English-Speaking
Union - 
Branch Notes Winter 2003 Editor, Margaret Whiting - Phone (513-241-6070) - email: mpwhit @aol.com
A Message from the Cincinnati Branch ESU President…
We are off to a great start for the 2003-2004 year! Since the August Prospective Members Reception, we have added the 17 new members listed below... welcome! As your President and delegate to the annual ESU meeting in Providence, RI this month, I was pleased to report, the many wonderful things we are doing... to name a few… our Shakespeare Competition, the Travel Study Grant, hosting the Page Scholars, the continued great website, good publicity about our meetings, the increase of local Patrons and the initiation of a Patrons Reception and the financial support for the educational programs. Wow... other branches were impressed and said, "how do you do it"… to which I replied, "we have wonderful members who are truly engaged in the mission of ESU and we have fun doing it." (They want our recipe!) Merit Awards were given to three of our members: Stephen and Suzanne Schweller for chairing the Page Scholar program for many years and to Margaret Whiting for producing the many issues of Branch Notes that keep all members informed; included are photos of the branch activities. KUDOS to all! While there were many workshops at the annual meeting, one stands out in my mind that I think we could seriously consider starting this year. That is the English In Action program. English in Action helps newcomers to the U.S. gain confidence in mastering conversational English by pairing them with volunteer tutors for weekly one-to-one conversation practice. Unlike formal language classes, EIA offers both an ongoing personal relationship and the opportunity for a cross-cultural exchange as tutor and student learn about life and customs in one another's country. Let me know your thoughts about this program. Thank you for your attendance and active participation. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions - keep them coming (745-9848).
Eileen
What's New
A warm welcome to our new members of the Cincinnati Branch ESU who joined in the fall of 2003:
SUSIE BAHR
MARTHA DEMAR
ED DORAN
LUCRETIA DYE
DOUGLAS HALLETT
DAVID AND JUNE LOVE
VIVIAN MCCRARY
DUNCAN MUIR
WILLIAM AND ANN NOLAN
NANCY PETERS
DOROTHY RYE
JOSEPH AND BARBARA STEGMAIER
DAVID AND GINGER WARNER
| A New Election: Our Branch President, Eileen Knollman has been elected to serve on the ESU National Board. Photo: Alice Boyne (National Board President), Eileen, and Doe Thornburg (National Board President Emeritus). | A New Idea - a Superb New Idea! Our thanks to Isabelle Paul for gifting the $1000 first place prize in the March Shakespeare Competition. (L/R) Competition Co-Chairs Janice Flanagan and Bob Amott with Isabelle Paul. |
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CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR 2003-2004
DECEMBER 7, Sunday Dolly and John Kohls are hosting another fabulous holiday party at their home. The black-tie evening includes special music.
JANUARY 23, Friday The speaker for the Dinner Meeting will be John Dolibois, former Ambassador to Luxembourg and Vice President for University Relations at Miami University.
FEBRUARY 4-7 Our 2003 Page Scholar, Maria, from Argentina will be in Cincinnati in February. Maria is a private school kindergarten teacher.
FEBRUARY 28 Shakespeare Competition - semifinals at the Playhouse
in the Park MARCH 6 Shakespeare Competition - finals at the Playhouse in the
Park
Thou knowest, winter tames man, woman and beast. (The Taming of the Shrew
4.1.10)
MARCH 22, Monday Dr. Winkler from U.C. will be the dinner speaker at the Queen
City Club. His topic will be "Contemporary British Politics".
APRIL 4, Sunday Patrons Reception at Barbara and Joe Eveland's home.
APRIL 16-18 Weekend for the Region VI Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
JUNE The annual meeting and election of officers.
OCTOBER 6 - 10 THE INTERNATIONAL ESU CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN NEW YORK CITY.
We are saddened to lose three of our members - Virginia Curry on November 6, Philip Spiess on November 20 and Joyce Holmes on November 23, 2003.
