Presidents
Message for July / August 2010
Believe it or not, spring is gone and summer is in
full swing! I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy the great
weather. We have had quite an eventful couple of months. In May
the LAOH ran another great Roast Beef Dinner followed by the always
anticipated Night at the Races. If you missed it, well, you’ll just
have to wait until next year.
Memorial Day was another great success! After a
rather long and sweltering march into the Park there was a very nice
ceremony in Brady Park with refreshments provided by some of our
great veterans. I would like to thank the Color Guard and the Tara
Pipes & Drums contingent who led the men and ladies Divisions in the
parade – I for one was quite happy that I was not wearing a kilt
that day! Thank you to all of the men and women who marched, you
earned your stripes this year.
Our annual Memorial Day barbeque with the Marines was
another huge success. The food was provided by Division 15 members,
Joey & Steve Lester. The two of them outdid themselves with all of
the delicious food they brought and by slaving over the coals for
the entire day. Thank you gentlemen for a job well done! Last, but
not least was the long-anticipated stickball game vs. the Marines.
The AOH regained the crown in what will long be remembered as one of
the greatest comebacks in Division history – needless to say, I
doubt we will ever play nine innings again. It was great to see
some new faces at the barbeque and in the game. I would like this
trend to continue next year to help us retain bragging rights.
On a more serious
note, we lost a long-time member, Ed McCloskey, the following day in
a tragic automobile accident. Ed was a very active member and will
be sorely missed. If anything positive can come from such a
tragedy, I think the support shown by the brothers and sisters of
Division 15 as well as members from other divisions really proved
how strong our bond is. We had a tremendous turn-out at the
services and it made me extremely proud to be the president of such
a great organization. Please keep the McCloskey family in your
prayers.
This year’s Irish
Night was one of the best in years! We had a huge crowd, great
music by the Willie Lynch Band and great performances by the Tara
Pipes & Drums and the Inishfree step-dancers. I would like to thank
all of volunteers who helped make the night such a success, without
your help none of it would have been possible. A very special thank
you to Sean Reilly from Jackie Reilly’s for his help and sponsorship
of the event, please be sure to stop in and thank him yourself next
time you’re in the area. On June 28th, the Tara Pipes &
Drums held their annual golf outing. It was brutally hot on the
course but it just made us appreciate the ice-cold drinks back at
Hibernian Hall all the more. Well organized, well executed, great
job everyone!
Lastly, I would like
to thank our Editor, Bernie Gilmartin, for the fantastic job he has
done over these past few years on the Stars & Shamrocks. Many of
you read this newsletter every month and really do not understand
the patience and effort it takes to make it happen. Thank you
Bernie, your hard work is greatly appreciated. With that said,
Bernie has informed me that he is “retiring” as editor and this will
be his last issue. I am asking for help in finding someone to pick
up where Bernie has left off and take over his position. He will
make himself available to assist with the next couple of issues. If
you are interested please contact Bernie or myself.
Have a great summer!
Ken
Editor’s / Photographers Message ~~ Bernie Gilmartin
I would like to thank
our Members for putting up with the typo’s the past few years.
I’m going back into
retirement and toys.
I will be staying on
for now, as Photographer –Webmaster -Calling Post.
If a Member has an
interest in any of these positions, please contact Ken Ferguson or
myself.
Bernie
“IN
GOD WE TRUST” “REMEMBER OUR TROOPS”
Mike’s Tidbits
Congratulations to
the Division on there great come back win over the Marines at the
annual stickball game. As usual the barbeque was great, plenty of
food and spirits and most of all friendship. This barbeque now has
been going on for over twenty years and is getting bigger and
better every year.
Glad to see all the
old timers out of the hospital, Frank Flood broken pelvis, Don
Decker pacemaker, Tom Lynch 4 pints of blood and George Doherty bad
wheels. Thank God for Medicare. All are well and doing fine.
I have no weddings
to report, but congratulations to Jim and Pat Burke on the birth of
their granddaughter.
Since the President
will be writing about Irish night and the National Convention. I
will be closing and have a great summer.
The Division would
like to express our condolences to Maureen McCloskey and her family
on the passing of our brother Ed.
GREEN BERET
Pardon our
appearance at the hall, we are finally doing the men’s bathroom
over. Thanks to the efforts of Jim Wall and his elves.
Congratulations to
Bob Mc Namara and Bill O’Brien on being elected to the Green Beret
Club. For Bob this is his first time around but Bill has been an
officer for many years. The Division would like to thank John Hillin
for his years as an officer for the Club, He will be missed.
Keep Friday,
September 17th in mind as it will be our HALF WAY to St.
