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Elks and Moose and Owls and Lambs all had fraternal orders in south Louisiana in 1913, but a critter that was already becoming iconic had none. That’s why some men in Abbeville decided it was time to create a social and fraternal organization recognizing the crawfish.
“The whole purpose of this order is the exploitation of the backward, but oh so sweet” crawfish, according to a report in the Abbeville Progress.
Members of the organization said it would be their mission to elevate the crawfish in the eyes of all. They “have seen and felt the many good points of this humble creature,” the newspaper reported, and they found nobility enough to merit the recognition. They further pointed out that elks and moose and some of the other animals for which fraternal orders were named were “confined only to certain regions,” but “the crawfish is found spread over the universe.”
“The members will endeavor to engrave upon the tablets of time a name that heretofore has seemingly escaped attention, possibly being considered too lowly,” according to the article, which went on to enumerate some of those good points.
Crawfish stick together, the club members said. They “endeavor to back out of trouble,” and feel their way forward with caution. They fight for their rights, “but when the time comes for the sacrifice … they give up their small lives without a word.” Humans would do well to imitate these traits, members said, promising that “this organization will … endeavor to consecrate the word ‘Crawfish.’”
The first officers of the club were Claude Broussard, High Right Claw; Avery Theall, High Left Claw; A. G. Nauck, Trailer; and R. J. LaBauve, Feeler.
Their high esteem for the lowly crustacean did not mean that members of the club would swear off eating crawfish. It appears, in fact, that regular feasts were one of the organization’s primary goals.
“To keep this band together and in harmony and good spirits,” the Progress reported, “it is the intention of this order through different members to have weekly outings throughout the season to gather in their namesakes and have them attend banquets given in their honor and at which banquets there will be flows of reason and feasts of soul.”
The club members were even so gracious as to promise to bring their wives to the banquets “from time to time,” so that the club “will not be construed as a selfish order.”
It’s not clear whether the banquets were to be given in honor of the club members or the crawfish themselves, but I have my suspicions about how The Crawfish honored the crawfish.
Whatever the purpose, the newspaper applauded it.
“Lets [drink] one to the health and success of the Order of the Crawfish,” the newspaper article concluded. “Long may they live and happy may they be.”
I don’t know what happened to the club, but its spirit and purpose continue to be observed throughout south Louisiana. That’s especially true about this time of year, when all of us think about “gathering in their namesakes” and recreating some of the rituals of the Order of the Crawfish, although “flows of reason” are more usually flows of beer, and “feasts of soul” seem to have fallen by the wayside altogether.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force seized six pounds of marijuana worth a street value of $6,000.
They also arrested a New Iberia man.
According to Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Eddie Langlinais, the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force made the following arrests for narcotics related offenses within the parish.
Within the past month, agents were able to identify a suspected narcotics trafficker bringing large amounts of illegal narcotics into Vermilion Parish.
As a result of this investigation, agents were able to intercept a suspected narcotics deal and arrest Alan Kongmani, (O/M, DOB: 11-13-1981 of New Iberia).
Kongmani was charged with:
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I, (Marijuana)
• Possession of Schedule II, (Methamphetamine)
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
This investigation is still ongoing, and more arrests are expected.
Sheriff Mike Couvillon would like to thank the Mayors, and their council, of Abbeville, Maurice, Delcambre, Kaplan, Gueydan, and Erath, along with their Chiefs of Police, for their support of the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force.
Sheriff Couvillon also applauds the concerned citizens of Vermilion Parish for their awareness and assistance in helping the Task Force in fighting the war on illegal drugs.
He encourages all citizens with information in regards to illegal drug activities to contact the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office or the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit at 337-740-4501 or E-mail the Task Force anonymously at taskforce@vpso.net and your e-mail will be held in the “strictest of confidence” and replied to in a very timely manner. Citizens can also report crimes by calling the Crime Stoppers of Vermilion Tips line at 740-TIPS (8477) or download and logon to the P3 app on your mobile device to report your tips anonymously, where they can earn a cash reward.
More information on reporting drug activities can be seen on our Web Site at www.vpso.net. Click on Narcotics and fill out the TURN IN A PUSHER information.

DELCAMBRE — Evans Anthony LeMaire, Sr., a native of Delcambre, passed away on Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at Maison du Monde Nursing Home in Abbeville. At his passing he was 88.
