Thanks Marty -----Original Message----- From: R. Martin Guidry Bonjour Cousins, Members of Les Guédry d'Asteur met 22 May 2010 at the Public Library in Rayne, Louisiana to discuss our plans for having one or two Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunion(s) at Le Grand Réveil Acadian 2011 (The Great Acadian Awakening 2011) in Louisiana during October 2011.  We will celebrate Le Grand Réveil Acadian 2011 during 7-16 October 2011.  (See schedule below) We tentatively decided to have two Guédry-Labine & Petitpas Reunions since two major and distinct concentrations of the Guédry family reside in Louisiana - one east of the Atchafalaya Swamp (Ascension, St. James, Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes) and one west of the Atchafalaya Swamp (St. Martin, Lafayette, Vermilion, St. Landry and Acadia parishes).   We plan to have one Reunion in the Bayou Lafourche area (the region of Cutoff, Galliano and Golden Meadow) on 8 October 2011.  We'll have a second Reunion in the area of Breaux Bridge and Cecilia on 10 October 2011.   Both of the areas have large concentrations of the Guidry (Guedry, Gaidry) family.  There are adequate lodging and dining facilities in both areas. The Bayou Lafourche Acadians live along the banks of Bayou Lafourche and historically have fished the waters of Bayou Lafourche and the Gulf of Mexico, harvested frogs, alligators, muskrat and other game from marshes and worked in the offshore oil industry.  Locally they are known as the 'marshland Acadians".  The Acadians on the west side of the Atchafalaya Swamp had large vacheries (ranches) where they raised cattle on unfenced ranges and grew crops of sugar cane, rice and cotton.  Locally they are known as "prairie Acadians".   We briefly discussed having a bus tour of the Guidry and Acadian historical sites either before or after the Reunions.  If we decide to have a tour, it probably would be on 12 October 2011 and would last all day.  As our plans develop further, we'll keep everyone informed by email, on our website at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guedrylabinefamily and on our Les Guédry d'Asteur Facebook page. Here is some information on Le Grand Réveil Acadien 2011: GRAND REVEIL ACADIEN The Grand Réveil Acadien (Great Acadian Awakening) will be 7-16 October 2011 in Louisiana.  Although it will be similar to the Congres Mondial in some respects, their will be significant differences.  It will be an opportunity for Acadians from throughout the United States, Canada, France and the rest of the world to come together and reawaken our Acadian spirit.  Below is the tentative agenda in English and French.   Additionally, the Acadian Memorial will have their annual Acadian Memorial Festival in St. Martinville during the first half of October 2011. Family reunions will be a significant part of the Grand Réveil Acadien.  During the period 7-16 October we have been asked to have family reunions only on the dates of October 8, 10, 12 and 14.  Of course, we also can have family reunions before October 7th and after October 16th.   The Guédry, Labine & Petitpas family will have one or two reunions during this time period.   As soon as the dates and locations are established, I will let everyone know. Over the next several months more information about the specific events of the Grand Réveil Acadien will be available. You can keep up-to-date by visiting these two websites: gra2011.org   louisiane-acadie.com  Great Acadian Awakening 2011 October 7th - October 16th (Louisiana) Come when the weather is nice and cool (Louisiana) Event mission: to awaken the population of Louisiana, primarily those of Acadian descent and the youth, to the realization that we are losing our language, culture, and coastal lands, and to seek support, partnerships, solutions and concerted plans of action through large gatherings with Acadians from all over the world PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE October 7 - Open Ceremony and Unveiling of Acadian Monument in New Orleans, Louisiana. (To be confirmed) October 8 -  Discover New Orleans. October 9 -  Opening Ceremony and Conference about Protection of the Environment in Houma, Louisiana. October 10 - Discover Houma and the Bayou Region. October 11 - Ceremony and Conference in Lake Charles, Louisiana. October 12 - Discover Lake Charles and its Region. October 13 - Ceremony and Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana. October 14 - Lafayette and Acadiana Discovery Rally/ Opening Concert of the Festival Acadiens et Créoles. October 15 - Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, Girard Park, Lafayette, LA (www.festivalsacadiens.com)/Workshop about New Technologies and Acadian heritage. October 16 - Mass, Mardi Gras Parade/tintamarre etc and festival /Closing Ceremony, Girard Park, Lafayette, Louisiana The event will focus on showcasing the regional culture and developing closer ties between all Acadians throughout the world by hosting: * Seminars * Lectures * Family Reunions * * Music Concerts * Social Networks * Many Other Cultural Activities * A place will be reserved for our friends of the Region of Lands and Forests who will be invited to promote the CONGRES MONDIAL ACADIEN 2014. Thank you to our partners: Société Nationale de l'Acadie and all its member organizations, Zachary Richard and Action Cadienne, CODOFIL, Festival Acadien de Claire, Madawaska Acadian Festival, Festival en chanson de Petite Vallée, France-Louisiane-Franco-Américanie, Les Amitiés Acadiennes, Louisiane-Bretagne-Acadie, Les Cousins Acadiens du Poitou, twinned cities between Canada and Louisiana.  FACEBOOK - LES GUEDRY D'ASTEUR Les Guédry d'Asteur now has a Facebook 'Page' (sometimes called a Fan Page).  Initially we had established a Facebook Group, but found a Group has a number of limitations inhibiting the sharing of ideas and posting of information about our family.  We will be closing our Facebook Group in the next few weeks and are in the process of moving all the posts, photographs, links and information from our Facebook Group to our Facebook 'Page' so that nothing will be lost. Some advantages of the Facebook 'Page' are that we can organize our photographs into Albums.  In the Group you could post photographs, but could not organize them by topic or any other way.  Also, when a person posts on the Facebook 'Page', a notice is sent to the Personal Page of each member of our Facebook 'Page' so you can see the activity on our Facebook 'Page' and participate if you like.  Additionally, posts to discussions on the new Facebook 'Page' are linked by topic so you can follow the discussion and participate if you wish.  There is also a section on the Facebook 'Page' for posting internet links to topics of interest.   To join our Les Guédry d'Asteur Facebook 'Page', you first need to go to Facebook.com and establish a Personal Page for free.  This is quite easy.  Then search at the Search Window of your Personal Page for Guedry-Labine.  You'll see our Guedry crest logo.  If there are two Guedry crest logos, click on the one with 'Website' in the third line and you'll be taken to our Facebook 'Page' where you can join.  It's all free.  I think you'll enjoy visiting the page, posting information about our family and participating in the discussions. If you already have a Personal Page on Facebook, simply click on the link below and you'll enter our Les Guédry d'Asteur Facebook 'Page'. www.facebook.com As most of you know, the function of Facebook and that of our Guédry-Labine Family Website are totally different.  Facebook lets our family members communicate and share information on a real-time basis.  It's a quick and fun communication tool.  Our Guédry-Labine Family Website provides a permanent repository of our family information, photographs, etc., our Sales Office, our Guest Registry and where official announcements of our family events are posted.  You can visit our Guédry-Labine Family Website at this link: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guedrylabinefamily  Merci, Marty Martin Guidry 6139 North Shore Drive Baton Rouge, LA  70817 225-202-2478 (cell) guidryrm@cox.net Les Guédry d'Asteur, Inc. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guedrylabinefamily http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guidryrm/Guedry-Labine http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guidryrm/clotiaux http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~guidryrm/butaud