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NOVEMBER 2004 Edition
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE:
On behalf of myself and the entire
LAFF family, I offer our condolences to Curtis Hue and his family on the
loss of his mother. All of us at LAFF offer our heartfelt thoughts and
prayers to the Hue family during their time of grief.
November is closing in on us rapidly and
I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving from my wife and myself.
As the new year approaches final plans are well underway for the 2005
convention. If you want to help make this convention another great success,
please contact Rob Piraro, Vice-President and Convention Coordinator. Rob
is known for not to turn down any assistance. Please make plans to attend
the convention and make your hotel reservations quickly as rooms are going
fast. Remember to register your lovely queens and tell the hotel your queen
needs to be on the 2nd floor, if at all possible.
Many fairs and
festivals have crowned new royalty, so remember to send our web-master a
digital picture of your queen for the queen’s internet site. If you haven’t
checked out the web-site, you’re missing a great site. Our web-master has
done a fantastic job in keeping the site up to date and correct as you send
the information. I had the opportunity to attend the Bridge City Gumbo
Festival’s Farewell dinner for the past royalty and the coronation for the
new king and queen on October 3, 2004. I also attended the gumbo cook-off
judging with a panel of celebrity judges. I must commend Monsignor Luminais,
and his gumbo staff for an exceptional job. King Creole Gumbo XXXI Jose
Miguel Brand, Sr. and his lovely queen Jeanne Marie Harrington, as well as
Monsignor Luminais and his gumbo staff greeted us. The judges were, Sandy
Young and Theresa Hayes from Copeland’s Restaurant, Pat Morrow and Vernon
Curry, owners of Restaurant De Familles, and Mr. Lonny Taylor, president of
Westwego Fest. Also present was the outgoing Queen Creole Gumbo Miss Kim
Theresa Pierre. I was honored to be asked to judge the Washington Parish
Free Fair Queen’s pageant and must say, royalty has never been treated so
well.
Please contact our secretary with your
fair and festival dates for 2005, as we are going to press shortly with the
new Fair and Festivals Guide. I must get in gear and get on the road to
visit many fairs and festivals in the coming weeks, and hope to see many of
you real soon. Don't look for the biggest guy around anymore just look for
the compact version of me, and remember if you need a judge, emcee or just a
regular flunky, call me and I'll do my best to assist you and your festival.
By the way, a belated Happy Halloween to
all.
S/Warren
Deemer
***********
VICE-PRESIDENT’s
MESSAGE:
Hello: I hope you are ready to have a
great time at Convention 2005. Remember to book your hotel rooms as soon as
possible because it will be sold out prior to convention.
PLEASE
MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU GIVE THE HOTEL THE NAME OF YOUR QUEEN AND LET THE
HOTEL KNOW THAT SHE IS A QUEEN AND SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE 2ND
FLOOR!
Although the
rains have come down hard over this last month, spirits at all the events
have been high and despite the weather, people attended events.
On Friday,
October 1st, I had the pleasure to judge the Louisiana Cattle
Festival Queen’s Pageant in Abbeville. Thank you Barbara and Neal for such
a great show and warm hospitality. Congratulations to their new queen,
Jennifer Falgout.
On October 9th,
we visited long time friends Tina and Raymond Guillory at the Louisiana
Cotton Festival in Ville Platte. They had terrible weather so they moved
their music indoors and changed the location of the pageant. Tina did an
outstanding job getting the pageant relocated with such short notice.
On October
14th, we attended the Calcasieu Cameron Parish Fair in Sulphur.
We spoke with Kenny Guidry and Lillian Karr and attended the Children’s
pageant that night. Everyone was delighted that the skies had cleared and
the weather cooperated for a good fair.
This
upcoming weekend we will be on the road again, heading to the State Fair in
Shreveport on Friday and to Washington Parish Free Fair on Saturday. We’re
praying that the weather will cooperate for all the events planned at this
time of year.
Don’t forget
to make those hotel room reservations NOW and to watch for your entire
convention packet that will be mailed out in early November.
Stay dry and
stay safe
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Referenced in
the President’s report is mention of Past President (and long time)
Secretary, Curtis Hue. Curtis’ mother, Mary Crochet Hue passed away, after
a period of illness, on Friday, October 15th. LAFF was well
represented at the wake and funeral. It was quite a grace moment as towards
the end of the funeral mass, her five children related personal memories of
their mother.