Evans was born on July 1st, 1934 to John Lee and Ozia LeBlanc LeMaire in Iberia Parish near Delcambre. He was one of seven children. His father moved the family to Thibodaux when WWII began, to work in a shell plant. Evans had just completed third grade. He then attended Thibodaux College, a Brothers of the Sacred Heart school for boys, and later attended St. Benedict's in Covington.
In 1950 the family returned to the family home near Delcambre. He then attended St. Peters College in New Iberia, a Christian Brothers' School for boys, where he graduated in 1952. During the following years he attended St. Mary's College in Kentucky and Notre Dame in New Orleans before earning a BA degree in Education from SLI in 1957. After graduating from college, he and Jackie were married June 28, 1958 and became the parents of five sons and one daughter.
Evans started his teaching career at Thibodaux Jr. High School in Thibodaux. It was interrupted temporarily with his service in the U.S. Army. Upon completion of his commitment, he returned to Delcambre. At Delcambre High School he was a classroom teacher, Assistant Principal, Guidance Counselor and retired as Principal in 1978. During those years he earned a Masters Degree in Administration and Supervision from LSU, eventually earning a Masters plus 30.
During the early 70s, he worked at the Iberia Parish School Board Office as Media Specialist and then replaced the director of the Title VII French Immersion Program in the parish. He travelled to Maine and New Hampshire to observe other programs.
In the summer of 1972, Evans led a group of teachers who had students in the program to study French at a community college in Jonquiere, Quebec, Canada. It was a wonderful experience for his family as they accompanied him and participated in excursions around the Lac St. Jean and Saguenay River regions and Quebec City area. Lodging with a French Quebecois family offered additional immersion experiences. Also driving up and camping along the way, allowed many opportunities for sightseeing. Through the years he and Jackie enjoyed travelling throughout the contiguous U.S., Hawaii, Alaska and western Canada.
After retiring from education, Evans worked at Iberia Bank for 20 years as an Appraiser, Personnel Manager, and Loan Officer. He also served for several years on the Iberia Parish Library Board.
As a parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Delcambre, Evans served as trustee, lector, Parish Council President, and Eucharistic Minister. He also served on the Diocesan Synod.
Evans died a few days after his 88th birthday and 64th wedding anniversary.
Left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 64 years, Jacqueline Vincent LeMaire; children, Van LeMaire (Susan), Barry LeMaire, Patrick LeMaire (Mattie), Timmy LeMaire (Mia), Claire L. Schmehil (Jim), and Val LeMaire (Lori); grandchildren, Trey LeMaire, Eric LeMaire, Sarah Judice, Jonathan LeMaire, Simon LeMaire, Sean LeMaire, Curtis LeMaire, Mark LeMaire, T.J. LeMaire, Regan LeMaire, Aaron LeMaire, Ryan LeMaire, Elizabeth Schmehil, Marie Miller, Jacqueline Schmehil, Andre LeMaire, Lily LeMaire, and Annabel LeMaire; and fourteen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, John Lee LeMaire, Sr.; mother Ozia LeBlanc LeMaire; brothers, Theodore "Teddy" LeMaire, John LeMaire, Jr., and Olan LeMaire; sisters, Yolande Moss, Loucinda DuBois, and Mary Lynn Richard; and great granddaughter, Zoe LeMaire.
A Funeral Service will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 2:00 pm at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with Fr. Herb Bennerfield officiating and Fr. Buddy Breaux concelebrating. He will be laid to rest following the services at the church mausoleum.
A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home on Monday from 4:00 pm until 9:00 pm with a rosary being led by the Men’s Rosary Group at 7:00 pm. The funeral home will reopen on Tuesday at 8:00 am until the service time.
Serving as pallbearers are Van LeMaire, Barry LeMaire, Patrick LeMaire, Timmy LeMaire, Val LeMaire and Jim Schmehil.
To view the on-line obituary, view the video presentation and sign the online guest register, please visit www.evangelinefuneralhome.com.
Evangeline Funeral Home of Delcambre is in charge of arrangements.

MAURICE — A successful fundraiser held June 25 at Mendoza Ford in Maurice will help offset some of the costs for the Maurice Volunteer Fire Department, chief David Landry said, but there’s still more that the fire department needs to do in order to keep up with a rapidly growing community.
