OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE TUESDAY, MAY 1st; BUNKER HILL GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE.  THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 7PM. COME EARLY AND ENJOY DINNER WITH YOUR BROTHERS.

Irish Brigade Brothers –

Our preparedness during Lent is nearly complete. I hope each of you, along with family and friends, have a most joyous Easter! I encourage all of us to extend the effort to participate in at least one of the ceremonies celebrated during Holy Week, and in addition to God for all He has given us, this presents a perfect opportunity to say an extra prayer or two for Brothers, relatives and friends in need of our help.

Well another Green Season has come and gone – but certainly this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parades will be remembered for the outstanding weather. Now I am a lover of all seasons (yeah, I even like Winter), and feel a little cheated when we jump into Summer right after Winter. But  even with the unseasonably warm temperatures of the last two weeks – great timing as that was for the parades – it’s good to throttle back and come into Spring on a more normal basis.

Reminder!! This month’s meeting (Tuesday April 3rd) is our joint AOH/LAOH meeting. I know we will be discussing possible changes to our scholarship award program, plus getting final information on the Awards Ceremony scheduled for Sunday April 15th (11:00 AM at BHGC; cost is $12 for the brunch), plus getting final details on this Summer’s Golf Outing, plus possibly purchasing a single banner for joint events which displays both Divisions’ logos – plus a whole lot more. Please do plan on attending. (And two notes of correction from my message of last month … I mistakenly referenced the money total for all three scholarships as being$2,000 – I meant to say $1,000. And when it rains it pours … I also mistakenly referenced the Scholarship Awards Ceremony Brunch as being on April 22nd – and it actually is on the preceding Sunday. (And for anyone who has the notion that they cannot attend the Brunch on the 15th because they have to finish their Federal taxes – good news … this year’s tax deadline is Tuesday April 17th; so lots of time left to procrastinate)

And two quick updates if you missed last month’s meeting … 1) – We had two special guests, all the way from Ireland to make us aware of Life House Ireland (and while Scott Shittle may be an American ex-pat, Tim Jackson definitely hailed from Ireland – he sounded a lot like Paul Harvey). Life House Ireland is an American organization and is working with The Life Institute

(based in Dublin, Ireland) to keep Ireland pro-life and abortion free. Apparently a series of laws emanating from Britain are working their way through Parliament and may well pave the way for Ireland to experience a ‘Roe v.Wade’ event, from which the pro-abortionists hope to change current laws. Think back to 1970 … if you knew that you could donate money to a cause that would have prevented or abated the Roe v. Wade decision, would you have done so? That is the choice before us now. We will be taking up a collection at the April meeting for this cause (and your donation is tax deductible!). And update 2) – Mike Maloney is very confident that we can get a large bus for transportation to and from Turning Stone Casino and Resort (for the national convention, July 9th thru the 12th) for a roundtrip fee of $100 per person. In order to make this happen, Mike needs to make the actual bus reservation, and in doing so, we need to make every effort to sell all seats, and seeing that the bus capacity exceeds our Division membership, we will be reaching out to other Ohio Divisions (AOH and LAOH) with offers for seat reservations. So if you know you will be going to this year’s national convention, and the offer of roundtrip door to door service for just $100 interests you –  you need to be contacting Mike real soon.

And speaking of the national convention – we all know our very own ‘Danny O’ will be seeking a higher national office, and plans are being developed for our Division to sponsor a fundraiser for Danny. Stay tuned for details – it will likely be in May, probably at BHGC. Danny has represented Ohio on the national level very well in the past and we want to make sure we are doing all we can to help him continue.

There was a great gathering on Friday morning March 23rd, first at St. John’s Cathedral in downtown Cleveland, followed a few blocks away at the Free Stamp across the street from the Federal Building. This rally was to protest Health & Human Services’ (HHS) interpretation of

Obamacare as mandating birth control being a covered medical expense under all health plans. I did not attend, but I heard from a very reliable source that the Cathedral was packed (max capacity of about 1,200 people) and even more peopled joined in at the Free Stamp location. Sadly, I was disappointed in watching the local news coverage that night as another protest march that occurred later in the afternoon, with far fewer people, got way more news coverage time. But what the heck, we are used to adversity and we will keep up the good fight on this issue that is critically important in our faith.

Lastly, in closing, I again ask that each of us take a moment – right now if you can – to say a prayer for Brothers and family members who are in need and want of our prayers: for Joe Casey’s mother-in-law; for Owen Kilbane; for Pat Visel’s (President of the Franklin County

Division #1) mother who passed away and for the mother of US Ambassador Michael Collins… let us pray for their collective health and well being, as well as all other Brothers and family members who are in need of our prayers. And let us also offer a prayer for our service men and woman who are serving in harm’s way, and for an increase of individuals seeking religious vocations.

In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity -

Tony

Chaplain’s Comments

WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE CHURCH MAKES.

The church is called to be the visible sign of God’s presence in the world. This is what sets it apart from every other institution or organization. There are a lot of secular groups that offer help to the poor, and many of them do good work. But when a group of believers reaches out to the poor, the elderly, or the marginalized, they bring another dimension to their work. Ministering in the name of Jesus, believers bring his compassion and his love as well as their own.

What’s more, they minster with the belief that anything they do for the needy they are really doing for Jesus. There is a spiritual dimension to their work, a sense that they are encountering the Lord as they serve – and that adds a dimension of respect, dignity, and honor to the work they do. They understand that we are all members of the family of God – rich and poor alike – and like any family, we are called to take care of each other. Similarly, many organizations hold social events and gatherings for their members. These are good opportunities to make friends, broaden our horizons, and support causes we believe in. But when a parish hosts an event like a festival or a picnic, something else happens as well. God’s people are gathering in his name, and whenever two or more gather like this, Jesus is with them. Instead of the common denominator being the outing at hand or the structure of the organization, the common denominator is a mindset that says our love for one another and our respect for one another is a basic tenet of our faith in Jesus Christ. Our willingness to prepare food and clean tables and wash dishes at these events is a way for us to be Christ to each other. It’s a way to meet Jesus in each other and touch his presence more deeply.

