**  NOTICE  **   
Due to budget constraints, the   Fitchburg Public Library is now accessible only on the following days:
Tuesday from 10:00 a.m.  to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday from  12:00 p.m.  to  7:00 p.m.
Members wanting to do research in the Willis Room where our collection is housed need to take this new schedule into account.
The phone number at the library is (978)345-9635.

Message from the President: 

Bonjour tout le monde.   Finally Spring has arrived.

We, the officers and Board, are already looking to the Annual meeting in October. 

It will be held at the Templeton Fish and Game Club  on Sunday the 4^th of October.  We are working on the entertainment piece - the food will be the usual Poutines & Rapée.

We did have a few responses to our plea regarding the need for officers. Unfortunately - due to personal and work commitments - they are unable to fill the coming voids (as you remember at the last Annual Meeting, we announced that the President, Vice President and Secretary need to step down).  The responders all agreed that they would be willing to work in the background, but could not commit to any major role.

The Society newsletter is our main contact with you the members.  The present Editor will be stepping down, like the President, Vice President and Secretary.  Our first need is an Editor.  Doris is willing to work in an advisory/mentor role with anyone interested in taking over the Editorship.

Contact with the membership is a priority.  How do we do that without a newsletter?  We need input from you the members.  Do we reduce the number of issues per year, semi annual, rather than quarterly?  The rise of doing business - cost of stationery, printing and mailing has increased over the past few years; we have not increased dues.  The next elected officers and Board will have to look to possibly increasing the membership dues like most other Societies have already done.  Many questions and no simple answers.  We would like to see the Society go on, but the above questions need to be set before you the members.  The Annual Meeting is in less than six months - when we come together for fun, frolic and food, we need to finalize the FUTURE OF THE ACADIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY. 

Again I urge all of you, our members, and anyone who is reading this note to continue to seek out and support any and all ethnic, especially French, venues, whether they be the soirées, talks given by genealogy, historical or cultural groups.  Here in New England we just completed the month of March that is dedicated to the French.  Assumption College had guest speakers, and visitors from Quebec.  The French Library in Boston held special events during the month.  Entertainment and varying functions were held with the French language - history - culture - as the base in and around New England.

If you have any suggestions for us as a group to do/support - please contact the Society via the web site address, www.acadiancultural.org, or U. S. mail.  We want the Society to be your Society - make your wishes known.