South Florida Emerald Society 2010 Installation Dinner

Transcription

1 May 2010 Mi na Bealtaine Emerald Society Officers President Janice McKay st Vice-President Jeffrey S. Bailey 2nd Vice-President Judi Tierney Sherry Treasurer John Doherty Historian Daniel L. Fitzgerald Recording Secretary Hugh A. Ryan Immediate Past Pres. Oliver Kerr Directors Erin Ashley Jeffrey S. Bailey Charles (Chuck) Daley John Doherty Sean Ferrell Daniel L. Fitzgerald Mary Gerhardt Sean Glynn Christopher Kelley Mary Ann Kerr Oliver Kerr Janice McKay Joseph W. McManus Patrick Novak William O Brien Hugh A. Ryan Judi Tierney Sherry Co-Editors Barbara & Joe McManus ( The Editors thank the Kerrs for the April issue) Member Tel: (305) South Florida Emerald Society 2010 Installation Dinner President Janice MC Kay Officers and the Board of Directors Wednesday, May 12, :30 pm Jungle Island Jacaranda Room 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail (MacArthur Causeway) Miami, FL Our new President Janice McKay, the Officers and the Board of Directors for 2010 (see left column) will be installed with appropriate ceremonies and accolades. Oliver Kerr s outstanding service as President through two terms will be saluted. Christopher Kelley will be the Master of Ceremonies and inaugurate the Officers and Directors with suitable decorum. Judi Tierney Sherry and Dave Skip Russell have organized this major event. And all our new members who have joined during the past year will be pinned: Sylvia Breton, Mary K Katy Boyle, Mary Patricia Castellon, Maureen Castellon, Ryan M. Dooley, Kassandra C. Kassie Doyle, Laura Edgeworth, Mindy Festge, Rev. James Fetscher, Kevin Fitzmaurice, Sandra Grubbs, (continued on page 2) Upcoming... May 12 Installation Dinner, Parrot Jungle Island, MacArthur C way May 16 Celtic Cultural Series, Michael Gillespie PhD. discusses John Huston s Film The Dead, John Martins Restaurant June 3 SFES Board of Directors Meeting, Miami Yacht Club June 16 Celtic Cultural Series: Bloomsday Books N Books, John Martins Restaurant, Coral Gables June TBA Social: Fritz and Franz Bierhaus, 60 Merrick Way, CG

