164 THEISLAND ACADIANS

Arsenault explained that his reason for bringing the branches together was to nominate a permanent committee responsible for finding ways to keep the nationalist spirit alive. He spoke as follows:

We have several local organizations on the Island, but not one of them has official status and thus cannot exercise any authority or undertake anything that might be of benefit to all Acadians. (TR)’

Therefore, a committee was formed to organize an annual con- gress for the provincial branches of the Mutual Assumption Society which became the voice of the Acadians on the Island. It was to share the role with the Société Saint-Thomas dAquin (Saint Thomas Aquinas Society) from the 1940s to the 1960s at which time the branches of the Mutual Society were dissolved.

In addition to the annual assembly, the Mutual Assumption So- ciety organized so-called “national” conferences to study the Acadian situation on Prince Edward Island: the first one took place in Egmont Bay in 1932 and the second in Mont Carmel in 1938. Not only were delegates from the branches of the Mutual Assumption Society invited to attend, but also representatives from all the Acadian groups in the province. Patriotic speeches flowed at these large gatherings. Stock was taken of the problems and accomplishments of the Acadian com- munity. The main topics of discussion were the French language, education, agriculture, the Catholic press and participation in patriotic societies. These conferences were aimed chiefly at making Acadian Islanders more aware of their distinctiveness and vulnerability as a cultural minority and stirring them to work harder to ensure the advancement and survival of French culture in the province.

Simultaneous to the establishment of the Mutual Assumption Society on the Island, a similar organization was founded in Tignish: the Acadian Mutual Benefit Association (otherwise known as the Mutual). It set up branches in the parishes of Miscouche, Wellington, Palmer Road and Hope River’. The members met regularly and dis- cussed questions concerning the preservation of French culture on the Island.

Other important events took place at the beginning of the twen- tieth century that helped keep the Acadian national spirit alive on Prince Edward Island. In 1913 Tignish was given the opportunity of welcoming delegates from all three Maritime Provinces for the seventh