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May 1st is celebrated as the first dayof summer in Ireland.
While Wisconsinmay find itself being covered in snow, theEmerald
Isle is lighting bonfires to honorthe crops that were planted weeks
before.
It is also halfway to Samhain, the CelticNew Year, and, just
like its autumnalcousin, is considered to be one of the timeswhen
the veil between this world and thenext were the thinnest, and the
most magical.
The Irish god of the sun, Bel, was worshiped across Europe,
often under thename Belenos. Although there is no directtie-in
between Bel and Beltane, the fieryconnection is hard to ignore.
Also, two ofthe other seasonal festivals were associated with
deities: the August 1st celebration of Lunasa, honoring the
godLugh, and Imbolc, celebrated February 1,and associated with
Brigid.
In Irish, the name for the festival day isLá Bealtaine, the day
of Beltane. It wascelebrated in Ireland, Scotland, Isle ofMan,
Wales, and in Celtic Britain.
Beltane is mentioned in some of theearliest Irish literature and
it is associatedwith important events in Irish mythology.It marked
the beginning of summer andwas when cattle were driven out to
thesummer pastures. Rituals were performedto protect the cattle,
crops and people, andto encourage growth. Special bonfireswere
kindled, and their flames, smoke andashes were deemed to have
protectivepowers. The people and their cattle circlearound the
bonfire. Oftentimes, the marchwould occur between two bonfires,
andsometimes leap over the flames or embers.All household fires
would be doused andthen re-lit from the Beltane bonfire in anaction
very similar to the relighting ofhousehold fires from the Samhain
bonfires.
These gatherings would be accompa-nied by a feast, and some of
the food anddrink would be offered to the aos sí, thefaeries
associated with the Tuatha De Dannan. Doors, windows, and the
cattlethemselves would be decorated withbright May flowers, often
yellow, perhapsbecause they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland,
people would make a May Bush:a thorn bush decorated with flowers,
ribbons and bright shells. Holy wells werealso visited, while the
ingestion of Beltanedew was thought to bring beauty and delaythe
effects of aging.
Beltane marked the beginning of thepastoral season, when
livestock weredriven out to the summer pastures. Ritualswere held
at that time to protect them fromharm, both natural and
supernatural, andthis mainly involved the use of fire. Otherrituals
protected crops, dairy products andpeople, and encouraged growth.
Beltanewas a festival of optimism, and a fertilityrituals were
conducted, imploring the godBel to bring the rising power of the
sun.
According to the 17th century Irish historian and priest
Geoffrey Keating,(Seathrún Céitinn), “there was a greatgathering at
the hill of Uisneach”, (inmodern Westmeath), each Beltane in
me-dieval Ireland, where a sacrifice was madeto a god named Beil.
Keating wrote thattwo bonfires would be lit in every districtof
Ireland, and cattle would be driven be-tween them to protect them
from disease.
In Irish mythology, the Ail na Míreannor "stone of divisions"
was deemed to bethe omphalos, or mystical navel of Ireland,and to
have marked the meeting point ofthe borders of Leinster, Munster,
Con-nacht, Ulster and Meath. Tradition tellsthat Beltane fires were
lit and Druidicalceremonies held on the hill. In the LeborGabála
Érenn (Book of the Takings of Ire-land), the Nemedian Druid Mide
lit thefirst Beltane fire there. This fire could al-legedly be seen
from the Hill of Tara and,when those at Tara saw it, they lit
theirfire. Excavations at Uisneach in the 20thcentury found
evidence of large fires andcharred bones, showing it to have been
rit-ually significant.
The bonfires would be lit on April 30at dusk. It was this point
that the cattle andcrops would be driven around them. Whenthe
bonfire had died down, people woulddaub themselves with its ashes
and sprin-kle it over their crops and livestock. Burn-ing torches
from the bonfire would betaken home, where they would be
carriedaround the house or boundary of the farm-stead and would be
used to re-light thehearth. From these rituals, it is clear thatthe
fire was seen as having protectivepowers.
The flowers that were chosen were thebrightest possible. Yellow
flowers such asprimrose, rowan, hawthorn, gorse, hazel
MAY 5, 2016 • ANNUAL ELECTIONS 6:30-7:30 PMMILWAUKEE MONTHLY
MEMBERSHIP MEETING 7 PMIrish Cultural and Heritage Center (2133 W.
