Happy   50th   Birthday

"1960 - 2010"

Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

2010 Grand Chapitre, San Diego, California

October 21-23, 2010

San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina

Story and Photos by

Chargé de Presse Provincial 

Jim Ray

The Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is getting older. Here in the United States, the Chaine is 50 years old. But just how old is it really? Let's take a peek at its history.

We all know from reading in this web site under "The Chaine -- What is it all About?" that the Chaine's roots go back as far as 1248 and was the brain child of King Louis IX, and that the organization is based on traditions and practices of the old French Royal Guild of Goose Roasters. We also know that as the years went by, the organization took on different names and in 1610, under King Louis XIII the organization was granted a royal charter and its own coat of arms. Things went along smoothly for this organization until 1793 when during the French Revolution, the Brotherhood of the Roasters (as it was called then) was forced to disband because it was not in the interest of the "ordinary" people.

The Rôtisseurs were forgotten about until 1950, when in France the society was resurrected by Prince Curnonsky** (along with others) and was named  . . . . "Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs".  

**Curnonsky was the pen name of Maurice Edmond Sailland, a French writer, novelist, biographer and gastronome. He was known as the "Prince of Gastronomes," a title he was awarded in a public referendum in 1927, and a title no one else has been given since. At the height of his prestige, eighty restaurants around Paris would hold a table every night in case he arrived unexpectedly .

Nine years later in 1959, American gourmet and journalist Jeanne Owen from New York City, attended the Grand Chapître in London. During this event, London Bailli Andre Simon introduced Mrs. Owen to Grand Chancelier Jean Valby. Mrs. Owen expressed an interest to Mr. Valby about starting a bailliage in the United States.

and what happened?

 On January 13, 1960, Grand Chancelier Valby, along with other members of the Counsel Magistrate, arrived in New York for the inaugural ceremonies. The following morning, on January 14th, a Constitutional Committee met at the Biltmore Hotel which was the location selected for the first Grand Chapître of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs in the United States. One hundred-twenty professional and nonprofessional gastronomes attended this meeting and heard Monsieur Valby’s words:

Today, here in America, the Bailliage des Etats-Unis is made up of more than 150 local bailliages with members sharing the special bond Chaîne membership offers. Chaîne members within the U.S. today outnumber any other country in the world. Membership in the Chaine is by invitation only and is extended to both men and women with rank being signified by ribbons bestowed at formal induction ceremonies. This is exactly what the 50th year anniversary event at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina was all about.

On October 20 and 21 over 300 Chaine confréres from all over the country, plus Chaine friends from 12 foreign countries, gathered in San Diego, California, for a memorable and extraordinary "Grand Chapître".

As in all Regional and National Assemblages and Chapîtres, the days are mixed with Chaine business meetings and Chaine fun activities; however, the nights are 100% fun activities! From "private home dinners," the America's Cup Challenge Race, breakfast at the Zoo, touring Old Town, Wine lectures, Appreciation Dinners, Cooking Demonstrations, the Induction Ceremony followed by the Gala dinner and the most fun of all -- dancing the night away on the last day of the event. It was a weekend we will all remember for a long, long time.

 Let's look first at where this event was held and around the area for a minute or so . . . (click on thumbnail photo to enlarge)

The Marriott	Taken from 11th Floor - last two pics are zoomed			Across Bay (Click on this one)	Zoomed

How about breakfast with the elephants and then a guided tour through the nation's top most up-to-date and exotic zoo?

	Remember the photo of these two in New York when World War II ended? These two have grown up since then! ------>			This little polar bear did not mind at all having his picture taken, especially after we gave him  a Hersey Bar! <------

This fellow took first prize for being the prettiest, being dressed the nicest, and having the best table manners!

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New Subject 

The America's Cup Challenge Race was held on October 21, our first day in San Diego. Would anyone out there have liked to be a passenger on one of the boats during the race. Here was your chance. This opportunity was listed in our registration forms and this event was offered as an option. We had lots of folks who jumped at the chance to sail with the best.

On the second day, the evening activities included the "Grand Bailli Appreciation Dinner at the Coronado Hotel."

For this dinner, we left San Diego by arranged transportation and traveled by bus to Coronado.

This is the dinner where approximately 200 Chaine members and guests are seated, but all Baillis are all gathered in another room. Once everyone is seated the Bailli Délégué, George Brown will announce the Baillis name and City. When the Bailli's name is called, he or she will walk through the archway into the room and sit at their assigned table. The ceremony is called "The March of the Baillis"

Ok, I'm ready to go to Hotel del Coronado	Lobby area. This is the Bailli Appreciation Dinner	Hi Joel, Hi Carol, you guys got any wine over here?	A big dining room. My camera can't quite make it to the other side in this light.	Look very closely at this painting. It's the same painting as is on the "Recent Events" marquee
Prior to Bailli Appreciation dinner being served, Bailli Délégué George Brown conducted a live auction, and this brings me to the drawing just below. However, this is not a drawing. This is a painting that has a story behind it . . .

Renowned artist, Guy Buffet (French born and raised in America), was commissioned to do a painting for the Châine honoring our 50th anniversary and depicting our events. Its image will soon appear on the Chaîne's national web site.  As the story goes, a value of $15,000 was put on the painting. Of course the value of anything is only what people will pay for it.

At the dinner Bailli Délégue George Brown had the painting with him, and said that he would auction it off to the highest bidder. After starting the bid at one thousand dollars, it very slowly, and with much 'prodding' worked itself up to $12,000 from a lady sitting just behind Vivian and me. After much 'hem hawing' back and forth, it was obvious that the bid would not be going much higher. At that time one of the Châine members stood up and said . . .

"Instead of one person bidding, and winning this portrait, why don't we have the other 15 people who have already 'bid' and 'dropped out' to agree to each donate $1,000 and the drawing will not be given to any one person, but instead be hung in the public area of the Châine des Rôtisseurs open offices/reception area  in Madison New Jersey, and the 15 people who donated $1,000 each will have their names on a brass plaque as the benefactors for all to see."

And that is exactly what happened, and that is exactly what is going to happen.

Last Day:

It is now Saturday. Lots of meetings today -- Policy and Planning, Board of Directors, National Council , Bailli's, etc.

The two most important and exciting events in these types of Chaine events are the induction ceremony followed by the Gala Dinner.

Nice table arrangements	Well, hello Wilmer and Elaine. How are you two doing?	Wrong setting on the camera. But you get an idea of the layout.	Here's our Dance band

There was a great 8-piece band performing for our listening and dancing pleasure. The last two people to leave the area were the Rays. Yep, we were having such a good time time that we did not even notice that we were the only two left in the place. We looked around and the place was empty except for one full bottle of premium wine, and it was still corked (even the waiters were gone). We grabbed the bottle on the way out and had a great "bring-your-own-bottle-dinner the next evening at Roy's top-of-the-line restaurant.

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That's it! One year from now, on the very same week end in 2011, we Chaine members will again gather together, but this time at the St Regis Hotel in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia, for the next Grand Chapitre -- That's October 20-23, 2011. (set your watch!)

JR