SPECIAL DIVISION 1 ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1.         Saturday, December 9^th, it is the annual A.O.H. St. Louis Area wide Christmas Party.  This year end social event is FREE to all and the invited list includes: 1) ALL AOH/LAOH members and their immediate families within the entire St. Louis Area (this INCLUDES St. Clair and Madison Illinois counties and St. Charles County, Missouri).  2) All of our dear friends and supporters.   The only thing we most graciously ask is that each family please bring one “side dish” to add to the “buffet table!  Party begins at 6:30 PM at the Czech Hall.   Come and join your “brother and sister Irish” in a night of wonderful Christmas cheer.  Installation of incoming Division officers (for any and all divisions that wish to participate) will take place at 8:00PM.

2.         The results of the November Divisional elections are as follows:

Congratulations to the entire of officers.  Please give them you full support.

3.         Starting on January 12, 2007, St. Louis AOH Division #1 will be changing locations from the American Czech Educational Center to the Gymnasium meeting room at St. James the Greater.  Because of financial concerns it was voted upon and unanimously passed by the attending membership.  We are the AOH Division in the City of St. Louis, and we shall stay that way.

4.         Also, at the November general membership meeting, our financial yearly operating budget was thoroughly discussed, And a motion was made and passed unanimously that membership dues, starting 1 January 2007, will be raised to $36.00 per year.  PLEASE mail your 2007 dues to Roy J. Shoemaker, 1652 Bayberry Lane, Barnhart, MO 63012.

5.         Well, Gentlemen, this is my last edition of the division newsletter.  Starting in January, someone else will step forward and begin producing the newsletter.  I, over the past 3 years, have always tried to make this newsletter educational and informative to all members.

I have had the distinct honor, for the past three years, to serve as your president of this great division.  I hope I have made a positive leadership role and impression in guiding the division.  The division has not been “the gang that couldn’t shoot straight” but rather has steadily advanced in membership and growth of reputation.  I sincerely ask of everyone, please give your new Board of Officers as much help, support and backing as entirely possible.  Do not ever be “just satisfied” to keep things as they are.  Always look and work for ways to constantly improve the division.  A stagnant division never improves nor grows. We have made some real steps forward in the past three years.

We have increased our membership by almost 50 members, thanks to Seamus Concagh, Matthew O’Neill Jr., and our webmaster (in California) Eric Fangmann this Division has a beautiful internet website at www.stlhibernians.org.  Thanks to Dan Green and the workers from his company, ISC Contracting, for our division trailer is now completely restored, and has been re-titled and licensed.  We are also moving to a central location that is within our yearly operating budget.  So we have made some real strides forward within the past three years.

The future?  Well I have been asked by members of Alton Division #1, Father James Suddes Division for help, and so I have agreed to act as their “organizer” (recruiter) as well as offer suggestions as to how to “kick start” their division, but at least for the foreseeable future, I shall remain an active and loyal member of the Father Tim Dempsey Division.

Please see the Calendar of Events (click here).

With that said, I bid each of you “slan agus Dia Beannaigh tú gach” --- good bye/so long and God bless you all.

Jim Otto

President

AOH Division #1