NJ State Board Members Meet in D.C. to Discuss Immigration ReformFriday, 22 January 2010
Mary’s Gift Irish Language Foundation, Inc.Monday, 11 January 2010
The Mary's Gift website is available at www.marysgift.org. Press Coverage of Fourth Annual Polar PlungeMonday, 11 January 2010AOH Patrick Torphy Division 2 of Middletown had its fourth annual Polar Plunch to benefit local Catholic schools on January 10th. Articles are available at the respective websites for the Irish Echo, MyCentralJersey.com and the Atlantic Highlands Herald. AOH Brother Has A Wish For SonWednesday, 30 December 2009AOH Brother Sean O’Brien one and half year old son Keane Patrick O’Brien has been diagnosed with Leukodystrophy with is a rare illness that results from a lack of white brain matter. Monsignor Crean AOH Division One hosted a fundraiser for Keane in November and Sean is looking for support including prayers. The Irish Echo wrote about Keane recently which can be found here. Bergen 32 Salutes Inaugural PresidentTuesday, 29 December 2009
John Connelly was one of 10 original members that started Division 32 in June 2007. Under his leadership, he truly followed the AOH principles of Friendship, Unity and Catholic Charity. In the past 2 years he has successfully expanded membership from the founding 10 to more than 100 active brothers. As president, John has started a variety of events that gave all of the brothers an opportunity to unite with one another such as an annual beefsteak, softball tournament, annual Jackals outing and outdoor family mass. Finally, he has been a true example of Catholic charity, under his presidency the division has participated in numerous blood drives, polar bear plunge and other fundraising activities that benefited many in the local community. At the meeting, Kevin Blute succeeded as Division President along with his officers: Tom Lawler, Vice President, Chris Caslin, Financial Secretary, VJ Davis, Recording Secretary, and Bob Smith, Treasurer. Article about History of the AOH and Fr. Solanus CaseyTuesday, 29 December 2009Tom Sullivan, a columnist with North Jersey Media group including the Clifton Journal, Bergen Record and Herald News recently wrote an article about the history of the AOH and how Bergen 32 among other groups is trying to make Fr. Solanus Casey the first American Born saint. The story is available at the NorthJersey.com website. NJ Executive Board Members Meet with Senator MenendezWednesday, 23 December 2009Members of the New Jersey AOH executive board met with Senator Robert Menendez at his office in Newark last week. They discussed immigration reform from an Irish American perspective. For more information, click here to view the full article. President's Christmas MessageSunday, 20 December 2009December, 2009 As December approaches, many of us start to reflect upon the past year and what we have to be thankful for. First and foremost, it is the duty of each of us to promote the works, deeds and actions of the "The Order", not just by wearing a jacket or a hat or putting a decal on our cars, but by actually increasing membership and expanding our presence with new Divisions. There have been several events recently and more scheduled, but the one that we have always supported is Freedom for all Ireland and "The Annual Christmas Appeal" chaired by our Vice President, Brother Sean Pender. I hope you will give Brother Pender your full cooperation with this appeal for the ongoing support for Justice Initiative in the north of Ireland. I would also like to continue this endeavor keeping New Jersey at the top with your outstanding financial support. As the year winds down, I would urge you to file your appropriate Form 9, Form 11 and pertinent Form 40s to ensure that State Secretary Bill Young and National Secretary Tom McNabb have the most current information regarding membership. Please review your paperwork for accuracy before submitting through the appropriate process. Finally, I would like to wish all of my brothers and their families a Holy and Happy Christmas and New Year! Jere E. Cole Jr., President 2009 Ireland Flood Relief AppealSunday, 20 December 2009December 8, 2009 Dear Brother Hibernians, Following one of the wettest summers on record in Ireland and rainfalls in November and December 2009 that have been nothing short of catastrophic, conditions caused by flooding have reached a level of devastation that actually parallels that encountered by New Orleans and the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. First hand reports and information from various news agencies indicate that at a minimum the current major areas affected include Clare, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Roscommon with reported rivers that have burst their banks, bridges collapsed and major roads shut down. Homes in Down, Armagh and Belfast have been damaged in the high waters and some residents in the east of the city have been forced to seek emergency accommodation. Property damage and the unsanitary conditions being caused as a result are extensive. South of the boarder the Midlands and Kilkenny were among the worst hit regions, with serious flooding affecting parts of Kildare, Westmeath, Offaly, Tipperary and Laois. The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America is committed to doing everything within our power to aid those in need as a result of the current devastation and we are joining our Brothers