Minutes: 4 January 2011

January 4, 2011

Bonjour Cousins,

The second decade of the twenty-first century has arrived. I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and that 2011 delivers health, happiness and prosperity to all. We are having our first 2011 meeting of Les Guédry d'Asteur next month.

In about a week I will be sending out additional information on our Guédry-Labine and Petitpas Reunion on 8 October 2011 in Cut Off, Louisiana. We are actively planning the Reunion activities at this time.


Les Guédry d'Asteur Meeting - Saturday, 12 Feb 2011

On Saturday, 12 February 2011 we will have a meeting of Les Guédry d'Asteur from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon at the CODOFIL Office in Lafayette, LA. See below for directions to the meeting.

At this meeting we will plan the activities and exhibits for our Reunion as well as enjoy fellowship and a nice Cajun meal together.

In 2010 we have meetings in Lafayette, Rayne and Galliano, Louisiana In 2011 I would like to continue having meetings in different areas of South Louisiana where Guidry families reside (e.g., along Bayou Lafourche, Houma, Lafayette, Church Point/Crowley/Rayne, Lake Charles and possibly the Golden Triangle in SE Texas). To do so, I need someone from the meeting area to help me secure a meeting facility and advertise the meeting locally. If interested in helping to arrange a meeting in your hometown, please email at guidryrmartin@gmail.com and we'll set up the meeting.


Grand Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening

A major Acadian celebration will take place in South Louisiana during the first two weeks of October 2011. Grand Réveil Acadien will be a festival occurring throughout south Louisiana from 7 - 16 October 2011. There will be lectures, concerts, family reunions, seminars and other activities. Concluding the Grand Réveil Acadien will be the world-renown Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, showcasing Cajun and Zydeco music, in Lafayette, LA on 15-16 October 2011. There will be activities at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville including a reenactment of Acadian families arriving in the Attakapas Country on Bayou Teche. The Guédry-Labine and Petitpas family will have a major Reunion along Bayou Lafourche in Cut Off, LA on 8 October 2011. Many visitors and dignitaries from throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe already have announced that they are attending Grand Réveil Acadien. Visit this link to learn more about Grand Réveil Acadien and keep posted on the latest announcements:

http://www.gra2011.org/

(And, now for a brief commercial. When in South Louisiana, be sure and visit the Acadian Memorial and the Museum of the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, LA. I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. While there, don't forget to view our Guédry crest in the courtyard of the Memorial. I am the current president of the Acadian Memorial Foundation and invite each of you see this outstanding tribute to the Acadian people of Louisiana.)


Family Mementos

For those of you that attended the Guédry-Labine and Petitpas Reunion in Bathurst and did not get all of the mementos that you'd like and for the rest that would like a memento or two of our family, we still have some items for sale. You can visit our Guédry-Labine Family website and order items as ink pens, keychains, Reunion lapel pins and Reunion refrigerator magnets there. The website is:

Merchandise

Not all items are specific to the 2009 Reunion. Some (as the ink pens and keychains) simply have 'Les Guédry d'Asteur' on them with no mention of the Reunion. In addition, to the above items we have T-shirts (Reunion info on them), baseball caps ('Les Guédry d'Asteur' only) and tablets of memo paper (Reunion info on them). If you have any questions, please email me and I will get the answers.

Note: The above website link also has links to the CafePress where you can purchase numerous items with our family crest on them. And you decide which of these names you would like on the crest: Geddry, Guedry, Guidry, Guildry, Jeddry, LaBean, Labine, LaBine & Petitpas.


La Verdure de Mirligueche - The Story of the Guidry dit Labine Family in North America

At the Reunion several folks wanted to purchase Mark Labine's history and genealogy of the Guédry-Labine family ("La Verdure de Mirligueche - The Story of the Guidry dit Labine Family in North America"); however, we ran out of copies for sale. Recently Mark republished his superb book and it is available on Amazon.com for $25.00 with free shipping. I encourage you take a look at this book on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com

Just type 'labine guidry' in the search engine at the top of the page and Mark's book should be the first entry to appear.


Our Newsletter 'Generations'

Be on the lookout for the next edition of our newsletter "Generations". It should be out during March. I got a sneak preview of some of the features and articles and again it will be outstanding.

We are always looking for articles for the newsletter. Why not write an article on some aspect of your line of the family or on an interesting ancestor in your line? It can be as short or long as you desire. We can help proofread and edit it if you would like. Do you have any older photo of some member of your line that we could publish in the newsletter? Email it to me along with a brief description of the person(s), approximate date and the activity occurring (if pertinent).


That Dreaded Membership Renewal Reminder

It's the beginning of a new idea and with that comes all of your journal and society renewal notices. I encourage each of you to renew your Membership in Les Guédry d'Asteur or, if you are not a member, to become one. Our dues for 2011 remain very low at $10 for a family and $6 for an individual. A Membership Application is available on the Guédry & Petitpas Family website at:

Membership

Here you have the option of paying using PayPal or you can print the application and send it with your payment through the U.S. mail system. I have also included an application at the end of this memo.

No organization can operate without funds and Les Guédry d'Asteur is no exception. The several projects that we do to promote our Guédry-Labine and Petitpas family cost money. These include hosting mini-Reunions and large Reunions as the Bathurst Reunion, donating family history books to key libraries, publishing our newsletter, hosting our two websites, providing family mementos and publishing a family cookbook. We need your help to continue these activities. At this time our treasury is very low - as a major activity such as the recent Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunion requires large expenditures. Consider renewing or joining at the dit Jovial, dit Labine or dit Grivois levels or make a donation above the basic membership level. Your help will be appreciated and well used.

Looking forward to another great year of Les Guédry d'Asteur,

Marty


Martin Guidry
6139 North Shore Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
225-571-9726
guidryrmartin@gmail.com
Les Guidry d'Asteur, Inc.
https://guedryfamily.guedry.org/
https://guedry.guedry.org/



DIRECTIONS TO THE 6 FEBRURY 2010 MEETING AT LAFAYETTE, LA:

From I-10 take the I-49/Hiway 90 exit and go south (toward Lafayette). You'll now be on the Evangeline Thruway. Continue on the Thruway until you reach Jefferson Street (about 5 or 6 red lights; there's a Burger King on the right corner). Turn right on Jefferson Street and continue through the underpass and three red lights. The first street after the 3rd red light is W. Main Street. Turn right on W. Main Street and go one block to the stop sign. The courthouse will be immediately ahead of you. Turn left onto Buchanan Street and then make a quick right back onto W. Main Street on the left side of the courthouse. The CODOFIL office is on your left at 217 W. Main Street. It's a two-story, red brick, Victorian-style, narrow building with a green balcony on the second floor. Park anywhere in the area as parking meters are not patrolled on Saturday and Sunday. We'll meet in the reception area on the first floor.


Martin Guidry
6139 North Shore Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
225-571-9726
guidryrmartin@gmail.com
Les Guédry et Petitpas d'Asteur, Inc.
https://guedryfamily.guedry.org/
https://guedry.guedry.org/
https://clotiaux.guedry.org/
https://butaud.guedry.org/