Minutes: 7 July 2009
Minutes - Les Guidry d'Asteur Meeting - July 7, 2009
July 7, 2009
Bonjour à vous tous,
The Guédry-Labine and Petitpas Reunion is very near - just about a month away. We have completed all of the planning and have the schedule set now. Our team has put together a very entertaining and informative reunion while still setting aside a lot of time for each of us to meet our cousins and enjoy the time together. I want to thank Lorn Guidry and Jason Guidry in Bathurst for doing the yoeman's work of lining up the facilities and securing the entertainment. They have stepped in and put together a great facility and agenda.
We are working hard at this time to issue another edition of "Generations" just before the Reunion. I believe we will make that deadline. Look for it soon.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Our Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunion is near and our program is excellent. Our only concern is the slow rate that folks are registering. I am sure part of this is the sluggish (no, terrible) economy. Also, I know folks are concerned about housing in the Acadian Peninsula; however, I have been assured that housing is still quite available. And New Brunswick is not the 'roots' to us Acadians as Nova Scotia is where we 'began' and our history lies. On a positive side for those in the U.S. - the American dollar is strengthening on the Canadian dollar meaning this will be a less expensive vacation. If we had the Reunion right now, our Canadian cousins would outnumber our American cousins almost three to one. I encourage you to reconsider attending our Reunion. Each Congrès Mondial has been an unforgettable experience and this one promises to be the same.
And please let your family, relatives and friends that are interested in the Guidry, Guedry, Gaidry, Guildry, Geddry, Jeddry, Gedry, Jedry, Labine, LaBean, Petitpas, Pitts and Perro families (and other variations of our name) know about our Reunion. I only have email addresses for a small percentage of our total family. We need your help in reaching everyone and giving them the opportunity to meet and join our Family. A Registration Form is on our Guédry-Labine Family Website at:
2009 Reunion Registration
Don't forget our incentive for register early. We will give each family (or individual) registrant that registers on or before 15 July 2009 a set of two CD's containing music performed by approximately 50 musicians of our Guédry family. The music ranges from Cajun to Acadian, swamp pop to rock-n-roll, west coast swing, blues and gospel to religious, heavy metal, electronic and rap. We have a broad range of musical talent in our family and this is your chance to sample it all. I believe you'll be impressed with the selections.
FAMILY AND REUNION SOUVENIRS
Cindy Herdt, our Sales Committee Chairperson, has been very active this year designing and ordering momentos of our family and of our Reunion experience for folks to purchase. Some will only be sold at the Reunion; however, we are offering some items early so folks can purchase them and bring them (wear them) to the Reunion or leave them at home due to travel limits. Not all items are specific to the Reunion; some are general to our family. The quality of these items is well above what you envision as a souvenir. You can order some of the items on the Merchandise Page of our website at:
Merchandise
We have added PayPal to the website so you can pay that way or with a check through the mails.
RECENT NEWS
If you plan to attend other events associated with the Congrès Mondial such as the concerts, you can purchase your tickets online at this weblink:
http://www.billetterieacces.ca/
For those in Louisiana wishing to travel with a group to the Congrès Mondial, History Break Tours of Carencro, LA is having a fully catered tour by bus. The bus will depart from Lafayette, LA on 6 August 2009 and return to Lafayette on 28 August 2009. You do have the option to fly to Bangor and join the bus there on 9 August. There is flexibility in the bus schedule so you can attend your family reunions and other activities that you would like to do. The package includes 22 days of motorcoach transportation, 21 nights of accomodations, 21 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners and luggage handling for one suitcase and lot of fun. Call one of these telephone numbers soon to reserve your spot: 337-288-2681, 337-394-2258 or 337-298-8965.
So much for all of the formal planning. So what can you do:
One - attend the Reunion and meet your cousins - talk with them, share your experiences and family, view the displays, get excited about our family.
Two - share something with all of us - a big part of our Reunion is the display area: some displays are rather formal; others are very informal; all are informative and interesting. Why not bring a display to the Reunion? It can be as formal as you like - a complete display board with some aspect of your family presented or it can be very informal as copies of some interesting photographs or family documents, an interesting object associated with our family as a hand-crafted instrument, an old map showing family land grants, a copy of an old diary, a sportscard collection of family athletes, family correspondence from the war years, etc. Bring it along and let others enjoy seeing it.
The Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick is a truly French region where Acadian French is the predominant language. In that tradition we are planning a bilingual reunion with both French and English segments. Don't worry if you are not bilingual as we are designing it so you will be able to follow and understand. Areas that will be predominantly French include the French Rosary, the Cajun and Acadian music and the presentation by Sister Corinne LaPlante. (An English outline of Sister LaPlante's presentation will be available.) Areas that will be predominantly English will include the remaining presentations and the Master of Ceremony comments. The opening Mass will be bilingual.
GUEDRY-LABINE & PETITPAS REUNION - BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK - 16 AUG 2009
The Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunion will be on Sunday, August 16, 2009 in the Conference Centre at Danny's Inn in Bathurst , New Brunswick. Registration information is available on our Guédry-Labine Family website. To obtain a Reunion Registration form just click on the red '2009 Reunion Registration' button at the bottom of the page. To reach this website page, click on this link:
2009 Reunion
(You may need to copy the entire link and paste it into the URL location at the top of your browser window - for example, Google, Yahoo, etc.)
