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New York State Board President - Matt Nelligan |
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MARCH 2008
Moving toward the busy March season, it’s good to have a few minutes
to catch up with you
and update you on the progress of our Order in New York State. At
fund-raisers held in
Albany in December and February, we have been able to raise record
amounts of money for our
four primary charities: The Freedom For all Ireland Christmas Appeal,
The Hibernian Hunger
Project, Project St. Patrick and The Irish-American Heritage Museum.
What follows is a list
of our 2007-2008 donations in comparison to last year:
Project St. Patrick
$700 2007-2008
$500 2006-2007
Hibernian Hunger Project
$500 2007-2008
$0 2006-2007
Christmas Appeal
$2250 2007-2008
$1000 2006-2007
Irish-American Museum
$2500 2007-2008
$2500 2006-2007
It is important to point out that although the museum total donation is
the same, we have
been able to provide our full two-year payment in just the first seven
months of this
administration. I am very grateful to all of the divisions and counties
that sponsored our
charitable concerts. Your help was invaluable to the New York State
Board, and has allowed
us to dramatically expand our charitable work, without spending any dues
money out of our
general fund. This has helped us maintain a very strong financial
position. I would be
completely remiss if I did not thank Brothers Liam McNabb and Blake
Washington from Division
#5 in Albany who led the efforts to organize these events. Our success
would have been
impossible with-out their efforts.
I am also pleased to report that the per-capita rebate program that was
initiated at our
last State Convention has gotten off to an excellent start. As of
January 31st, we had 43
divisions paid in full. Last year we had only 3 divisions paid by the
same date. The
challenge now, is to make sure that the remainder of our divisions pay
by the end of March,
in order to avoid the 50 Cent per member penalty. Please get your
payments in as soon as
possible.
As we look toward the summer and our National convention we face more
challenges and I am
confident that we will achieve similarly good results. As you are all by
now aware, State
Vice-President Chip McLean is running a jumbo raffle to benefit our
National Convention
assistance fund. Tickets are $10 each and the top prize is $5000. All
proceeds will go to
support locally elected dele-gates to our National Convention. It is
imperative that we sell
all of the tickets available. Every dollar of profit will go back to
you, the members so
that we can maximize our delegation in New Orleans. We have endorsed
FIVE candidates
running, and I will not consider our efforts successful unless all five
are elected. To do
this, we need all our delegates and to get all our delegates to New
Orleans we need to sell
all these tickets. Feel free to contact Vice-President McLean if you
have any questions. I
also want to thank those who supported our convention fundraising
concert in Nassau County a
couple of weeks ago. State Treasurer Jim Burke did an excellent job
organizing this effort.
Over the last months, I have been able to visit many jurisdictions and
spread the word about
the pro-grams and goals of the New York State AOH. I want to thank
Brothers in Bronx,
Cayuga, Chemung, Onondaga, Oswego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga and
Jefferson counties
for their recent hospitality. I will also be visiting Rock-land, Broome,
Westchester and
New York Counties in the weeks to come. I am also pleased to re-port
that I will have the
honor of meeting with His Eminence Cardinal Egan this March to discuss
our role in
supporting our Catholic Faith and the importance of the expansion of
Catholic Lay
organizations such as ours. I will also present His Eminence with a
membership card on
behalf of the Ancient order of Hibernians. As I have traveled the state,
I have been very
impressed with the good work being done on the local level. The
activities of our Divisions
are after all, the lifeblood of our organization. The State Board will
continue to do all
that we can to support your efforts. Please have a very Happy St.
Patrick’s day, and don’t
forget that March is Irish-American History month! On a personal note,
my wife Jennifer and
I welcomed our second daughter Emily Rebecca on February 7th, everyone
is happy and healthy
and her big sister Molly is very excited. Thank you for all of the
congratulatory notes and
e-mails, Jen and I really appreciate it, and know that we can always
count on the support of
our Hibernian family.
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December 2007 |
President’s Message
Matt Nelligan
I am happy to report that your State Board is doing well, and is active
in the promotion of
the goals of our Order. Since my election in July, I have been fortunate
enough to travel to
many areas and events, and to speak to many division and county
presidents about our
initiatives. The other appointed and elected officers have also been
doing an excellent job
on your behalf. What follows is a summary of just some of the projects
that the state has
been actively engaged in.
First I would be remiss if I did not thank the Binghamton Division for
hosting the state
meeting and pro-life Mass. Leo Kane in particular is to be congratulated
for putting this
all together. From the welcome reception to the beautiful Mass,
Binghamton was an excellent
host. We are, as far as I know, the only state in the Country that hosts
a Mass for the
unborn, and we must make this an annual event. We also have pro-life
roses and bracelets
that each Director has taken back to their jurisdictions. I recently met
with the Executive
Director of the New York State Right To Life committee to coordinate our
efforts on this
issue. She has asked if the Hibernians would assist them in sponsoring a
pro-life youth day
in Albany. This is an opportunity not just to promote life, but also to
promote our Order.
My thanks to those at the State Meeting who voted unanimously to support
this.