Wisconsin Avenue)
T T TPot Luck begins at 6:30 • Please bring a dish to pass.
The First Day of Summer –
Beltane.........................................................................................................
Volume XLII, No. 3 • May (Bealtaine), 2016
continued on page 5
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T Milwaukee Calendar of Events TFor More Information visit
http://shamrockclubwis.com
MAY5 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting & Annual Elections; ICHC;
7 pm;
Pot Luck at 6:306 Celtic Women Lecture; Jeanne McCue, Speaker;
ICHC; 5:30-7 pm6 First Friday Ceili; ICHC; Music by RíRá; 7:30 pm7
Milwaukee Spring Feis; Wisconsin Center, 4th and Wisconsin; 8 am8
Celtic Spirit Feis; Wisconsin Center, 4 and Wisconsin; 7:30 am11
Celtic Women International Book Club; 1921, by Morgan Llwelyn;
Hostess:
Maureen Garry; ICHC; 1 pm24-28 Milwaukee Irish Arts Presents:
Acting Irish International; Nine Irish
theatre companies from North America competing; Next Act
Theatre, 225 S. Water Street
JUNE2 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; dinner at 6:303
Celtic Women Lecture; Kathy Mallon, Speaker; ICHC; 5:30-7 pm3 First
Friday Ceili; ICHC; Music by Frogwater; 7:30 pm14 Celtic Women
International Book Club; Scotland A Personal Journey, by Ian
Rankin; Hostess: Nancy Vose; ICHC; 1 pm
JULYTBD Shamrock Club Installation Dinner; Location TBA12 Celtic
Women International Book Club; Lunch at Finn McGuire’s; 5171 S.
108th Street, Hales Corners
AUGUST4 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at
6:30
2
ON GOING … Set dancing at the following: Set dancing Wednesdays,
7 PM atO’Donoghue’s T Craobh Curtin Conradh na Gaeilge meeting at
O'Donoghue's Pub, 7 PM, last Tuesday each month T Irish Emigration
Library in ICHC open every Wednesday 12–6 PM T Irish Sing-a-long,
Irish Fest Center, First Sundays, (throughMay) 7 PM T Irish Fest
Sing-a-long: O'Donoghue's Pub, second and fourth Sundays, 7-9 PM T
Irish Music Sessions at the following: Session -
O’Donoghue’s,Sundays 7 PM; Thursdays @ Paddy’s 7 PM; and The Pub in
Oconomowoc, 7:30 PMT Thursdays: Barry Dodd; County Clare Inn; 10 PM
T Fridays: áthas and Myserk;County Clare Inn; 6 PM T
Acting IrishTheatre
Festival..................................The Shamrock Club is
proud to be
a major sponsor of the Acting Irish International Theatre
Festival. The Clubhas donated $5000 for the festival, whichreturns
to Milwaukee this May.
In May of 2016, Milwaukee Irish Artswill host the Acting Irish
InternationalTheatre Festival. For over twenty yearsthis festival
has brought together theatregroups from the United States, Canada
andIreland for one week to present a wide va-riety of exciting
Irish theatre.
The festival will be presented at theNext Act Theatre, 255 S.
