English-Speaking
Union - 
Branch Notes Spring 2004 Editor, Margaret Whiting - Phone (513-241-6070) - email: mpwhit @aol.com
A Message from the Cincinnati Branch ESU President…
During the past winter months we enjoyed warm fellowship and good meetings with great speakers. The Shakespeare competition was a huge success again this year. The winner, Joe Sofranco from Walnut Hills, has a good chance of placing in the top 10 in the competition with other USA branch winners in New York City in late April. (Webmaster note: He won 1st place at the national competition!!!) You can meet and hear Joe at the April 19 dinner meeting.
A reception for the local Patrons was held at the beautiful historic home of Joe and Barbara Eveland as a thank you for your support at this level.
Plans are under way for the May meeting. The annual meeting brunch will be Sunday, June 27. Come meet our 2004 Travel Study Grant winner, Shaun Howard…his field of study is very interesting.
The next Prospective New Member Reception will be held in August. This is not a meeting……there is no cost……but the price of attendance is bringing a prospective member. It will be held at a private residence, details to be announced.
Annual dues for our local ESU members will again be invoiced by National Headquarters in New York. Please respond in a timely manner and consider being a LOCAL PATRON again this year or for the first time this year. The Board and I very much appreciate your support for the local programs as local Patrons.
Thank you for your attendance and active participation. Keep your thoughts and suggestions coming (745-9848).
Eileen
We were saddened to hear of the death of two of our members, Col. Gordon Thorndyke - September 22, 2003 and Rev. Kenneth E. Clarke - December 19, 2003. Our condolences to their families. Thank you to our members who gave gifts to ESU in memory of those deceased.
WATCH FOR THESE DATES
| APRIL 16-18 | Region VI Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana |
| APRIL 19 - Monday | Dinner Meeting with speaker John McNay |
| MAY | Dinner Meeting (TBA) |
| JUNE 27- Sunday | Annual meeting at Kenwood Country Club, election of officers and Travel Study Grant winner |
| AUGUST | Prospective New Members Reception |
| SEPTEMBER | First meeting of the 2004-2005 year |
| OCTOBER 6 - 10 | ESU WORLD MEMBERS' CONFERENCE 2004 -- NEW YORK CITY! |
What's New...
| A warm welcome to the newest members of the Cincinnati Branch ESU. |  |
|
Terry
and Jodine Grundy
|
There are plans underway to offer a special workshop in Cincinnati for local Shakespeare teachers and acting coaches. This workshop is a National ESU project and would be led by Michael LoMonico, Associate Director of Education National ESU Staff. This is tentatively planned for August 2004.
What's Coming Up...
Cincinnati Branch dues will be due soon. Invoices will again be sent from National Headquarters. In addition, please consider being a National Patron ($250 and up) to help support the Evelyn Wrench speakers, the Page Scholars and the National Shakespeare Program.
What's Been Happening?
How many of these special events were on your calendar?
Our dinner meetings featuring excellent speakers and memorable dinners at the Queen City Club continue to be well attended. Recent speakers included John Dolibois, former Ambassador to Luxembourg, and Dr. Henry Winkler, President of the University of Cincinnati from 1977-1984.
 |
 |
| John Dolibois with Eileen Knollman. John discussed his experiences during World War II as a military intelligence officer. The audience was riveted! | ESU members Cedric Vogel and the ESU Cincinnati Branch President with Dr. Winkler. Dr. Winkler, President Emeritus of the University of Cincinnati, gave an outstanding presentation on "British Politics Since 1945". |
How many of these people who were present do you recognize?
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ANOTHER INCREDIBLE HOLIDAY PARTY was held December 7, 2003 at the home of Dolly and John Kohls. Excellent dinner, beautiful decorations, lots of time for chatting with friends, piano by Andrew Smithson and vocal by Larry Reiring were enjoyed by all. | ||
 |
 |
 |
|
Our
members enjoy…
|
Rosemary
Welsh, Eileen Knollman and Charles Kiley
|
Dolly
and John Kohls
|
What's Been Happening?
The Shakespeare Experience...
This was my first year to attend both the semifinals and the finals of the Shakespeare competition offered to area high school students by Cincinnati Branch ESU. This competition was held on February 28 and March 6 in the Shelterhouse Theatre (with stage set for its "Drawer Boy" production). I, like many of you, just never managed to rise and shine on a Saturday morning to witness these students perform. They were incredible. I will return next year. (Comments by Editor, Margaret Whiting.)
Committee members working with co-chairs Janice Flanagan and Robert Amott were: Jane Anderson, Joan Corbin, Rev. David DeVore, Robert and Eileen McCarthy, Suzanne Schweller. They all run a remarkable, well-organized program. There were 24 students from Cincinnati and Kentucky schools entered in the competition. Sorry you missed this exceptional opportunity to experience first-hand one of the most important educational programs of Cincinnati ESU. Please mark your calendar for these finals in 2005…. it's a great experience and one you will not want to miss.