Through the efforts of Catholic action Chairman Dan Case we have a
petition drive that is
underway to show our opposition to Same Sex Marriage. All are encouraged
to sign and return
these as soon as possible.
Brother Dan Dennehy has put together an excellent statement on our
position in regard to a
reciprocal VISA program with the Republic of Ireland. This was published
in the Irish Echo,
and demonstrates that NY intends to lead on issues that are vital to the
success of our
Order’s goals. We have also been very active in the campaign to grant
permanent legal status
to our Brother Malachy McAllister.
With the help of all Hibernians we have made a difference for Malachy
and his family.
Recently Sen. Menendez of New Jersey introduced a private bill that
would grant Malachy and
his children Sean and Nicola legal status. This effectively delays any
deportation order at
least until 2009. This is a tremendous victory for Malachy, the AOH and
for all
Irish-Americans.
Brother Paul O’Donnell, our Buy Irish Chairman has begun the process of
contacting Irish
shops to provide a 10% AOH discount across this state. Participating
businesses would
receive a window decal and be mentioned on our website. This is a very
innovative idea that
is already getting an excellent response.
State Organizer Liam McNabb is making significant progress on my goal of
organizing counties
in this state who have no AOH presence. So far he has leads in at least
four areas in
upstate NY, and I am confident we will soon inaugurate several new
divisions. I also welcome
Warren Scullin on board as our State Deputy Organizer for the downstate
region. I am sure
that with his assistance we will soon have new leads south of the
Catskills.
Our legal counsel Tom O’Donnell has already secured the approval of our
State By-Laws and
has been consulting with Divisions who own halls who have not yet
incorporated. Over the
next two years we will ensure that all are in compliance with our
National Constitution.
Through the leadership of State Sports Chair Pat Burns and Charities and
Missions Chair
Dennis Browne, we had our most successful mixed doubles bowling
tournament ever. More than
$1300 was raised for the State Board.
Our State Publicity Chair Brian Nelligan has initiated updates to our
state mailing list and
has the statewide automatic calling post system up and running. This is
sure to improve our
communication. Brother Nelligan will also be reporting on the services
of our professional
publicity firm, so that local jurisdictions know how to access these
services.
Through the efforts of NYS Archivist Joe Dolan we have secured a meeting
with James Tallon
from the Board of Regents to discuss our concerns in relation to the
teaching of the Irish
Famine curriculum in our State. State Historian Mike McCormack will
provide us with his
expertise and voice in an effort to make our voices heard on this
important topic.
Our State Editor Tom McKenna and our Webmaster Al Norton continue to do
an excellent job.
The newsletter continues to be a great vehicle for us to promote the
work of the Order, and
with the form nine now including E-mail addresses its reach will only
grow. Brother Norton
is so quick in posting information on the website, that it is in truth
updated almost daily.
This is only a sampling of what your state Board chairmen are doing, and
this does not even
include the efforts of our Directors in getting out the word about state
programs and
representing us on a regular basis. I want to particularly thank
District four Director John
Hyland and District Five Director Phil Sheridan for their help in
dealing with some issues
within their areas. The Directors are our eyes and ears, and it is
imperative that they keep
the state informed, and so far they are doing the job. Brother Stu
Fralick has resigned his
position as District Seven Director, and his duties will now be carried
out by Brother Tom
Boslet. I want to personally thank Tom for his willingness to take on
this important
position.
As we move forward into the winter, it is important that we have your
continued support for
our efforts. On December 14th and February 1st we will hold statewide
fundraiser for our
National Charities. We need Hibernians around the state to support these
efforts, either
through attendance or sponsorship. The information is available in this
newsletter and on
the state website. The December Fundraiser is for the FFAI Christmas
appeal and the
Hibernian Hunger Project. The efforts on the Christmas appeal will be
led by our new State
FFAI Chair Frank Corcoran from Syracuse. Frank has been active on this
vital issue for many
years and his level of commitment and determination are evident in all
that he does.
We are also running s statewide raffle and at least two fundraisers for
our convention
assistance fund. This fund will be used solely to help local
jurisdictions to pay for
delegates to attend our National Convention in New Orleans. We have four
candidates from
this state and we must show Unity if we are to prevail in all of these
races. The State is
committed to producing its maximum delegation, and we are ready to
assist you in doing so.
The State also continues to offer its recruitment and retention grants,
with $3000 available
for the efforts of local divisions. Please apply for a grant, so that
this money can be put
to work for you. Also, do not forget that our per-capita rebate program
begins this year. If
you pay before January 31st, you will receive a 50-cent per member
rebate on your taxes.
Those paying after March 31st will pay a penalty in the same amount.
Please take advantage
of this.
Second; since my election I have attended the Pennsylvania State
convention, County Board meetings in Albany, Suffolk, Rockland and
Ulster Counties as well as a District one meeting. I was
also honored to attend the 40th anniversary dance for Suffolk County
Division 8 and to hold
a meeting with NYS LAOH President Kathy Conway in conjunction with this
so that we can
coordinate our efforts. The State Executive Board met in August in
Orange County to
transition between administrations and then again in Albany in September
to sign the
contracts for the 2009 State Convention. We are also in constant contact
on issues that
emerge throughout the state.
