Norwich bulletin., 1911-10-06
DANiELSoN MEMBER
kttet ds Meeting of Supreme Bureau
 Of St. Jean Baptste Union-CaIl for Congress at Providence December 12,

A special congress of LUnion St.
 Jean Baptiste d dAmerique is to be held
 in Providence. R. l., December F.
 The date was fixed by Commissioner
 Walter B. Chafee and announced by
 him Tuesday at special meeting of
 the executive bureau, held in the home
 offices of the society, Unity building,
 Woonsocket.
 According to the decision of Justice
 Tanner. says the Providence Journal
 were anaulled and a commissioner
 appointed to investigate the financial
 affairs of the order since it's inception i!l 1900. the supreme officers, includ-
 ing supreme President Felix Gatl-
 neau of Southbridge, Supreme Treas
 urer Philippe Boucher, and Supreme
 Physician Dr. J. H. Boucher of Voon- socket, and others, must resign their
 respective offices on December 1, the
 day before the convention.
 Tlle machinery of the convention will be entirely in the hands of the delegates and the present supreme of
 icers will appear before the gather ing as individual members. The only
 perso,i in authority will be Commits
 sioner Chafee. who will present re port of his investigation of the affairs
 of the order to Justice Tanner be- fore the convention is held.
 The convention will bring to an end, 1t IS hoped. the controversy which began a couple of years ago and which has divided rhe society. one of the largest an1eng the French Canadian people of New England, into two hos tie camps. It began when GotheT Pothier failed to reappoint Philippe Boucher as a member of the state board of charities and corrections. A few days later, the supreme off cers of LUnion met in Woonsocket and adopted a vigorous resolution de-
 nouncing Gother Pothier's action as
 aimed at L'Union St. Jean Baptiste
 d' 'Amerique, and calling it "blow to
 thas Franco American cause.
 The membership in general did not
 like the interference of the supreme
 officers, the majority of whom do not
 live in Rhode Island, in the politicial
 affairs of Rhode Island, and council
 after council resented the action and
 adopted resolutions denouncins it. In the meantime. the biennial con
 vention of the order was held in Man chester, N. H., and an effort to dis , lodge the officers from their respective places failed The finance committee reported that the financial affairs of the order were in bad shap pc, but this report was laid on the table.
 All the officers were re-elected un- aninously and the administration forces, with the machinery of the or Ger and Of the convention in their hands, won victory all along the line, Immediate following the conven- ton, J. B. E dndamour of Woonsocket. a member Of the finance committee, ! began receivership proceedings in the courts and George N. Glrard of Woon- l socket was appointed receiver Later. after Supreme Secretary J. Adelard Caron had taken the stand ill the superior court and had admitted prac- tically all the charges brought against l the supreme officers, an agreement was reached and MT. Chafee was ap- pointed a commissioner by Justice \ Tanner to take charge of the affairs of the society.
 Since that time a vigorous cam- paign has been conducted by the mem l bers of the order in several cities to ! have the special convention ordered [ by Justice Tanner held in their respec- 1 tive cities, but the commissioner de- l cided that 1t should be held in this city. as the court decision had been rendered in this city and as it was I the most centrally located point. ! The date for the convention was submitted by Commissioner Chafee tc l the supreme bureau of the sc@ which met yesterday in quarterly ses- l sion in the Headquarters, Unity build l ing Woonsocket, at the call of MT 1 Chafee. Certain members of the su- l preme bureau are trying. it is stated ] to change the date of the special con vention, but it is not thought that l any move of that kind will be suc- l cessful.
 ] The members of the supreme bu