Judges for the Semi Finals were: DR. WILLIAM MCKIM (Shakespeare Professor Emeritus with Northern Kentucky University), MAUREEN KENNEDY (Actress and director from Los Angeles now living in Cincinnati), JACKIE DEMALINE (Cincinnati Enquirer theater and art critic), GREG HUDSON (Professor of theater at Northern Kentucky University) and EILEEN MCCARTHY (ESU member).
 |
 |
 |
| Judges: Dr. William McKim, Maureen Kennedy, Jackie Demaline, Greg Hudson, and Eileen McCarthy. | Semi finalists represented Walnut Hills, St. Ursula, Withrow, Kings High, Entrepreneurship High and Seven Hills Upper School. | Support from ESU members Jane Anderson, Janice Flanagan, Eileen and Robert McCarthy and Eileen Knollman. |
The winner of the finals was Joe Sofranko from Walnut Hills High School, second place went to Nina Yarbrough from Withrow and third place to Rebecca Whately from St. Ursula Academy. Joe Sofranko, first place winner will receive $1000. Our thanks to ESU member Isabelle Paul for gifting this first place award. Our thanks, also, to Ed Stern of the Playhouse in the Park for the use of the Shelterhouse stage for this competition.
Judges for the Finals were: FRAN COHEN (ESU member), JEREMY DUBIN (Actor with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival), TONY DAVIS (Acting Professor at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music).
 |
 |
| Left:.Winner Joe Sofranko with his acting coach, Gina Cerimele-Mechley,- Judges Fran Cohen, Jeremy Dubin and Tony Davis - Shakespeare co-chairs Janice Flanagan and Bob Amott. | L/R Nina Yarbrough (runner-up), Joe Sofranko (1st place winner),and Rebecca Whately (3rd place) flanked by ESU co chairs, Robert Amott and Janice Flanagan. |
Items of Interest...
Our 2004 Page Scholar, Florencia, from Argentina was in Cincinnati from February 4 to 7th. Maria Florencia Sackmann Sala, who is a private school kindergarten teacher in Buenos Aires, was interested in observing school education procedures in private US schools. Suzanne and Stephen Schweller, who have served as hosts to these annual Page Scholars for 5 years, arranged for her to visit St. Mary's parochial school, Kilgore Elementary public school, and Dougherty private school. They also arranged for Florencia to meet some of Cincinnati Branch ESU board members.
 |
 |
 |
| Suzanne Schweller, Page Scholar Florencia Sala and Stephen Schweller. | Susan Hansel, Stephen Schweller, Anna Marie Gonzalez, Florencia Sala, William Rhoads, and Caryl Osterhus | Charles Kiely, Eileen Knollman, Florencia Sala and Rick Vogel |
Creating Global Understanding Through English
This year the World Members' Conference 2004 is being held in New York City, October 6 to 10. These international meetings occur every five years and present opportunities for members to mix and mingle and exchange ideas with our international counterparts. There is a busy agenda planned that ends with a closing dinner on Ellis Island where ESU visitors can appreciate the magnificent New York City skyline. The official hotel is the Roosevelt on 45th Street and Madison. There are several members from Cincinnati who are planning to attend. Are you one of them? Every one is welcome. Contact Eileen Knollman for further information, 745-9848. The international ESU membership is rapidly expanding. There are now 51 branches. Almost all of the branches have email addresses and several have good web sites. It makes communication so easy. For more information log on to: http://www.esu.org/member/international.shtml
The following is a throughtful message from the president, Dr. the Hon. Rosanna Wong, JP of the ESU Hong Kong Branch - Welcoming visitors to the Hong Kong web site (http://www.esuhk.org)
It gives me the greatest of pleasure to welcome you to the Web Page of the English Speaking Union, Hong Kong (ESU HK) The ESU is an organisation with a long history of 83 years. It has more than 41 branches in the United Kingdom and 51 unions round the world. We are just one of the latest additions to this thriving body. For Hong Kong, the timing could not be better. While there is concern that the standards of English are flagging, there is also an increasing demand for persons who speak English fluently. I believe that the ESU in Hong Kong is one way to address these issues. More than this, I also see the ESU in Hong Kong as having great potential as a conduit of friendships and networks among young people around the world. This Web site is an introduction to the programmes and projects that the ESU (HK) runs. I sincerely hope that all those who log on will take the time to see what is on offer and be encouraged to participate in those events that could be of benefit to you. This is an exciting time, not only for Hong Kong as an international city, but also for the world, as globalisation brings us all closer and closer together, particularly in the spheres of economics, technology and communication. In the midst of all these changes, the use of English assumes a far greater importance than ever before. So, in that spirit, I urge you to take full advantage of the English Speaking Union of Hong Kong! Rosanna Wong Yick-ming (The ESU in Hong Kong was launched officially in December 2001 While maintaining its international perspective, the ESU focuses on the unique situation in Hong Kong.)
Margaret Whiting, Editor, may be contacted by phone (513-241-6070) or by email: mpwhit@aol.com
Archives: