Ladies AOH

Division 5, “Mary of the Gael”

Division Happenings
Volume 1, Issue 8, Division 5, Orange County, NY, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians November 2009

President
A Message from the President...
Gail Edmonds Latha Math Dhuibh ,
Editor Even though Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday, it may be
Gail Cane appropriate for me to thank a few people this month. Thank you, LAOH
Division 5 Board for all of your hard work so far this year, especially
Gail Cane for her extra efforts with our Newsletter and Eileen Gertzkis
Upcoming Events
for being my constant sounding board. Thank you, Sister Ann, for your
spiritual guidance. Thank you to all Committee members, and to all
Tuesday, Nov. 17,
members, for your support of all of our events this year. Thank you to
7:30 pm
Mid Hudson St. Patrick’s Division 1 for your constant support – farewell to Brendan O'Dowd as a
Day Parade Committee fine Division President, and good luck to John O'Grady and his newly
Mtg., Monroe Irish elected Board. A special thank you goes out to AOH Division 1 for the
Center -- all members congratulatory plaque that was presented to our division at the 40th
welcome to attend Anniversary Party; we were honored to be recognized. Division 5 could
not be a success without everyone involved.
Friday, Nov. 20
LAOH Mtg., 8 pm As we approach the Advent season, I hope we all feel the sense of
newness as we start our Liturgical year and await Christmas day.
Saturday, Nov. 28 Today at Mass we were reminded that Jesus WILL be coming again, as
LAOH Div. 5/AOH Div. 1 promised, and are we ready for that? As we celebrate the day of our
Co-host U2 Nation, 9 pm Lord's birth, please think about being generous and giving in different
ways.
Thursday, Dec. 3
Orange County LAOH We will have our first annual Christmas party at Logan's Well on
Christmas Party, December 10. I hope to see many members and their guests there! In
Limoncello’s, Goshen January we will have a 2 pound auction after our meeting.....details
will follow. And in February we will have our first “Gong Show” emceed
Thursday, Dec. 10
by our witty member Erin Higgins after our meeting. Then we have
LAOH Div. 5
March.... I say no more. But before these events, we have U2 Nation
Christmas Gathering
Logan’s Well coming on November 28, I hope to see many members out that night
7 pm having a great time, and raising money for Christian Charity. This will
be our last fundraiser for 2009, co-hosted with Division 1, let's make it
Friday, Jan. 22 a night of Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity to remember!
LAOH Mtg., 8 pm,
2 pound auction to follow

Ongoing Events

Traditional Irish
Music Seisiun Go raibh mile maith agaibh,
Every Sunday afternoon,
from 1- 4 Gail
Volume 1, Issue 8, Division 5, Orange County, NY, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Page 2

LAOH DIV. 5 AND AOH DIV. 1

are sponsoring

U2 Tribute Band
“A Complete U2 Experience” IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING

NOVEMBER 28, 9 PM • At the Nov. 20 meeting, donations of

The concert will be held at the Monroe
Irish Center, 10 North Main St. Tickets
are $20/ advanced sales only. Tickets are
available at the Irish Center or by
contacting either Gail Edmonds at
gailedmonds@frontiernet.net, or Brendan
O’Dowd at 845-551-0563. This concert is
open to members and non-members, so
please bring your family and friends to this
event! If you are a U2 fan, you don’t want
to miss this great night!
SAVE THJE DATE
LAOH DIVISION 5
1 Annual Christmas Party
ST
Thursday, December 10
7-9 pm
Logan’s Well
Florida,
Florida, NY
$25/person includes 3 appetizers &
open bar
Members, friends, relatives (adults
only, please)
Payment in cash to Erin Higgins
gently used coats will be accepted for
Division 2 AOH’s Coat Drive to benefit
Castle Point Veteran's Hosptial. John
Greehy of Div. 2, will take all donated
coats for men, women and children to the
Veteran’s Hospital. Ann Curtin will bring
the donations to Div 2. the week after our
meeting.
DON’T FORGET YOUR DONATION TO
“OUR FATHER’S KITCHEN” WHEN
YOU COME TO THE NEXT MEETING
• They are in need of supplies for
Thanksgiving; please consider
donating a bag of potatoes, or a non-
perishable Thanksgiving food item.
• Siobhan Higgins, daughter of Division
5 member, Erin Higgins, is
coordinating a community service
project in preparation for her
Confirmation. Donations of baby
items, jar food, cereal, formula,
diapers to benefit Our Mother’s
Cupboard at Sacred Heart are being
accepted.
New Members
New members are welcome! If you know a
worthy candidate, please contact Gail
Edmonds at gailedmonds@frontiernet.net
for membership information.
Orders are still being accepted for
Division 5 fleeces and shirts.
Please see Kathleen Metcalf to
place your order.
Volume 1, Issue 8, Division 5, Orange County, NY, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Page 3

