Brothers,
Staying focused on something normal and predictable as the changing of seasons and coming of Christ has helped me and all of us get through the most unusual and unpredictable year in 2020 that any of us have ever experienced. Despite the challenges of this year, Hibernians we have stayed true to our motto of Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity through our meetings, donations and scholarships, and efforts with Christ House.
I wanted to introduce myself to you as the new AOH Division President, and I am honored to serve you and our community. I thank the past leadership for their guidance and effort. We get back what we put in, and Tim Donnelly (past President), Terry Riley (past Vice president), and Pat McElwain (past Recording Secretary) contributed countless hours that improved our division. Thank you very much! I am excited to introduce the new division officers; Thank you for stepping up to improve our division.
Chris Bissex – Recording Secretary
Keith Kettell – Financial Secretary
Arin Roney – Treasurer
I will use our motto of Friendship, Unity, and Christian Charity as the mindset to bring us closer together, and to improve our community. Friendship comes through teamwork and outreach. We do fun events and parades, but many hands make light work when its applied to the “work” aspect of things like selling tickets, ornaments, or helping with charity events. Unity comes with outreach and inclusivity. We have done a great job recruiting new members, so I want us to work on getting to know everyone, and to ensure everyone feels part of the team. With unity in mind, we become closer as a division, but connect with other parishes, and other groups in the Irish Community. Last but not least is our charitable contributions to the community. We will continue to support Christ House, but will look at other ways to contribute as other shelters, veteran groups, and parishes may need assistance during these unprecedented times.
Though COVID – 19 took many in-person events away, I’m excited to gather new ideas to make this year fun and exciting. Spring winery visits, hikes, and outdoor activities are being discussed to raise comradery while keeping safety in mind during this pandemic. For those brothers who cannot make the in-person meetings, or wish to remain at home during the pandemic, we will institute Zoom meetings. Our next meeting is posted on our website, and will be on February 8th, at 7:30.
In Our Motto,
Brendan Cooney