“Mendoza and surrounding businesses and community made this thing a huge success,” Landry said of the Mendoza Independence Day Celebration that raised funds for the fire department and the Maurice Police Department. “The public turnout was phenomenal like it normally is. Mendoza was on point getting everything scheduled and organized, the fireworks display, the whole nine yards. It was tremendous.”
This year’s event helped out two other volunteer fire departments and two other police departments in addition to Maurice’s, said Landry, 37. A full-time firefighter with the Abbeville Fire Department for nearly 18 years, Landry has been fire chief in Maurice for a year and a half. He’s been with the Maurice Volunteer Fire Department for nearly 20 years.
The Maurice VFD will be upgrading its air compressor, thanks to the Abbeville Fire Department. Both the Maurice and Abbeville fire departments had applied for a grant for a new compressor, and when Abbeville received the grant, Landry asked Abbeville Fire Chief Jude Mire what was going to be done with the old air compressor.
“I asked if we could possibly get it, and the city was generous enough to donate it to the (Maurice) fire department,” Landry said.
The air compressors are used to fill the air tanks used in Self Contained Breathing Apparatus systems, the air packs that firefighters wear on their backs when fighting fires. Landry said the current 2216 psi air compressor fills air tanks that last 30 minutes when firefighters are working in a structure fire. The new 4500 psi bottles would allow for increased work time inside structures, allowing firefighters to be more productive.
“That’s going to be a big aspect for us, because with us growing, we’re going to have to eventually go to 4,500 bottles, which the cascade system we have now is not compatible with, so they helped us be able to grow into the growth of our area,” he said.
The Maurice fire department also is hoping to acquire a ladder truck with the help of a grant that the town has applied for. A previous try for the grant was unsuccessful as the town was still classified as a village at the time, but with the growth in population in the 2020 census elevating Maurice to town status, Landry is hopeful this application will be successful. A 1995 grant application from the town helped purchase one of the fire department’s pumper trucks.
“The town of Maurice is growing at an unbelievable rate,” he said. “They agreed to apply for the grant and help us pay the 10 percent (matching funds) and all the things we need for that particular unit. Right now Maurice Fire Department has a 45-foot extension ladder, which is sufficient to help the residents of Maurice inside and outside of the town keep their (insurance) rates as low as they can. The (Property Insurance Association of Louisiana) requires us to have some type of what they classify as an aerial device, and that 45-foot ladder was sufficient for the last few years. We were told that if we do not get it (a new ladder truck), that 45-foot ladder will not be compliant.”
The main issue Landry sees facing the town’s fire department is the need for more firefighters.
“No. 1 right off the top is manpower,” he said. “Like every other department in the parish, we’re facing manpower shortages.”
It’s often hard for people with full-time jobs to respond quickly to emergency calls during work hours. That can be an issue with the PIL, which is the rating organization that dictates homeowner insurance rates.
“They require us to have certain things in certain spots,” Landry said. “So for us, we have to look at potentially getting a second (fire) station. We have to have certain manpower (numbers) come out at certain calls. We have to have certain equipment come out. That’s a big thing for us because our guys are doing everything that they can, and we’re doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”
It boils down to funding, he said — adding a new ladder truck, or a new station, costs money. The town has property for a potential new fire station, but would have to fund building one. Manpower is another thing that costs money.
“Getting part-time people inside the town would help offset some of the manpower issues and also help people’s insurance ratings,” he said. “Over three-quarters of our active roster are certified Fire 1s, which is the basic requirement like we have in Abbeville. We would basically have part-time people sitting in the station Monday through Friday. We get a call, we get the help out to you quicker. We get the help there to you not just for fires, but for medical (emergencies), car wrecks, etc.”
The fire department also needs to find some permanent funding.
“I hate to say the word because most people don’t like it, but a tax for the Maurice Fire District, for the simple fact that we’re growing so fast that it’s going to have to come down to that,” he said.
The fire department is doing its best to help keep residents’ insurance rates down and their property as safe as the department can keep it.
“We’d like everybody to know that if they have any questions, feel free to just get with us on Facebook, or come by the fire station on a Monday night if they want to join, or have questions about how to join. We’re there every Monday unless it’s a holiday.”