July 16, 2010

Greetings, Brothers!
What a great convention we had! The National Convention Committee must be proud of the work they have done .Thanks to the hard work of Jim Magee & Bob Harper and their crew on the men's side and Judy Leddy and her crew on the women's side, the convention was a great success. And what about the Ohio Hospitality Room!?! Ohio had, by far the best and most visited room of all. Our thanks go out to the Hospitality Room Coordinators, Mike McKenzie and Jenn Namsick. They and their group helped keep the room stocked and tidy. The Chrystal boys (Marty, Pat & Pete) did a tremendous job with the food, both in preparing and serving it. It had to have been the best corned beef I have ever tasted. We could not have succeeded without them.
Congratulations to our own Danny O'Connell for his being re-elected as National Director. President Seamus Boyle, Vice President Brendan Moore, Treasurer Jim McKay and Secretary Tom McNabb all ran unopposed, so the new Board will continue to work together for the good of all Hibernians. I am excited to imagine all that we can accomplish in the next two years.
Our State Board raffle of the Hibernian sword went over well. Everyone liked the looks of the sword and, although we could have sold more tickets, we did make a profit. There still may be some proceeds and expenses outstanding, so the exact profit is not yet known. The sword was won by a Hibernian from New York.
I was not able to sit in on all of the meetings during the convention but did jot down some issues that are of interest to everyone.

• Hibernian Hunger Project. There are grants available for $500 or $1,000. You need to apply for these grants and they can be used for a variety of needs in your areas. Info can be found on the National Website or in the Hibernian Digest.
• All Division, County & State Boards must have a federal EI#. Ron Hagan will have information available to anyone who still needs to get one.
• Tom McNabb said he will be sending out the printouts in September to Division Financial Secretaries. It is very important to review these and make any necessary changes, using Form 40s. Get the changes back to Tom as soon as possible. The Traveling Cards will be mailed out the end of November. Also, be sure to fill out updated Form 40s when members have received their Major Degrees.
• It was voted on and approved to raise the National Per Captia assessment. It will be increased from $8 per member per year to $12 per member per year. It was stated that it has been eighteen years since the last increase.
• The National Chaplain has been working on a handbook for all Hibernian Chaplains. It is not complete, but will be sent out to all chaplains when finished.
• Be sure to check the National Website and get information on sending letters to support the United Ireland Resolution. Sample letters are available.
• Don't forget to send in articles to the National Hibernian Digest, especially those that show charitable works. Be sure to include a contact name in case others would want to get more information on your projects. Be sure to read the guidelines on submitting articles and photos. If you need assistance, contact J.C. Sullivan, our State Press & Publicity Chairman.
• The 2012 National Convention will take place on July 9-12, 2012 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino, outside of Albany, New York.
• The 2014 National Convention will take place on July 9-12, 2014 at the Millennium Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

The one downside at the convention was the untimely passing of two very active Hibernians from Cincinnati. Brothers Tom Boyer and Jim Evans both passed away in the week preceding the convention. Our prayers of comfort and support go out to both families. Both, Tom & Jim were with us in spirit during the convention.
Here is hoping the best to everyone for the remainder of the summer. I am certain we will have a State Board Meeting sometime in the fall. As soon as I have the details, I will pass them on to everyone.

Fraternally,
Joe Casey
President