General Circular No. 001261

 

To:          Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource

Directors

 

Subject:     Acadian Day Proclamation

 

Issue Date:  November 7, 1996

 

 

There is quoted below for your information and guidance a

proclamation issued on November 6, 1996 by the Honorable M. J.

"Mike" Foster, Jr., Governor of Louisiana.

 

                               STATE OF LOUISIANA

 

                              EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

 

                                  BATON ROUGE

 

                            P R O C L A M A T I O N

 

WHEREAS,   pursuant to R.S. 1:55(A)1, Thanksgiving Day,

           Thursday, November 28, 1996, is a legal holiday in

           the State of Louisiana;

 

WHEREAS,   R.S. 1:55(B)(3) empowers the Governor to authorize,

           by executive proclamation, the observance within

           the state of other holidays and half-holidays; and

 

WHEREAS,   R.S. 1:55(B)(3) provides that whenever "the

           governor declares the fourth Friday in November a

           holiday, such holiday shall be designated as

           Acadian Day" commemorating "the arrival in

           Louisiana of the Acadian people from the French

           colony, Acadie, following the ceding of that colony

           to England in 1713, and in recognition of the fact

           that much of the early economic and political

           development of Louisiana is directly attributable

           to the industry of the Acadian people, through the

           cultivation of land, the utilization of Louisiana's

           natural resources, and the interest of the Acadian

           people in political self-determination and American

           democracy";

 

NOW THEREFORE I,  M. J. "MIKE"  FOSTER,  JR.,  Governor  of

the  State  of

           Louisiana, by virtue of the authority vested by the

           Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do

           hereby order and direct as follows:        

 

SECTION 1: Friday, November 29, 1996, is declared Acadian Day

           in the State of Louisiana.  It shall be observed as

           a legal holiday and a day of rest.

 

SECTION 2: Insofar as practicable, the appointing authorities

           and/or heads of all institutions, offices and

           departments of the state (hereafter "appointing

           authority") shall permit the officers and employees

           under their control to observe Acadian Day as a day

           of rest.  Nonetheless, an appointing authority

           shall have discretion to require said officers or

           employees to work on Acadian Day when, in the

           appointing authority's judgment, it is required for

           the efficient administration of a state facility,

           the operation of which is necessary and

           indispensable to the citizens of this state.

 

                               IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have

hereunto set                                                   

                      my hand officially and caused to be      

                               affixed the Great Seal of the

State of                                       Louisiana, at

the Capitol, in the City                                     

of Baton Rouge, on this 6th day of                              

        November, 1996.

 

                                      s/ M. J. "Mike" Foster,

Jr.         

                                      GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA

 

ATTEST BY

THE GOVERNOR

 

s/ Fox_McKeithen      

Secretary of State

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Allen H. Reynolds

Acting Director