Brother Hibernians,

      I am very proud to make two announcements. At our Quarterly State meeting, our Financial Secretary, J.J. Kelly was awarded an Honorary Life membership in the AOH.  This is a very high honor for a Hibernian.  J.J. joins Ed Kennedy as an Honorary Life member in our Division.  As an additional honor, two members of our Division have been selected as Grand Marshall for a parade in Northern Virginia.  Archbishop Edwin O’Brien will officiate at the Alexandria Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and J.J. Kelly will do the honors for the Manassas Saint Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15. 

      We are in the busiest time of our Hibernian year and we need the help of all members in the coming months. 

      While most of our members will be otherwise occupied on March 15 preparing for our Dinner, I would ask any who can to participate in  the Manassas Parade and I especially ask all who are available to please plan to march with the Division in the Alexandria parade on March 1 to make a good showing for Archbishop O’Brien.

      You should have already received your tickets for the All Saints Catholic Church 5 Car Raffle.  Please be generous and Good Luck.

      Our Saint Patrick’s Day Dinner and Entertainment is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2008.  We need maximum support for this event.  It is our major fund raiser and we have a lot of work to do to match last year’s success.  We will need help preparing the meal on Friday afternoon, and set up, servers, bar tenders and clean up on Saturday afternoon and evening.  Please contact our Vice President, Joe McGowan, (703) 451-4071, to let him know that you are available to help.  We also need help in the solicitation of door prizes.  If you have any local business contacts, please try to get some gift certificates, promotional items, or gifts for which they will be given credit at the party.

      Please come to the meetings where you can learn a lot more about our plans for this and other events.  Our February meeting will be on the third Thursday, February 21, as usual.  Since the third Thursday in March is Holy Thursday, we will meet on the second Thursday, March 13, two days before our gala dinner.  Unless otherwise announced, we will meet in St. Michael’s school as usual.

 

In Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity,

 

Gene

Gene Bransfield, Sr.
President

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President                                   Gene Bransfield

                                                   (703) 820-2464

Vice President                             Joe McGowan

                                                   (703) 451-4071

Recording Secretary                     Fred Koester

                                                   (703) 941-5266

Financial Secretary                             J. J. Kelly

                                                   (703) 455-1507

Treasurer                                       Chuck Curran

                                                   (703) 866-9825

Standing Committee                    Andrew Fuller

                                                   (703) 569-2620

Marshall                                        Sanford Stone

                                                   (703) 751-5663

Sentinel                                                     Vacant

                                                                              

Chaplain                                                    Vacant

                                                                              

Historian                                         Dan Rhoades

                                                   (703) 532-6385

Organizer                                        Joe Kennedy

                                                   (703) 658-3597

Pro-Life                                                    Vacant

                                                                              

Past President                               Chuck Curran

                                                   (703) 866-9825

 

Coming Events

·   Saturday, Feb 2, St. Brigid’s Gala, Dowd Division, Woodbridge

·   Saturday, Feb 9, Tri-State Board, Pat Troy’s, Alexandria

·   Thursday, Feb 21, Monthly Meeting.

·   Saturday, Mar 1, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Alexandria

·   Saturday, Mar 15, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Manassas

·   Saturday, Mar 15, Division St. Patrick’s Party @ St. Michael’s

·   Sunday, March 16, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Washington, DC

·   Monday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day

·   Sunday, April 20, AOH Major Degrees, Bowie

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Congratulations to your newly elected slate of Officers for 2008. Special thanks to Fred Koester for stepping up to take the very important Recording Secretary position.

ØØØØ

In Tribute to W.B.Yeats
He was born on June 13th, 1865 and he died on January 28th, 1939. On the Dublin road, a few miles out of Sligotown, in Drumcliff and its famous churchyard is where William Butler Yeats is buried. St. Colmcille founded a monastery here in A.D. 574 and there is a fine high cross to mark the spot.
Although William Butler Yeats was not born in Sligo, he started going there as a boy with his parents He wrote a number of poems about Sligo, including the very popular Lake Isle of Innisfree.
The central theme in Yeats' poems is Ireland, its history, folklore and contemporary public life He died in France and his body was taken home to Ireland at his own request, to be re-interred in Drumcliff where his grandfather had once been rector. The inscription on his gravestone reads:

Cast a cold Eye
On Life, on Death.
Horseman, pass by!
W.B.YEATS
June 13th 1865
January 28th 1939

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Disclaimer:  If it’s wrong – blame Gene. I just type this thing. J