Email: 19 January 2014

Bonjour,

THE 2014 GUÉDRY AND PETITPAS REUNION

Our 16 August 2014 Reunion at the Congrès Mondial 2014 is coming together very well. We have reserved a building at the Acadian Village just north of Van Buren, Maine for the Reunion. Working with the folks in Maine has been a true pleasure. They are all very friendly and do everything they can to accommodate us.

Visit this website to get an overview of the Acadian Village:

http://www.connectmaine.com/acadianvillage/tour.html

Our agenda is almost final. We have a great Cajun band coming from Louisiana to play for us during the Reunion. They are the "Chère Mom Cajun Family Band". Mom (Christine Guidry Law) hails from Church Point, Louisiana and descends not only from the Guidry family there, but also the LeJeune's. Many of her direct LeJeune ancestors were giants in the Cajun music scene of the early 1900s including Iry LeJeune and his father Angelas LeJeune to name just two. Christine plays diatonic accordion, ti-fed and vocals. Her daughter LeeAnn, an outstanding Acadian ambassador and representative of the Cajun people, plays fiddler and a host of other instruments as well as vocals. Wallace Law, the father of the family, plays rhythm guitar while son Taylor keeps the beat on bass guitar.

As a special treat, we have reserved the small chapel at the Acadian Village for a French mass - almost identical to that attended by many generations of our Guédry and Petitpas ancestors. Father Aurèle Godbout, an Eudist priest currently serving in Edmundston, New Brunswick and formerly serving in Rayne, LA, will offer the Mass for us. Final details are still being worked out, but we plan to have the Mass in late morning for those wishing to attend. A photo of Father Godbout is attached.

Attached is our tentative agenda .

I hope everyone is considering attending this Reunion. I know you'll find the folks in the Madawaska region very friendly and willing to help you in any way they can. I am truly amazed as I travel to various Acadian regions throughout North America how much we are all alike. When visiting an Acadian town afar, its almost like you never left home. Everyone is welcome to attend the Guédry and Petitpas Reunion; you do not have to be a direct descendant of the Guédry and Petitpas family. So bring your friends with you if they would like to come.

I have attached a Reunion Registration Form . Please register as soon as you decide to attend the Reunion. We will give refunds as late 15 July 2014 for those registered, but cannot attend the Reunion. Although we do accept registrations at the door, it really helps us in planning the Reunion to know in advance how many folks will attend. We also cannot guarantee meals for those registering at the door as the chefs have to purchase food in advance of the Reunion.

You can learn more about the Guédry and Petitpas Reunion by visiting our Guédry-Labine Family Website and clicking on the Fall 2013 Newsletter . Here you'll find information on the Reunion, accommodations in the Madawaska area, air and land travel to Van Buren, etc.

Newsletters

ANDRÉ LABINE AT THE 2014 WINTER OLYMPICS

Our own André Labine again will be volunteering at the Winter Olympics. I say "volunteering" due to the lack of pay, but actually it is quite hard work over long days for almost a month and a half.

André currently lives in Fermie, British Columbia which is a mecca for downhill skiing. He is an expert downhill skier as is all his family.

Y'all may recall that André worked the alpine ski course at the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010. He'll be doing the same thing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia where he'll be a volunteer course worker for the alpine events. His work will include keeping the course in top conditions for the competitors and ensuring the safety of the competitors. I've attached a couple of photos of André - one with his daughter Melanie-Jane.

Recently the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) interviewed André about his experience working in the Winter Olympics. You can see that interview by clicking below:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2429528876/

Here's a few words from André just before he left for Sochi. He'll return March 6th.

My first day at Rosa Khutor (mountain cluster) will be on January 25th , almost two weeks before the Games begin this is to complete setting up the safety systems and get Downhill training runs in for the athletes. The Men's Downhill is scheduled for February 9th and by FIS rules we need to have at least one training run in order to have the Downhill.

During the Games you will hear about the Coastal cluster and the Mountain cluster. The arena sports; ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, opening and closing ceremonies, etc.. are all located in the coastal cluster near Adler airport and about 40 kms south of Sochi along the Black Sea. To get to the mountain cluster the Russians have built a high speed train link that will take to Krasnaya Polyana/Roza Khutor (villages/towns in the centre of the mountain cluster some 60 kms inland in the Caucuses and at a base of some 1500 meters above sea level). The mountain cluster is where all the outdoor sports will be held. The high speed train will take some 50 minutes to reach Roza Khutor from Sochi/Adler airport. Have a look at the attached."　

Good luck, André in this wonderful adventure.

Au Revoir,

Martin

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