Water St., Mil-waukee WI 53204
There will be nine plays presented, oneby each group between
Tuesday, May 24and Saturday, May 28, 2016. The list of theplays
are:
• Tuesday, May 24 - The Plough and theStars, by Sean O'Casey;
Milwaukee IrishArts; 8 pm
• Wednesday, May 25 - The Cheek, by JimLynch; Magpie Theatre
Company, Chicago,IL; 2 pm
• Wednesday, May 25 - Eden, by EugeneO'Brien; Liffey Players
Drama Society, Calgary, AB; 8 pm
• Thursday, May 26 - Chapatti, by ChristianO'Reilly; Heads on
Stage, Dublin, IR; 2 pm
• Thursday, May 26 - The Shadow of aGunman, by Sean O'Casey;
Gaelic ParkPlayers, Chicago, IL; 8 pm
• Friday, May 27 - The Seafarer, ConorMcPherson; Irish Players
of Rochester,Rochester, NY; 2 pm
• Friday, May 27 - Hooked!, by GillianGrattan; Irish Theatre of
Florida, DelrayBeach, FL; 8 pm
• Saturday, May 28 - The Weir, by ConorMcPherson - Irish
American Theatre Com-pany, Cincinnati, OH; 2 pm
• Saturday, May 28 -The Last Days ofCleopatra, by Laoisa Sexton;
Tara Players,Winnipeg, MB; 8 pm
For more information, please go
tohttps://milirisharts.wordpress.com/aiitf-2016
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3
Rent the ICHC for your next
PartyMeeting
RecitalWedding
Spaces available for large
or small events
Email: [email protected]
or call (414) 345-8800
Dawn’sCorner Cupboard..................................Pot Luck
for all members at the May
5th meeting. The club is depending onyou to make this a great
Mother's Day.Please everyone pitch in and bring a dish.Bring your
dish by 6:15 PM so we canstart eating at 6:30 PM. The ShamrockClub
Members have done a fantastic joball year providing their favorite
dishes andI THANK YOU.
- Dawn FlemingSergeant-at-Arms
Feiseanna in Milwaukee in
May..................................There will be two feiseanna in
Milwau-
kee in May. Both will be held at the Wisconsin Center, 400 West
WisconsinAvenue. The first is Wisconsin SpringFeis on May 7. A list
of trophies to be issued during the Feis includes manynamed for
past members of the ShamrockClub. These Perpetual Trophies
includethe Chuck Ward Perpetual Trophy,awarded to first place
winner of U17 OCgirls competition; The Mary Eileen GearyPerpetual
Trophy, awarded to first placewinner of U16 OC girls competition;
theNina Nash Perpetual Trophy, awarded tofirst place winner of U15
OC girls competition; the Mickey Finn PerpetualTrophy, awarded to
first place winner ofU10 PC competition; the Dennis
DennehyPerpetual Trophy, awarded to first placewinner of U12 PC
competition and the JohnE. McNamara Perpetual Trophy, awardedto
first place winner of U14 PC competi-tion. This feis is sponsored
by the TrinityBooster Club. For more information, go
tohttp://www.wisconsinspringfeis.com.
On Sunday, May 8, the Celtic Spirit Feistakes places.
Preregistration takes placeon Saturday, May 7th, at the
WisconsinCenter from 2:30pm-4:30pm. On Sunday,May 8th, registration
starts at 7:30am.The Feis starts promptly at 8:30am. It is
sponsored by Badger State Feis, Inc.For more information, go
tohttp://www.celticspiritfeis.com.
MilwaukeePresident’s
Message..................................Happy Spring Everyone!
We are quickly heading to warmerweather and more of that
glorious sun-shine! This I know will bring all ourShamrock Club
members out in force tovote for our new Board members! Pleasecome
to exercise your right and give avoice to the Club. We have
wonderfulfolks that have generously consented togive their time and
talents to continue tomove the Shamrock Club forward byrecruiting
new members (which I hope allof you are actively doing as well),
contin-uing to raise money to support the Irishcommunity here in
Milwaukee, and ofcourse, representing us!
In April, we were treated to John Glee-son speaking to our
general membershipon the history of the 1916 Easter Rising.The
slide show was very informative andtruly gave us excellent detail
on how andwhy the rising came to pass. We were alsodelighted to
present John Gleeson a $5000check to sponsor the Acting Irish
International Theatre Festival that is beinghosted by Milwaukee
Irish Arts this yearin Milwaukee. Please see the informationon the
festival elsewhere in the Reflections.
Come to the meeting this month tovote for your new Board
members, enjoythe fellowship and celebrate with ourMothers!
- Mary Culver, President
T T T
A Bit ‘o Fun...............................Michael O'Leary was
waiting at the
bus stop with his friend, PaddyMaguire, when a lorry went by
loadedup with rolls of turf.
O'Leary opined,”'I'm gonna do thatwhen I win the lottery,
Maguire.”
“What's that, Michael?” responds hismate.
“Send me lawn away to be cut,” concludes O'Leary.
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Emerald Reflections
Copy Deadline.................................