Excerpted
from the October issue of “The Firecracker” the publication of the
Florida Federation of Fairs (and thanks to Executive Director Heidi Herriott)
- the lead story focuses on the trials that the Florida fair industry and
general public, have been through this year. “If there is any
positive news in all of this, it is the fact that our fairgrounds have
stepped up and become an invaluable state and community resource. While
this fact is not news to the Fair industry, it has become evident to many
others that our fairgrounds can provide a multitude of services and valuable
space for emergency personnel, and clean up efforts. From FEMA and National
Guard stations, to distribution of water and ice, to shelter for humans,
pets and livestock, Florida fairgrounds have been actively involved in the
preparation efforts and aftermath scenarios during this very difficult time
in Florida.”
Want a
“holler” of your event, send me some information (by the twentieth of the
month please) or send something to the web site – or both. It is one of the
advantages of your membership.
I
want to again take this opportunity to invite everyone to “my” event -
Thibodeauxville - to be held on November 12th & 13th.
Friday afternoon features a cooking contest then live entertainment into the
night - all in downtown Thibodaux. Saturday, November 13th has a
5K race at 8:00 a.m., a full day of original arts and crafts, good food and
music on three stages from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Talent includes one
stage devoted to gospel music, a Dixieland jazz band, “Foret Tradition”, “Treater”,
and “Driftwood”. Additionally there will be a car show that will stagger
the imagination with corvettes, antiques and show cars in between. The day
ends with a (rubber) duck race in Bayou Lafourche. You’re all invited.
Come pass a good time
S/ Al
Dupré
Elections 2005 !!!
We will be electing President, Vice-President, Treasurer,
Secretary and District Directors in District
One, District Five & District Seven at the 2005 convention.
SEQ CHAPTER
\h \r 1GUIDELINES
FOR 2005 LAFF ELECTION
1. Requires that an
individual MUST be or have been a “Board Member, Officer, Staff Person or
Chairperson” of their current active dues paying member Fair or Festival in
order to be nominated for the LAFF officer or board election.
2.
Nominations MUST be made in writing by the Convention delegate
(or a current officer) of the LAFF member fair or festival to the nominating
committee anytime prior to five (5) pm Friday afternoon of the annual
meeting.
3. Nominating committee shall present a slate of candidates for
all officer and board position including unexpired terms and vacancies no
later than the end of the Friday afternoon session of the annual meeting.
4. Nominations from the floor may be made ONLY by the
Convention delegate (or a current officer) of the LAFF member fair or
festival.
5. The Secretary will prepare a ballot for the election of
Officers. The Secretary will prepare a ballot for the election of
Directors, which will include the names of the office nominees where more
than one person is nominated.
6. Recommend that Directors be elected from designated areas of
the state.
7.
Recommend that candidates for Treasurer and Secretary be
bondable.
8. Consider establishing a definite make-up of the nominating
committee. By-laws require that the President “appoint the nominating
committee for the election of officers and directors consisting of not less
than three (3) members but no more than five (5) members.
9. The State of Louisiana will be divided in six (6) LAFF
District for the election of board members. Since there are two (2) elected
board members currently elected to two (2) of these now, elections will be a
follows for the following years:
1994 Elections will be held in District 2 & 6
1995 Elections will be held in District 3 & 4
1996 Elections will be held in District 1 & 5
10. Thereafter elections will be held every three (3) years in
the same order as stated above. Only members of the individual districts
will be allowed to vote in these districts.
11.
The election committee request that a letter from the candidate’s
events stating that the candidate is a member of their organization. This
will help the election committee know that this person is from the right
district and know that this person is a member of a dues paying organization
of LAFF,
12. District seven (7) will be elected with District 1 & 5.
DISTRICT THREE DIRECTOR:
Congratulations
to the newly crowned queens:
Louisiana
Cattle Festival Queen…………….......Jennifer Falgout
International
Rice Festival Queen.............................Joelle Benoit
October was a
very pleasant month, lot of festivals going on and the month is not actually
over.
If you have
not yet made your hotel reservations please do so as soon as possible for
the LAFF convention.
My wife
Natalie and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, just a
reminder not to eat too much Turkey.
