A President's Committee will soon be appointed to consider proposals concerning a permanent commemorative marker to be placed, hopefully, in Magdalen Square or at another location within the downtown historic district of Abbeville.  The committee will actively solicit designs for the marker which would appropriately commemorate the Hébert family reunion of August 6, 1999, the Congrès Mondial, and perhaps the Louisiana pioneer settlers of the Hébert family.  A Special fund has been established to accept contributions for the commemorative marker.  Donations to L'Association des Hébert Memorial Fund will be dedicated to this project.  Look for a record of such donations in La Gazette.  How much to donate?  It's your donation--we'll accept any amount.  We do not plan to list the amount in our column.

NOTICE: The Board of Directors will be submitting its nominations for the officers of the corporation at the June 28 meeting.  If you or someone you know would like to be considered as an officer of the corporation, please send in a very short bio of that person to the association or to any of the Board of Directors.

NOTICE: Next general membership meeting, Sunday, June 28, at 2:30 p.m.
      Where: Congrès Mondial Headquarters Office, 524 Brooks St., Annex # 2
                  Directions: From I-10 take the University exit (101?} south to Johnston St. - right on Johnston to first light (St. Mary Blvd) - right on St. Mary Blvd one block to Brooks St. - left on Brooks to the end where it intersects with Albert St. - CMA Office on the right at the end of Brooks - the parking lot is in front of the building.  From New Iberia coming on Evangeline Thruway, take left on Johnston (Hwy 167S) - go approximately one mile to St. Mary Blvd, take a right on St. Mary and follow directions listed above.  From Abbeville, instead of taking a right to go to HICKS, take a left on St Mary Blvd. then check directions above. 
Judge Byron Hébert

On Saturday, May 23, Stephanie and Charlie Hébert of Houston hosted an Hébert family reunion at their Galveston beach house.  Approximately 60 cousins came together for a fun filled day of recollections, genealogy, picture taking, and fine food..
On display, and greatly admired, were an assortment of albums, compiled by hostess, Stephanie.  These albums contained birth, marriage, and death certificates as well as photos of families, old home sites, and cemeteries - - all attractively arranged for display.
Mealtime was truly an event as guests brought samples of their family favorites.
Noted among the guests was Stephanie and Charlie's five-month-old granddaughter, who was the youngest attendee.  The eldest attendee was Jessie Hébert, 86, of Webster, TX.  We passed a good time, sha! 
Beverly Desormeaux Hébert

          Le Coin Français

     Les Acadiens d'aujourd' hui des deux côtés de l'Antlantique, du Nouveau-Brunswick à la Louisiane, de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon à Belle-Ile-en-Mer, dispersés depuis plus de deux siècles mais unis par le coeur, ont subis une perte inestimable avec la mort de Jean-Marie Fonteneau le 28 Mars.  M. Fonteneau faisait beaucoup de recherches sur les Acadiens et il était en train d'assister à une conférence sur les Acadien à Halifax, au Canada, quand il est mort d=une crise cardiaque.  Il était le conservateur de la Citadelle de Bell-Ile-en-Mer, où se trouve un musée sur les Acadiens. M. Fonteneau a écrit un livre sur les Acadiens, Les Acadiens, Citoyens de l'Antlantique, qui est trés valable pour ceux qui sont en train de faire des recherches sur leurs familles et luers origins.  Il écrivait un autre livre sur les Acadiens quand il est mort.  Il et aussi l'auteur de plusieurs romans et de la poésie. 
M. Fonteneau était en contact avec des membres de A'Association des Hébert du Monde@ qui fera partie au Congrès Mondial qui aura lieu en Août, 1999.  Il préparait des photos et documents sur Belle-Ile-en-Mer pour l'Alliance Culturelle et Historique d'Abbeville.  Il comptait visiter la région d'Acadiana pendant le Congrès Modial Acadien à cause de son interét aux familles en Louisane qui sont les descendants de familles qui ont vécu en Belle-Ile-en-Mer.  Soixante-dix-huit familles Acadiennes on vécu quelque temps sur l'ile, et la plupart son partis pour la Louisiane en 1785.
Russell Gaspard, un des fondateurs de l;Alliance d'Abbeville est en contact avec Andre Thomas, un des colleagues de Fonteneau au musée de la Vitadelle Vauban, qui pourra envoyer des photos et documents sur Bell-Ile-en-Mer pour l'Alliance d'Abbeville 

