[page 18] Caisse St-Adrien People's Fund of Ireland Cais Team First case 1910 -1923 It should be noted that a first Caisse was in operation at St- Adrien of Ireland from 10 August 1910 to 16 October 1921. The instigator of the project, Mr. Damase Bédard, was appointed manager of the Caisse. The parish priest, Father Dumas, was chosen as bookkeeper. Following his departure, it was his successor, Father Proulx, who monitored the figures. In the fall of 1910, the Caisse's shareholder members were able to pay for a security package. The financial institution was housed in the rectory. In 1920, the Board of Directors was composed of François Dostie, Godefroy Mercier, Archélas Laflamme, Théodore Rousseau and Father J. G. Julien. Pierre Breton, André Laflamme and Joseph Laflamme were chosen to sit on the credit committee. Thomas Lambert, Alfred Mercier and Honoré Beaudoin were appointed to the Credit Board. 19 On January 2, 1921, the members' assembly approved the re-engagement of Mr. Damase Bédard to the management of the Caisse, at an annual salary of $85. A coup de théâtre, because at the meeting of the members on 16 January, he was replaced by Mr. Pierre Breton, blacksmith. Following the discovery of irregularities in the books, the Board of Directors decided to suspend the operations of the People's Fund on 13 October 1921. He also passed a resolution on the expenses incurred to resolve the problems caused by the Superior Court action by Mr. Charles Nadeau who wanted his money back. These decisions were endorsed by the Caisse's members at the general meeting on 16 October 1921. The manager and secretary were also allowed to consult a lawyer to settle the matter. On October 18, the Caisse's directors authorized the audits of the books by the accounting firm Larue-Trudel, at a cost of $85. This decision was validated by the members of the Caisse at the general meeting on 23 October 1921. On January 22, 1922, the shareholders gathered in the sacristy of the church, decided to sue the former manager of the Caisse, Mr. Damase Bédard, who had moved to the United States, who would be responsible for the deficit of the Caisse. 20 In March of the same year, Mr. Archélas Laflamme (President), Mr. Xavier Gagné (Vice-President) and The Directors Eugene Moisan, Mr. Anthime Carrier and Mr. Thomas Beaudoin, were elected members of the Board of Directors. Father Julien was appointed temporarily manager. It is also authorized to complete all documents relating to the financial institution. A sum of $25 is given to him for services rendered in recent months. At the general meeting of July 23, 1923, the Caisse's members adopted the following proposal: "Let Father J. G. Julien, current manager and Honoré Beaudoin be allowed to represent the People's Fund in Newport, Vermont, in the case against Damase Bédard." 21 They also approved the necessary expenditures. It was a failure because the Court acquitted Mr. Bédard of any blame. After all these setbacks, the shareholders of the Caisse de St-Adrien d'Ireland had to declare bankruptcy. Several parishioners lost all their savings in this unfortunate affair. 19 St-Adrien d'Irlande 1879-1979, 315 20 Ditto 19, 316 21 Ditto 19, 317 [page 19] Bourbeau People's Fund 1942 - 2002 [photo] Father Eudore Bourbeau founder of the Caisse. Source: 49th Annual Report of the People's Fund of Saint-Adrien of Ireland, 50 years, 1992. Some twenty years later, when the parish priest Eudore Bourbeau launched the idea of founding a People's Fund, the bad memories were reborn for many parishioners. Some people don't want to be picked up a second time. 22 During the agricultural day of April 22, 1942, Father Bourbeau managed to convince some forty members in favour of the project. The foundation assembly takes place at the sacristy of the church, after the mass of April 26, 1942. Mr. G. Béliveau, a regional agronomist, explains the operation of a Fund and presents the advantages of such a savings and credit institution in an agricultural setting. It was at this general meeting that the first 42 members adopted the following resolutions: • The price of the units is set at $5 • A tax of 25 cents paid per share for heritage funds and administration • A maximum of 25 shares per member • Election of the 11 officers of the Caisse: Board of directors: Archelas Laflamme (president), Zotique Martineau (vice-president), parish priest Eudore Bourbeau (temporary secretary), Léon Beaudoin (director), Aristide Dubois (director). Credit Commission: Venand Dostie, Philippe Turcotte, Edgar Gingras. Oversight Committee: Joseph Bouffard, Antoine Lachance, Ludger Lehoux. 