Reminder: Reminder: Reminder
Marketing
Awards deadline is December 1st; 2004
More Forms on
the web site at laffnet.org or Mail to:
Marketing
Awards Committee
Or
Dennis C.
Mouton
306 N.
Broadway
Erath , La.
70533
337-316-0597
District
Three Rocks........................
Dennis
C. Mouton
D3D
QUEEN
OF QUEENS' PAGEANT AND COMMITTEE
A CALL FOR PRINGLE CANS
We are in
need of 100 Pringle potato chip cans for Convention 2005. Please save them
for us and get them to your district reps or give me a call and we will get
them somehow. Call me at 337-478-2355 or by Email:
robpiraro@aol.com
ATTENTION,
ATTENTION, ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still
looking for those gorgeous gal’s (I mean men) who want to participate
in the third
annual Womanless Pageant. How exciting it would be for if one of the
contestants who was chosen as Queen would be from your festival. Forms are
on the web site too at laffnet.org. An exciting news alert, there will be
more than one Queen selected this year. Maybe three.........
We would appreciate each festival
sending at least one contestant. The best news is that we are waiving the
entry fee. It is free of charge (what an incentive!). Dress code: Please
keep it rated PG-13
KEEP IT FUN
AND SAFE
For more information, please contact
Dennis Mouton - Dist #3 Director
QUALIFICATIONS
FOR MEMBERSHIP IN L.A.F.F. HALL OF FAME
1. Must be a current member of a fair/festival association
which belongs to and is in good standing with L.A.F.F.
2. Must have contributed to L.A.F.F. in terms of (1)
service, (2) making a tangible donation and/or (3) providing an unselfish
act or deed benefiting L.A.F.F.
3. Must have belonged to a L.A.F.F. member fair/festival
association for a minimum of ten (10) years.
4. Must be nominated by a current member fair/festival of
L.A.F.F.
5. Nominee may be living or deceased, but must meet all
aforementioned criteria.
6. Unless superceded by the L.A.F.F. Board of Directors,
only one new member of L.A.F.F. Hall of Fame will be inducted each year.
Note: The Fair Person of the Year is automatically inducted into the L.A.F.F.
Hall of Fame the year following his/her being named a Fair Person of the
Year.
____________________________________
NOMINATING PROCEDURE FOR L.A.F.F. HALL OF FAME
1. State nominee's name and home address, including zip
code.
2. State nominee's fair/festival affiliation (if associate,
state business).
3. State nominee's length of membership in L.A.F.F.
4. List nominee's accomplishments in L.A.F.F.
5. List nominee's accomplishments with local fair/festival
association.
6. State, in 25 words or less, why nominee is a candidate
for Hall of Fame honors.
7. State your name and address (including zip code) and
telephone number (including area code).
8. If possible, include a photograph of the nominee and some
newspaper clippings of any events featuring the nominee in a
fair/festival-related setting.
9. Send nominations to L.A.F.F. Secretary.
10. Entry Deadline: December 30th.
EVENTS TO
ATTEND
October 28 – November 7
Greater Baton Rouge State Fair - Baton Rouge
November 5 -
7
Sabine Free State Festival - Florien
November 5 - 7
Louisiana Swine Festival - Basile
November 6
Bastrop Fall Arts & Crafts Show - Bastrop
November 6
Southdown Marketplace - Houma
November 6 - 7
Abbeville’s Giant Omelet Celebration - Abbeville
November 11 - 14
Port Barre Cracklin' Festival - Port Barre
November 12 - 14
Westwego Fest - Westwego
November 12 - 13
Thibodeauxville Fall Festival - Thibodaux
November 13 - 14
Destrehan Plantation Fall Festival - Destrehan
November 26 - 27
Cajun Christmas Bayou Parade - Breaux Bridge
November 27
Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival - Homer
December
1 - 31
Christmas New Orleans Style - New Orleans
December 3 & 4
A Bayou Christmas - Larose
December 4
Ozoane Camellia Festival - Slidell
December 4 - 5
Plaquemine Parish Fair & Orange Festival - Port Sulphur
December 11 - 12
Cottonport Christmas Festival - Cottonport
Remember, our 2005
Convention theme:
“Stepping out with
L.A.F.F.”
Holiday Inn Select -
Baton Rouge
February 17 – 20,
2005
Make your plans to attend |
