English-Speaking Union -
It's Summer and things are sort of quiet. Stay tuned as new events develop.
Bob Amott - Webmaster
Cincinnati Branch Branch Notes March 2003
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Since our last Branch Notes, members have been involved in ESU programs and social affairs as illustrated in this issue. We have enjoyed socializing at the Holiday Party in December, meeting the Page Scholar at the lunch in January and supporting the Shakespeare Festival and Shakespeare competition in February. The Board wants to thank you for your attendance and involvement. On April 4-6 the Louisville Branch is hosting the Region VI Conference in Shaker Village, Kentucky. As mentioned in the separate mailing you received, there is a Friday evening reception with a Shaker dinner, workshops on Saturday and an evening dinner and reception at the "Hall of Champions" at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The speaker will be Dr. Raymond Betts from the University of Kentucky. I encourage you all to attend. It promises to be an interesting meeting and just 25 miles south of Lexington. Patrons of the Cincinnati Branch will be invited to a special Patron Reception at a private home in April as a thank you for their support as a 2002-2003 Patron. Invitations will be mailed soon. Dues notices will be mailed in April to coincide with ESU National Headquarters fiscal year. Please join others who give their support at the Local Patron level. Have you logged on to our website: ESU-Cincinnati.org? It is very interesting, up to date and an excellent way to share with friends in other cities what you/we are doing .check it out now! Our Webmaster, Bob Amott, is doing an outstanding job. Thanks to those of you who have shared your thoughts and suggestions, keep them coming.
Eileen
ANTICIPATE
THE DINNER-PROGRAM COMMITTEE is providing outstanding events for the remainder of our year. Eileen and Robert McCarthy, Chairs, and our branch president, Eileen Knollman, present the following:
MARCH: Dinner Meeting: March 10 (Monday), 2003: The Evelyn Wrench speaker, Dennis Silk is touring the Midwest between March 1 and 17. He spoke at the dinner meeting at the Queen City Club on "The Reminiscences of a Head Master". Mr. Silk was hosted by Robert and Eileen McCarthy.
APRIL: It's support your regional conference month! Did you know that we are in ESU Region VI with 12 Branches? Can you name them? Regional Chair is Dr. Keith Eiken of Louisville.
APRIL/MAY: Dinner Meeting date and speaker will be announced later.
JUNE: Do we have an event for you! See page 3 of this issue of Branch Notes.
While on the subject of programs, here's a paragraph about a few of our past programs. The article was researched and written by our retiring historian, Melanie Hunt: "The programs presented by the E-SU have always been educational and informative. Mary S. Neff, recording secretary, wrote in the minutes [sometime between December 1938 and July 1939], "The speaker of the evening, Mr. Graham Hutton, chose the intriguing subject 'Psychology of the Younger Generation in Europe', a group he was well qualified to represent. He felt that the older generation had been trying to build a pre-war world with post-war materials and predicted that when the younger men came into power they might call the bluff of dictators at the risk of involving the democracies in war. Little did we dream last December, how perilously near fulfillment this prediction was to come in a few months". In 1960, Dr. Edgar C. Taylor gave a lecture, "Inside Africa, Without Gun or Gunther" and is quoted as saying "We, too, must face the fact the white man is on his way out of Africa. It is a country with people who want to be free and govern themselves, even if badly." Certainly, the Branch has had lighter fare as in the presentation by Mr. Mark Haight, "whose vivid review of 'The Romance of English Inns' was quite superbly illustrated with moving pictures of the most unique and historic hostelries of "The Moist Isle", (not dated, but long enough ago that every person who attended the meeting was listed in The Enquirer). (Did you know that Susan Hansel is now the Cincinnati Branch ESU historian? Our thanks to Susan for assuming this responsibility.)