I hope that it is obvious that I feel that the State Board is
approaching all of its efforts
with energy and enthusiasm. We can accomplish much, if we maintain our
unity in the midst of
all of the challenges that we face.
Thank you for your support so far, and from my family to yours please
enjoy a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!
NY State Endorses 5 Candidates For National
Office:
At The New York State Convention in July the
State Board unanimously endorsed Brother Seamus
Boyle of Pennsylvania for National President as well as our own brothers
Brendan Moore for
National Vice-President and Tom McNabb for National Secretary. At our
October meeting we
also endorsed incumbent Martin Kelly and Immediate Past State President
John Hennessy for
National Director.
Each of these Brothers has demonstrated time and again their commitment
to our Order and its
principles. They have served in offices at every level with distinction
and are well
qualified to lead our Order at the National Level. It is vitally
important that we give them
our full support and send our maximum allotment of delegates to the
National Convention in
New Orleans. With over 170 Brothers, New York has the largest delegation
to the National
Convention. We are honored to have been joined in our endorsements of
Brother Boyle, Moore
and McNabb by the great states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Rhode
Island. Together with
these States and others that are soon to join us, we have the ability to
dramatically affect
the direction of our National Board for the good of our entire Order. To
do so, we must come
in large numbers and come united. |
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SEPTEMBER 2007 |
Let me begin by thanking all of you for your
support during my first 8 years of service to this State Board and for
the confidence that you have shown in me by electing me your State
President. I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve the members
of this State. I have often said that while the State Board does good
work and serves a very important purpose, it is at the local level where
the greatest work of our Order is done. The State Board exists because
of you, and we are here to serve you, not the other way around. I
promise that I will always do my best to uphold this belief over the
next two years.
I would also be remiss if I did not thank the Albany-Schenectady
Convention committee for a wonderful State convention. I might be a
little biased as I am of course a proud member of Division 5 in Albany,
but this was one of the best State Convention’s that I have ever
attended. Local Chairs Brian Nelligan and Pat McSweeney along with more
than 100 others who contributed their time and experience to this effort
are to be congratulated. The convention also showed that cooperation and
mutual respect between the AOH and LAOH can yield great results. Karen
Keane, the State LAOH Liaison and I shouldered our burdens equally and
worked together on a daily basis. I want to also thank her for her
cooperation and leadership. I look forward to working with Pres. Conway
and the LAOH on many projects of mutual concern during my term.
This State board has a very ambitious agenda as we move into the fall. I
have asked members of the state board to take immediate action in the
areas of Organization, public relations, Catholic Action, Pro-Life,
Freedom for All Ireland and Political Education. Every committee Chair
and State Di-rector should be very aware of my expectations of them. New
York has always been a leader in 'Hibernianism' and over the next two
years we will again break new ground. We have hired a professional
public relations firm to assist not only the State Board but divisions
and counties as well, with getting the word out about our organization.
You will receive a letter from our State chair of public relations on
the services that will be available to you. We are set to begin a push
for organizing new divisions in areas of our state that have never
before had a Hibernian presence. This will also involve advertising and
marketing and will be directed by State Organizer Liam McNabb. We will
continue to make recruitment grants avail-able to existing divisions and
I urge people to apply for this assistance. On October 27th we will have
our fall meeting in Binghamton which, thanks to the leadership of State
Respect life Chair Leo Kane, will begin with our first statewide Mass
for the unborn. Details about this will be forthcoming, and we hope to
make this mass an annual event. No segment of our society has been more
ignored and discriminated against than the innocent unborn. It is a high
priority of this administration to highlight this issue. In addition we
also are beginning initiatives in the following areas:
1. Developing and distributing a voter guide for all Hibernians so that
the stances of politicians on our issues are clear to all members.
2. Starting a petition campaign against Same-Sex Marriage.
3. Using our influence to move forward a bilateral immigration agreement
with the Re-public of Ireland, and to renew existing visa programs for
the undocumented Irish. In doing so we will not support any bill that
undermines the National and economic security of the United States at
our Southern border.
4. We will continue our leadership in raising money for the Christmas
Appeal, and will have our first statewide fund-raiser on Fri. Dec. 14th
in Albany.
5. We will also hold fundraisers for the Hibernian Hunger project,
Project St. Patrick and the Irish-American museum, so that our
contributions to these worthy programs will continue to increase.
6. We will make every effort to convince the State Legislature that
questions on the Great Hunger MUST be added to the State Regent’s exam,
so that every school in our state will address this important topic as
required by state law.
I know that if we work together in the spirit of our motto, we can make
significant progress on all of these issues. It will take all of us to
make this happen, and I know I can count on everyone to do their part.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the State mixed doubles bowling
tournament in Chester on October 20th and at our State meeting and mass
for the un-born in Binghamton on October 27th. Enjoy the rest of the
summer and get ready for a busy fall.
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