Other organizations have this world as their end. There is no mention of a higher goal in their founding principles. There is no mention of a future heaven or of God’s work among us in the present. Their aim is to improve some aspect of life in this world, which is usually a good thing, but is limited. While the church shares this view to “subdue” the world and make it a better place, she always has a deeper goal in mind. The church views everything in the present in terms of the future. Heaven is our ultimate goal, and everything the church does is focused on our eagerness to welcome Jesus when he comes again.

In all these ways and so many more, we can see that the church is more than just a human institution or a human invention. The church is God’s invention. It came about not because the apostles thought it was a good idea but because our heavenly Father called us together. It is founded not on good organizational principles but on God’s desire to form us, fill us, and commission us as his ambassadors.

Fr. Joe Mecir, Irish Brigade Division Chaplain

Pot of Gold Raffle

Pot of Gold raffle tickets ($5 for one, or three for $10) are now on sale. The proceeds will be used to offset the State AOH/LAOH convention hospitality room costs; first prize is $500, with  a second and third prize awards of $100 each. The drawing will be at the 2012 Spring State Board meeting that will be held in Columbus on April 21st. See Kevin Hickey or Tony Manley to purchase your tickets.

Newsletter

Just a reminder. If you have information for our monthly newsletter, please send it as a Word attachment to an e-mail to Jim Casey at jjcasey973@columbus.rr.com

State Board Meeting

Worthy Clergy, Officers, and Members:

Our State President Joe Casey has called a State Board Meeting to be held on Saturday April 21st in Columbus Ohio at Tara Hall, the Patrick Pearse Division #1 Franklin County meeting hall.

The address of the Hall is:

274 East Innis Avenue

Columbus, OH 43207

The phone number is 614-444-5949

The meeting will start approximately around 12:00pm with a joint meeting with the LAOH.

The worthy President will be sending out the agenda within the next couple of weeks so if you should have something that you would like to have addressed at the meeting, please forward your request to our President so he can put it on the agenda.

Yours in our motto,

Ron Hagan, State Secretary

Celtic Curse, Blood Iron Disease

It is known as the Irish disease and Sandra Thomas who runs the American Hemochromatosis Society in Florida is urgently seeking to alert Irish Americans to its dangers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control the disease, Hemochromatosis, is now the most common genetic disorder in the United States with an estimated 32 million silent carriers.

Thomas has been using St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and Irish gatherings everywhere as a platform for discussing what she describes as “The Celtic Curse”. Hemochromatosis is a hereditary disease, linked particularly to Irish and those of Irish origin. It causes your body to absorb too much iron from the food you consume. The excess iron becomes stored in your organs, especially your liver, heart and pancreas. It can lead to life-threatening conditions such as cancer, heart problems and liver disease.

Those with Irish heritage have a significantly greater chance of carrying the gene mutation that can contribute to the deadly disorder. Some experts believe that hemochromatosis originated

more than 40,000 years ago in Ireland when genes mutated allowing the population to over-absorb iron, to compensate for a poor iron diet. If left untreated the disease can lead to early menopause, infertility, diabetes, heart failure and even death.

Thomas‘s mother died of liver cancer caused by iron overload. A carrier of the disease herself, she is committed to spreading awareness of the disease. Thomas says her mother’s dying wish “was that everyone would get tested for hereditary hemochromatosis iron overload, so they wouldn’t have to go through what she was going through.”

Thomas, who is the founder and president of the American Hemochromatosis Society, encourages everyone who has Irish linage to get tested for the hereditary disorder.

The website is www.americanhs.org.

The treatment for this disease is very easy. You give blood. The central Ohio Red Cross (includes Mansfield) does this for no charge. All you need is for your doctor to fill out a form telling them how often and what Fe readings he wants you to have.

Jim Casey

100 years later, Titanic still making waves

By Sheila Dabu Nonato, Postmedia News and Agence France-PressDecember 31, 2011

Titanic buff George Watters says he’s been fascinated by the doomed ship’s haunting story ever since he saw an exhibition of artifacts in Northern Ireland where the 46,000-ton ship was built and launched. The 60-year-old Whitby, Ont., resident is one of more than 25 million visitors who have seen the globe-trotting RMS Titanic exhibition of original artifacts. (Its Edmonton- and Regina-based mini-exhibitions are set to close this February and March, respectively.)

On April 15 – the 100-year anniversary of the famed luxury ship’s sinking in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg off Newfoundland and Labrador – more than 5,500 of these artifacts salvaged from the ship will auctioned as a single lot in New York City. About 1,500 people perished after Titanic sank on its maiden voyage headed for New York City. Premier Exhibitions, which owns sole salvage rights to the Titanic through its RMS Titanic unit, said it has engaged New York auctioneers Guernsey’s to handle the sale. Details of the auction will be announced in January. The auction is set to open four days after a 3D version of director James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film Titanic begins its run in Canadian and U.S. theatres.

Watters, owner of an RMS Titanic, Inc., franchise in Whitby, east of Toronto, adds that his fascination with the Titanic saga continued when he saw another Titanic exhibition in Kingston, Ont. It included a watermarked postcard of an old Oshawa Baptist church found aboard the ship. The postcard’s origins remain a mystery to this day. Last year, Watters and his wife, Yvonne, decided to start an RMS Titanic distributorship in Canada that sells replicas and memorabilia online. Watters will be among the Titanic buffs around the world commemorating the anniversary of the sinking. He plans to be at the British Isles Show at Toronto’s CNE grounds this April, with a booth showcasing Titanic memorabilia. As Watters kept digging for more information, he soon discovered that the Whitby connection to the Titanic didn’t stop with the postcard. Watters heard from another Whitby resident, Kendra Wilson, who contacted him upon learning of his new business. Her son, Terence, is a descendant of Harold S. Bride, a Titanic survivor who was the ship’s second radio operator. Bride, then 21, was awoken by commotion on the ship, Wilson said. Immediately, Bride began helping chief communications operator Jack Phillips send out distress signals to nearby vessels. Later on, the Titanic’s captain dismissed both, saying they had fulfilled their duties. The men went to the ship’s upper deck to try to reach a life raft when Bride was swept overboard by a large wave. Luckily, he was lifted out of the water by one of the life rafts, Wilson recalled. Phillips, however, did not survive. A native of England, Bride reportedly died in 1956 in Scotland. Bride, along with other survivors, provided key testimony at the 1912 U.S. Senate inquiry into the Titanic disaster held in New York City. A British inquiry also was launched. Wilson said her ex-husband’s grandfather had been reluctant to talk about the tragedy. His family said he never wanted to talk about it. It was kind of like a war story. You don’t came back from war and necessarily tell all of the details and trauma you saw,” she said. Bride) would say to his kids, he didn’t really want the publicity. He didn’t want people seeking him out. It was extremely traumatic for the young man. A very horrible experience to have to survive,” she explained.

