Waska currently in boosting process and looking for new board members

Waska, autonomie et services techniques communautaires, a Quebec City non-profit organization, is currently in a vigorous boosting process! The board of directors is working hard on a new business plan in order to widen the organization's action spectrum and boost its operation strength.

Basically, Waska helps individuals and non-profit organizations gain empowerment, i.e. bring them to set themselves free from the dependency to public funding and charity, to generate their own revenues. Also, Waska implements a system of community dialogue, exchange and solidarity in order to link up NPOs, various public social workers, small businesses and the population in a way to promote social and commercial relations that help the community live.

Waska has given itself this mandate right from the beginning in 1982, when it was founded in a classroom of the formerly called Technical Pavilion in St. Foy, Quebec, now the Marie-Rollet Professional Training Centre.

In April of 2008, Waska opened a workshop room at 125 Racine Street in Quebec City, in the heart of the Loretteville Quarter (Borough of the Haute-Saint-Charles). Last March 1st, the organization decided to close the location to allow itself more room to manoeuvre, a leeway to carry out its revival plan and establish connections with new business contacts.

The new projects undertaken by Waska will soon be published right here and will allow the organization to reinforce its humanitarian endeavours towards the community, making people happy already for the past 27 years.

Waska president by interim, Christian Tanguay (photo above), invites all persons involved in humanitarian endeavours to join our board of directors in the upcoming election. To be part of Waska means building pillars of the community, reducing its social/economic burden, and help goodwill individuals regain their dignity. You may contact Mr. Tanguay at waskatechnicien@gmail.com or call him at (418) 407-1425.

Whether you are in Québec City or elsewhere, our membership network is awaiting you! We are inviting any person interested in contributing with concrete gestures, ideas, or contacts to the pursuit of Waska's mission. Annual membership fee is $10 for individuals and $20 for non-profit organizations. It allows you to benefit from high-quality services and to partake in social activities related to the organization's mission. You can register directly with Mr. Tanguay or by contacting the Executive Secretary, Mr. Jean-François Néron at (418) 847-4784 or waskaquebec@gmail.com.

Welcome to all!

What does chess have to do with imagination anyway? - by Laura Sherman

Artists, leaders, educators and pretty much anyone in any field can enhance our world through creativity and imagination. So what does this have to do with chess? Everything!

Chess helps a child develop his or her imagination. After all we’re just looking at a board with 64 squares and a bunch of pieces that can move around in different ways until the players breathe life into their games. As the pieces take their place on the battlefield, positions form and opportunities open up, but only if you can see them in your mind’s eye.

As a person improves, each position communicates more and more to him or her. One starts recognizing patterns and becomes able to plan future attacks. The way to win a game of chess is to plan out a strategy and follow through with it. You must be able to imagine your goal and then take the necessary steps to carry it out.

Apply this to any aspect of your life and you will do well. Decide what you want to accomplish, set the goal and then do what is needed to make that happen. Maybe you have a new business idea. Maybe you want a buy a home or you want to write a novel. The possibilities are endless and are under your control.

If we can teach our children early that it is okay to dream and that those dreams can come true, we might just be looking at an unstoppable next generation!

Laura Sherman co-owns Your Chess Coach (www.YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as privately in students’ homes and online. Mrs. Sherman has nicely accepted that this article be translated for the fortunate benefit of our French-speaking readers of Communauté Québec.

Tuxdequebec: a new centre-wing, autonomist and "linuxian" blog in Quebec City

I have many blogs but each of them have a special theme like Communauté Québec, Waska, a non-profit organization helping people and organizations gain empowerment, and some others. I needed a space where I could express my opinion and where followers would choose to read me if they really wished to. A dedicated readership. So I created "Tuxdequebec" which corresponds to my Twitter account (twitter.com/tuxdequebec).

In this blog, I will discuss subjects like my personal passions (Ubutnu and Linux, centre-wing politics, my point of view on world affairs, etc.). People are invited to read this blog if they feel good about it. If they don't, I can suggest them other blogs...

You have to know that I like to tease and I don't take everything too seriously. If I seem strong-headed about something, please do leave me a comment and I can surely meet you half way.

I wish you happiness and hope you have fun reading my crazy stuff.

Jean-François "JEFF" Patrice Néron

Welcome to English-speaking readers

Communauté Québec is a blog written by a non-formal group of individuals, just for the fun of contributing to the humanitarian world in Québec City. It is meant to be a way for citizens, organizations and small businesses to express themselves about their city and its life. As time goes by, it encompasses a wider field of information... It is becoming the city's meeting point for the leaders - and the benevolent workers - of the autonomous non-profit movement.

Communauté Québec is privately owned by Jean-François Patrice Néron, a Québec City father of two and stepfather to three others, blogger and involved in humanitarian endeavours (Waska, autonomie et services techniques communautaires).

As of now, English-speaking readers will be able to enjoy Communauté Québec's articles as well and get to know this welcoming, quiet city dubbed "The Old Capital City". Welcome to all!