Membership Chairs
Content for Emerald Reflections is dueon the 15th of the month
(next deadline:May 15th to appear in the June issue.) Copyreceived
after that date will not appear due to deadlines. While we try
toinclude every submission possible, due tospace limitations, we
cannot guarantee thatevery submission will be included
imme-diately. E-mail submissions preferred,send to:
Brian Witt, [email protected]
Pam Canon, Publisher
4
DANE COUNTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat McCarthyP.O. Box
70765, Madison 53707-0765
[email protected]; (608) 277-0394
FOX CITIES . . . . .P.O. Box 1632, Appleton 54912
LA CROSSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Linda O. Pfaff,1702
Jackson St., LaCrosse 54601
LAFAYETTE CO. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beverly Mulcahy,504 E.
Mary, Apt. A, Darlington 54530
MILWAUKEE . . . . Member. Chair Glenn Nowak2133 West Wisconsin
Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI [email protected]; (414)466-8060
NEW DUBLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suzi Snyder,313 W.
Beacon Ave.., New London 54961
NORTHEAST WISC. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Judy Brehm,2577 Oakwood
Ave.., Green Bay 54301
SOUTH CENTRAL . . . . . . . . . Dana Horkan-Gant,610 Vine St.,
Reedsburg 53959; (608) 524-6821;
email: [email protected]
E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Web site: . . . . . . . . http://shamrockclubwis.com
To become a member of the Shamrock Club ofWisconsin contact the
membership chair of thechapter you would like to join. MILWAUKEE
ONLY:Family membership (includes both parents and all children
under eighteen) - $25.00. Single membership - $20.00. Membership is
renewable annually on the anniversary month of the
originalmembership. Please send all new and renewal Milwaukee club
membership dues to MembershipChair, 2133 West Wisconsin Avenue,
Milwaukee,WI 53233. Be sure to send change of address notification
to Membership Chair, also. The postoffice will NOT forward copies
of Reflections.
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5
Advertise in theEmerald Reflections
[email protected] for rates
Celtic Women LectureMay 6,
2016..................................
Topic: “Transport of Hope”Speaker: Jeanne McCue
Following a pilgrimage to Medjugorje,Bosnia in 1989, Jeanne
McCue began tobring humanitarian aid to that country.She formed a
non-profit organization“Bosnian Relief” which for 21 years hasbeen
helping the poor people with goats,money, goods and services. She
has spo-ken to Celtic Women lectures in the pastabout her passion
and she now has writtena book about the missions: TRANSPORTOF HOPE.
Jeanne McCue retired fromFroedtert Hospital after 55 years of
nurs-ing. All of her Bosnian trips were madeon her personal
vacation time from work.She is a true humanitarian, Irish Rose,
andbeautiful Celtic Woman.
Jeanne will speak about her experiences inBosnia and talk about
the book, which willbe available to attendees. The lecture onJune
3rd will be the final presentation ofthe Celtic Women lectures.
All lectures are held from 5:30 - 7:00p.m. at the Irish Cultural
and HeritageCenter, 2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Mil-waukee. Parking
is available in the lotsoff the 23rd Street alley. This is our
19thyear of lectures without interruption.The public is invited as
always. We offertea and snacks and promise a delightfulcouple of
hours. Admission is $3.
- Jean Billsnew e-mail address: [email protected]
and marsh marigold were placed at door-ways and windows in 19th
century Ireland, Scotland and Mann. Sometimesloose flowers were
strewn at the doors andwindows and sometimes they were madeinto
bouquets, garlands or crosses and fastened to them. They would also
be fastened to cows and equipment for milking and butter making. It
is likely thatsuch flowers were used because theyevoked fire.
On May 1, a pole would be erected, andribbons would be attached
to it. The rib-bons would be woven into intricate patternby a group
of dancers. Weaving in and out,the ribbons are eventually knotted
togetherby the time the dancers reach the end. Themaypole was used
as a fertility symbol.
The leaving of food for the faeries wasseen as an appeasement
for the breakingof the land, thus the invasion of the domain of the
wee folk.
As with many other traditions, it wasbaptized and pulled into
the Christianrites, with the crowning of the Queen ofthe May each
year.
May Day is on Sunday this year. Celebrate with some food, a
dance arounda pole, and possibly a bonfire. And justthink, you will
be a part of something thatgoes back deep into the mist of
time.
