Mario Beaulieu - language pioneer

SSJB presidents Beaulieu, Dorion and Bouthillier 

    Recent banter about Michael Applebaum breaking the glass ceiling for anglos and ethnics by becoming Montreal mayor had me thinking that we might've overlooked someone else who did something similar on the French side.     
   The president of the St. Jean Baptiste Society, the ancient hallowed group that promotes French in Quebec, has done something possibly as significant.
   Mario Beaulieu, seen in the image at left, is a true man of the people, having risen to the top through sheer dogged determination and little else.
   Unlike his predecessors Jean Dorion and Guy Bouthillier, Beaulieu did not waste time with book learning. He just did what he does.
    Dorion speaks six languages, including Japanese at home with his wife. Prior to being SSJB president, he was political aide for several provincial ministers.
   Bouthillier has a law degree and was a longtime sociology professor. Most of the other past presidents of the SSJB came from the highest-ranks of professional achievement, they were judges, senators, academics.
   Mario Beaulieu proved that you don't need a high-falutin' brie-tasting background to succeed at the very top levels of Quebec language politics.
   Beaulieu didn't waste his time learning Japanese or law and he didn't feel intimidated by his relative inadequacies or lack of professional skill-set.
   He just bore down and got into the language-protection game straight away. Sure some make fun of his math skills but he must be applauded ultimately for not letting his lack of education, cultivation, subtlety or thoughtfulness prevent him from doing big things, creating hope for young,  unilingual, lesser-educated youth throughout Quebec.