Wilson, however, notes the importance of preserving the Canadian connection to the Titanic’s history. “You can’t let this kind of connection to a significant part of history just fade away,” she said. “They did their best to survive. It’s so sad so many people perished.” When Cameron’s Titanic opened, Wilson and her son attended the movie’s Toronto premiere. They stood in line with Cameron’s cousins where Wilson proudly spoke of Bride’s role on the ship. In an unexpected twist of fate, a descendant of Bride’s friend, Phillips, immigrated to Canada and also settled in the Durham, Ont., region. Wilson found out through a Durham College newsletter – where her son was an alumni – that Phillips’ great nephew, Andrew, had attended the college and was living in the area. Despite these Canadian connections to Titanic’s history, Watters said not much is really known about them, which is why he organized a Titanic commemoration cruise in 2010 at the Toronto Harbour. He invited Terence and Andrew, as well as Montreal journalist Alan Hustak who wrote the book, Titanic: The Canadian Story on the cruise. Hustak’s book featured the untold saga of the 130 Canadian passengers aboard the cruise ship. He interviewed direct descendants and relatives of Canadians who sailed on the Titanic such as: Quigg Baxter, a young Montreal hockey player who smuggled his Belgian fiancee aboard; the Fortune family from Winnipeg; and Harry Markland Molson, the richest Canadian aboard and a descendant of the Molson family. Hustak also wrote about Titanic’s last victim, Thomson Beattie of Winnipeg, who was found a month after the disaster on a lifeboat. Watters lamented that these Canadian stories have been overlooked by historians who have written about the Titanic and need to be retold.

“It’s a story that doesn’t seem to want to go away,” he said.

(Our next meeting, April 3rd, will be a joint-meeting with the LAOH-Medina County)

President’s Message

YEAH!! The Green Season is upon us! Please remember that we have the honor of marching in the Akron St. Patrick’s Day parade (Saturday, March 10th details are further in the newsletter, including the return of the $8.00 breakfast feast at the Brown Street AOH Hall). Plus the Cleveland parade, which is always on St. Patrick’s Day (one of the few in the country that has historically marched only on the feast day), falls on a Saturday this year so that should provide convenience and incentive. And we have also now entered the ‘purple season’ …. Lent. Please remember the Friday abstinences, and try to do something extra in remembrance of Christ’s suffering and Passion.

Our April meeting (Tuesday April 3rd) will be a joint AOH/ LAOH forum. I am starting to develop the agenda, and discussion topics will include: an update on our scholarship award program, plus planning for this year’s golf outing and next year’s scholarship awards; planning for Meet & Greets following parish Masses; plus other topics submitted (hint … if you have a suitable topic you want discussed in this forum, get it to me this month!). And mark your calendars … on Sunday April 15th both Divisions are hosting a brunch at Bunker Hill to formally award this year’s scholarship winners; more details and information to follow, but please plan on attending as this will present one of our most promising opportunities to promote ourselves in the greater community. (Hey, when we are giving away $2,000, that really gets peoples’ attentions!!)

This is your final reminder that 2012 dues received after month-end are subject to the $5.00 late fee. If you are not attending the March 6th meeting, be sure to mail your dues now to Joe Casey to avoid the late fee. And speaking of final reminders – this too is your last chance to purchase the Pot of Gold raffle tickets -$500 first prize and $100 second and third prize awards. Tickets are $5 for one, or three for $10, and proceeds offset the State AOH/LAOH hospitality room costs.

I try to stay apolitical in my messaging, given the spread of the spectrum (diversity has helped make our nation the greatest one on earth, and yet diversity once isolated and condemned our fore fathers), but the direction recently given by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, first mandating that contraception must be included in all healthcare plans, then requiring insurance companies provide the controversial benefit “for free” (who is fooled by that?) so religiously-minded employers need not have their conscious’ burdened is a grievous affront to every Catholic. Regardless of your political affiliation, I urge every Brother to alert his Congressmen/women and Senators, and the President himself, of our disgust in this position. Public outrage has given this Administration a ‘cause to pause’ and rethink its posture on this subject, but we need to make sure the point is driven home decisively now. There are a number of websites that make voicing your opinions very easy, including ‘stophhs.com’. Please do not sit silently on this issue. I also understand that a series of rallies are planned for Friday, March 23rd at noon, including in Cleveland (at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building 1240 E 9th Street), but I have not heard of any for Medina County. Want to do something extra for the Lenten Season, something that is positive for the Catholic Church and our 2,000 year history of dogma and doctrines?? –the seed has been planted. (Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox.)

I’m sure your calendars have been marked for the National Convention this July (Turning Stone Casino and Resort, from the 9th through the 12th). Well Brother Mike Maloney has been busy working on making the ‘to and fro’ part much easier. We are exploring the particulars to hire a bus for the trip, which would include refreshments and entertainment for the round trip. Reservations are being taken (contact Mike Maloney), with first preference for Irish Brigade members, but we will open this up to other Divisions to reduce total costs. Right now the round trip cost is targeted at $100, but will likely decrease somewhat as seats fill up.

