January 27, 2015 Meeting
By: John Doucet
Joanne Ryan of Coastal Environments, Inc. (Baton Rouge), discussed her project, “The Spatial Evolution of Sugar Plantations in Louisiana.” An archaeologist, Ryan sought to describe the commonalities of land usage and sugarhouse structures on historical plantation properties, as well as changes in usage and structures over time. Her excavations demonstrated that brick foundations of many abandoned and demolished sugarhouses remained underground. She explained that before the advent of heavy machinery, buildings like mills were demolished by hand as low as possible to the ground line, and the remainder was covered with earth or new construction. By comparing shapes of excavated foundations, as well as using historical maps and photographs, Ryan showed changes in sugarhouse design during the technological change from animal-powered to steam-powered cane grinders.
Ryan described a clear difference in property utilization between older and more recent plantations. Older plantations began as cotton enterprises, and riverside location was important for transportation. During the transition to sugar cultivation, cotton buildings became sugarhouses. As more land was cleared, however, these structures were typically located far from the banks and near the back swamps to maximize plantable land, to avoid riverbank erosion, and to easily access the swamp forest for firewood to generate steam power. At plantations along inland waterways like bayous, however, sugarhouses were typically always found on the narrow highland near the bayou banks where there was little threat of waterside erosion.
Ryan received the Bachelor of Arts in classical archeology from UNC at Chapel Hill and the Master of Arts in archaeological studies from Yale University

Meeting January 20
By: Justin Terrebonne
Colonel John Pugh spoke to the rotary club on Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 about his role as Chair for Louisiana of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Colonel Pugh is a former Thibodaux resident and past president of the Thibodaux Rotary and Paul Harris Fellow. He served in the U.S. Army and received many awards including a Bronze Star. He is also a past president of the Louisiana National Guard Association and the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce.
Colonel Pugh received his Juris Doctorate from LSU Law School after receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University. He spoke to the club about the unique organization of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The organization is made up entirely of volunteers and is supported by the Department of Defense. The mission of the ESGR is “to develop and promote a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees.”
Guardsmen, reserve, and retired military personnel make great employees for a number of reasons including they are physically fit, team oriented leaders, and educated. Employers usually find them to be high caliber employees said Colonel Pugh. The ESGR is looking for volunteers and Pugh encouraged anyone who is interested in helping their cause to email him at col.john.pugh@gmail.com.