Meeting Location and DatesAll are invited to attend our meetings and events.

We meet the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.January-June and September-December

(see inside for more details on all of our events!)*****NEXT MEETING: OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY*****

Thursday, December 13 at The Colony Banquet and Catering Facility

3014 West 12th Street, Erie, Pennsylvania

The German Cultural Society of Erie, Pennsylvania

Das Deutsche WortDecember 2018 January 2019 Printer: Gannon University Press Website: http://gcsoe.org

The mission of The German Cultural Society of Erie, Pennsylvania, is to preserve German values, customs, language, and music through education and activities. The German Cultural Society of Erie, Pennsylvania, aims to unite German- Americans and to share our German culture in the community through special events and charitable functions.

Der TannenbaumThe German Tannenbaum is usually put up and decorated on Christmas Eve, though some families opt to erecttheir tree during the Advent season. Traditionally, the Germans used the fir tree, but nowadays the spruce is wide- ly used. Decorations may include tinsel, glass balls or straw ornaments and sweets. A star or an angel topsthe Tannenbaum, and beneath the tree, a nativity scene might be set up and the presents next to it. Germans also usually continue to use real lit candles instead of electric lights on the tree.

The first known Christmas tree was set up in 1419 in Freiburg by the town bakers, who decorated the tree with fruits, nuts, and baked goods, which the children were allowed to remove and eat on New Year's Day. The town guilds and associations first brought evergreens inside their guild houses and decorated them with apples and sweets. Candles were eventually added to the decorations. Since the Middle Ages, ordinary Germans had been bringing yew, juniper, mistletoe, holly, evergreen boughs - any plant that maintained its green color through the lifeless and dreary winter months - into their homes. Even in areas where forests were sparse, the tradition took hold; people in Northern Germany, for instance, used Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramiden) in lieu of Christmas trees. The pyramid form was created using sticks that were then decorated with fir branches. By 1800,the custom of bringing a tree into the home was firmly established in many German-speaking regions and contin- ued to spread throughout Europe, and eventually, around the world. The custom was brought to North America by German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 18th century.

The Tannenbaum is taken down on New Year's Day or on January 6th, Three King's Day, at which time the chil- dren can ransack the tree for the sweets and treats that decorated it.

Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!

Only someone who honors the traditions of their ancestors is worthy to be their descendant.

Membership Meeting / Erie Elks LodgeWaterworks on the Peninsula with Bob Zawadzki and Bob Haltz

7 p.m.Thursday, April 17, 2019

Membership Meeting / Erie Elks LodgeGetting to Know You with Tom Laska, Larry Ruhlman, Barbara Ruhlman

Thursday, March 14, 20197 p.m. Membership Meeting / Erie Elks LodgeWorld War I and the Concept of Enemy with Ann Silverthorn and Mary Jane Koenig

7 p.m.Thursday, February 13, 2019

The Colony Banquet and Catering Facility 3014 West 12th Street, Erie

Thursday, January 10, 20197 p.m.Membership Meeting / Erie Elks LodgeThe History of Erie’s Bayfront with Bob Zawadzki andJerry Skrypczak

5 p.m. to 8 p.m.CALENDAR OF EVENTSThursday, December 13, 2018 Annual Christmas Dinner

DIRECTORY2018 OfficersBill Smith, President 453-3872 Charles Roehrl, Vice President 452-6158 Tom Laska, Treasurer 572-8016 Carol George, Board Secretary 572-2774

2018 Board of DirectorsNancy Smith 453-3872Bill Matheis 602-2427Kirk Hamza 490-9029Tim Clint 572-6639Nancy Rusnak 864-3427

2018 CommitteesMembership:Kirk and Jane Hamza

490-9029

Ways & Means:Carol George 572-2774Nancy Rusnak 864-3427

Parliamentarian

FUN FACTS ABOUT GERMANY—-

Germany has a population of 81 million people.

One-third of Germany is still covered in forests and wood- lands.

Germany is a member of the European Union.

65% of the highways in Germany (Autobahn) have no speed limit.

University is free for everyone (even non-Germans).

There are over 2100 castles in Germany.

There are over 1,500 different beers in Germany.

Germany is the seventh-largest country in Europe. Covering

an area of 137,847 square miles, of which 34,836 square

miles is covered by land and 3,011 square miles contains water.

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Marilyn Melhuish 866-1709

Dance/SchweinfestBill Matheis 602-2427

Public RelationsKirk Hamza 490-9029

NewsletterMary Jane Koenig 868-2225

ProgramsLarry Ruhlman 806-5083Paul Fischer 838-4315Naomi Foust 833-2425Bob Zawadzki 456-5583

WebmasterRoy Voshall 898-2124

LanguageChristian Mueller 825-5702

Grant ProgramsCharles Roehrl 452-6158

From Marilyn Melhuish, Parliamentarian

On December 31, 2018, the following GCS Board Members will have completed their first term of two years: Carol George, Secretary; Nancy Rusnak and Bill Matheis, Board Members. They have each con- sented to serve a second term of two years; there- fore, there isn’t a need for Elections in November.