We have two Brothers in need of our support, and in this case, “support” means writing a letter. Owen and Martin Kilbane, who have supported our Division from afar (initially with drawings that we have sold, and more recently with handcrafted prayer boxes that we will be selling) are once again approaching the Parole Board. Make no mistake, Owen and Marty are guilty of a serious crime (is there a man among us who has not committed a serious misdeed of some gravity?), but they are also extreme examples of the Ohio prison system rehabilitative processes. Thirty years in prison, for a crime when committed today that maybe garners sentencing of 7 to 10 years, if not immediate parole, is time enough served. Yours and my tax dollars, limited resources that they are, are not being wisely used to continue to house these Brothers. Respectfully ask that each of us, if we agree that prisons are not just for punishment but are also for rehabilitation (and if you have any doubt as to Owen’s and Marty’s rehabilitation, just ask Joe Casey, Paul Harvey and/or myself), to please send a letter to Ms. Cynthia B. Mausser, Chair of the Ohio Parole Board (77 S. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222) advising that Owen and Martin (inmates number 148-299 and 149-329, respectfully) can and will return to productive members of Ohio’s society, have served more than sufficient time, and we request they be paroled now. For the nine months ending September 2011, the Parole Board conducted 1,498 hearings and granted 15 releases – about 1% (latest figures from their website). I certainly do not want dangerous felons released early from prison – we read news stories all the time about the negative consequences. Is 1% the right amount for early releases? I have no idea; but I do know Owen and Marty are deserving of parole now.

And on a more upbeat note, I am extremely pleased to formally announce that Fr. Joe has now been ‘officially’ appointed our Division Chaplain by Bishop Richard Lennon. The Bishop specifically mentioned his confidence that our Division will certainly benefit from Fr. Joe’s guidance and exemplary leadership. Of course we knew that before the Bishop pointed it out, but it is reassuring to hear it from others. Congratulations to our Division, and Thank You! Fr. Joe.

Lastly, in closing, I again ask that each of us take a moment -right now if you can -to say a prayer for Brothers and family members who are in need and want of our prayers: for Lou McDonald and his wife, Alice; for Ray Schulte’s mother; for Mark DeLima’s brother-in-law; for Chris Courtney’s sister Rachel and friend Samantha; for Mike Craig’s mother-in-law, Marie; and for little Olivia Hickey, who is/remains healthy – but she is starting to grow up in a very challenging world … let us pray for their collective health and well being, as well as all other Brothers and family members who are in need of our prayers. Plus one prayer of thanks – Mary Manley-Hendricks, sister to Dave and Tony, and aunt to Scott, is on the mend. We thank you and your families for your prayers.

In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity

Tony

Chaplain’s Comments

We have begun a very personal and intimate journey toward the memorial of the climax of the life of our blessed Lord. Lent is a time -repeated every year of our lives -to strengthen in ourselves the grace bestowed on us at baptism, the grace that we need to resist the temptation of sin, and the grace to remain faithful to our calling, living our lives the way Jesus Christ lived. We seize the moment of this lenten season not by putting on the guise of prayer, but by using our prayer to explore the depth of God’s presence in our lives. It is through this examination that we realize our total dependence on God’s grace, mercy, and blessings. Through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we experience a sacrifice that is part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We do these things not to be noticed by others, but to make more room in our lives for God.

In what ways will you seize the moment of this Lenten journey?

Fr. Joe Mecir,

Irish Brigade Division Chaplain

Green Season Events

 Here are some events being planned around our area over the next few weeks.

MARCH 3rd – AOH Mark Heffernan Division Fundraiser at 2000 Brown Street in Akron,  OH.     Music, food and fun.  (6:30-11:00 pm)

MARCH 4th – AOH Mark Heffernan Hall “All Irish Day” with Fergie and friends.  Music, food and fun again! (Noon-6:00 pm)

MARCH 6th – AOH Medina County Monthly Meeting.  Bunker Hill Golf Course.  Meeting begins at 7:00 pm but come early for the steak special!

MARCH 8th – AOH/LAOH Medina County “Meet & Greet” at Panera Bread, 135 Great Oaks Trail in Wadsworth, OH.  (7:00-9:00 pm)

MARCH 10th – Akron Celtic Guards Hurling Club “Pre-Parade Breakfast” at Mark Heffernan  Hall, 2000 Brown Street in Akron, OH. (8:00-11:00 am)

MARCH 10th – Akron St. Patrick’s Parade in downtown Akron.  AOH & LAOH Divisions will  be marching.  Parade will start at 12:00 noon, but we should gather at 11:00 am at the corner of South Main & Bartges Streets (in front of Spaghetti Warehouse.

MARCH 10th – After parade parties will be held at St. Brendan Division Hall at 753 N. Main Street in Akron and also at the KofC Hall behind the Mark Heffernan Hall.

MARCH 17th – Cleveland St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Cleveland. Parade will begin at Superior & E. 18th at 1:04 pm.

AOH Regalia

By: J. Michael Finn

For a new member it’s easy to become confused by the variety and names of the various items that represent the ceremonial dress of the Hibernians.

In the old days, there was never a single adopted standard for AOH ceremonial dress. The type was always dictated by the individual jurisdictions. At the division level this was often dictated by the size of the division and how much money the division wanted to spend. This has varied from a simple pin badge to actual uniforms with hats and swords (similar to the current 4th Degree Knights of Columbus). There were companies who specialized in the production of fraternal regalia. Notable was the M. C. Lilly Company of Columbus which operated from the 1870s until 1946.

The earliest form of AOH ceremonial dress was the vest type which was worn around the neck and fastened in the front. They often had fringe around the outside of the vest. Our current National Historian often refers to this as the “horse collar” vest. The front of the vest was often decorated with items of both US and Irish symbols. These included eagles, stars, harps and shamrocks. There are very few of these vests remaining, as they were most often made of silk, which is very difficult to preserve.

