Volume 5 No.7 Issue 3 September 2008

President’s Message

Matt Nelligan Let me begin by thanking all of the Brothers who invested the signifi-cant time and money necessary to attend the National Convention in New Orleans. I very much appreci-ate your efforts and overall our goals were accomplished. As you know, we embarked on a long and difficult course last July, when we were the first state to endorse Sea-mus Boyle for the office of Na-tional President, rather then choos-ing the safe course and supporting the incumbent President’s reelec-tion effort. We did so for the Good of our Order, and as the results of the New Orleans Convention show, the overwhelming majority of the Country agreed with us. Going into the Convention our goals were to elect all of our en-dorsed candidates for National of-fice and to secure the 2012 Na-tional convention site. Overall, we were very successful. Albany NY was chosen as the Convention site without opposition and all of our endorsed candidates save one, were elected. This is an unprecedented achievement for our state, and all of the credit goes to our member-ship, which is in my biased opin-ion, the best in the country. You stood with your State Board, and me for the last twelve months,

through thick and thin. Through your efforts we raised substantial funds to support our candidates and to create the convention reimbursement program. Without your work, we could never have achieved so much. I am eternally grate-ful to all of you for your en-couragement and hard work. You have truly exemplified our motto, and are an example to Hibernians everywhere. Thank You. I would be very remiss also, if I did not thank the two chairman of the New York State hospital-ity suite at the National Con-vention- Dennis Browne and Bill O’Donnell. These two Brothers did all of the planning and management of our suite and came in UNDER budget, while still providing the best suite at the convention. Thanks Dennis and Billy. For those wishing to receive funds from the convention re-imbursement fund, you must submit your delegate seating card and an expense report to the State Secretary by Septem-ber 1st. The rules and forms for this are available on the first page of the State website at www.nyaoh.com.

As we begin to look forward to the fall, there are many activities coming up. Labor day weekend I will be attending the Hooley on the Hudson Festival in Kingston NY. If you have not been to this before it is a very enjoyable cele-bration of our shared heritage that is sponsored by the Hibernians of Ulster County. Please try to stop by and support their efforts. The following weekend our Brothers in Syracuse have their Irish Festi-val in Armory Square in down-town Syracuse. This is another stellar example of Hibernians promoting our history and culture. On September 13th, I will be a featured speaker at the State Convention of the New York State Right to Life Committee. The topic of my speech will be the special historical connection of the Irish people to the cause of life and ways that we can better spread that message today.

On September 19th and 20th you are all invited to join us in Albany for the 12th annual Irish 2000 Festival, featuring more than 20 bands, and 50 vendors. This year some of our featured performers include Gaelic Storm, Great Big Sea and Lunasa. Tickers for the week-end are $25. If you want more information please give me a call.

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On September 27th, Orange County Division #1 will host the annual Jack Burns Golf Tourna-ment. Details are included in this newsletter and on the state website. If you have never visited our brothers in Orange County before, let me guarantee that you will have a great time! Finally on the weekend of October 3rd and 4th we will hold our Fall State Board meeting in conjunction with the Pro-Life Mass and the New York State President’s testi-monial dinner. There will be a spe-cial reception at the Albany AOH Hall on Friday night October 3rd, starting at 8pm. This will feature a FREE concert by local favorites Hair of the Dog as well as some light snacks. The Pro-Life Mass will be held on Saturday October 4th at 9am at St. Mary’s Church in downtown Albany. The State Board Meeting will follow this at 10:30am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the dinner that night starting at 6pm. I will be very proud to be joined as an honoree that night by three very outstanding individuals and Brother Hibernians. Immediate Past State President John Hennessy will be honored for his long and valuable service to our Order, with our States highest honor, the Burns-Hayes Award. We have all witnessed John’s commitment to our Order and its principles over the years. There could be no more deserving recipient of this award. In addition to honoring Brother Hennessy, we will also honor the careers, of two tireless and com-mitted public servants-

Congressmen Mike McNulty and Jim Walsh. Both of these Brothers have shown great courage over the years in stand-ing up for the causes that Hibernians hold dear. Both are retiring this year, so it is fitting that we publicly thank them for their support and for their ser-vice to our Country. Informa-tion about tickets and advertis-ing in the journal for the dinner can be found in this newsletter and on our State website. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. As I move into the second year of my term, let me end by thanking your for your help and support. Nothing that the State Board has accomplished would be possible without the efforts of all of our members. I am proud to be your State Presi-dent. Immediate Past President & Calendar Chairman

