Authors: Line Fortin (0520), Pierre Fortin (0466), Achille Fortin (0082)
Photos courtesy of Joseph Lamarre
Last update: September 26, 2018
E-mail: info@afafortin.com
Saint-Jérôme
The Association des Fortin d’Amérique’s 2018 Annual Reunion
At its Saguenay Gathering, the Association des Fortin d’Amérique had invited its members to participate in its 17th annual reunion, to be held in the City of Saint Jerome on July 7, 2018. Situated in the Laurentian Region, it was considered an ideal location to attract members residing south and northwest of the province of Quebec. As it turned out to be a warm and sunny day, more than 60 members and guests hailing from Quebec, Ontario and the United-States partook in the event.
Inscription: A moment of Reunion and fellowship
As early as 9:30 A.M., people were registering for the day’s activities, i.e., the Annual General Assembly and the fraternal lunch. These initial moments of such encounters always lend themselves to reunite with old friends and making new ones, and to discover the latest information about any topic related to the Association.
Some attendance worthy of mention: Father Raymond-Marie Fortin (0018), retired South Africa missionary who celebrated Mast at the Saint Joachim Church during the AFA’s foundation Gathering in the summer of 2002. As well, we were honored by the participation of Auguste H. Fortin Jr. (0542) and his wife Louise, from Massachusetts, accompanied by their son Auguste H. Fortin (0560), life member from Connecticut, and his wife Oi
Election to the board of Directors of the Association under the chairmanship of Jean-Marie Fortin (0005)
and the Secretary Muriel Pagé (0552)
At 10:30, everybody was invited to take place in the large room where the Annual General Assembly and the buffer were to be held. The deliberations took place according to the Notice of Meeting’s agenda. When the “New Business” item was reached, the Board of Directors’ administrators consulted the participating members on the possibility of raising the annual membership fees which had remained at $20 since the founding of the AFA in 2002.
The General Assembly ended with the election of the next Board of Directors’ administrators. Six (6) positions had reached term while another one (1) had remained vacant. Thus, seven (7) positions were available to election. Jean-Marie Fortin (0005) and Muriel Pagé (0552) were respectively nominated as election President and Secretary. The election was set per the established rules. When the nomination step was reached, three (3) administrators accepted to renew their mandates: Claude C. Fortin (0472), René Fortin (0022) et Jean Fortin (0815), while Line Fortin (0520), Achille Fortin (0082) and Pauline Fortin (0423) decided to dismiss. No nominated member accepted an administrator mandate to the new Board of Directors
The annual general meeting.
The President, the Treasurer and the Secretary report on the activities of the Association for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2018
Following that consultation, the election President announced the new Board of Directors members: Claude. C. Fortin (0472), from Rimouski, President; Raynald Fortin (0572), from Alma, (Lac Saint Jean), Vice-President; René Fortin, (0022), from Montmagny, Treasurer; Sylvie Ross (0668), from Rimouski, Secretary; France Bourget (0992), from Saint Sylvestre (Beauce Region); France Pichet (0641), from Trois Rivieres; Gisèle Fortin (0994), from Cacouna; Francis E. Fortin (0313), from Cumberland (CT, USA), and Jean Fortin (0815), from Marieville (Monteregie Region), were declared administrators. The President underlined that four (4) administrative positions remained vacant, which could be filled during the year upon invitation of the members of the Board of Directors.
Delivery of a lifetime membership certificate and loyalty pins to the Association
At 12:30 P.M., the participants were invited visit the hot buffet tables and select their preferred foods from the hot buffet tables, a fare appreciated by all, as well was the opportunity to fraternize at will. During that meal, 5, 10 and 15 years Fidelity pins were awarded to the members who had qualified. in 2018, they numbered thirteen (13), eleven (11) et thirty (30) respectively. The pins were given to the members present. (Absent members will receive theirs by post). The ceremony ended with Jacques Fortin (790) receiving his Life Member certificate, thus joining the other fifty (50) AFA Life Members.
Paul Fortin (0107) took the opportunity to lay out a summary of his genealogical researches he pursues on the Quebec militia prisoners shipped to England after the 1759 battle of the Plains of Abraham, and his desire to discover still more information about that event. (Refer to his most recent article in the November 2017 Fortinfo Review, page 22 – in French only).).
Afterwards, Charles Fortin (0459) speaking for Francis E. Fortin (0313), gave us an oversight of a possible return trip to St-Cosme-en-Vairais (France) in 2021 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Julien Fortin dit Bellefontaine, our ancestor. A survey will be held to discover the level of interest among the Association members for such an opportunity as the number of participants are limited, and the planning and launching of such a project will require rigorous organization.
Announcements during lunch ended with the announcement that the next annual reunion will be held in Montmagny (Chaudière-Appalaches region), where Charles, Eustache and Pierre, three sons of Julien Fortin and Genevieve Gamache, were born.
The President then thanked the three retiring administrators who participated in the Board of Directors’ endeavors for so many years. Finally, all that was left were the handshakes, the hugs and kisses, the last hand waves across the room, and the promise of meeting again next summer in Montmagny 2019.