COMMITTEES IN ACTION
WALTER HINES PAGE SCHOLARSHIPS
In England the word is spread
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ENGLISH-SPEAKING UNION, attn: Awards Manager, Dartmouth House, 37 Charles Street, London W1X 8AB. Tel: 020 7493 3328, fax: 020 7495 6108: Programme Offered: The Walter Hines Page Scholarships Award Amount: £1,000 - £1,565 plus full hospitality from American ESU branches Programme Duration: Two weeks during September - May. Eligibility: Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 55 and belong to: Assoc. of Heads of Independent Schools, Assoc. of Teachers and Lecturers, The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Incorporated Assoc. of Preparatory Schools, Independent Schools Assoc., NATFHE, National Assoc. of Head Teachers, National Assoc. of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, National Assoc. of Teachers of Home Economics and Technology or National Union of Teachers. Application Deadline: 29 November 2002 Description: 8 scholarships are awarded to teachers and are intended to promote the exchange of educational ideas between the UK and US. Scholars travel to the US to study a specific aspect of US education, with brief visits of a few days to four cities. Scholars may attach independent travel to the tour. |
The Walter Hines Page Scholarship Program is one of the original ESU educational programs. Our participation in the program involves our hosting a Page Scholar during his/her Cincinnati visit, arranging housing, meals, activities and interviews with local educational organizations and/or personalities who have interests similar to those of the Page Scholar.
Our thanks to Stephen and Suzanne Schweller who have chaired our Page Scholar program for the past 4 years with enthusiasm and dedication. They have welcomed an interesting group of British scholars who have had varied professional fields of interests:
January 11, 2003 - Saturday Lunch with our 2003 Page Scholar Nigel Richardson, our 2003 Page Scholar, visited Cincinnati in January between visits to Boston, Cleveland and Columbus. Nigel is Headmaster at the Perse School in Cambridge, England. While in Cincinnati his hosts, Stephen and Suzanne Schweller, arranged for him to visit Summit Country Day and the Seven Hills School where he was able to compare notes with the current Headmaster, gleaning a "wealth of information" according to Suzanne. During the course of his visit, he enjoyed dinner at Nicholson's Restaurant with Nancy Clagett, and Suzanne Schweller and Eileen Knollman.) Thirty-three of our members met at the Vernon Manor to welcome Nigel to Cincinnati. Stephen Schweller introduced Nigel at this January luncheon, remarking that he and Suzanne have found hosting these English scholarship winners so rewarding and the British scholars so delightful that they (the Schwellers) wanted to share their pleasure and enthusiasm with the general ESU Cincinnati Branch membership at a special luncheon. It was a great idea! Nigel Richardson was an articulate, fascinating speaker and delighted our members with his informative presentation and his warm personality - a true British gentleman. As Nigel summarized in his report from England, "There was the opportunity to give presentations to a members' lunch in Cincinnati and a branch committee supper in Cleveland. This involved talking about my teaching of American History, my experience of previous visits to America and my wife's current work in American schools as a British (OFSTED) Inspector applying school inspection techniques there. Questions included what Britain's future role is in the world, my views on recent American Presidents and the future of the British Royal Family. "
| Herbert Curry, Nigel Richardson, Rick Vogel and Nancy Clagett | Stephen Schweller, Susan Hansel, Bill and Linda Rhoads |
Jackie Lett, Marti Gibson, Eileen McCarthy, Fran Cohen |
Eileen Knollman, Branch President, with Frank Meeks, Branch Treasurer |
LOOKING FORWARD TO SPECIAL EVENTS
THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE AT SHAKER VILLAGE April 4 - 6, 2003 - The Louisville Branch has planned an interesting, casual 3-day weekend at this historic site in the heart of the Bluegrass The event has been arranged to allow some flexibility in the schedule for ESU members and their guests and spouses. You can still plan to attend - registration closes on March 12. See the president's message for details and/or call Eileen Knollman.
PATRONS RECEPTION April 13 (Sunday), 2003 - This is going to be the beginning of a tradition! There will be a special wine reception to thank the members of the Cincinnati Branch of the ESU who have supported our branch as Patrons this year. Invitations will be mailed soon.
PRINCESS ANNE RECEPTION AT KEENLAND RACE TRACK LIBRARY April 26, 2003 - Thanks to those of you who responded to the "Urgent-Urgent-Urgent" letter about this event. Our branch will be represented. We have not yet been notified of the official number of reservations.
CELEBRATION OF THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE June 2003 - This special black-tie reception and dinner will be held at the Queen City Club. Co-sponsors of the event are the Cincinnati Branch ESU and the Society of the Colonial Warriors. Chair, Joyce Holmes, and her committee promise a "night to remember". Details later.