John Hennessy First I want to congratulate Brendan Moore newly elected National Vice President and the re-election of Tom McNabb, National Secretary, and Martin Kelly, National Director. I’m also proud of my wife Margaret on her election to National Vice President LAOH. I want to thank all our dele-gates who gave me their sup-port in my quest for National Director. I especially want to

thank Dennis Browne and his committee on the job he did running the NYS Hospitality Room, well done. Our worthy President Matt Nel-ligan re-appointed me Calendar chairman for 2009. Hopefully the calendars will be ready for the State Board meeting on Oc-tober 4, 2008. As of August 11, 2008 there have been 125 win-ners, with total winnings of $3750.00 Remember the State President’s dinner on Saturday October 4th and show our thanks to Matt for the job he has done as our State President. District 1

Robert Flaherty As a wet summer leaves us and fall approaches much has hap-pened. At the end of June, the Capital District Council met in Sara-toga. The business of the order was discussed and upcoming events at all divisions were brought up for the attention of all divisions. It is vital that we show support for our brothers. Unity will make us one, absen-teeism separates us. We must all work hard to make us unite together. All divisions have proceeded with the business of the order, though most divisions became rather quiet for the summer months.

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On July 23-27th I attended the Na-tional AOH Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was nice to make new friends and renew old acquaintances; as always there was much accomplished. My hat is off to Brother McKay and the commit-tee for a job well done. Most of our New York brothers who ran came out victorious; our endorsement of Seamus Boyle for National President was a success. The Albany division will host the 2012 National Convention. The Schenectady division had a Celtic Festival on Jay St. in Schenectady. They had two bands and pipers. This 1st time event was a great success. As our district looks to the fall we have the Irish 2000 on September 19th and 20th. This event really draws in the crowds. If you are Irish you need to be there. There are so many bands that you can’t miss seeing your favorite. The next state board meeting will be on October 4th. The State Presi-dent’s testimonial dinner will be held that night at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Albany. It is a well-deserved testimonial to a N.Y.S. President who always has time for a brother and lives and breathes for the AOH. District 2

Bill Powers Most divisions in District 2 did not meet in the summer, but a few had family picnics. We are looking forward to the expanded Irish Fes-

tival at the Hamburg Fair-grounds in August. We had a few members from Western New York attend the New Orleans Convention. Let’s work on sending several to Cincinnati in 2010. It is time now to start a support fund for your delegates to help defray some of the expenses. Attend-ing the national convention is really a learning experience. You are all invited to the Com-modore John Barry celebration at the Buffalo Naval Park on September 13, 2008 sponsored by Division I Erie County. Watch for our ad in the Dioce-san Catholic paper. District 4

John W. Hyland I am pleased to report that after three months of hard work Di-vision 16, Mt. Kisco West-chester County, held their first election and installation in three years. Congratulations to the newly elected officers! I had the honor of attending a reception in honor of An Tao-iseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D. given by the Consul General of Ireland, Mr. Niall Burgess, which was held at the Irish Consulate in Manhattan. July saw our 94th Biennial Na-tional Convention which was held in New Orleans. Elections were held for our new National Board. I was privileged to be

selected as one of the New York State delegates. Division 11 Tarrytown, West-chester County held its Annual Irish Heritage Field Day on Sunday August 10, 2008. The Reverend James Sidoti, Pastor of the Church of the Transfigu-ration, celebrated Mass in the field. A good time was had by all. Yonkers Division 1, West-chester County will sponsor its Annual Hibernian Day to be held in Coyne Park on Saturday September 6, 2008. Live music will be provided all day by Jameson's Revenge and the Cunningham Brothers. All are welcome! A joint meeting between Divi-sion 7 and Division 9 Bronx County will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 to discuss the possible merger of the two divisions. Your prayers are requested for the speedy recovery of Brother Michael Fleming, President of the Daniel J. Quilty Division 7 and Financial Secretary of the Bronx County Board. He has recently been diagnosed with brain cancer. Enjoy the rest of the summer and I hope to see you all at the upcoming Division meetings. District 5

