Members of Division 39 in Philadelphia came to the aid of New York victims of Hurricane Sandy. From left, Chip McLean, National Director; Tony Nahill, Eugene Daly, Ed Costello, Pat Cassidy, Seamus Boyle, John Lappe and Jude Fanning (not pictured, Congressman and Jim Sullivan Brooklyn, after dropping truck load of supplies at AOH Hall in Brooklyn.
The Third Annual Ancient order of Hibernians’ Irish for Kids Golf Scramble was on September 16, 2011, with the proceeds benefiting Boys & Girls Haven. The luck of the Irish was definitely with us as 108 golfers took to the links on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Even though no one was luckily enough to win a trip to Ireland by making a hole-in-one everyone enjoyed themselves. The big winner of the day was Boys & Girls Haven as the scramble raised $7,500.
On September 30, The Trinity Shamrocks took on their archrivals, The St. X Tigers. This is one of the biggest high school football games in the nation. The Hibernians have a long tradition of presenting the winner of this heated contest with the shillelagh. This year was no exception as the Hibernians proudly awarded the victorious Trinity Shamrocks with the shillelagh as they defeated the St. X Tigers.
Shamrock Division honors former LAOH state president
Mary Minton celebrated her 100th birthday on Sept 4, 2011, at her residence in Belle Plaine. To help celebrate, members of the Shamrock Division of the Minnesota AOH, dressed in their official uniforms, arrived to thank her for her years of work in the Minnesota LAOH. Mrs. Minton served as state president for two years as well as two years as state treasurer and two years as state vice-president. The Minnesota LAOH had 743 members and 11 divisions then. She continued to be active on the Minnesota state board for several years after serving her terms. Mary continues to be active socially and supportive of the local Hibernian efforts. The Shamrock Division delegation congratulated and thanked Mrs. Minton for her dedication to the Hibernian ideals both at local and state levels. We wish her many more productive years.
The Shamrock Division of Le Sueur County of Minnesota is active with 56 members.
Printed below is the current calendar for Major Degrees. Additions may be added as some states determine that they will try to have a degree conducted at their state conventions. Such requests must be sent to degree teams immediately so arrangements can be worked out on both ends. Also, it is imperative that those hosting a Major Degree begin NOW to contact those eligible in order to maximize the number of candidates taking the degree in your area.
DATE TEAM LOCATION CONTACT PHONE EMAIL
04-03-11 Tara Court Nassau County, NY Jack Ryan 516-795-3813 jmryan3058@aol.com
04-03-11 Isle of Erin Pennsylvania Jim Murphy 610-265-7393 (max 40 candidates)
04-10-10 Columkill Yonkers, NY John O’Keefe 908-705-1606 (tentative)
05-14-11 CuChulainn NJ Convention Jack King 718-948-2555
06-05-11 Tara Court Newport, RI Rick O’Neill riconeill@cox.net
07-16-11 Tara Court NYS Convention Walter Butler 631-736-2171
07-16-11 Isle of Erin Pennsylvania Jim Murphy 610-265-7393 isleoferin6@gmail.com
10-09-11 Schenectady Schenectady Michael Glenn 518-505-3588 (tentative)
10-23-11 Tara Court Div 2, Suffolk, NY Walter Butler 631-736-2171
My Perspective on Turning 175 Years Old
Our vital signs are excellent. We are not merely seeing to it that our Irish culture is preserved; we are assuring that it flourishes in the areas of music, dance, language, history, and athletics to name just a few. Our combined charitable contributions and academic grants total millions of dollars annually. In addition, we continue to strive in a non-partisan manner to bring our Catholic perspective to both the marketplace and the political forum. The AOH has not simply evolved into a strictly “March 17th organization.” Nor have we vanished as many other Irish-American groups and societies across the United States have. Rather, as an organization of the 21st Century, we have remained faithful to the original visions and ideals of 1836. The diversity within our Irish-Catholic membership remains a mirror image of America’s occupations. In addition, we are being blessed with energetic young members who look to become part of all that we strive for, who seek not only to join in our journey, but to gradually lead that journey.
All of this became abundantly clear to me at a late-February New York City planning meeting preparatory to May’s 175th Anniversary Celebration. The group was composed of National Board members, New York State Board members, and prominent AOH officers/members from the New York metropolitan area. Young leaders and not-so-young leaders agreed and at times disagreed over various topics on our multi-page agenda. (There were moments when I looked down the table to our host, Monsignor Sakano, and noticed his eyes were raised to heaven!) But this diversity of age, talent, and position within the AOH possessed its own dynamic. And that bodes well for our 175th and well beyond it!!
LAOH members from across the country marched in Washington, DC to affirm our beliefs for protecting and respecting human life at all levels. Hibernians both AOH & LAOH marched with hundreds of thousands pro-life people to show that abortion and other attacks on life are unacceptable in our country.
Mary Hogan (National Secretary) and Kathy O’Sullivan (Richmond County, NY) in Washington, DC
