AOH Pennsylvania State Board

DiNardo-to-Pitts-on-Conscience-Rights-11-1-11

Brothers,

I am writing to you today to ask for your support with the 2011 FFAI Christmas Appeal. Every County Board and Division should have received a packet of information from our FFAI National Director, Sean Pender. If you have not received the packet, it can be downloaded in PDF format from the National website, or I can email a copy to you if you contact me at gkck4@aol.com. The packet details the specifics of the Appeal as well as how the funds are utilized.

At our state convention Sean gave a moving and informative presentation on the cross-community work being done in the north through the FFAI Christmas Appeal. He stressed the need to continue this work in building unity at the grassroots level.

The Fund contributes to a number of causes, some of which are; Thar Saile, Green Cross, Holy Cross Ardoyne Trust, Relatives for Justice, Pat Finucane Center, Bogside Artists, the David Ervine Trust and the Omagh Basketball Team.

Sean reiterated this message on the front page of a recent edition of our National Hibernian Digest. In this article he draws attention to the fact that while the positive impact of this fund is undeniable in building cross community bridges in Northern Ireland, only 25% of the divisions across the country contribute.

Anyone that has an opportunity to attend the National President’s Dinner and listen to the inspirational story of our Sean MacBride Award recipient Clara Reilly will attest to the work that still needs to be done.

There are two opportunities for Pennsylvania Hibernians to positively impact this worthy cause. One is for our State Board, County Boards and Divisions to make a contribution in name, which I strongly recommend. I would like to note here that at our last meeting in October, our State Board committed $1000 to the Appeal. The second opportunity is for individual members to contribute through the $10 Club. The $10 Club is simply a $10 dollar donation made in the name of the donor, or perhaps someone you want to honor through your donation. What better way to, “aid and advance by all legitimate means “.

November – the Month of All Saints and All Souls

It is no accident that All Souls Day follows immediately after the feast of All Saints. After having celebrated the victory and glory of those who are now in heaven, it is only fitting to remember the “poor souls in purgatory,” to use the rather quaint but charming language of tradition, and to pray that they too may soon be able to join the saints. We know that they may be in purgatory because they may still need to be purified, as it were, from any sinful blemishes that may still remain. We don’t really know what exactly this purification entails and it may very well be that, in many cases, purgatory is simply the suffering that many experience in their last days on earth.

On November 2, All Souls’ Day, the Church encourages us to once again be close to those whom we loved in the past but who no longer grace us with their physical presence. Some Catholics heed this call in a far more direct way than do we Americans. For example, in the Philippines Catholic families spend the night before All Souls’ Day at the graveside of their relatives. I am not about to try to convince American Catholics to “camp out” at a favorite graveside, but we should certainly try to spend part of All Souls’ Day once again talking to those who were close to us and are now separated from us by death. There are so many reasons for doing this. First, it gives us the opportunity to enjoy again the enriching company of dear friends. My father and mother taught me so much when I was a child. Should their deaths mark the end of their presence as teachers in my life or should he continue in our conversations together to be my instructors?

 All Souls’ Day gives us a sense of time. Americans love to live in the present. When we talk “computereze” we love to refer to things that happen in “real time,” that is: here and now. But our lives are far richer than just the here and now. We are people with a past and insofar as we can connect ourselves with the people of our past we are the wealthier for it.

Finally, and most important of all, we, as Catholics, believe in the Communion of Saints. We believe that those who have gone before us have not died in vain and that the tomb is not their final resting place. We believe that those whom we loved are still very much a part of our lives and insofar as the goodness of their lives has brought them to the throne of God, they now stand there pleading for us.

We are often advised that we should look to the future and forget the past. Hard as we might try, however, the past is always a part of us and we ignore it only at our own peril. On November 2, let us heed the encouragement of the Church, and once again unite ourselves in prayer with those who were dear to us in times past and who are close to us in God’s love in the present.

    Father Tom O’Donnell – AOH Division 1, Allegheny County, Pa. State, & National Chaplain

AOH PA State Board Anti-Defamation Report

By Chairman Tim Wilson

10/8/2011

I’d like to welcome all National, State, County, Division Officers, and AOH members. In the past 8 months the PA AOH has been very active with Anti-Defamation. We have protested at Spencer’s Gifts, we have done email campaigns to numerous organizations that slander our name and heritage. We have set up Irish Anti-Defamation tables at Irish events and festivals to not only educate the general public on negative stereotypes of the Irish, but to promote positive ways to celebrate our Irish Heritage.  We were told by the Spencer’s Gifts legal representative that we don’t represent the whole Irish community. So we identified the need to get a broader support for our cause, we then reached out to all Irish organizations for their support and started the Irish Anti-Defamation Federation. The board members of this organization are: Chairman: Tim Wilson (Phila. AOH), Vice Chairman: John Ragen (Delco. AOH), Recording Secretary: Marybeth Phillips (Irish Edition), Treasurer: Kathy McGee Burns (St. Patrick’s Day Observance Association), and Marshall: Jay McCarrie (Phila. AOH). The IADF has members from the Brehon Law Society, Irish Philadelphia, Irish Radio, Clan Na Gael, Irish Center, and numerous other Irish organizations. We are standing united as one representing the Irish Community, to combat these negative stereotypes and defamation of our race and heritage. But, as you all know, this is an uphill battle, and some of the biggest offenders that promote defamation and stereotypes of the Irish, are our own people of Irish descent. Whether it be Irish Pubs or organizations using our Patron Saint to make a buck, and having mardi gra types of celebrations,  calling it Halfway to St. Paddy’s Day, or our own members, family members, or friends wearing shirts that depict the Irish as drunks, like that Irish Yoga shirt that shows an Irishman with a bottle of liquor crawling, falling flat on his face, with puke next to him. Some of the people doing this don’t even realize how it affects the reputation of the Irish. One of the things in our Order that we all took an Oath on was not to support the caricaturing and debasing of the Irish people. Most of you are the leaders and Officers of the AOH, and you have members that are willing and want to get involved in something, and you’re in a position to help them do that. With the permission of our State President, I would like to ask all PA County boards and Divisions to appoint an Anti-Defamation Chairman. To change the stereotypes of the Irish, we need the grassroots to be active, and need to have large numbers to get the word out that the Irish are no longer going to be the only race that you can make fun of and ridicule in public. We can also educate the people of Irish descent that think being Irish is wearing big green hats and drinking, so that they learn why these things are offensive and defamatory, and also teach them how to respectfully celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and take pride in their Irish heritage.