Al Donohue I would like to congratulate all who made the trip down to New

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Orleans. Thanks to all of you, the New York State agenda was ap-proved. President Seamus Boyle (PA), Vice President Brendan Moore (NY), Secretary Thomas McNabb (NY) and Treasurer Judge James McKay (LA), and our own Martin Kelly, were all very happy that you followed NYS President Matt Nelligan’s courageous lead. Do not forget to send in your re-ceipts for the trip down so that you can be compensated. Letters have been received thank-ing the New York State delegation for their friendship, camaraderie and brotherhood shown to people who visited our New York hospi-tality suites. You Did Yourselves Proud. District 6

Edward F. Friel

As you read this report we will all be back home after a very success-ful National Convention in New Orleans. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brother Jim McKay and his committee for their hospitality, planning and organiz-ing a very successful event. Congratulations to all our newly elected National Board Officers and especially those from New York. The work they do for our order is greatly appreciated. We wish you the best of luck and suc-cess in the next two years. Nassau and Suffolk had a good size con-tingent and a great time was had be all. Now that we are all back in District # 6 we can enjoy many of our

summer activities on Long Is-land. Nassau County will hold its 36th Annual Feis on Sep-tember 21, 2008. This year’s honorees are the Consul Gen-eral of Ireland Niall Burgess and the Hon. Thomas Phelan. The Feis will be held at Hemp-stead Harbor Beach Park in Port Washington New York. Please join us for this great day of Irish culture. If any Division has a licensed, transferable bell jar ticket ma-chine that they wish to donate or sell to another Division; please contact AOH Suffolk County Div. 8, President Tom McKenna at 631-736-3969. District 7

Tom Boslet Unfortunately I was unable to attend the National Convention in New Orleans and so I missed a wonderful experience. But I would like to offer my con-gratulations to all of our newly elected and appointed National Officers. The Msgr. Donal O'Callaghan Division 1, Binghamton, Broome County: Worthy President Mark Kadlecik stated the Irish Way committee held a fund raiser during April to send a young candidate to Ireland this year. The AOH/LAOH Annual Picnic, held on July 13th, had the largest attendance in a number of years. The an-nual LAOH Our Lady of

Knock Mass and luncheon was held on August 3rd at St. Paul’s Church. A very successful Di-vision Golf Tournament was held on August 10th. Division 1 sent four delegates to the Na-tional Convention in New Or-leans in July. The Worthy President Mark Kadlecik sends his congratulations to the new National President Seamus Boyle and the newly elected AOH National Board. On Au-gust 21st Andy Cooney sang the National Anthem on AOH/LAOH night at the Bing-hamton Mets ballgame. On September 12th the LAOH Fifth Annual Half-Way to St. Pat-rick’s Day Hooley will be held from 7pm to 11pm. September 16th at 7pm is the next meeting of the AOH Div 1. Bingham-ton’s website is http:/www.bcaoh.com The Msgr. John Lee Division 1, Elmira, Chemung County: Worthy President John O’Herron mentioned that all four Divisions participated in the Memorial Day Parade, complete with antique autos! The last First Sunday Breakfast until fall was held on May 4th. On June 14th the Irish Navy set sail on the Chemung River, complete with a Hawaiian luau at the finish! Division 1 sent three delegates to the July Na-tional Convention. On Septem-ber 20th, from 2pm till 11pm, the Division will host their Eighth Annual Half-way to St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival. A great entertainment line up is scheduled. On October 5th the

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Josh Palmer Fund/Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Tournament will be held at the Elmira Country Club. President O’Herron congratulated Brother Pat Saxe for taking second place in the Gmeiner Regional Jur-ied Art Show in Wellsboro. The next AOH Div 1 meeting will be September 9th at 7pm. Elmira’s website is http://www.freewebs.com/elmirahibernians. Sons of Ireland Division 1, Hornell, Steuben County: Worthy President Matt McAneney noted that the Division success-fully completed their Annual Cor-porate Communion Mass. Super Bowl champion NY Giants Defen-sive Line Coach Mike Waufle spoke at the breakfast. The Divi-sion held their 2nd Annual Irish Fest Saturday August 23, 2008, at the parking lot of St Ann's Church, Hornell, NY. Also on the calendar is the 29th Annual Irish Open on Sunday, September 28, 2008, 9:00am at the Twin Hickory Golf Club, Hornell, NY. The Sons of Ireland, Division #1, Steuben County would like to congratulate Kevin Diehl as the recipient of their first ever Ancient Order of Hibernians Scholarship. Kevin is the son of Kevin and Chris Diehl of Hornell. Kevin will apply his $500 award towards his tuition at SUNY Brockport in the fall. The next AOH Division 1 meeting will be September 2nd. Hornell’s web-site is http://www.freewebs.com/aohsonsofireland.