- Brian Witt
continued from page 1
Sunshine Report..................................The funeral for
Olive Witt, Brian’s
mom, will take place on May 28th, 2016at Saints Peter and Paul
at 11:00.
The funeral for Jane Maher was April4th, 2016. Jane died March
28 at age 95.She was active in all things Irish, earningthe Irish
Rose commendation in 1993.She was the founder of the Irish
Genealogicalsociety. Jane was the motherof John, Michael, and
Cathy.
Betty Mikush is at the Village ofManor Park recovering from a
broken hip.Keep Pete Fleming in your prayers as
he faces possible serious surgery.Bob and Judy Towne celebrated
their
57th Wedding Anniversary on April 30th.Birthdays for the month
of April includeDel Canon (22), Tom McAleese (23), andPeggy Hamill
(29).Sean Cavanaugh was promoted to Sgt
in the Marine Corp. He is leaving mid-April for nine months in
Kuwait.If you have Sunshine news, please email
it to: [email protected] Maggie Blaha, Sunshine
Chair
First FridayCeili Dances..................................
Join us at the Irish Cultural and HeritageCenter, 2133 W.
Wisconsin Ave., forfamily Irish dancing at its best! Beginnersand
all ages welcome. Instruction beginsat 7:30 pm. and continues all
evening.Music and dancing begin at 8 pm.
The dances are called, and direction isgiven by one of the
Midwest’s best ceili instructors, Gail McElroy.
May - June 2016
• Fri., May 6 – RíRá• Fri., June 3 – FrogwaterEntrance is $8.00
for adults and $5.00
for students, seniors, and children. All proceeds benefit the
work of the ICHC.
MilwaukeeMembership News..................................A
reminder that voting for the 2016-
2017 Board will take place at the May 5th,2016 General Meeting.
Voting will takeplace from 6:30-7:30 in Parlour C. Pleasetake time
to read the bios for those runningand vote for the candidate that
will bestcarry out the duties of the position they arerunning for.
Your membership status willbe checked prior to voting and can be
renewed at that time.
- Glenn NowakMembership Chair
Phrase of the Month..................................I have to -
Caithfidh mé imeacht.(Kah-hee may im-achkt). I have to leave.
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6
Shamrock Club ofWisconsin 2015-16
Candidates’
Statements..................................President
Joe HughesI have been an active member of the
Irish Community for over thirty years.I was introduced to the
Shamrock Clubthrough a good friend and former employer, Dick
Tierney, while frequentingthe Irish Abbey. I already had been a
volunteer at our Irish Fest for a few years,and then I saw an ad
"Drummers Wanted",for the Shamrock Club Color Guard in theEmerald
Reflections. I was to march,every March, for almost twenty years.
Iplayed base drum, snare drum, carried aflag, and just about
everything the ColorGuard requested of me.
I was nominated and elected as aTrustee, and ran one of the
first Post Parade Parties at our new home. Wemoved the picnic to
Lake Park, inviting alarger grouping of our Celtic family andof
course the Milwaukee Hurling Team,who we shuttled, both fans and
guests, upand down the road to the semi-finalgames. I later became
President for twoterms. continued on with the Color Guardand
contributed time and efforts in paradeevents, our parade floats,
Post Paradeevents, the picnics and I was honored tohave Brian Witt
ask me to do the readingsfor the Easter Rising Mass these pastmany
years.
PresidentBrian Witt
I look forward to running for the pres-idency of the Shamrock
Club. I haveserved the Shamrock Club in a variety ofcapacities over
the decades, as a trustee,vice president, and four terms as
president.I believe that we, the organization, are onthe verge of a
resurgence, in both our in-fluence and our fortunes.I look forward
to being a part of that,
either in leadership or supporting our leaders.
Vice PresidentRon Danielson
I have been a member of the Shamrock Club for over fifteen
years.During that time, I have volunteered forthe club at Irish
Fest, working at the retailbooth, at the Holiday Folk Fair in both
thefood and retail booths, and as a groupleader at the Bradley
Center. I have servedas the Sergeant-at-Arms for one term, andas a
Trustee. I have helped out at the PostParade Party. I assisted the
Irish Culturaland Heritage Center by photographing thebuilding.