The next and most commonly found regalia from the old days is the double-sided ribbon. This was a long ribbon, also often made of silk with fringe at the bottom of the ribbon. One side was green and contained the name of the Order, the division number and the city where the division was located. The opposite side was black and contained the words “In Memoriam.” The pin at the top was reversible allowing either the green side or the black side to be worn facing out. The green side was used for meetings, events and parades; the black side was used when attending funerals. These were usually pinned to the lapel.

Today the Order uses a standard medallion which is worn by elected and appointed officers of the Order. The medallion indicates the office held by the wearer; President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, etc. The color of the ribbon indicates the jurisdiction of the officer. A gold ribbon indicates the wearer is a national officer; a white ribbon white indicates a state officer; a green ribbon indicates a county officer; purple indicates a division officer and the Irish tri-color ribbon indicates a national life member. These medallions are to be worn at meetings, formal ceremonies or other events sponsored by the Order.

The discussion of medallions always brings up an interesting question: What medallion should I wear if I am an officer in more than one jurisdiction? There is no defined protocol for this situation. Some officers choose to wear the medallion of the highest office and some choose to wear both medallions. I would say a good rule of thumb is to wear the medallion of the highest office to any official ceremony of the Order, unless you happen to be serving as the presiding officer. That is, a member who is both a division president and a state president should wear the division medallion when presiding at division meetings and the state medallion at all other times.

But, the general rule is that there is no rule.

Members of the Order are also encouraged to purchase and wear a baldric. A baldric is the single piece of material that is worn diagonally from the right shoulder to below the waist. It was originally worn as a holder for a sword. There is also no standard design within the Order for baldrics.  Some divisions’ baldrics are solid green in color, containing the letters AOH or the emblem of the AOH. Other divisions often use the Irish tricolor (green, white and orange). In either case, the baldric identifies you as a member of the AOH and should be worn on all occasions sponsored by the AOH or when instructed to do so by your officers.

With this article are two photos. The one labeled An Hibernian is a photo of an early Hibernian from a division in Buchtel, Ohio. This division apparently chose to wear a formal uniform to identify its members. He is also wearing a variation of the “horse color” vest in addition to a coat and hat. The other photo is a composite photograph of an early double-sided ribbon from a division in Florence, Mass.

2012 Dues

Per our bylaws, those in attendance at last night’s meeting (01/10/12 the first business meeting of calendar year) voted on the 2012 dues.

The 2012 dues are, as follows:

Regular member = $36

Retired member = $32

Full time student = $18

Keep in mind that dues not paid by the end of the March business meeting a $5 charge will be added.

You can bring your dues to next month’s meeting or mail them to me at the address below.

Thanks and hope to see all of you soon.

Joe Casey

1838 Baythorn Way

Brunswick, OH 44212-6801

Letter to Target

It’s that time of the year when some businesses try to make money from debasing the Irish people by selling inappropriate products for St. Patrick’s Day. The following is a letter our State President sent to Target.

Target Management

225 Crossroads Blvd. #338

Carmel, CA 93923

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Joe Casey and I am the State President of the largest Irish American Organization in the United States, the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America. I visited your store in Medina, Ohio today and was disgusted to see the array of t-shirts that I feel is debasing the entire Irish race. Let me give you two examples. “Irish You Were Beer” and “If Found Return to Paddy’s Pub” are the two I saw hanging in the Mens Wear Department. I am sure there were more but I decided to leave before I became angry.

St Patrick’s Day, March 17th, is a day when the Irish celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. For those of us who do cherish our heritage, and yes, there are many, we do by celebrating in a respectful manner with many of us starting the day by attending Mass prior to marching in parades. Yes, there are those “once-a-year-Irish” who use this day as an excuse to over celebrate but that does not give you or anyone else the right to defame and debase a whole race of people by selling the garbage that you display in your stores. I am only asking for the same consideration that you would give to African-Americans, Spanish-Americans and Muslim-Americans, just to name just a few. I am copying this letter to our brothers across the state of Ohio and also to our National Board. If Target does not have any respect for the Irish people or the Catholic Religion and we will ask the Irish to Boycott your establishments.

Please let me know what you decide and if you do have a change of heart, I will be the first one to congratulate you by spreading the word.

Joe Casey, President

AOH Ohio State Board

Pot of Gold Raffle

Pot of Gold raffle tickets ($5 for one, or three for $10) are now on sale. The proceeds will be used to offset the State AOH/LAOH convention hospitality room costs; first prize is $500, with a second and third prize awards of $100 each. The drawing will be at the 2012 Spring State Board meeting. See Kevin Hickey or Tony Manley to purchase your tickets.

(March meeting will be on Tuesday, the 6th @ 7pm at Bunker Hill)

Brothers,

Wow – almost half way through Winter. And we fooled Old Man Winter last month … changing our meeting date to

the second Tuesday of January resulted in the first time our January meeting was not on a night fraught with ice and wind. (Of course, the preceding Tuesday evening did not have ice and wind either, but I’m not going to confuse anyone with those facts.)

A few high points from last month’s meeting:

• We celebrated our Division Chaplain, Fr. Joe Mecir, receiving his PhD. And while we all know Brother Pete Chrystal is a terrific baker, surprise! surprise!, it seems Brother Joe Casey also knows how to manhandle a mixer and preheat an oven as he baked a very delicious cake – complete with decorations – to celebrate Fr. Joe’s accomplishment.

• Details are being finalized on the judging of submitted  essays and the awarding of scholarship money from last year’s golf outing fundraiser. While it can very easy to give away money, the concern is that we do this right, and thus eliminate any cause for criticism.

• Brother Paul McNamee volunteered to again sign us up for a Buehler’s hot dog stand day for 2012. Once we have an assigned date, more details will follow; this really is a terrific opportunity to earn easy money and promote our reputations (I foresee that our signage this year will tout the three Medina County scholarships we awarded), and when all Brothers participate, it becomes even easier and funner. (Okay, so I made that last word up.)