District 8 Phil Sheridan

On Sunday, September 14th, the Hibernian House of AOH Division 3 Pearl River will sponsor a concert by Andy Cooney and his band. Also ap-pearing will be special guest George Casey. Starting at 3pm at the Pearl River High School, tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Call 845-735-0855 for tickets or more details. Political Education

Richard M. Morris Finally, I have recuperated from the convention in NOLA. My third visit this year to New Orleans! I hope everyone en-joyed their summer and, if it fits, the NOLA trip. As Political Education Chair-man, I continue to establish and maintain communications with a network of like minded or-ganizations throughout the country and Canada, as well. I do my best to inform all of our state Brother Hibernians either personally or through their re-spective District Directors and Division Presidents of issues crucial to our cause. Most of the time it is done via the inter-net,(difficult for me at times as I am slooow to learn new me-dia technology) I may send a petition for you to sign or an email address concerning good or bad legislation or other is-sues of importance to our faith. I may request you write your

personal comments about these issues and send them out to your local, state or federal rep-resentative or even to someone who enjoys "Catholic bashing" in particular. I understand it can be annoying at times, but please consider and do take the time to respond, it can and really does make a difference. It's difficult at times to watch how the political race gets so convoluted, arrogant and biased and the phonies begin to sur-face, but we must remain vigi-lant. Be aware of what your child is learning in school. The American Textbook Council, an independent national organiza-tion that monitors social studies textbooks, has just released a report of an "eye-opening" ac-count of the favorable spin put on Islam and the negative por-trayal of Catholicism. "Entitled Islam in the Classroom: What the Textbooks Tell Us" I could give you examples, but look it up for your sake and your fam-ily. It's all about Islamic toler-ance while trashing Catholi-cism. I continue to work with Pro-Life Chairman Leo Kane and Catholic Action Chairman Dan Case as well as State Organizer Liam McNabb. It is the inten-tion of President Nelligan and myself to develop a non-partisan "Serious Catholic's Voters Guide", President Nelli-gan wrote of this in his last message and asked for any ad-ditional issues you believed should be added to the guide. I

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have received none to date. Re-member to stand up for your relig-ion and speak up for your faith. Be Hibernians. Dan Dennehy

Immigration

It was a great honor to be a dele-gate from New York at the Na-tional Convention in New Orleans and to have an active role in the reinforcement of our Order’s commitment to creating a rational Irish American immigration policy. New York delegates made it loud and clear, at both the NY Caucus and on the floor of the Convention, that immigration is a priority to be treated seriously by our Order, its members and its leaders. Brothers Peter Coyle, Matt Reilly, Tim Myles and your Chairman along with members from across the state questioned each candidate for of-fice on immigration and deporta-tions issues and how they would address these issues. I attended the Resolutions Committee meeting at which several Immigration related resolutions were passed. Included was a resolution that encourages each State, County and Division appoints an Immigration Chairman in order to coordinate with our na-tional efforts on Immigration. We must make sure that those elected and appointed make good on their campaign promises and redouble our efforts for the future of Irish American culture and US- Ireland relations. The US Presidential election draws near yet, disturbingly, neither the Democratic nor Republican presi-dential candidates have committed

to attend or even answer the Irish American Presidential Fo-rum. The Irish American Presi-dential Forum was organized in 1980, by former NY State As-semblyman John C. Dearie. The forum was held every elec-tion year except the 2004 elec-tions. This is our main oppor-tunity to hear the candidates speak to our concerns as Irish Americans in their own words. I attended the Forum’s hearing from then-candidate Hillary Clinton on April 9, 2008 and it is troubling that at this late stage in the game neither Obama nor McCain has taken the time to respond to the same line of questions in spite of in-vitations from Congressman Joseph Crowley, Congressman Peter King and John C. Dearie. I have spoken to the McCain Campaign and was told McCain will respond, but has yet to set a place or time. By answering these questions the politicians will shed some light on their future policies on American, Irish and Catholic issues. To reach the McCain Cam-paign call (703) 418-2008 or email info@johnmccain.com To reach the Obama Campaign Headquarters call: (866) 675-2008 or on the web at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact/ F.F.A.I.