The website for Danny's Inn is:
http://www.dannysinn.com/site/AboutUs.aspx
Major events planned during the 2009 CMA include:
* August 7 - Opening Ceremony - Acadian March (Lameque, Shippagan & Miscou)
* August 15 - Acadian Natinal Holiday - Grand Tintamarre (Caraquet)
* August 16-20 - Space 2009 - Acadie Invents (Pokemouche)
Note: August 18th - Louisiana will be highlighted at Pokemouche
* August 23 - Closing Ceremony - Acadie Gathers (Tracadie-Sheila-Neguac Area
* Conferences including the Great Youth Gathering, Women's Summit, Business
Event and Acadie Welcomes
* Artistic and Cultural Treasure Series including Invincible Roots, Maritime
Short Plays, Sound and Light, Acadian Popular Theater, Grand Peninsula
Concert, Voir L'Acadie, Weaving the Acadian Thread and much more
* Family Reunions throughout the festival period
We will have an all-day Reunion beginning at 8:30 am and lasting until 5:00 pm with an excellent full buffet dinner at Danny's Inn about noon. Activities will include talks, music, displays, etc as well as time to mingle and get to know your cousins.
Father Benoit (Ben) Drapeau will celebrate our opening Mass with us. I had the honor of meeting Father Drapeau two weeks at the 50th anniversary of his ordination. Interestingly, he was ordained in Bathurst in 1959 and has family living only two blocks from the Holy Family Church. You would never know Father Drapeau has been a priest for 50 years. He is so vibrant and active, his wit is unbelievable. On meeting him, you feel like you've known him forever. Father Drapeau grew up in New Brunswick and was ordained in Bathurst as a Eudist Missionary Father. He then served in New York, south Louisiana and is now in Phoenix, Arizona. He is looking forward to celebrating the Mass with us. The link below has a short article and photograph taken during the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Rayne, LA. Our own Jeanette Guidry Leger was instrumental in organizing this wonderful event.
http://www.raynetoday.com/content/former-pastor-honored
Shortly before Mass begins, Ms. Pierrette Guidry of Colorado will lead us in the French Rosary. For those that have not heard or participated in the French Rosary, it is quite beautiful and moving. Plan on arriving by 8:15 am so that you can participate in the French Rosary, our unique entrance to the altar and the bilingual Mass with Father Ben. After Mass, we will all journey to Danny's Inn for registration and a fun-filled day with our cousins.
The agenda for our Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunion includes:
* 8:30 am - Opening Mass at Holy Family (Sainte Famille) Catholic Church
(430 St. Peter Avenue; Bathurst, NB)
- French Rosary led by Pierrette Guidry of Colorado (8:15 am)
- Opening Procession honoring our ancestors (8:30 am)
- French Mass celebrated by Father Benoit Drapeau of Arizona
- Closing Procession
* 9:45 am - Reunion Registration at Danny's Inn Conference Center
[1223 Route 134 (Rue Principale) just north of Bathurst, NB]
* 10:00 am - Larry Miller and his Cajun Band
(Including Cajun two-step & waltz demonstrations)
* 10:45 am - Break (View displays, meet cousins, sales table, etc.)
* 11:00 am - Presentation (Larry Miller of Louisiana) -
Cultures of Louisiana Cajuns and Maritime Acadians
including an actual Courir de Mardi Gras (Cajun Mardi Gras Run)
* 11:45 am - Break (View displays, meet cousins, sales table, etc.)
* 12:00 noon - Dinner Buffet
* 1:00 pm - Presentation (Sister Corinne LaPlant of New Brunswick) -
History of the Acadians of the Baie-des-Chaleurs Region
* 1:45 pm - Break (View displays, meet cousins, sales table, etc.)
* 2:00 pm - Presentation (Eileen Avery [Petitpas] of California) -
Petitpas Genealogy - Recent Discoveries Using DNA Techniques
* 2:45 pm - Break (View displays, meet cousins, sales table, etc.)
* 3:00 pm - New Brunswick Acadian Band
* 3:45 pm - Break (View displays, meet cousins, sales table, etc.)
* 4:00 pm - Presentation (Elaine Clement of Louisiana) -
Louisiana Cajun French and Acadian French of Canada -
How Similar Are They
* 4:30 pm - Break
* 4:45 pm - Closing Ceremony
Throughout the day we may have a special magician mingling among us. In addition, we'll have family history displays in the back of the room and a sales booth where you can purchase items related to our family and our reunion. We will have several breaks during the day so that everyone can meet each other and can visit the displays and sales booth.
Here's a couple of websites on Larry Miller:
http://members.cox.net/jireaux/larry.htm
http://www.accordions.com/bonteecajun/
We'll have a superb buffet lunch about noon at the Conference Center. It'll be a Hot & Cold Dinner Buffet that includes roast beef smothered in peppercorn gravy, sweet & sour meatballs, lasagna, chicken wings, potato casserole, coleslaw, tossed green salad, carrot salad, rolls, carrot cake, cherry cheesecake, fresh fruit salad, coffee and tea. The cost of the buffet will be approximately $25.00 per person.
It is not too early to secure lodging. Remember, unlike airline reservations, you can easily cancel hotel/motel and rental car reservations within a few days of arrival with no penalty. So don't procrastinate in making hotel/motel reservations and/or rental car reservations. Lodging space and rental cars will be very limited in the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick, but they are still available in the Bathurst area - especially bed and breakfasts and cabins. The website below contains a number of motels, hotels and bed & breakfasts in the Bathurst area.
http://www.bathurst.ca/english/home/index.cfm?id=195
I look forward to seeing everyone at Bathurst and enjoying a wonderful Reunion together.
Marty
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/