Patrick’s Diner at the hall, corned beef and cabbage.
That’s
about it for now. Remember we are open every Friday at 8 PM
300
Club Winners 2010
$75 Winners:
$30 Winners:
Attention
Our 300 Club will be holding a Party
Sunday, August 08, 2010
between the hours of 2 & 5pm at Hibernian
Hall
Thank you
for your Support …… Chairman Mike Beggen ……. 797-0738
Upcoming
Events
Monday, July 4th – Independence Day Parade – 11am - We
will meet at Lake Shore Drive & Violet St at 10:30am – All Division
members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Dress code is
Division shirt (or other green golf-shirt) and khaki pants. We will
be partaking in refreshments at some of our local establishments
directly following the parade.
July 7 – 11th
– AOH/LAOH National Convention, Cincinnati – for more info go to
www.hibernians2010.com.
Wednesday, July
14th – Men’s Meeting – 8:30pm
Saturday, July
17th – Hibernian Pub Night – 8pm - Hibernian Hall - for
details see Jack Ryan
Saturday, August 7th – Picnic @ Brady Park – 1pm – All
Division 15 members are free, non-members $10 per person, $25 per
immediate family (children under 18)
Sunday August 15th
– Membership Recruitment Drive – St. William the Abbot Church - we
need volunteers to help out with this event. Please see Ken
Ferguson or Pat Nugent.
There will be no
men’s meeting in August.
Keep the Dates
Sunday, October 17th – 4th Annual Pig-skin Pig
Roast
November, 2010 – Hibernian Pub Tour
If there are other
events that you would like published and sent out to our members
please email me at
shamrocken47@verizon.net …and I
will send them out via email and/or add them to our next issue of
the Stars & Shamrocks if the date/event has not passed by then.
If you have not
paid your 2010 Annual Dues please do so ASAP! Dues are $40 – Make
checks payable to AOH Division 15 and send them to:
..............
Bill Sullivan
36
Denise Street Massapequa, NY 11758
RESPECT
LIFE MONTH
(Respectfully Submitted Ed McKee, PGK, Pro-Life
Chairman)
On June
1 a new law went into effect in New York called the “Family
Health Care Decision-Making Act.” It’s meant to protect us
should we ever become unable to make our own health care
decisions.
These “family decision-makers” will be required to make
decisions based on our previously expressed wishes and in
accord with our religious and moral beliefs.
The implementation of the new law will be interesting to
monitor, to determine such things as how conflicts among
family members will be resolved and whether the conscience
rights of hospitals will be clearly protected. It’s not a
perfect law, but legislation is an imperfect instrument.
Only God’s laws have no loopholes.
This law highlights the value of signing a “health care
proxy.” The proxy is a simple form you can complete now,
while you’re competent, to designate someone to help make
health care decisions for you should you ever become
incapacitated. It makes so much more sense to appoint your
own decision-maker using a proxy rather than let the law
appoint one for you under the new Health Care Decisions Act.
A proxy enables your designated “health care agent” to make
all medical decisions, including life-sustaining treatment
decisions.
The proxy
form allows you to make statements about your treatment
preferences. For example, it enables you to specify that you
wish to follow the teachings of your Catholic faith. You can
state that you wish to receive all care that is considered
to be morally obligatory, but refuse treatment that would be
excessively burdensome, and outweigh the benefits. For some
good language in writing a health care proxy, see the
“Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions” available from the
National Catholic Bioethics Center at 215-877-2660 or go to
their website at www.ncbcenter.org.
The key to the health care proxy is appointing someone you
trust to be your agent: someone who knows you well, respects
your faith, is of good moral character and operates well
under stress. It is critical to have a conversation about
your preferences for end-of-life care with the person you
select as your agent. That person’s voice will become your
voice when you cannot speak.
Legal since 1990, the proxy is really the preferred advance
care directive in our state. “Living wills” are legal, but
not very flexible or practical; they require you to put down
on paper today your wishes for tomorrow — wishes about an
unknown medical condition in an age of rapidly-advancing
medical interventions. The living will is likely to be
outdated before the ink dries. A health care agent, on the
other hand, is a living, breathing implementer of your
wishes.
The time to prepare a health care proxy is now, while you
are still healthy and competent.
President’s Message
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Sister Hibernians,
Many thanks to the
following:
Joanne Brennan for
Chairing another successful Roast Beef Dinner and to
Pat and Bob Brennan for
helping to set up. Also thanks to Anne Kevany
for arranging the beautiful Baby Shower for Birthright and
to all the ladies who helped decorate and set up the hall
for the Shower.