Frank Corcoran I thank you for your help mov-ing our AOH agenda ahead for

FFAI. Please contact me if you have any questions. “Everyone, Republican or oth-erwise has their own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small; no one is too old or too young to do some-thing.” Bobby Sands (1954-1981) Christmas Appeal 2008: Soon you will receive informa-tion on the 2008 Christmas Ap-peal. The Christmas Appeal was a big success for 2007 mostly due to a generous gift by the NYS Board. NYS Hibernians raised $12,203 for various causes in the North. This money goes to organizations that have very little other choices for funding. They are considered untouchable by most organiza-tions who donate based on “non political” criteria. Most receive no funding from the Belfast Government and the EU. Our help is critical to their success. We must continue our efforts on their behalf during this critical period of a developing govern-ment. Please read the letters in the FFAI report in The National Hibernian Digest. It explains the need and the success of the Appeal. We are asking each di-vision to contribute something, no matter how small. Please generously support the Christmas Appeal for 2008. National Convention Irish Issues There was a lot of discussion concerning the North and the

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Assembly, which is now a little over a year old. While at the Con-vention I met with Rita O’Hare of Sinn Fein. She wants us to know that SF has as their goal, as it has been, the unification of Ireland. They continue to fight for the Na-tionalists and the Nationalist agenda for all Ireland. They will continue to work for justice and I ask all of us to support their ef-forts. Currently the Executive has not met for months and the govern-ment is in crisis. I’m sure many of you have read Gerry Adams state-ments concerning the current road-block and his position that if the Executive does not meet and deal with the issues of the Good Friday Agreement, then the Irish and Brit-ish governments will have to step in and administer the six counties. The deadlock is over the devolu-tion of the Policing and Courts, (which was supposed to happen months ago) and the Irish Lan-guage Act. The DUP refuse to im-plement these issues which they agreed to do when they signed the GF Agreement. Martin McGuin-ness, Deputy Prime Minister, re-fuses to meet with the DUP until these items are placed on the agenda; hence a stalemate is in place. Until the DUP are willing to meet their obligations, there will be no government. Let us pray for a quick and just resolution of these issues. Veterans Affairs

John M. Ryan

As you may recall, the State Board is asking you to support two pro-

jects to assist our GI’s, they are The Wounded Warriors Project and Fisher House. We are asking the Divisions and Counties of the State to get involved in the Wounded War-riors Project. The Wounded Warriors Project (WWP) is a 501© (3) non-profit organiza-tion that provides tangible comfort and support to severely injured service men and women upon their return from the war on terrorism. WWP programs can be divided into three segments that correlate to the stage of recovery that the wounded warriors find them-selves in after incurring their injuries.

1. Immediate Impact: covers that period immediately following injury and long term hospitalization.

2. Transitional: the pe-riod of time during which the wounded warrior is transition-ing from the hospital back into community or civilian life.

3. Long Term: in-cludes programs that span the rest of the life of the wounded warrior.

WWP Back Packs

Transitional Care Packs (TCPs): a smaller, modified version of the WWP backpack, transition care packs are sent directly to Iraq and Afghani-stan to provide immediate com-fort during a warrior’s reloca-tion to a U.S. military trauma center. Not only are the con-tents of these packs invaluable to a warrior coming off the bat-

tlefield, but the packs them-selves are utilized as a pillow while lying on a stretcher. WWP Backpacks: contain es-sential care and comfort items including clothing, toiletries, calling card, CD player, and playing cards, all designed to make their hospital stay more comfortable. They are provided to severely wounded service members arriving at military trauma centers in the U.S. Each backpack costs $99. Checks can be made payable to Wounded Warrior Project, Na-tional Processing Center, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 As of this writing, the State Board has sponsored one back pack. The next project is the Fisher House located at the Stratton VA Medical Center. As much as our young men and women have suffered through the war and the wounds they have received, their families have suffered too. This project deals directly with the families of the wounded. The Fisher House program is a unique pri-vate-public partnership (also 501 C (3) non-profit organiza-tion) that supports America’s military families in time of need. The Fisher House Foun-dation donates comfortable lodging near-by or on the grounds of major military medi-cal centers. They enable fami-lies to visit loved ones during