To all AOH, LAOH Members and Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove,

The inclement weather these last few weeks has brought down a large number of branches and a few trees in the Medal of Honor Grove. The Board of the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove is asking for the help once again from all AOH,LAOH members, families and your friends in this much needed cleanup. The fallen branches have made it almost impossible to do any grass cutting. Cleanup days, from 8:00am to 12noon, have been set for Saturdays,September 24 and October 1. You may volunteer for either day, but the AOH has been asked to concentrate on October 1st. Primarily the job will be picking up branches, but we can use a few chainsaws, small trailers, pickup trucks, mowers and weed whackers.

Flood waters have come through the area of the AOH obelisk. There was a fear from a couple of the members of the Board that the base of the AOH and the KofC  obelisk would wash out and we would lose these monuments. It had been recommend by an engineering firm that both of these obelisks be moved to higher ground.  On closer inspection by myself and two more members of the Grounds Committee it has been determined that the problem can be solved by building an earthen berm about 25 feet behind the obelisk and down to the small creek where the water will be diverted. To build the berm 3 or 4 trees will have to be removed in the area, so bring you chainsaws.There is a natural valley approximately 30 feet behind our obelisk this is where the flood waters originated. These flood waters are a rare occurrence and in any event the obelisks would not have to be removed.

The road area between the AOH and KofC obelisk has been a major concern. This area of the road floods in small rain storms and with thawing snow. While diverting the water away from the AOH obelisk will correct that problem, it will cause a greater problem in the road area. There is a pipe under the roadway that travels about three hundred feet underground but without manhole covers or grates it can’t be determined if there is a blockage. The grounds committee has been authorized to spend a large sum of money to correct the problem. The road way is a major concern because this area is at the very entrance of the Medal of Honor Grove and can give visitors a negative impression as they enter the Grove.

Future planned improvements for the Grove are for underground wiring  for lighting on the 53 obelisks and the two flagpoles at each obelisk. Preliminary figures for a yearly cost of the electricity seem to be minimal at this time. The biggest expense, of course, would be for the installation of the underground wiring. Also, two new flagpoles for each obelisk will possibly be donated by the Ruritans. The AOH may want to consider,after the bern and road work is completed, installing 13 flagpoles for those countries represented on our obelisk.The LAOH may also want to consider planting their tree at this time. Georgia, South Carolina and Puerto Rica are planning new obelisks as well.

All Medal of Honor recipients will be honored and represented in the Grove. An inventory is being made to determine the names and number of missing plaques. Some have been damaged and all  will be replaced. It has also been noted that no new ground plaques or names on the obelisk have been added in 15 years. This will all be rendered as quickly as possible. Kiosks are also being considered that will give the name of the Medal of Honor recipient, their rank, war and details on how he or she earned the Medal. A bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln is being donated to FF and since the Medal of Honor originated during the Lincoln adminstration and the Civil War, the FF has designated a place near the entrance of the Grove as a fitting tribute to all who earned the medal.

The first fundraiser dinner is scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd. At $500.00 per person, noteably, it will be out of the reach for most individuals, but some organizations may want to send a representative. Several have already made a considerable donation. Six Medal of Honor recipients will be in attendance. In the afternoon of the 22nd a wreath laying ceremony is planned at Camilla Hall cemetery, at the grave of Sister Marie Veronica. Several of the Medal of Honor recipients plan to attend this ceremony. (More details on the ceremony in a future e mail.)

Mick Dunleavy

Brothers,

The next Pa. State Board meeting will be held Saturday, October 8, 2011 at the home of Philadelphia Div. 88 at
The Knights of Columbus Hall, 15000 Bustleton Ave., in the Far Northeast of Philadelphia. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:30 AM.

Gerry Ennis – PA State Secretary

Brothers,

Our 96th Biennial Convention was held this past weekend in the Dolce Hotel at King of Prussia.
The following brothers were elected to state office :

President Thomas N. O’Donnell
Vice President Daniel P. Devinney
Secretary Gerald P. Ennis
Treasurer Eugene Daly

Directors
District 1  Edward Halligan  ( Phila. Archdiocese)
Dictrict 2  Joseph Hosie ( Scranton Diocese)
District 3  Barry Foltz ( Harrisburg Diocese)
District 4  Richard Murtha ( Altoona- Johnstown Diocese)
District 5  Kevin O’Donnell ( Pittsburgh & Greensburg Dioceses)
District 6  Edward (Ted ) Miller ( Erie Diocese)
District 7  Patrick Gibbons ( Allentown Diocese )

President Tom O’Donnell  announced the reappointment of Fr. Thomas M. O’Donnell as PA State Chaplain and the appointment of Fr. William Grogan as Deputy State Chaplain. Fr. Bill is a parish priest in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia and serves as Chaplain of Montco. Div. 1 and the Isle of Erin Degree Team. He also plays the bagpipes with the degree team. More appointments to the PA State Board to be announced soon.

Gerry Ennis – PA State Secretary