictured in Paris Match have the designer
clothes they are wearing mentioned in the magazine, which helps launch many of
the young socialites into modeling, public relations, and merchant-elite sales
careers.
I
knew these rallyes were really much more than dating services when I lived in
Paris during the 1990s. French rallyes
are like Southern cotillions for debutants, where you are supposed to show off
poise, dancing skills, conversational skills, and make-up and hairstyling
skills to help promote Southern business in your lovely, tailored
clothing.
I
understood very well why there was “Rallye Rage” among the Americans with teen
and college-age children in Paris, who had obtained posh jobs, but were not
invited into French families to celebrate holidays. American expatriates are valued in France,
but the French know they leave and often do not keep up their relationships.
I
already had a French husband, but my “get-off-your-high-horse-Pennington-family”
response to this rallye situation was to organize better rallyes than the
French aristocratic women did in their 8th arrondisement apartments
(very Colonial French addresses and attitudes).
I
organized activities for the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris as Vice
President of the Young Executive Program that:
-helped
young executives make sales through networking breakfasts, dinners, cocktails,
and art gallery vernissages (openings)
-provided
a sales forum for sales presentations
-taught
Americans about French culture through organizing speakers’ programs by
American and French public relations firms in France
-provided
young executives with media exposure through biography and business write ups
in the Young Executive Program’s newsletter published by the American Chamber
of Commerce
I
know these events were popular, especially power breakfasts, because we had an
upsurge of French and European members.
They were give bios in the newsletter and encouraged to speak about
their businesses as well.
We
had a great meet-and-greet committee together as well, which matched up members
who wanted to meet people from particular industries at all events.
The
sales success of French and European members of the Young Executive Program
encouraged matrons from my husband Laurent’s business school (Rouen Business
School – MBA in Finance and Accounting), engineering school (Compiegne – MS in
Computer Engineering), and university (St. Nazaire – MS in Physics) to invite
us to a rallye for current students at these schools to share some tips for
young people to make their first sales.
While
Laurent was being a social butterfly teaching his classmates the dance moves he
learned in Chicago at the Smart Bar, Octagon, Metro, and Neo nightclubs on
dates with me, I talked with the matrons about the importance of creating
portfolios of completed work with dollar amounts attached about sales
generated, profits earned, or money saved by implementing the project.
I
also talked with the matrons about how to organize sales strategies for new
graduates at business cocktails, which resemble rallyes like the one they were
holding that evening. I also explained
that we attended cocktail parties after work, but we were still working. It was not party time!!!
Laurent
and I both worked in the finance industry in Paris; Laurent in banking while I
worked for audit and consulting firms (communications and business development
for Japanese investment in France – my use for a degree in East Asian Studies
from the University of Chicago).
While
serving current clients, we were expected to work on new business development
through volunteer activities, learning languages to serve new client markets, mastering
new technology, and attending cocktail parties and other networking events.
The
French matrons began to understand why American moms were upset that their
teens were not included in the rallyes, which are very important for teaching
basic social skills for business.
I
also said that the Young Executive Program was sort of a Parisian rallye, but
more oriented towards business. We all
laughed, and I sallied out to dance with my husband after eating some Italian
breadsticks and drinking some punch.
Up
next – how to set up a French Barbizon Painting Rallye Game to prepare for a
trip to France or travel via armchair.
To
be continued….
By
Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
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