The Season of Advent…by Sr. Ann Daly, Division Chaplain

The church year starts with Advent and is a season of reflection on the coming of Christ both
long ago and just ahead. Advents is a time of waiting – it is the season in which we celebrate
new beginnings. “Advent is a season to remember that Jesus has already come and that He
offered us many insights and examples for our own inner homecoming. It is a time of joy and
enthusiasm as we hear again God’s promise to be with us and to resettle us in love” (Joyce
Rupp).

The Advent wreath was developed out of a tradition of lighting a candle to mark the weeks
until Christmas. The lighting of the candles announces the triumph of Christ over darkness.
Waiting can be difficult. As we prepare for the feast of Christmas, let us take time to reflect on
preparing our hearts during this season of waiting.

Although Advent is a time of waiting for the Messiah, it causes a tension in our lives. The
world around us urges us to hurry up – it’s Halloween. Time to start shopping for Christmas.
It presents a conflict for all of us who wait to prepare spiritually for the coming of the Lord.
How can we prepare when there is so much to do? How do we balance our spiritual life with
the pressures of daily living through the holidays?

We need a plan. We need to carve out a little space in our daily routine to be with Jesus; a time
to pray. Most of us don’t have long periods of time to pray. See if you can take a moment here
and there to be with Jesus on the way to the supermarket, when you drive the children to
soccer, when you pick them up after Religious Education. Take the few moments you have to
say a prayer. Tell Jesus what you feel about what’s going on in your life. Say thank you for
what he has given you and your family.

“A Christmas Blessing”

May there be harmony in all your relationships…

May you give and receive love generously…
May each person who comes into your life be greeted as another Christ…
May the hope of this sacred season settle in your soul…
May the wonder and awe that fills the eyes of children be awakened within you...
May the bonds of love for one another be strengthened as you gather with your family and
friends around the table of festivity and nourishment…
May you daily open the gift of your life and be grateful…
May the coming year be one of good health for you…
May you keep your eye on the Star within you…
May you go often to the Bethlehem of your heart and visit the One who offers you peace. May
you bring this peace into our world.
--Joyce Rupp
Volume 1, Issue 8, Division 5, Orange County, NY, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians Page 4

A Little Bit of Irish History… by Patty

Patty Ryan, Division 5 Historian.

THE IRISH HARP

While I was vacationing in Ireland this past summer, I was told an interesting fact about the Irish Coat of
Arms, “The Harp”. It went something like this…An older Irish women holding her passport asked me where I
was from and I said “The U.S.”. Then she pointed to her passport and told me to look at the harp symbol. She
said it was facing in the wrong direction (right). I was told that Guinness held the rights to the harp symbol facing
the right direction (towards the body). I commented that was strange but interesting.
The Coat of Arms of Ireland and the Great Seal of the Irish Free State is the Harp. Both were officially
adopted after the Constitution of Ireland in 1937. Each harp was fashioned like the “Harp of Brian Boru”. The
Coat of Arms Harp is a right-facing golden harp with silver strings on a St. Patrick blue background and the Great
Seal is a right-facing harp with copper on one side and silver on the other with the word “EIRE”. The Harp is
used on all official documents, passports, and money.
The Guinness harp was a symbol adopted in 1862 and it faces left instead of right. Guinness needed to
find a company logo when it started to export its stout to England. Guinness wanted to ensure that upon receiving
their stout others would get to know the goodness of Ireland. Guinness has a 9,000 year lease for the brewery in
Dublin and respectfully shares the Harp emblem with Ireland.
Which is the right or wrong direction of a harp? I wonder if it was just a little bit of blarney…

AOH DIVISION 1 40TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Brendan O’Dowd, Immediate Past President of AOH Div. 1 is joined by Div. 1 members Tommy
Flynn, Sentinel Keith Reynolds and Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt; LAOH Division 5 president,
Gail Edmonds, joins Ed Diana, Orange County Excecutive, and LAOH Div. 5 members Gail Cane,
Lorraine O’Dowd and Janice Boyle for a wonderful celebration of Division 1’s 40 years!