23 This election will have to be ratified and legalized by the regular general assembly of members. At that meeting, twelve members paid the amount of one share plus the tax for a total of $63. The beginnings of the Bourbeau People's Fund were rather modest. Caution is required. It needs a wise, conscientious, honest and available administration. Following the unfortunate events of the first Fund, members must closely monitor the operations and figures of the second Fund. From 1942 to 1944, the office was housed in the rectory. 24 He is then relocated to premises of the St-Adrien Agricultural Cooperative to which the Caisse must pay rent. 25 At the general meeting of March 12, 1944, the shareholders decided to pay a salary of $10 per month to the managing secretary, Mr. Vénérand Dostie, effective June 1, 1943. This amount is payable at the end of the fiscal year. "A symbolic amount of one dollar a year is paid to his wife who helps him with her duties." 26 In July 1944, the directors made the Caisse's first large loan to the Agricultural Cooperative Corporation for a total of 22 Idem 19, p. 3 17 23 Procès·verbaux des asscmblées générales de la Caisse Bourbcau, 26/04/1942, p. 5 24 Livre des minutes du comité de surveillance, p. 3 25 ldem 19.p.319 26 Idem 19. p. 3 19 [page 20] $ 1500. The 2nd large loan of $ 300 endorsed by the churchwardens is granted to the Fabrique de Saint-Adrien d'lrlande. 27 From June 1945 to June 1946, Mr. Dostie's fees were increased to $ 18.75 per month. 28 In 1954, the new manager, Mr. Léo-Paul Dubuc, received a salary of $ 40 per month. The draw for door prizes at general meetings seems to have started on August 20, 1969. Ten $ 2.00 was won by the members present. Door prizes were increased at the July 14, 1976 meeting: 5 from $ 2 and 18 from $ 5. 29 During the 1970s, general assemblies were held in the town hall. The deposit to the stable savings began in December 1979. The same year, “the premises of the Fund are separated from those of the Agricultural Cooperative. A full-time employee is hired to assist Mr. Dubuc, who has assumed sole responsibility for the Fund since 1954 ”30 At the meeting of April 21, 1980, the supervisory committee noted that the loan losses since the foundation of the Fund had increased. figure at $ 616.79. “In 1987, we modernized the equipment; the computer system is integrated, which improves the services provided to members by allowing them to carry out their transactions across the province using the Inter-Caisse system. The growth for the following years is far above average, because despite the distance, our members can remain loyal to us. »31 In 1989, the premises were reorganized in order to offer customers a more personalized service. All the services are integrated there as in the large cash registers. In 1992, the Caisse Saint-Adrien d'Irlande had 427 members. The Credit Commission was abolished on September 10, 1997. The Supervisory Board was replaced by the Audit and Ethics Board. Like most of the Caisses in the region, the Caisse populaire Bourbeau has made its contribution to the various parish organizations of St-Adrien d'Irlande. The Caisse populaire Saint-Adrien d'Irlande ceased its local activities in 2002 after the merger of the Caisses du Carrefour minier (L'Amiante) in 2000. Presidents Archélas Laflamme 1942-1947 Zotique Martineau 1947 - 1958 Léon Beaudoin 1958 -1971 Jean-Claude Beaudoin 1971 - 1978 Aristide Dubois 1978 Gérard Jacques 1978 -2000 Secretaries-managers Joseph Bélanger 1942 Vénérand Dostie 1942 -1954 Léo-Paul Dubuc 1954 -1989 Guylaine Dubuc 1989 - 1993 Micheline Laflamme 1993 -1996 Suzelle Guillemette 1996 - 1997 Guylaine Dubuc 1998 Daniel Nadeau 1999 - 2002 [photo] Gérard Jacques Source :49e rapport annuel de la Caisse populaire de Saint-Adrien d'Irlande, 50 ans, 1992 [photo] Léo-Paul Dubuc Source :49e rapport annuel de la Caisse populaire de Saint-Adrien d'Irlande, 50 ans, 1992 27 49e rapport annuel de la Caisse populaire de Saint-Adrien d'Irlande, 50 ans, 1992, p.26 28 Procès-verbal de l' assemblée générnale, 31/05/1945, p. 16 29 Procès-verbaux, p. 106 et 150 30 Idem 27 31 Idem 27 [page 21] [page 22] [page 23] [page 24] [page 25] [page 26] [page 27] [page 28] [page 29] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30] [page 30]