These photos were used in obtaining a grant for repairs. I also
helpedremove the pews in the Hallamor whennew carpeting was
installed. I volunteerfor Irish Fest, usually selling beer andwine
tickets. I sing in the Irish Fest SongCircle.
I have been an active member of theEmerald Society of Wisconsin,
and of theTripoli Shriners, as a clown and as a mem-ber of the
Legion of Honor. I am a twentyyear member of the Sons of Norway.
Ising in the Community Chorus in HalesCorners.
I am a graduate of Muskego HighSchool and the University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater. I served twenty-seven monthson active duty in
the US Army. I retiredafter twenty-five years as a Deputy Sher-iff
in Waukesha County. I have two adultdaughters, Amanda and Dayna,
and anamazing significant other, Mary Koehler.
Vice PresidentKen Tehan
I am honored be to nominated for officeof Vice President of the
Shamrock Club!My bio as follows:
• Shamrock Club member for over 20 years• Irish Fest Set-up and
Landscape Coordi-nator past 12 years• Golf outing chair• Picnic
chair• Donor of produce, flowers, Christmastrees and wreaths•
Initiator of the Irish Fest Festival Expe-rience Program• Project
Lead for Harp Memorial for IrishFest volunteers•Author of Shamrock
Club Mission statement• St. Patrick's Day Parade floats built
andstored at Tehan Greenhouse• Obtained sponsors and donations for
St.Patrick's Day Parade
Sergeant at ArmsJackie Konkol
I have been a member of the Sham-rock Club for quite some time.
I havegrown up in the club attending meetingswith my parents when I
was in gradeschool. I have been an active volunteerwith the club
since I was a teenager. I haveserved on the board as trustee the
pastthree years helping with counting moneyafter the club events
including meetingsand retail at Irish Fest. I have helped in
thebank, collecting money at the Post ParadeParty. I have run the
election and auditcommittee in the past year as seniortrustee. I
have co-chaired the culturalbooth at Holiday Folk Fair the past
twoyears. I have also worked at Holiday FolkFair in the food booth
and retail areas aswell as retail and membership at IrishFest. I am
running for sergeant at arms tohelp continue to promote a sense of
com-munity within the club and hopefully fol-low the lead set by
the previous sergeant atarms. I look forward to the opportunity
tobe creative with the themes and rafflesover the next year.
SecretaryPam Canon
I have been a member of the ShamrockClub ever since moving to
Milwaukee 28years ago. During this time, I have been a very active
volunteer at the Holiday FolkFair, working in all areas including
serving as the Cultural Chairperson. I amthe current Publications
Chairperson forthe Club, producing the Emerald Reflections for you
each month. I havealso volunteered for the Post Parade Party,Irish
Fest, been a member of the Sham-rock Club Color Guard Pipes and
Drums,and have served on the board as Trusteeand Parliamentarian. I
am proud to be amember of the Shamrock Club and amhonored to be
nominated for the office ofSecretary.
ParliamentarianJosh Walton
I am honored to again have been nom-inated for a position on the
ShamrockClub board of directors. I have been a longtime member of
the Club and served onthe board in many different offices and
onmany committees and look forward incontinuing in my service to
the Club.
continued on page 7
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7
TreasurerTaffy Anderson
I am honored to be nominated for theOffice of Treasurer. I
joined the Sham-rock Club in 2011. In the short time I havebeen a
member I have volunteered for theretail booth at Irish Fest and
Holiday FolkFair, the Post-Parade Party, sat at mem-bership drives
booths for the Club at out-side activities including The
UlsterProject, ICHC events and the MilwaukeeHurling Club. I am
currently serving onthe Board as Vice President and formerlyserved
as a Trustee. It has been an honorto serve the Club in these
capacities forthese three years.As treasurer, I will continue to
keep up
the Club’s financial records that myselfand our current
Treasurer, Mary Moze,have worked diligently to organize andupdate,
to pay bills and complete filingsin a timely manner, and to work
with theBoard of Directors to increase our presencein Wisconsin and
the Irish community. I have worked in banking for over 20
years, and currently am employed as aCompliance Quality
Assurance Officer atthe largest financial institutions
head-quartered in Wisconsin. I recently re-ceived my certification
as a CertifiedRegulatory Compliance Manager. If elected, I will
present and support the
Club to the best of my abilities. I will approach every
situation with one focus –what is in the best interest of the Club.