2 Installation Dinner (Cont d) Phillip Humphries, Norman Kelleher, Margaret H. Peg Kinsman, Amy K. Law, John Loughridge, John J. Mangan Jr., Linda McCaffrey, Michel Clodagh, Shayne O Connor, Matthew O Brien, Kathleen M. Katie O Connor-Schultz, Melissa O Rourke, Anna-Louise Owens, Patrick Roach, Robert Seitz, Louise Sekman, Thomas D. Sieber, Sean M. Singletary, Edward E. Walton III and Grace Wright. CCSeries: Gillespie to Discuss The Dead At 4 pm Sunday May 16, Michael Gillespie PhD will discuss John Huston s 1987 film The Dead. Huston adapted the short story "The Dead" from James Joyce s short story collection Dubliners.The film takes place in Dublin in 1904 around the table at an Epiphany party held by two elderly sisters Aunts Julia and Kate. The story focuses on the academic Gabriel Conroy and his discovery of his wife Gretta's (Anjelica Huston) memory of a deceased lover. Dr. Gillespie is a Professor of English at Florida International University. He will lecture on how Joyce s short story was adapted to a full-length film that became a unique free-standing piece of art. The Celtic Cultural Series is held in the Tipperary (Upstairs) Room of John Martin s Irish Restaurant, 253 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables. Free parking is available in the City Garage behind the restaurant on Aragon Avenue Welcome These New Emeralds! At the May Board meeting, the Board approved: Matthew Matt Patrick O Brien, engineer/ musician, whose paternal family came from Tipperary; his maternal folks the Blaneys came from Westmeath. Matt s spouse is Maria and they have two children. Billy Cameron is Matt s sponsor. Robert J. Bob Seitz, interior designe/ contractor at Puma Marble Co., on whose maternal side are the Gormleys and O Briens. Bob s spouse is Mary Ellen. Paul Reilly is Bob s sponsor. The St. Patrick s Day Committee, In c. The St. Patrick s Day Committee is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization affiliated with the South Florida Emerald Society, which, in turn, is a 501 (c) 7 organization in the IRS code. We are devoting a separate section of the newsletter to the activities conducted under the umbrella of this Committee. * * * Message from President Janice McKay: Our April 19 meeting was a wrap-up of the Festival at Mary Ann and Oliver Kerr s home. Jeff Bailey had taken out an ad in Facebook that resulted in 163,000 hits surely publicizing our event and adding to our success. Sylvia Breton will be in charge of the Tinker s Faire assuming the responsibility from Dolores Fitzgerald. Dolores, thank you for all those past Festivals. Philip Morrissey has resigned as Vendor Chair; thank you Philip for all your hard work. We are looking for a new meeting place. Any offers? Winners of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Raffle at the St. Patrick s Day Festival: Morton s $50 Gift Certificate - Winner: Elissa Bouchner, Delray $50 itunes Gift Card - Winner: (To be Announced) Christina Ward would like to thank everyone who participated in the charity raffle. Emeralds Invited to a Gaelic Mass To commemorate the victims of the Great Famine in Ireland (An Gorta Mor), a Gaelic Mass will be celebrated at 3 pm, Sunday May 30 at Little Flower Church, 1805 Pierce Street, Hollywood Fl ( ). Bishop John Noonan will be the guest speaker. After Mass, The Field, at 3281 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, ( ) will open a free soup kitchen a waking for the famine victims. Music by the Echoes of Erin, dancers and storytelling, sponsored by the Irish-American organizations of South Florida, will follow. 2

3 Poetry Corner Baltane (Bealtaine) Mayday Beltane is a ancient Gaelic festival, celebrated on the eve of May 1st, marking the beginning of the summer season in Ireland the time when the shepherds drove the herds of livestock from winter shelter out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. At this festival, fires were lit on hilltops in order to bring the sun's light down to earth. Once the fires had been kindled, people danced around and jumped over the dying fires. It was a time of fertility and merrymaking. Girls jumped over the dying embers to wish for good husbands; pregnant women stepped through the charred sticks to ensure an easy birth, and when the fires had died down, the embers were thrown among the crops to protect them. The lighting of fires on Beltane is still celebrated in County Limerick. To celebrate today, -at dawn if a woman washes her face, she will be beautiful; -the man who washes his hands will be skilled with knots and nets; and -If you live near water, make a garland of spring flowers and cast it into a stream, lake or ocean to bless the water spirits. Also, prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill, and then give it to one in need of cheer, such as an elderly friend. A Blessing for May May the morning sun stir you from the bed May the winds of March move you on the road May the rains of April renew you strength May the flowers of May captivate your sight May summer heat inflame your zeal May autumn color stimulate your dreams May the silver moon make you wiser yet May you never be with yourself content. May Jesus and Mary keep you young Full of life and laughter and an Irish song. -Edited and adapted by Fr. Andrew Greeley Remember that you are always welcome at the MYC on the MacArthur Causeway just say that you are an Emerald and that you know Sean Ferrell and Tom Wilson. Misti and Cristy will be happy to greet you. Emeralds Socialize at Miami Yacht Club A sparse but conversational group of 27 Emeralds took advantage of the splendid hospitality offered by the MYC and our Emerald members: Director Sean Ferrell and Tom Wilson, on April 21. The following members and guests enjoyed the evening s craic: Dick O Connell, Judi Tierney Sherry, Amy Law, Patrick and Carol Roach, Chuck Daley, Bill Owens, Anna-Louise Owens and their guests Eleanor Moore and David Vacchia, Carroll and Billy Cameron, John and Dorothy Kane, Barbara and Joe McManus, Noel McManus Stillings, Ed and Gloria Cooke, Bill O Brien, and Oliver and Mary Ann Kerr. New Social Chair Paul Reilly was assisted by Mary Gerhard. Mark Your Calendars: Fourth of July Parade on Key Biscayne, starting at 11 am at St. Agnes Church. Want to volunteer? See Carroll and Billy Cameron. Friday September 17 Halfway to St. Patrick s Day Pub Crawl; 3 buses leave Miami Yacht Club at 6 pm.. $25 per person. See Mary Gerhardt. Early December Christmas in Ireland. See Erin Ashley Saturday March 12 St Patrick s Day Festival Would you like to place your business card in this space? $10 for one-time insertion; $25 for a quarter (3 months). Send your check and business card to The South Florida Emerald Society, PO Box , Miami FL and John Doherty will make the arrangements 3