English Version of Le Coin Français
Acadian descendants from both sides of the Atlantic, from New Brunswick to Louisiana, from St. Pierre and Miquelon to Belle-Ile-en-Mer, dispersed for more than two centuries but still united spiritually and emotionally have suffered an irreparable loss with the sudden death of Jean-Marie Fonteneau on March 28 of this year.  Mr. Fonteneau was a noted researcher on the Acadians.  He was attending a Conference on the Acadians in Halifax, Canada, when he suffered a fatal heart attack.  He was the Curator of the Acadian museum of the Citadelle in Belle-Ile-en-Mer.  Mr. Fonteneau wrote a book on the Acadians, The Acadians, Citizens of the Atlantic, which is a valuable resource for Acadian descendants who are searching for their roots and their ancestors.  At the time of his death, he was working on another book on the Acadians of Belle-Ile-en-Mer.  He was also the author of several novels and some poetry. 
Mr. Fonteneau was in contact with several members of the AAssociation of Héberts of the World@ who will hold the AHébert Reunion@ in August of 1999 as part of the World Acadian Congress which will take place in Louisiana.  He was preparing pictures and documents on Belle-Ile-en-Mer to be sent to the Abbeville Cultural and Historical Alliance.  He was planning to visit Acadiana during the Acadian Congress because of his interest in the descendants of the Acadians who had lived in Belle-Ile-en-Mer for some time after their liberation from confinement in England.  Most of these families eventually left the island for new homes in Louisiana in 1785.
Russell Gaspard, one of the founders of the Abbeville Cultural & Historical Alliance, is in contact with Andre Thomas, a colleague of Fonteneau.  Mr Thomas will be able to send some photos and documents of Belle-Ile-en Mer that Mr Fonteneau has planned to send to the Alliance.
Barbara Hébert Héebert

CAFA

The newly formed non-profit corporation, Confederation of Associations of Families Acadian (CAFA) was formed on May 16th.  CAFA was formed in order to provide assistance and guidance to any Reunion Family requiring help during and after the CMA-Louisiane >99.
In New Brunswick, after the 1994 family reunions, many of the families there joined hands and formed such an organization (FAFA).  This was done to prepare for the Congrès to be held during the celebration of the 400th anniversary in 2004.
The CAFA officers are: A. J. Leblanc, President; Eddie Richard, V-Pres.; Glenn Baudoin, Secretary; and Loubert Trahan, Treasurer.
Several topics were discussed: (1) the association logo, (2) fund raisers, and (3) invitation by A. J. for families to set up a memorabilia table at Acadian Village in Lafayette for the celebration of Acadian Day, on August 15 - the Acadians' Patrons Day.  Four people from each family that participates will be allowed free admission to the celebration in order to man their family table.  Any volunteers?  Call Russell 893-2381.

Committee Reports

Membership
Membership renewals are now due.  Our membership year coincides with the calendar year.
New Membership annual dues are:
Single: $15.00 per year
           Family: $15.00 per year
Renewal membership annual dues are:
Singles: $10.00 per year
            Family: $15.00 per year
To determine if your dues are current, please note the year that your dues were last paid on the lower right corner of your address gum label.  If you have not paid your 1998 dues please do so soon.  Your dues are very important to the success of the reunion in >99.
Mail your membership dues to:
Sheila Hebert Collins 
311 Second Street
Abbeville, LA 70510
Make checks payable to: Hebert Family Association
For your membership support, the membership committee has agreed to the following:
You and /or your family will be pre-registered for the reunion at no cost.  You and/or your family will receive one registration packet (ditty bag) that will include the program booklet, brochures of local activities, maps of the area (with highlighted special places that you may want to visit), individual registrant (a treat to one of the delicious burgers to be offered at the food court), family registrants (a treat to 2 to 4 burgers at the food court), and of course the other goodies that are normally included in ditty bags.  Now really, how can you resist such an offer: Our membership stood at 134 registrations in 1997.  So far 86 of those have renewed,.  We need your financial support to make this a great event.  The reunion program is really developing.  Each month as we approach D-week more ideas come forth to make your visit a memorable one.
 

Registration
The two types of reunion registrations will be Pre-registration and On-site registration.
Pre-registration will consist of Members and also those non-members who register by mail.  The cost of non-member pre-registration will be $5.00 per individual and $8.00 per family.  The pre-registered non-member packet will not include a copy of the reunion program booklets (which will sell for approx. $8.00 per copy) and will not include a treat to a burger(s).  Yep! the ditty bag will be light.
On-site registration for all individuals and families will cost $10.00.
Membership looks better and better to me.  How about you?
The registration committee will begin taking non-member registration some time next spring, we will let you know when.

 Entertainment
The committee is lining up Cajun. jazz, and country-western music for your enjoyment during the festivities on Magdalen Square.  The music at the street dance (fais-do-do) will be Cajun.
Then there is the Giant Egg Omelet!!!!!

Food
Food and drink courts will be provided at Magdalen Square.  Exactly what types of food will be available has not been decided, but there will be good OLE standbys - burgers, hot dogs, sausage poor-boys and other short order items.

Welcome Center
This will definitely be the place to congregate.  Everything happens here: t-shirt shop, registration, genealogy, memorabilia sales, and much more.