Dear fellow members,

            Hilaire GIRON and I have just returned from Reims where we finalized the project of an annual colloquium with our partner, the Archbishopric of Reims.

            We return with excellent news since the pre-program (click here) is now completed by a mass in the cathedral and most probably by an organ concert in the Saint-Rémi basilica. It is thus a long conference of two and a half days that we propose this year to celebrate the “Centenary of the Great War” in the city that saw the peace sealed in 1962 by the meeting of General de Gaulle and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. This very complete international program will guide us from the trenches of the Great War, where Pierre Teilhard initiated his thought in mud and blood, to the construction of Europe, without neglecting the difficulties which can still shake it. A prologue, on Friday afternoon, to the sites that Teilhard visited during the war on the Chemin des Dames, as well as  proposed visits on Monday complete the program of conferences.     

            But unfortunately we also return with
A VERY BAD NEWS
 which justifies the sending of this mail to all of you, members.

The weekend chosen for this conference is also the weekend of the Reims Marathon !

And this will result in the migration to Reims of 15,000 athletes on Sunday, October 15, which in addition to imposing the blocking of the streets of the city center, on Sunday between 10 and 17 hours (which should not bother us too much) occupy hotels and other accommodations on Saturday night ! As this is an annual sporting event with a fixed date, many people have already booked their accommodation. We have thus been able to observe that the number of rooms still available for Saturday evening is already very low in Reims and its region. So we come to tell you that you absolutely must book your accommodation as soon as possible – Right now!  

            We are currently finalizing the registration form for the conference and will send it to you as soon as possible. But be aware that late registrations for this beautiful weekend may be made impossible by lack of accommodation …

Very cordially.  

Chantal AMOUROUX, SG

The practical information you need: 


Place of the conference
 where all conferences, lunches on Saturday and Sunday and the buffet dinner on Saturday evening will take place : Maison Saint Sixte- 6, rue du Lieutenant Herduin- 51100 REIMS.  It is located 15 minutes walk from the train station, between the cathedral and the basilica of Saint-Rémi.   


Registration fees for the conference
: 50 € for members and 60 € for non-members (more expensive than usual because this conference is longer and we have to pay the room ourselves …) – registration form provided later


Prologue on Friday afternoon  towards the Chemin des Dames :
 30 € – it will be limited to the first 46 registered. – registration form provided later

The meals can be taken at the conference venue (lunch 18 €) and cocktail dinner (25 €). – registration form provided later


Two hotels have responded favorably to our request to reserve rooms
but they are only pre-booking for a few days (a few weeks ? )
            – The B&B Reims-Centre-Gare ** – 4 rue André Pingat –  08 92 70 52 20- about fifty pre-booked rooms (55 €) – Located near the train station, it is a 20 minute walk from the conference venue
            – The Mercure Reims-Centre-Cathédrale Hotel**** – 31 bd Paul Doumer – 03 26 84 49 49 –  some pre-booked rooms (300/ 350 € for the three nights of Friday, Saturday and Sunday) – it is located 500 m from the conference venue


Other possible hotels – Centre Reims 
(we did not call so the number of free rooms is unknown) This is a rough classification taking into account the distance from the conference venue – but this should be checked when you call: 
Campanile Reims center cathedral *** – 03 26 40 01 08
Best Western plus Hôtel de la Paix**** – 03 26 40 04 08
Holiday Inn Reims Centre ****: – 03 26 78 99 99
Grand Hôtel des Templiers **** – 03 26 88 55 08
Ibis Centre Reims Centre Cathédrale*** – 03 26 79 88 50 
Kyriad and spa reims center *** – 03 26 47 39 39
Ardenn’Hôtel ** – 03 26 47 42 38
Hotel Cécyl ** – 03 26 47 57 47
Novotel Suites Reims Centre **** – 03 26 89 52 00
Ibis Reims center *** – 03 26 40 03 24
hotel Azur ** – 03 26 47 43 39
Hotel Crystal*** – 03 26 88 44 44 
Grand hôtel du nord *** – 03 26 47 39 03
Grand continental hotel *** – 03 26 40 39 35
Hotel Bristol *** – 03 26 40 52 25
Hotel du tambour *** – 03 26 40 59 22

We called the
two nearby monasteries:

–  at the Poor Clares, only 4 rooms left because another group (not sporty!) has already booked everything – Monastery of the Poor Clares at Cormontreuil at 11 km – 03 26 86 95 12 (call between 8:30 and 11:15 am – 1:00 and 5:15 pm)

– Monastery of the Benedictine nuns – Saint Thierry  at 15 km- 20 rooms but number of free rooms not communicated –  hotellerie.stthierry@wanadoo.fr – 03 26 03 10 72