4 Past Presidents (Attending) Hizzoner Don Slesnick, Mayor of Coral Gables names Tom Flynn, Past President and 52 years an Emerald, as Chief Gael on March 16. Council of Past Presidents Richard B. Doyle 1970 Donald Harrington Sr Thomas E. Flynn 1986 Christopher Kelley 1988 Daniel Fitzgerald * Donald Harrington Jr Robert Meyer 1996 Gerard Jones Jr William Gregory 1999 Thomas Dunn 2001 Edward S. Cooke 2002 Carroll Cameron 2005 Oliver Kerr * * Served Two Terms Council of Past Presidents Convened by Cooke On the eve of St. Patrick s Day, March 16, 13 Past Presidents of the Society, and their families convened at John Martin s Restaurant for the inaugural session of the Council. Past President Ed Cooke who had named and convened the Council, acted as Emcee. The Lord Mayor of Coral Gables ceremoniously bestowed the tri-colored sash and the title of Chief Gael on Tom Flynn. Tom had recently received Australia s highest civilian honor The Order of Australia for his 16 years as Australian Consul in Florida. Each past president received a tri-colored badge as a mark of service and then recalled their terms of office both humorous and tumultuous. Hilarity ruled the evening. The evening concluded with a circle of welcome to the Immediate Past President, Oliver Kerr, the first Prexy to be born in Ireland as far as we know and current President Janice McKay. Prexy McKay asked the Council to occupy the Information/Welcome Booth at the 2011 St. Patrick s Festival. The following past presidents asked to be excused because of previous commitments: Peter O Connell 1985; John Kane 1993; Michael O Connor 2003; Joe McManus 2006 and Dave Skip Russell Kim Garvey Discussed Irishness at CCS This past April 11, Kim Garvey, Librarian for Genealogy at Nova Southeastern University, discussed what it means to be Irish at the monthly Celtic Cultural Series at John Martins. She portrayed how the Irish consider themselves, what it means to be Irish at least to the Irish, and their sense of humor. Her audience of 30 followed her lively description of the westward migration of the Celts across Europe especially the part about the Celts sacking Rome. But referring to her specialty, delving into Irish genealogy is difficult because of the loss of many records when the Four Courts building in Dublin was gutted in the 1922 Civil War. Kim Garvey is introduced by Janice McKay on April

