General Circular No. 001299

To: Heads of State Agencies and Human Resource

Directors

Subject: Acadian Day Proclamation

Issue Date: November 10, 1997

There is quoted below for your information and guidance a

proclamation issued on October 31, 1997 by the Honorable M. J.

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

STATE OF LOUISIANA

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

BATON ROUGE

PROCLAMATION NO. 75 MJF 97

_______________________________________________________________

ACADIAN DAY

_______________________________________________________________

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

Thursday, November 27, 1997, is a legal holiday and

a day of rest 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;

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;" and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the state of Louisiana will benefit

from an additional legal holiday during a time

period when families traditionally gather together

to remember their blessings and family values are

promoted;

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 28, 1997, 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 31st day of October, 1997.

s/ M. J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.

GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA

ATTEST BY

THE GOVERNOR

s/ Fox McKeithen

Secretary of State

Sincerely,

Allen H. Reynolds

Director