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their time of hospitalization. There is at least one Fisher House located at every major military medical center in the U.S. This has pro-vided a home away from home for some 110,000 families in their time of need. The nearest Fisher House is: Stratton VA Medical Center, Fisher House, 113 Holland Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12208. Phone 518 626-6910. Jerry Jensen, Manager. Each of these worthy projects has a web site where you can read about the project. In addition, I would like to compile a list of those Counties and Divisions that par-ticipate in these projects and pub-lish their efforts on behalf of our veterans in the Empire State Hi-bernian. I am also interested in hearing of any other related pro-jects that you have been involved in. It may give other Divisions some ideas. In addition, I am also asking for the names and addresses of those now serving overseas. It is hoped that when their address is in the State newsletter, the GIs will get letters from home. It is a known fact that many of them do not have family at home to keep in contact with. Here are two you may want to con-tact. The first is, LTC Mike Mallin, who is a Sergeant with the 6th Pre-cinct in Suffolk County. He is serving in Afghanistan and has 35 Soldiers in his command. They are living in very austere conditions on the front lines and do not have ac-cess to a post exchange. Any care packages you can send will be greatly appreciated. The address is: LTC Michael Mallin

ARSIC-S RPAC/FOB Lashkar Gar APO AE 09355 The second is MAJ Sean Hood (member of Division 15-Massapequa) who is a Nassau County Sheriff. He is serving in Iraq for a second tour. The address is: MAJ Sean Hood B/415 CA FOB ISKAN APO AE 09312 The next item that I want to bring to your attention is the GI Bill, or lack there of. The bill as it exists today is woefully inadequate and provides little in the way of support for re-turning GIs who want to attend school. The White House and others on the Hill are con-cerned that if the GI Bill is up-graded to handle the needs of today’s GIs it will cost too much and encourage GIs to leave the military to pursue their education. There is a bill in the Senate sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA). It would provide increased benefits to pay tuition at public colleges in the veteran’s home state and provide monthly housing assis-tance. Look at this bill on line and let your Representative know your feelings on this topic. Please contact me at JMRYAN3058@aol.com or 516-639-3695 if I can be of any assistance with the above pro-grams. Keep all our veterans in your prayers. God Bless America.

Organizer Liam McNabb

“All Irish Need Apply”

Congratulations to Brendan Moore, Tom McNabb and Mar-tin Kelly on their successful elections at the National Con-vention in New Orleans. New York was well represented and voted almost 90% of our eligi-ble delegates which is a signifi-cant feat since the convention was so far away. Congrats to State President Matt Nelligan and the Executive Board for the incentive program for delegates and working hard to ensure our state’s strength on the national level. Great news- the new officers of the Oneonta AOH Division (Ot-sego County) will be installed on September 9th by State President Matt Nelligan and Na-tional Secretary Tom McNabb. Brothers from Albany, Bing-hamton and Utica have ex-pressed interest in attending to show support for our new brothers in Oneonta. We have been meeting on a monthly basis with the inter-ested group in Columbia County and expect more pro-gress in the months ahead. Tim Carey, a member of Div. 5 Al-bany is from Columbia County and has been instrumental in our efforts in Hudson. We con-tinue to promote the Order in an effort to attract new members in Johnstown (Fulton County), Elizabethtown (Essex County), and Owego (Tioga County).

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Thanks to Webmaster Al Norton, our NYS AOH website now has a “Join the AOH” page on the web-site which includes a brief history of the AOH and information about how to join. The site also has a list of divisions in each county, when and where they meet, but since every division doesn’t have a web-site, Brother Norton couldn’t in-clude meeting places on the web-site. We respectfully ask that divi-sions and counties to view the website and provide Brother Nor-ton or myself with any needed in-formation. Reminder- State President Matt Nelligan’s Testimonial Dinner is scheduled for Saturday, October 4th at the Crowne Plaza in Albany. Please contact me for dinner reser-vations. In closing, I encourage Brothers to contact me for more information about the recruitment and retention grant program as well as if anyone has organizing tips or areas of in-terest for organizing. Right to Life