Ihave found that doing so is a delicate balance of honoring the
rich history andtraditions of this organization while look-ing for
ways to ensure the Club’s place inboth our local and Irish
communities.I thank you for your vote.
MembershipMaggie Blaha
I have been a member of the ShamrockClub for almost 46 years. My
previousBoard position was as secretary beforecomputers. I have
participated in many ac-tivities over the years like Holiday
FolkFair, Irish Fest, annual Club picnic, In-stallation Dinner, and
25 years as one ofthe support staff for the Shamrock ClubColor
Guard Pipes and Drums. One of myfavorite experiences has been
getting toknow so many people. For that reason, Idecided to run for
membership chair. Ihave thought about some former member-ship
chairs like Bernice Reilly, Mary
Stephens, and Tom Smith. They seemed tobe the glue that kept the
many volunteersin touch with each other. I have high hopesthat I
will be supportive of all the com-mittees who provide so many
activities forShamrock Club
MembershipDan Schlitz
My volunteer work so far in the Milwaukee Irish community has
beenmostly with the Irish language. I workwith Conradh na Gaeilge
(Gaelic League)in Milwaukee as the Vice-President andwebmaster. The
Gaelic League in Milwaukee works with the UWM CelticStudies
promoting Irish Language Immer-sion Weekends and events in the
Milwau-kee area and the Midwest. I am also oneof the coordinators
of the Irish LanguageWorkshop (Ceardlann na Gaeilge) tent inthe
Cultural Village at Irish Fest.
I am honored to be nominated to a position at the Shamrock Club
after lessthan a year in the group. I joined thegroup at Irish Fest
because I have alwaysbeen impressed with the work of thegroup, and
I work nearby at MarquetteUniversity in the Raynor Library.
Sincejoining, I have worked at the Holiday FolkFair, and the Post
St. Patrick’s ParadeParty. I am also serving on the
ScholarshipCommittee. Hopefully, I can contribute acouple of new
ideas to the organization.
TrusteeMary Moze
I have been a Shamrock Club memberfor 44 years and started
volunteering im-mediately at the Folk Fair. Over the years,I’ve
done both the retail booth and thefood booth. I have enjoyed
volunteeringat Irish Fest every year since its inceptionand have
worked in the information boothand the Shamrock Club retail booth.
Ihave also volunteered at the Post Paradeparty in various
positions. My husbandand I served as the 2014 Parade Marshals.
I have served on the Board ofDirectors for two years and look
forwardto continuing to serve in order to increaseour presence in
Wisconsin and the Irishcommunity.
I have served on the Board for the Literacy Coalition of
Southeastern Wisconsin and was active in Girl Scoutsas a leader,
trainer and event chair. I amretired from MATC where I taught
basicskills and computers. My teaching degreeis in mathematics.
continued from page 6
Celtic Women International..................................
The CWI Book Club meetings begin at 1:00 pm at the ICHC and
include discussion, tea, and treats. New membersand guests are
always welcome to join us!
Maureen Garry will host our May 10thmeeting when we will discuss
the book1921 by Morgan Llwelyn.
Scotland A Personal Journey by IanRankin will be our topic on
June 14th,hosted by Nancy Vose.
On July 12th we will enjoy lunch atFinn McGuire’s, 5171 S. 108th
Street,Hales Corners.
In August we will enjoy a viewing ofthe movie, Brooklyn. Our
hostess will beSheila Isakson.
- Rosemary [email protected]
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EMERALD REFLECTIONSPHOTO OF THE MONTH
An Old Gaelic PrayerMay the Road Rise to meet youMay the wind be
always at your backMay the sun shine warm upon your face,
till the rains fall soft upon your fields.And, until we meet
again,May God hold you in the palm of His hands.
SHAMROCK CLUB OF WISCONSIN2133 W. Wisconsin AvenueMilwaukee, WI
53223
For Information: http://shamrockclubwis.comor:
www.saintpatricksparade.org
President Mary Culver presents John Gleeson with a donation for
the Acting Irish International TheatreFestival at the April
membership meeting following John’s presentation on the 1916 Easter
Rising.