PROSPECTIVE NEW MEMBERS RECEPTION August 2003 - A special informal reception in a private home is being planned for ESU members who have friends they would like to introduce to our Cincinnati Branch. To attend, bring a prospective new member.
THE NATIONAL ESU CONFERENCE November 13-16, 2003 - The meeting will be held in Providence, RI.
LOOKING BACK -FASCINATING TIMES
December 8 - The Holiday Party at the Home of John and Dolly Kohls was a major social event of the past year for the Cincinnati Branch ESU. Members were welcomed into the warm atmosphere of a wonderful historic home, beautifully decorated for the holidays. Forty-five guests enjoyed a delightful reception followed by a buffet sit-down dinner. We are grateful to the Kohls for their hospitality and generosity in opening their home for this ESU December holiday party. For those of you who were not able to attend, share with us a delightful experience through this link to our Special Photo Story - ESU 2002 Christmas Party.
FEBRUARY 2003 WAS SHAKESPEARE MONTH
| On February 13 ESU members attended a delightful performance of Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors" at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theatre. Before the theatre, they enjoyed dinner at the award-winning Phoenix restaurant. President Eileen Knollman announced the names of four of our members who were National Merit Award Winners in 2002. These awards are given to ESU members who perform outstanding service in the ESU educational programs. In the photo on the left, Robert Amott and Janice Flanagan, Chairs of the Shakespeare Competition, receive their award from Eileen Knollman. Absent award winners: Patricia Overbeck, organizer of the first Cincinnati Shakespeare Competition and John LaFreniere, chair of the Travel Study Grant Program. |
| The Shakespeare Competition: Students from 25 Cincinnati area schools participated in the semifinals on Saturday, February 22, at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Theatre. From these 25 students, six finalists were selected. In the photo on the right (L/R), the winner of the final competition on March 1, Jessica Rothert from SCPA and 2nd place winner, Katie Trauth, from Scott High School in Kentucky. Jessia will travel to New York to participate in the Nationals at Lincoln Center on April 26 - 28, 2003. |
Our thanks to the competition judges: for the semifinals: Rebecca Bowman, Marsha Clarke, Luther Gibson and Stephen Skyles; for the finals: Jane Anderson, Ed Stern and Mahogany Scott. There was a good representation of Cincinnati Branch ESU members at both events supporting the students and our dedicated chairs.
Photo #1 Members present at the finals included (L/R): Joyce Holmes, Robert McCarthy, Eileen McCarthy and Susan Hansel. Photo #2 (L/R): Jane Anderson, Ed Stern, winner Jessica Rothert, David Roth (Jessica's teacher from SCPA and Mahogany Scott. Photo #3 (L/R): Dana Davis (Katie's teacher from Scott High), Janice Flanagan, Katie Trauth (2nd place winner) and Bob Amott.
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Photo 3
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NEW MEMBERS We extend a welcome to the following new members: Rev. Kenneth and Marsha Clarke
DUES FOR THE YEAR 2003-2004 The Cincinnati Branch will be participating in National Headquarters new "Direct Billing of Dues Pilot Project". Renewal notices will be sent by National Headquarters in April. Dues will be paid directly to New York and there will be no increase in dues. The Cincinnati Branch will continue to manage/print our membership roster. Again this year we urge you to support the Branch by becoming a Patron.
SPECIALLY FOR THE QUIDNUCS*: More about Shakespeare - If you would like to increase your knowledge about Shakespeare, log on to this web site: shakespeare.palomar.edu - a site rich in English history and information about the Bard.
Weaving our Web - Bob Amott is fine-tuning our web page found at: ESU-Cincinnati.org Check it and see what changes have been wrought! We have pictures!
"Wanna Speak English? - " A resurgent English-Speaking Union is spreading the word about the world's leading language. See the enclosed copy of this article that appeared in Time Magazine International Edition, (June 24, 2002 Volume 159 No. 25) ---- written by CHRIS REDMAN/LONDON.
*quidnuc - (Usage 1700-1800) Edward Lloyd's Encyclopaedic Dictionary, 1895) One who is curious to know everything - who is perpetually asking, "What now? What's news?"
Margaret Whiting, Editor, may be contacted by phone (513-241-6070) or by email: [email protected]
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