Leo Kane I want to thank everyone who was involved in the National Conven-tion in New Orleans for making it such a success. My wife Ellen and I had a great time and were very impressed with the "Southern hos-pitality". Also, I would like to send congratulations to all of our newly elected and appointed offi-cers. Our next State Board meeting will be on Oct 4th in Albany. We will

also be having our second an-nual State Board Pro-Life Mass at 9:00 AM, prior to our State Board Meeting. The annual Pro-Life Mass was the first of my “Eleven Point Incentives". We also have obtained our goal in regards to Pro-Life Links on our Web-Site; each division should have links on their web-sites. Also, as a reminder, we need to address the next "Nine Incentives"; 1. Each mass sup-ported by the AOH, should have Pro-Life Intentions in-cluded in their mass, 2. Divi-sions are encouraged to check the literature in the vestibule of each parish church for Pro-Life Literature, 3. Each year, each division should make a dona-tion to a Pro-Life cause or hold a benefit in support of a Pro-Life organization, 4. Each divi-sion to the possible extent, should send representatives to the "Right To Life March", which is held each January in Washington, D.C. Try to plan in advance as this coming year there will also be Martin Luther King Day and the Presidential Inauguration., 5. Each divi-sional Pro-Life Chairman should subscribe to a newslet-ter from a state pro-life group and inform members of activi-ties and initiatives (i.e. Birth-right, and Mom’s House), 6. Each director should ensure that a divisional Pro-Life Chairman is listed on the form-9 following elections., 7. Divi-sions are encouraged to include a Pro-Life Mass yearly in their location, 8. Efforts which are life saving need to be consid-

ered, examples: programs for blood donations, purchasing defibrillators, etc. The sanctity of life can be respected in such efforts, 9. Each district director, division president, and each Di-vision Pro-Life Chairman, should pay special attention to local, state and national elec-tions, for views on abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, and the death penalty. and be an avenue for information to be passed on to all. Please join the Catholic Advo-cacy Network, @ www.nyscatholic.org. It is ex-tremely important to have our AOH voices heard. It's easy and it's free. On Aug. 5th of this year, I had an opportunity to have a one on one meeting with NYS 107th District Assemblyman, Clifford W. Crouch. He verbalized to me that he is "not" in favor and would not support any legisla-tion that would force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. He further verbalized that he is against cloning. Also, though he is against "Same Sex Mar-riages" he does support "Civil Unions" of same sex. We also discussed the death penalty and in terms of this his response was, that he doesn't see that coming up in the near future. NY States death penalty has been ruled unconstitutional. At the next NYS Convention, there will be an award for an individual or division who has exemplified pro-life issues.

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This will be the criteria; 1.This award will be given out at each NYS Convention. 2. This award will be known as "Our Lady of Knock Queen of Ireland Award". 3. Selection committee will consist of , the NYS President, NYS Pro-Life Chairman, and three other members at large which will be selected by the NYS President. 4. Nominees can be individuals or divisions within NYS who have exemplified pro-life issues. 5. The nominations will be collected by the NYS Pro-Life Chair. All nomi-nees must be in by April 1st of the year of the state convention. 6. The selection committee will pick the award winner during the month of May, prior to the convention. 7. The first place individual or divi-sion will receive a statue of The Lady of Knock. 8. The five runners up will be honored by a certificate. I will start excepting nominations immediately. Any additional suggestions or comments in regards to Pro-Life are welcomed. Communication is vital for the success of this effort. I can be reached at AOH-Leo@aol.com, cell phone- 607-7609380, home phone- 607-7751026 or 76 N. Sunset Dr., Kirkwood, NY 13795. Scholarship

Thomas Conway

Congratulations go out to Thomas McHugh winner of the Austin V. Carew Scholarship. Tom will be attending Villanova University. Tom hails from Division 7 in Suf-folk County where he is a Past President of the Junior Boys and is

now an active member of the Men’s Division. Additional students currently receiving the scholarship are Kacey O’Herron of Chemung County, Kristen Armstrong of Suffolk County and Bartholomew Johnson of Kings County. The competition this year was ex-tremely keen with so many well-qualified candidates. I would like to thank all those fine candidates who partici-pated in the scholarship pro-gram and wish them well in furthering their education. The James F. Hayes Memorial Golf Tournament, which is held the same weekend as the New York State Board meeting in East Durham funds the scholarship. Thank you to all of our members who have gen-erously donated their time, tal-ent and money to ensure that this scholarship can be offered. I heartily encourage all our members to promote this award, get the word out, and of course support our golf outing. More information on the schol-arship for 2009 will be in fu-ture Empire Hibernian issues. If there is a high school senior in your household, it is not too early to plan ahead. It is my pleasure working with the New York State Board and furthering the goals of the Or-der.