• Brother Dave Manley, Chairman of Missions & Charities, relayed his story of meeting Fr. Kevin Conroy in Cambodia (Dave was a vacationing tourist, Fr. Conroy was a working missionary.) The conversation took on a deeper meaning when Dave learned that Fr. Kevin Conroy, obviously of Irish descent, hailed from Cleveland Ohio! And as is true of virtually all missionaries, Fr. Conroy can always use additional funding to help the children of his mission, so the Division voted to make a one-time contribution, and Dave is working on ideas to raise funds and awareness later in the year. A little notoriety is sometimes a good thing – a few cases in point from just the last two months ….

• Our Lady of Grace parish bulletin (December 18) acknowledged our Division’s contribution to the Food Pantry.

• The Medina Post recently had a nice article about Pete Chrystal being awarded the Division’s Commodore John Barry Memorial medal.

• The Hinckley Record (January 2012, page 12) had a nice article covering our Troops Overseas collection efforts and our Boxing Party, complete with a group picture. (And speaking of pictures in the Hinckley Record – did you see the picture of our Division Marshall on page two? Emma cleans him up pretty good!)

• And the Cleveland.com website also had a recent article about our Troops Overseas collection efforts and Boxing Party. (I unfortunately did not see that article so I can’t say if it had a picture, but several Brothers who did see it commented very positively on it.)

And so why is this good? The more we get our name out there (for positive things, gentlemen), the more chances we have of reaching other Catholic men of Irish descent, which is an easy way to promote our Division, and building Division

membership is everyone’s job. We will soon start planning Meet & Greets following masses at a number of our parishes. The more Brothers we have at these masses, the more our ‘statement’ is broadcast and heard. You go to Mass already – why not make the additional effort to attend one of these Masses. Building Division membership is everyone’s job. (did I mention that before?)

REMINDER – 2012 dues are now being collected; $36 for regular members, $32 for retirees, $18 for fulltime students,

and no charge for clergy and active military. Dues not received by March 31 are subject to a $5.00 late fee. If you are not able to attend the upcoming meeting, please be sure to mail your check to Joe Casey to avoid the March late fees. And don’t forget, with your dues payment, you are entitled to your very own set of AOH calling cards.

Pot of Gold raffle tickets ($5 for one, or three for $10) are going fast – February 7 may be the last meeting these are available. First prize is $500, with second and third prize awards of $100 each, and proceeds offset the State AOH/

LAOH hospitality room costs. Please contact Kevin Hickey or myself for tickets and information.

And let us not forget to help support the Akron St. Patrick’s Day Parade (which will be Saturday March 10); our Division pays nothing for a prominent spot the procession line-up, but don’t think that parade costs are really “free”. The annual ‘Night At The Races’ fundraiser will be Saturday February 18 – for a nominal cover charge, you then will enjoy all the beer, food, camaraderie and entertainment you desire for one evening. Details are later in the newsletter. Can’t show your support that night? Consider this …. Buy a horse for the evening; just send Leo Stalter $20 and you get: a chance to win $50 (if your horse wins his race), and naming rights for the horse! And if you have ever attended one of these events, you know that the horses in the front of the pack keep having their names repeated again and again as they round the track and head for the finish line, so this presents an excellent opportunity for you to show your creativeness (or maybe vindictiveness?). You can call Leo at 330-882-3174.

Lastly, in closing, I again ask that each of us take a moment – right now if you can – to say a prayer for Brothers and family

members who are in want/need of our prayers: for Ray Schulte’s mother; for Chris Courtney’s sister, Rachel ; for Mark

DeLima’s brother-in-law; and for Dave and Tony Manley’s sister, Mary (also aunt to Scott) – let us pray for their collective health and well being, as well as all other Brothers and family members who are in need of our prayers.

And it’s always nice to end on an upbeat note – let us also give a prayer of thanksgiving – Kevin and Marie Hickey have now welcomed their new daughter, Olivia, into this world. Mom and daughter are doing wonderful, and Kevin, well he didn’t work as hard as they did, and Marie says he is still the same.

In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity -

Tony

CHAPLAIN’S COMMENTS

HOW DO YOU SEE THE CHURCH?

Have you ever thought about the early church and what it looked like? Scripture tells us that the first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to loving one another, to prayer, and to the Eucharist. It says that they regularly met in the Temple, shared meals in each other’s homes, and cared for each other.

It’s important for us to know that the apostles didn’t just dream up these practices. At the Last Supper, Jesus told them: “Do this in memory of me”. And through-out his ministry he told them to pray, to forgive each other, and to be mindful of the poor. In short, he told them to be holy as their heavenly Father was holy – and to do this together, as brothers and sisters. So after Pentecost, this is what they did. They began to put his words into practice, and as a result, the church grew and spread from city to city.

Of course, the church had its fair share of problems. Not only were there persecutions from without, there were problems from within: disagreements over the place of Gentiles in the church, arguments over who should be trusted as apostles, and fights over whether or not to hold to Jewish traditions. Some elders, like Paul, even made these differences very public, and some of these grudges were held onto for many years. And these are just the ones we know about!

Two thousand years later, while many things in the church have changed dramatically, the most important things remain the same. Our leaders continue to call us to pray, to receive the sacraments, and to be Jesus’ light in the world. As a people, we continue to defend human dignity and speak out for the poor and defenseless. At times the church has been attacked from without for its teachings. But there have also been times when it has been threatened from within: public disputes, even deception and sexual abuse. In many ways, the church has always been a green light to the world, but with a bit of its own tarnish.

A MYSTERY IN CHRIST. But no matter what strengths or weaknesses we may see in the church, we need to be careful not to look at it only as a human institution. Yes, the church is a gathering of fallen, sinful people, but it is also the beloved bride of Christ. No matter how much sin we see in its members or its leaders, we need to

remember Jesus’ promise that not even the gates of hell will prevail against it. We need to look at the church as something more than just a human invention. It is also a divine act of God, the sacrament of God’s Presence in human history, the holy dwelling place for the people of God.

We need to look beyond the flaws of the church – including our own personal flaws – and to see the church as Jesus sees it: as an undeniably perfect gathering, whose members are being purified and prepared for the eternal wedding feast.