Hibernians from the Board of Erin in raising funds to send to the Irish Red Cross. We are certain that, as has happened so many times in the past, the compassion, support and generosity of our membership will once again make our efforts a success. We ask that you distribute this information to individual members, divisions and boards within your jurisdiction. Include it in your newsletters and post it on your websites. No donation is too small. Checks should be made out to the AOH National Board 2009 IFR Appeal and mailed to the address above. Thank you and God bless you for your anticipated support. In our Motto, Tom Tighe Named 2010 South Amboy St. Patrick's Day Parade Honorary Grand MarshallFriday, 17 December 2009The South Amboy St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee announced recently that the 2009 Honorary Grand Marshall will be Sayreville resident, Tom Tighe. Tom has been an active member in the community for many years. He is a past president of the Middlesex County Ancient Order of Hibernians, David B. Kelly Chapter Division I of the AOH in South Amboy. For more information, click here to view the full press release. "MacBride at 25" Letter to Event AttendeesFriday, 10 December 2009Dear Friend of the Irish Echo, I want to thank you for your support for Irish America's tremendous salute in New York City Hall — a venue we enjoyed courtesy of Council Speaker Christine Quinn — to the MacBride Principles. Over 230 people packed into City Hall for a night which showcased the very best of Irish America's selfless commitment to the Irish peace process as outlined by champions of justice such as Brian O'Dwyer of O'Dwyer and Bernstien, former Assemblyman John Dearie, Fr Sean McManus, President of the Irish National Caucus, and Brendan Moore of the AOH. For 25 years, the Principles have been a shining beacon of Irish America's commitment to peace and justice. The charter on fair employment, launched in the US in 1984, helped transform fair employment legislation in the North of Ireland, made the workplace the most integrated part of society in Northern Ireland, and laid the groundwork for a peace underpinned with equality and justice. It was uplifting to see so many of our speakers look forward to the next 25 years of US involvement in the Irish peace process through investments in areas of the North which suffered the most during the years of conflict. Pledges at the City Hall gathering from New York City Comptroller-elect John Liu and New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to continue their commitment to fair investments in Northern Ireland are particularly welcome and The Irish Echo, along with its sister group Belfast Media Group, has already invited John Liu to visit Ireland to see the situation on the ground for himself. It's our hope that this continued engagement will enable the City and State of New York to partner community-based regeneration bodies such as ILEX in Derry and the planned Gaeltacht Regeneration Body in West Belfast to make investments which can bring a peace dividend to people on the ground in the North from both communities and a strong return for the pension fund holders in the US. You can read a full report from the City Hall celebration, along with video clips, on our website www.irishecho.com, while we have a special report on MacBride at 25 in this week's newspaper. I hope to see you again at the Irish Echo's many events in 2010 including our 40 Under 40 on 18 February and our 'New York-New Belfast' conference on 9-10 June. Best wishes, le mór-mheas, "Building on MacBride" Marking the 25th Anniversary of the MacBride Principles on Fair EmploymentFriday, 4 December 2009New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and The Irish Echo present "Building on MacBride" Marking the 25th Anniversary of the MacBride Principles on Fair Employment. It will be held at City Hall, New York City on December 8, 2009 from 4:45 p.m.-7:00 p.m. The chair will be Brian O'Dwyer of O'Dwyer and Bernstien featuring contributions from the following:
They will be followed by a reception saluting former comptrollers for their commitment to the MacBride Principles. There will be special recognition for Pat Doherty of the New York City Comptroller's Office and Fr. Sean McManus, Irish National Caucus. For tickets please call Madeline O'Boyle at (212) 482-4818 Ext. 123 or email: moboyle@irishecho.com A printable PDF with this information is available here Dues Reminder For DivisionTuesday, 24 November 2009As the year end approaches, it is important for All divisions and county boards to review their membership roster. A membership report along with per-capita dues must be completed by all Divisions & County Boards and submitted to the National, State, & County Secretaries before Feburary 15th, 2010. A pre-made spreadsheet is available to help you easily compute your division's membership and required per-capita dues. You can use the login form at the left to gain access to the files. We will also provide an alternate means of access using a generic login in the near future. State Board Meeting December 2009Tuesday, 24 November 2009The next State Board meeting will be held on December 5, 2009 at 12 noon. The meeting will be held at St. Peter the Apostle Church Hall, at the intersection of Baldwin Road and Route 46 in Parsippany, NJ. (Entrance is on the side of the Church facing the Baldwin Road entrance). Directions |