5 Condolences Mal Garvey Malachi "Mal" Joseph Garvey, 83, of Coconut Grove, died on March 29. As Detective Sergeant of the Miami Beach Police Department, and later Court Liaison, Mal was commended for his professionalism and service while on duty. Some of his assignments involved working with Senator Ted Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, The Beatles, and the F.B.I. Born in Brooklyn NY where Mal s father had been Chief of the Brooklyn Fire Department, Mal was proud of his Irish heritage; as a member of the Emerald Society, he marched in St. Patrick's Day parades and traveled to Ireland to meet family and research his genealogy. Condolences to his wife Barbara Esposito Garvey, his son Donald Martino (Pat), grandchildren, nieces, nephews, Barbara Ogden Garvey and all the members of the Fransella, Hammell, Martino, and Marunas families. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated April 28 at St. Agnes Church on Key Biscayne R.I.P. Jo Burke Josephine Burke, 84, of Palmetto Bay, died peacefully April 27, with her family at her side. Born in San Francisco, California, she graduated from Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco and then attended the University of California, Berkeley. Following her marriage to Bill in 1946, they spent the following twenty years living in various parts of the world and the United States: France, Italy, Ohio, Arkansas, Virginia and Hawaii, as Bill pursued his career in the Air Force. In the mid 1960s, Jo and Bill moved to Florida where Bill began a second career. For the next 40 years, their social and recreational life centered around the Royal Palm Tennis Club, where Jo was a valuable member of the inter-club women's doubles team. Jo joined the Emerald Society in A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Louis Church, Pinecrest, April 30. Visitation was held at Stanfill Funeral Home. Burial will be on June 17 in Arlington National Cemetery. Contributions in Jo's name can be made to the Rotary Foundation of Coral Gables, Inc., PO Box , Coral Gables, FL Condolences to daughter Jackie and son William, their families, a granddaughter, brother William Hendrickson, sister Jane Reynolds, and many nieces and nephews. R.I.P. From the Miami Herald Obituaries, April 10, 29 Scots Sponsor Links Contest. To recover from a sub-par Scottish Festival, our Celtic friends at the Scottish American Society of South Florida are having a fund-raiser. The Scots are teeing up at 8 am, Saturday June 19 for a Father s Day Golf Tournament at Hollywood Beach Golf & Country Club, 1600 Johnson Street. The fee is $100 per golfer in a 4-person team. Kilts are not required but prizes may be awarded. Contact Victor Swackhammer at or swac99@comcast.net to register.. Cooke Conducts Stiltsville Survey Need to know how many Emeralds would be interested in going to Stiltsville on (a) Sunday afternoon or (b) Saturday afternoon? Who owns a boat that would be willing to ferry groups of 4 or more Emeralds to Stiltsville? Stiltsville is a group of 5+ buildings on piles in the Biscayne National Park north of Fowey Rocks that are a residual of National Prohibition. Call Ed Cooke at ; anyone on the Social Committee or leave a message at the Emerald Society Belfast, Anyone? For anyone traveling to Northern Ireland, Paul Reilly says that a friend of his, Gerry Finnegan, a tour guide, gives taxi tours of Belfast, either the Loyalist or Republican neighborhoods. Call Here s to you and yours And to mine and ours. And if mine and ours Ever come across to you and yours, I hope you and yours will do As much for mine and ours As mine and ours have done For you and yours! There are good ships and there are wood ships, The ships that sail the sea. But the best ships are friendships, And may they always be. 5 5

6 June Emerald Board Meeting The next Board meeting will be at 7:00pm Thursday June 3 at the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island on the MacArthur Causeway. President Janice McKay will preside. Attendance of all Board members is expected and all members are welcome to attend. All Board members are expected to respect the dignity of, and to share fellowship and courtesy with, all Board members. - Jon Lindeman has resigned from the Board. Thank you Jon for all your years of service. Health and Welfare Congratulations, Sean Ferrell! Happy to see you walking around within a week of your hip fracture. Check in the Mail? Annual dues invoices for the South Florida Emerald Society for 2010 were mailed to all members and follow-up reminders have gone out. To date, 123 of our 182 members have paid for which Sean and John thank you. But if you are among the 61 members lagging behind, please remit a check to the South Florida Emerald Society, PO Box , Miami FL Sean Glynn and his Membership Committee are planning on publishing the Emerald Membership Directory. The deadline to be included is approaching. Business card ads may be inserted. More details will follow in the June Shamrock News. The South Florida Emerald Society, Inc. PO Box Miami, FL