Annual Scholarship: A
motion was made at our May 17th meeting to increase the
amount of money awarded in our scholarship drawing this
year. This is due to the increase in Catholic school
tuition. The membership will review this subject each year
dependent on the financial situation of our treasury. A vote
will be taken at our November 15th meeting.
Mass and Communion Brunch
The Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, October 24th at
11o'clock at Saint Rose of Lima Church located at 2 Bayview
Avenue in Massapequa Park. The Brunch will follow at Katie
Daly's Restaurant at 5705 Merrick Road in Massapequa. The
ticket price is not available yet. Call Anne Kevaney at
541-1838 or Eleanor O’Hara at 799-3343 with any questions.
God Bless. Maureen
Meetings
Our
next monthly meeting is Sept. 20.
Volunteers for cake are: Pat Sternkopf, Barbara Lowell,
Maura Fiore, Mary Ellen Keeley, Anne Marie Davis,
Mary Adee, Anne Roarty.
Dates to Remember - Mark Your Calendar
Prayers and Wishes
If you know anyone who needs our
prayers, please call our Sunshine Lady, Lilly at 781-4165.
Thanksgiving
Please bring your canned or dry goods to the November
meeting. Breakfast, lunch or dinner foods are needed.
Some suggestions are pancake mix and
syrup, tuna fish, soup, jars of pasta sauce, peanut butter,
jelly and cereal.
Annual
Dues 2010
Our
Ladies Division is still the largest in Nassau County. We
are 170 members strong and need your 2010 dues.
65 & over $17.00
Under 65 $23.00
You can mail your checks, made out to LAOH Div.15,
to:
Terry Gannon, Financial Secretary, 82 Sullivan Rd.,
Farmingdale, NY 11735 Phone: 293-2481
Christmas
Dinner Party
The Ladies’ Party
will be held on December 6th at Bellissimo
Ristorante, 330 Merrick Road, Amityville. The cost is $30
p.p. As usual, we will be holding a Yankee Swap, conducted
by Pat Doyle, with wrapped gifts of at least a $10 value.
This is optional, but has been quite a lot of fun over the
years, with many laughs. We also ask you to bring an
unwrapped toy for the under-privileged children. To top off
the evening, there will be caroling led by Maureen Caffrey,
so bring your singing voice too. Please contact Ann
Marksteiner @ 520-9156 or Anne Roarty @ 678-3416 for
reservations. We must give the restaurant a final headcount
on Nov. 26.
Nominations
and Elections
At
our monthly meeting on 11/15 we will hold our nominations
and elections. Please make every effort to attend. All
monthly meetings begin at 8 PM sharp.
“Til next time –
yours in Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity.”
Tara Pipes and
Drums
On Monday,
June 28th, over 70 of the most elite golfers descended upon
the links of the Hamlet at Wind Watch Golf Club for the Tara
Pipes and Drums' Eleventh Annual Steak & Stout Golf Outing.
Although the long range weather forecast predicted stormy
weather, the sun was as bright as could be, which made the
heat index close to 100 degrees. But, we persevered.
Some of us
tried to keep cool by staying hydrated with cold beverage
while others of us decided to let the sprinklers assist in
that regard. After 18 holes , we headed back to Hibernian
Hall for guess what, a barbeque. Yes, a big BIG thank you
to our grill men – Bill Burgess and Larry Mahoney. They
cooked over 80 steaks on the grill. And, they also make one
heck of a hamburger.
The golfers
continued to keep themselves hydrated with cold beverages
served by Mike Greene and Randy Foley. Thanks..
Prizes were
awarded to the best golfers. Unfortunately, none of the
Band members came home with the goodies. Bob Madden –
there's always next year. An honorable mention to our
friend Bernie "Rookie" Gilmartin for Best Dressed.
A sincere
thanks to all who supported the outing by making donations,
sponsoring a hole and for flag sponsorship. We truly
appreciated it.
A hearty
thanks to Mary Beggen, and Mary and Bob O'Brien for helping
to set up the hall the day before.; to John Caffrey, Jim
Burke, Bob Brennan, Ken Ferguson for helping the day of; to
Pat Doyle, Mike Greene, Maureen Caffrey for working hard on
both days.
But the
Band is truly grateful to John Hillin and Ed McGlade who
made the day possible. They have worked tirelessly to make
this as successful an event as it could be. Thanks to both
of you.
Plans are
already being made for next year and we hope to see you all
on the links with us.
Remember, we are always looking for new members. No
experience necessary. Come to the Hall on any Thursday
night and see Ed McGlade or Bob Madden.
Moe
