As mentioned last week, while this article speaks of the concerns and hopes of Willimantic’s Canadian community, they also represent concerns of every immigrant group, especially their desire to be good American citizens yet cling to their native country’s heritage. The Canadian convention’s first order of business was “naturalization”. The second was closely related to the first and was “education and language”. The Conventions planners said, “There were stories that showed how many obstacles the Franco-Canadian immigrant has to overcome by coming to the home of the American Republic. First and foremost, language difference delays progress in social life and politics.” Over the course of the conventions, those in attendance decided that children should be taught French as well as English but only in (parochial) school and at home. They were adamant, however, in stating that English be taught in the parochial schools as it would be a “foothold” in the United States. Although the conventioneers stressed the importance of learning the English language, they agonized over the fact that the use of the French language could be lost. And so they suggested that French be used in the home but that English would be used outside the home. For French-Canadians in Connecticut, being b-lingual was the goal. "In teaching the two languages we in no way delay the progress of the instruction of one or the other. With us the two languages are on an equal (footing) and that is what we want. The one who will speak French and English will be doubly useful to their new country”

Well-known Willimantic businessman Theodore Potvin also suggested, “''Let's consider reading our English newspapers and a great part of our task (of learning English) will be accomplished." A resolution was then passed that read, “be it resolved: That we recommend to every Canadian and Canadian family, the receipt of a newspaper or newspapers from the United States, and especially not to forget to pay the subscription.” The Conventions took up the topic of education. Willimantic’s Doctor David spoke eloquently. “: "The first and most beautiful education is that drawn from the family. We must take responsibility from an early age and let children grow in their faith. Moral education, this is the supreme duty incumbent on parents who will have to take good care of the little treasures that God has entrusted to them”. Speakers then pointed out that formal education in the United States and that all children should participate. Doctor David then concluded, “I hope all of you have long understood the necessity of education, and that all days you will strive to put your children in a condition to win their lives honorably and later aspire to the highest positions, higher in the political, industrial and commercial spheres.” Next, the conventions took up the subject of the formation of benevolent and fraternal societies. “Canadian-American charities have become the center, the pivot around which our nationals are grouped. They are the rallying point of our people, the beacon that should guide through the material difficulties that sometimes encumber along their path. Benevolent societies such as the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Charitable Society of Willimantic and environs which was founded May 30, 1880 and whose motto was, “To help each other”, predated the formation of French Catholic parishes. The conventions passed a resolution saying that since so much good had already been accomplished by the societies, that each conventioneer “strive to recruit new members, in order to establish these fraternal institutions on stable and sustainable financial assets”. Their hope was that the societies would then provide assistance in the event of unemployment caused by strike or general depression, in addition to help given to members who were sick or injured or to families of those who had died. In many cases, the societies aid replaced the need for public assistance “in a fraternal way”. The coventions addressed several more issues and we’ll take a look at them in a future article. It was said that,” the Willimantic convention was a veritable success; men with hearts filled with fraternal devotion and of a single idea: to make nationality great and prosperous while subjecting it to laws of Uncle Sam.” …..Todays photo is of Willimantic conventioneers Doctor David, Doctor Girard, Theodore Potvin and Hormidas Dion.