Trivia Night Provided Much Fun at our October meeting!

Forty GCS members competed at this fun event hosted and created by Wayne Koble! Our second annual German Trivia Night was a huge success complete with prizes for the top contenders!

The Muellers and the Fischers were thinking hard!

And the winners were L to R, Paul Fischer, Nancy Fischer, Bill Schubert, Roland Mueller, Chris Myers, and Charles Roehrl!

GERMAN WORD OF THE MONTH ~

Bargeld is a word which you'll hear a lot in Germany - and use much more than in many other European countries.

Bargeld is the German word for cash. It is made upof Geldscheinen (bank notes) and Münzen(coins) and is still the most popular method of payment in Germany.

Whereas other countries like Sweden are close to becoming cashless societies, Germans are sticking with the traditional forms of money.

Bargeld is a compound noun constructed from Bar (cash) and Geld (money), so literally means “cash money.” Often, just the word bar is used.

The German idiom Bargeld lacht (literally “Cash laughs”) equates to the English “Cash is king.”

From https://www.thelocal.de/20181114/german-word-of-the-day-bargeld

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Origins of Santa ClausOur familiar "Santa Claus" is a misunderstood folk tale. The name is strictly an Americanism; in Europe he was known for centuries as St. Nicholas. A change occurred when the Dutch, spelling his name "Sint Nikolass," brought the name to America. Eventually this was modified to "Sinterklass" and finally "Santa Claus."

Furthermore, "Santa does not always arrive on Christmas Eve. In Europe he shows up on Dec. 6 as "Saint Nicholas," just as he did in early America. He was not specifically associated with Christ- mas until British-Americans adopted him from the Dutch. His appearance has also changed through the years.

The Dutch portrayed him in a way similar to Fred Astaire - thin, tall, and dignified. In the early 1800s, Washington Irving imagined Santa as a bulky man who smoked a pipe & wore baggy pants. In 1858, Harper's Weekly magazine showed him without a beard. Finally, during the Civil War, Thomas Nast portrayed Santa as we see him now. He eventually acquired Rudolph in 1939, through the influence of Montgomery Ward.

Our “Marshall Fund” ExplainedSeveral years ago we lost two of our founding members, Hildegard and Vincent Marshall. Both Hilde and Vince were well into their 90s but still worked tirelessly in the interests of the German Cultural Society of Erie, their church, and many local outreach programs. In 2017 the GCSoE resolved to acknowledge and memorialize their seemingly limitless efforts by initiating a perpetual fund that would ‘pay it forward’ to worthy charities in the spirit of the Marshalls’ own dedication.

The Marshall Fund is simply our former monthly 50/50 drawing redefined with a specific account into which the GCSoE’s 50% share is deposited for future disbursement. This disbursement is made annually in November at the discretion of a jury made up of three members of the GCSoE in good standing, plus one member of the Marshall family. The proposed recipient (s) of the Marshall Fund must have approval of the Marshall Family representative and that of the Board of Directors.

Because our 50/50 is voluntary, there is no obligation to participate and the organization’s general fund is not affect- ed in any way.

At the same time, voluntary periodic contributions into the Marshall Fund are welcomed and encouraged as these funds are guaranteed to be used strictly for the needy and/ or charitable causes, and not for general operating expenses of GCSoE. Any such contributions should be made payable to German Cultural Society of Erie with the notation of “Marshall Fund” on the memo line and given to Tom Laska, our treasurer.

Andy Marshall presenting a check for $450from the Marshall Fund to Dr. Chris Taylor, director of

the Upper Room.

C. Thomas Brooks, Director of Choirs at Mercyhurst University andthe Erie Philharmonic Chorus, Our November Speaker

Dr. Thomas C. Brooks, our eloquent November speaker, truly enlightened us about the development of singing, with the voice as the original musical instrument, a form of elongated speech. He said all human cultures sing. “Singing boosts the immune system, it is a great way to exercise our lungs, helps circulation, posture, sleep, helps us feel better about life, and helps us appreciate those who sing. We all can sing—only one in a million is a true monotone.”

German composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Brahms formed choral societies. Germans came to America and brought theirsinging societies with them. German heritage is the backbone of what we have today—choirs brought people together.

Brooks said, “If you are going to live in a community, you might as well give something to it. We need to appreciate where we are.” Clearly, Brooks, who decided to settle in Erie for his retirement after living all over the United States and Europe, is giving back to our community!

He said we should not miss Handel’s Messiah December 8, 2018, at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant at 7:30p.m. or Brahm’s Requiem on April 13, 2019 at the Warner Theater at 8 p.m.

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German Cultural Society of

Erie 1645 Skyline Drive, Erie,

PA 16509

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