Fr. Joe Mecir,

Irish Brigade Division Chaplain

Pro-Life March – Washington D.C.

Joe Casey

The Hibernians were out in-force on Monday, January 23rd, when they met near the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. They met for the 39th anniversary of Roe v Wade. Hibernians from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, Washington DC and other states first met at the Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub for breakfast and a series of short speeches before heading out on that cold, rainy march. One senator from Maryland said he actually hopes we never have to get together and do this again; meaning that, if we can get the government to agree, then abortion would be illegal in the U.S. again and the need to march for justice would no longer be required.

Until that time, you can be certain of one thing…..the Hibernians will be there, in force.

Congratulations Fr. (Dr.) Joe

Our Chaplain, Fr. Joseph S. Mecir, recently received his PhD. His dissertation was titled “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” a comparison between Catholics and Jehovah’s Witnesses!

We celebrated with him at our January meeting.

Barry Gate

Annapolis, MD: January 6, 2012:

Today, at the US Naval Academy, the Hibernians honored the Irish born American Revolutionary War hero, Commodore John Barry. They installed an arch emblazoned in gold letters with Barry’s name over the Naval Academy’s main pedestrian gate in Annapolis, Maryland. The workers from Signcraft of Annapolis installed the arch at 11:35 am (Eastern time).

A delighted group of Hibernians (LAOH and AOH) and members of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick from Philadelphia were in attendance and participated. Those present took an informal but democratic vote to recognize the gate as the Barry Gate. Without objection, the motion passed!

With a sheet over the gate for a few minutes, a group held an informal unveiling. Many photos were taken and John E. McInerney, the National Co-Chairman and Public Relations Director of the Barry Memorial Project, gave a speech in front of the gate. “This is indeed a great day for the Irish American community and the United States Naval Academy,” declared McInerney. “For a long while we have been saying – “Let’s meet at Barry Gate.” Finally, we are here today actually meeting at Barry Gate.” It is the hope of Naval Academy officials that Barry Gate will be a popular designated meeting place for midshipmen. “For 175 years the Hibernians honored the memory of Commodore John Barry,” McInerney pointed out. “Today, Barry’s life, patriotism, heroism and great naval victories are a model and inspiration for our future commissioned officers of the Navy and Marine Corps.”

“We accomplished phase one of the Barry Project with the new Barry Gate,” said Jack O’Brien, National Co-Chairman and Organizer of the Barry Project. “Now we have to raise the money to erect the Barry Memorial and Plaza. The total cost will be around $200,000.00.”

President’s Message

Dear Brother Hibernians –

Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit! (A Prosperous New Year!)

Our second annual AOH/LAOH Christmas Party is now behind us. For those who attended, I trust you had as good a time as I did (and I really enjoyed myself!). For those who could not make it, we were privileged with a number of honored guests – AOH National Director Danny O’Connell, Ohio State Board President Joe Casey, along with his wife Cheryl, Ohio State Board Vice President Mike McKenzie, and his wife Coleen (a past LAOH State President), and Leo Stalter and his wife Eloise (the current LAOH Ohio State Vice President).

I had the distinct honor and pleasure of awarding our Division’s second Commodore John Barry Medal to Brother Pete Chrystal. Pete has been a vital member of our Division throughout 2011 (and prior), and we all should take a page from his playbook on what it means to be an active, contributing member to our AOH Division. (And that’s not to suggest other Brothers are not active contributors – we thankfully have a good number of them! – but rather meant to challenge all of us, myself included, to see if we cannot ratchet it up a notch in 2012.) Perhaps you saw the Saturday December 24th issue of the Medina Post recognizing Pete as well. Also coming from our Christmas Party was a very sizeable donation of non-perishable food items, along with a cash donation of $34.00 (compliments of Eloise Stalter, who donated the entirety of her 50/50 drawing winnings), all of which went to Our Lady of Grace’s Food Bank. Many thanks to everyone who participated in those donations!

And remember … we have moved our January meeting date out one full week – from January 3rd to January 10th (now why do I think the January ice storm will likewise move out one week??).

And one more HUGE SUCCESS from last month was our third annual Boxing Party. A Tip O’ the Tam goes out to every Brother, wife, girlfriend and child who helped make that event even bigger than the two prior years combined. We were able to pack up 25 boxes of goodies and shipped them off to four Marine First Sergeants serving in Afghanistan. And each of those boxes were stuffed, as between those four men, they are responsible for over 600 enlisted men and women who volunteered to serve in harm’s way to promote and preserve our American values. I firmly believe it is a challenge to serve in today’s volunteer forces – they, and their families, have given up a lot for you and me. But it is even tougher when they serve overseas, especially in hostile areas, and they were undoubtedly reminded of what they chose to forego during the Christmas Holiday Season. They are true heroes. And my final Tip O’ the Tam salute goes out to Brother Paul McNamee, and his daughter Erin, who graciously loaded up all 25 boxes and took them to the Post Office for shipment.

Enclosed in this month’s Newsletter is information on an event being organized by Brother Kevin O’Neil, our Press & Publicity Officer. Kevin also happens to be President of the Quad-County Chapter (Summit, Medina, Wayne, Ashland) of the Knights of Columbus, and they are sponsoring a night with the Lake Erie Monsters hockey team on Saturday, January 21st. Not only are they offering discounted tickets, but free T-shirts are being given away at the game, and the event benefits the K of C, so please plan to attend what has the makings of a great family evening.

And a reminder to all Brothers – 2012 dues will be collected at the January and February meetings; if you will not be attending one of these meetings, be sure to mail your dues to Joe Casey to avoid the March late fees. Our dues are increasing this year (an additional $4.00 for the National assessment and $2.00 for the State assessment; and for the latter, our State has a well deserved reputation for being very hospitable to all Hibernians at national gatherings, and this nominal assessment goes directly to those expenses). Remember too that Brothers who are fulltime college students and/or retired have a slight reduction in their annual Division dues.

