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

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

3

Rent the ICHC for your next

PartyMeeting

RecitalWedding

Spaces available for large

or small events

Email: director@ichc.net

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.

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, Editoremeraldreflections@shamrockclubwis.com

Pam Canon, Publisher

4

DANE COUNTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat McCarthyP.O. Box 70765, Madison 53707-0765

pmmccarthy@charter.net; (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 53233ganowak@wi.rr.com; (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: willardana@yahoo.com

E-mail: . . . . . . . . . . club@shamrockclubwis.com

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.

5

Advertise in theEmerald Reflections

Contactdpcanon@wi.rr.com 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: JeanKBills@aol.com

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: slainte4142-shamrock@yahoo.com.- 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.

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

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 Walshrowalsh@wi.rr.com

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.