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The first board of directors of the new club in Neuquen and Cipolletti, “Baskos de la Confluencia,” is organizing an event for the end of month.  The event, a gastronomic event will include typical dishes and an ambience that will promote the dissemination of the culture of Euskal Herria.  Members of the new club meet each Thursday and have already begun the process to obtain legal status and have launched a contest to choose the club’s logo. 

Neuquen, Argentina.  The board of directors of the club called “Baskos de la Confluencia,” was officially formed on September 22.  The name was chose due to the Confluence of the Provinces of Neuquen and Rio Negro, with work groups distributed among the cities of Neuquén and Cipolletti. 

Representing the new institution, President Oscar Mendiberri presented the project explaining that “’Baskos de la Confluencia’ hopes to gather Basques, and Basque descendants, as well as anyone interested in the culture in an ambience of friendship, joy and equality.  The aim is to learn more about the history, customs, language and places of the Basque Country and their roots in culture, sports, linguistic, gastronomic, and dancing, etc. planning a program of activities that spurs interest in the community of members and promoting exchange between them all.”

With the election of the board of directors, the club is now taking steps to obtain a legal status, as well as making a formal presentation to FEVA and has also expressed to the organizers of meetings of Basque clubs in Patagonia its “interest in being able to carry out joint events and participating in the third meeting to be held in Neuquen.”

The club is also organizing its first gastronomic event for the end of the month and has invited everyone to participate in a contest to create the club’s logo (more information on their Facebook page).  Mendiberri also said that future activities include” working on press releases to the local media; as well as working on the gastronomic event for the end of the month where typical Basque dishes will be featured, as well as other elements that define us like mannequins with typical clothing, a txalaparta, Ikurriñas and an audiovisual element with music and videos from the Basque Country.”

Board members are:

-President: Oscar Mendiberri
-Vice-president: Haritz Zornoza

-Treasurer: Eduardo López Arcaute
-Pro Treasurer: Alejandro Lizzi

-Secretary: Marina Tamborindegui
-Pro secretary: Daniel Muguerza

-First director: Ignacio Urtasun
-Second director: Pedro Arana
-Alternates: Ana Estenaga, Cecilia Basterrechea, Natalia Basterrechea

-Auditor: Guillermo Cornago
-Alternate Auditor: Gabriel Gastaminza

THREE BASQUE CLUBS IN THE COMAHUE AREA

Until a few years ago, the Comahue “Zazpirak Bat” Basque Club existed based in Cipolleti. It was officially recognized by the Basque Government in 1995. Although it hasn’t been officially decommissioned, it has lacked in structure and activities for years.  The newly founded Basque club indicates that none of its members were members of that club. But let's remember that over a year, a group of people started taking steps to create another Basque club, as announced then by EuskalKultura.com, under the name of Euskal Etxea of Comahue.

We ask Mendiberri about the fact that in one year two clubs are being created in the area: the Euskal Etxea of Comahue that was created at the beginning of 2016, and now “Baskos de la Confluencia.” He answers that  “there is what can be called a matter of styles and operating policies."  “Defining the theme form the positive and self-referential, the basic concepts that bind us and follow in “Baskos de la Confluencia,” are friendship, horizontality of decisions and equality and respect for the opinion and particularities of each of the members.  We understand that from there, together, we will find and make our development goals that will allow us to hold events, and courses that are of common interest,” he said.

“Baskos de la Confluencia” will function at the Neighborhood Office of Cumulen, located on Mastropiedra 216 esq.  Carlos H. Rodriquez (8300) Neuquen.  They are also on Facebook under the name ‘Baskos de la Confluencia’ and their email is: baskosdelaConfluencia@gmail.com.