And a gentle reminder that Kevin Hickey and I are selling Pot of Gold raffle tickets ($5 for one, or three for $10) to offset the State AOH/LAOH hospitality room costs; first prize is $500, with a second and third prize awards of $100 each. The drawing will be at the 2012 Spring State Board meeting, so don’t delay on getting your tickets now. I will offer a motion at our January meeting that our Division purchases a nominal quantity of these tickets as well.

And a positively grand way that we can strengthen our Division is by recruiting new members. At the Christmas Party Joe Casey distributed a supply of business cards that we can each personalize with our contact information and provide as a useful handout to Catholic men of Irish descent who may have interest in becoming members. Did you know that business cards used today actually started out as calling cards in China (15th century) and then Europe (17th century), and were given to the Master or Madame of the house, announcing who was calling on them? It therefore seems apropos that we should now be using them to announce that we are calling on various men to join the ranks of an organization that has a storied history such as the AOH. If you did not get a supply of these cards – or better yet, if you have handed out all that you did receive – be sure to get with Joe for more cards. And while we’re talking about recruiting, have you visited our Division’s website lately? We really do have a very good website – and it is proudly noted on our new business (calling) cards.

Lastly, in closing, I again ask that each of us take a moment – right now if you can – to say a prayer for Brothers and family members who are in want/need of our prayers: for Lou McDonald’s wife, Alice; for Kevin Hickey’s wife, Marie and their soon-to-be newborn child (Marie, who is also President of the Medina County LAOH, and Kevin are expecting their first child in February); and for Dan Bafunno’s grandson Max – let us pray for their collective health and well being, as well as all other Brothers and family members who are in need of our prayers.

In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity -

Tony

2nd Annual Christmas Party

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Irish Brigade Division No. 1 of Medina County and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians celebrated Christmas during their second annual holiday party on December 6th at Bunker Hill Golf Course.

After the dinner, President Tony Manley presented the Commodore John Barry medal to Pete Chrystal of Chippewa Lake for his continued service to the order and to the division. Pete participated in a number of volunteer functions, and most recently, a golf outing event at Bunker Hill that raised funds for Medina county scholarships.

Irishman Commodore John Barry is recognized as the first flag officer of the American Navy. The John Barry Medal is presented by Hibernians throughout the United States to commemorate outstanding academic, cultural and civic achievement. Congratulations Commodore!

Newsletter

Just a reminder. If you have information for our monthly newsletter, please send it as a Word attachment to an e-mail to Jim Casey at  jjcasey973@columbus.rr.com.

2012 Dues

Brothers, per our division bylaws, (Article VI): Section II Dues.

Dues for regular membership, student membership, and retired in the division shall be determined to be a set amount, plus the total of the per capita taxes levied by the National and State boards of the Order, by a majority vote of those in attendance at the first business meeting of the calendar year. Dues are to be paid in full prior to the close of business at the March meeting. Dues not paid by the close of business at the March meeting shall include the $5 late fee.

That being said, we will determine the 2012 dues at our January meeting. Please be ready to pay your dues at that time.

Pot of Gold Raffle

Pot of Gold raffle tickets ($5 for one, or three for $10) are now on sale. The proceeds will be used to offset the State AOH/LAOH convention hospitality room costs; first prize is $500, with a second and third prize awards of $100 each. The drawing will be at the 2012 Spring State Board meeting. See Kevin Hickey or Tony Manley to purchase your tickets.

K of C Hockey Night

Brother Kevin O’Neil, our Press & Publicity Officer, who also happens to be President of Quad-County Chapter (Summit, Medina, Wayne, Ashland) of the Knights of Columbus, informs us they are sponsoring a night with the Lake Erie Monsters hockey team on Saturday, January 21st. Not only are they offering discounted tickets, but free T-shirts are being given away at the game, and the event benefits the K of C, There are several ways to get into the event. 1) Easiest way — Call Jessica Naderer at the arena at 216-420-2402 and she will take the credit card order. Mention it is for January 21st game. 2) Call Jessica and she will give you a mailing address if you want to send a check. 3) Go online to “groups.theqarena.com/kofc” and you can pay online.

If there are event or other questions, anyone can call Kevin at 330-416-7841 or email him at kevin_oneil@yahoo.com.

Boxing Party

On Tuesday, December 13th, we met at Foster’s and loaded a total of 25 boxes of goodies that will be sent to 4 different Marine 1st Sgts. in Afghanistan. Thanks to all that donated and to those that could make it to the party.

Message from Catholic Action Chairman, Ed Brannan

Greetings Ohio Hibernians,

The Holidays are behind us and it is time to start the New Year. Keep in mind that the March for Life is coming up on January 23 in Washington D. C. Please plan to attend if you can.

Below are some ideas that you can use to start the New Year.

Help organize buses to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Hold a local March for Life in January.

Host a pro-life breakfast.

Host a pro-life baby bottle drive.

In honor of Respect Life Month, host a life chain to pray for an end to abortion.

Hold a diaper drive to support Abortion alternatives. Collect diapers, baby wipes and a variety of additional supplies for mothers who choose life for their babies

Erect pro-life cross displays at the parishes that the Division serves.

Host a “Souper Bowl” can drive on Super Bowl Sunday February 5.

Challenge the Parishioners to bring in a can of soup for the local Food Pantry on the day of the big game.

Please report any projects that your Division participates in to me. I want to share what you are doing with the rest of the state.

Sincerely,

Ed Brannan

4637 Burkey Rd., Austintown Ohio 44515, (330) 651-0424, EDBRAN6@aol.com

Correspondence

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians

Dear Friends,

On behalf of the parishioners of Our lady of Grace, I wish to thank you for your recent donation of food items to our food pantry. This will come in handy especially during this Christmas season when the need is so great and we are having more people requesting help. We appreciate your generosity.

May God bless you and your ministry. May you and your families have a blessed Christmas and a happy, healthy new year.

Sincerely

Rev. Joseph S. Mecir

Pastor, Our Lady of Grace Church, Hinckley, Ohio