Deputy Organizer A. Warren Scullin

Since my last report, I unfortu-nately had a serious leg infec-tion. I would like to thank all the Brothers who thought of me and prayed for me during my illness. At the National Convention in New Orleans I received a new supply of organization materi-als. I also have the “All Irish Need Apply” recruitment poster. If any County or Divi-sion needs an Organization kit, please contact me immediately. There will be a recruitment ta-ble at this year’s Great Irish Fair in Coney Island on September 20 and 21. If any Brother is interested in donating his time to increase membership and ex-plain the good works of the Or-der to possible candidates, please let me know. Commodore Barry

Vic Vogel The following is The Commo-dore John Barry Resolution adopted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians at the 2008 National Convention in New Orleans: "Whereas, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the oldest and largest Irish American fraternal organization in the United States, worked for decades to achieve the recognition of the American naval hero, Commodore John Barry, a native of County Wex-ford, Ireland, as the first flag of-ficer of the United States Navy.

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"Whereas, John Barry accepted a captain's commission to the Conti-nental Navy and his first warship, the Lexington, by the Marine Com-mittee of the Continental Congress and achieved the first victory at sea by the Continental Navy with the capture of the British ship, the Ed-ward-- won numerous other battles at sea--and also won the last sea bat-tle of the Revolution in 1783 when he bested the British frigate, the Sybil. "Whereas, John Barry briefly enlisted in the Continental Army and participated in the battles of Trenton and Princeton and was prin-cipally responsible for organizing the crossing of the Delaware River by General Washington's Army in December 1776. "Whereas the quality and effec-tiveness of Captain John Barry's service to the American war effort was recognized not only by George Washington but also by the friends and enemies our new Nation. "Whereas, on February 22, 1797, President George Washington personally conferred upon Captain John Barry, by and with the asvice and consent of the Senate, the rank of Captain, with 'Commission No. 1', United States Navy, dated June 7, 1794. "Whereas John Barry was di-rected by President George Wash-ington to lead and organize the United States Navy and was awarded Commission Number One as the first Captain in the United States Navy under the Constitution, Captain John Barry directed the construction and outfitting of the first frigates and trained the first of-ficers of the Navy, including many

of the naval heroes of the War of 1812. Whereas, Commodore John Barry, under our first three Presidents (Washington, Adams, and Jefferson) and over 17 years, served as the first head of the United States Navy under the Constitution, with the title of Commodore, until his death in Philadelphia on September 13, 1803. "Whereas on August 20, 1981, President Ronald Reagan paid 'tribute to one of the earliest and greatest American Patriots, a man of great insight who per-ceived very early the need for American power on the sea”. Whereas after passage of a Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.38) by the House and Senate of the 109th Congress, 'that Commo-dore John Barry is recognized, and is hereby honored as the first flag officer of the United States Navy,' the Barry Resolu-tion (Public Law 109-142) was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 22, 2005. "Whereas the District of Co-lumbia State Board of the An-cient Order of Hibernians--desiring that the life and career of John Barry be commemorated in a contemporary and public way to inspire a new generation--voted in 2007 to undertake the leadership in erecting a fitting memorial to Commodore John Barry at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Mary-land. "Now therefore be it resolved that the membership of the An-cient Order of Hibernians in

America, Inc., meeting in July 2008 at its biannual national convention in New Orleans, Lou-isiana, hereby endorses and ap-proves the efforts of the District of Columbia State Board to erect a fitting memorial to Commodore Barry at the United States Naval Academy. "Now therefore be it further resolved that all Hibernian state and county boards, all divisions from around the United States cooperate fully with the District of Columbia State Board in this project to honor Commodore John Barry at the United States Naval Academy, and when the time comes, to help raise funds to make this project possible." I would like to thank Jack O'Brien, Historian and Project Coordinator of the District of Co-lumbia State Board for his dedi-cation to the Commodore John Barry Memorial. Jack's leader-ship was evidenced by the Com-modore Barry Exhibit he pre-sented at the national convention. I ask all New York Hibernians to support this project. The deadline for the December 2008 issue of The Empire State Hibernian is November 15, 2008. All executive board members, directors and commit-tee chairmen are encouraged to contribute.