WHAT'S NEW ABOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
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THE TRAVEL STUDY GRANT PROGRAM The new committee for this year: Chair John LaFreniere with Susan Hansel, Judi LaFreniere, Kathy Luttmer, and Sarah Theresa Murkami. This program offers qualified scholars a cash grant to continue their studies. New this year: information and instructions about applying for this grant will be on our web site. |
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SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION Co-chairs Janice Flanagan and Bob Amott announced that the semifinals and finals this year will be held in the Shelterhouse at the Playhouse in the Park, thanks to the generosity of the Playhouse director, Ed Stern. New this year: gift of the first-place award by Isabelle Paul. |
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THE WALTER HINES PAGE SCHOLAR VISIT TO CINCINNATI Our on going thanks to the co chairs, Suzanne and Stephen Schweller, who have served as hosts to these annual visitors for 5 years. For the first time, our Page Scholar will be from South America. Maria Florencia Sackmann, who is from Argentina, is interested in primary school education procedures. |
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BOOKS AS ENVOYS Here's the latest about this program for 2003-2004. Our sister branch continues to be in Auckland, New Zealand. Our contribution of $175 will purchase books about the USA which will be sent to Joan Wharton, our Auckland contact. She will place the books in a designated Auckland library to share our American culture and English-speaking heritage. |
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selected this year by the National committee are: In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692 by Mary Beth Norton Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by T. J. Stiles Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides Springing: New and Selected Poems by Marie Ponsot |
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WHAT HAPPENED LAST FALL
(The dinners and speakers were fabulous)
SEPTEMBER 10
The first dinner meeting of the year 2003-2004 at the Queen City Club was
a blockbuster! Special speaker for the evening was Charlotte Otto, Global
Relations Officer at P&G, who spoke on "London, Paris, New York…Cincinnati:
Does Cincinnati Have What It Takes To Be a Great City?" She implied that it
did. Joining her in the evening's presentation was David Ginsburg, current
President and CEO of Downtown Cincinnati Inc. He commented on the efforts
of this organization to creatively plan, manage and develop downtown Cincinnati.
The photos L/R: (1) Eileen Knollman with David Ginsburg and speaker, Charlotte
Otto. (2) Frank and Rosemary Welsh with John and June Coldiron. (3) Cyril
and Ann Schrimpf with Francis and Louis Witten.
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OCTOBER 21
The Evelyn Wrench speaker, Alastair Lack, entertained the members with his
"Travels with Auntie" (Auntie is the BBC) presentation. His travels sent him
to 50 countries, and to meetings with personalities such as George Bush, Mrs.
Thatcher, and Nelson Mandela. He was a delightful speaker! (How could the
Queen City Club kitchen present 78 beef fillets, right temperature, right
color, right taste and right on time??!)The Photos L/R: (1) The Speaker, Alastair
Lack, with Eileen and Robert McCarthy, program chairs. (2) Jayne Floering
with Martha DeMar and guest, Larry Niklaus. (3) LaDon Rammelsberg, Barbara
Eveland, Jane and Robert Boling.
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NOVEMBER 22
This Saturday dinner meeting at the Queen City Club featured Michael Gathercole
OBE, former British Consul General and current President of the Cleveland
Branch ESU. He fascinated the audience with his discussion and display of
"Campanology". This is the 100-year old art of ringing church bells (often
as many as 12) involving special scientific sequences. Photos L/R: (1) Eileen
Knollman, Michael Gathercole and his wife, Gayle. (2) Stephen and Suzanne
Schweller receive their National Merit Award from the Cincinnati branch President.
(2) William and Anne Nolan and Hostess, Jo Ann Ward.
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SPECIAL EVENTS TO CELEBRATE
A TRIP TO KEENELAND
| October 26 was a beautiful day for a tour of the Three Chimneys Horse Farm. Susan Hansel, Susie Bahr, her guest, Dr. Marc Mosbacher, Barbara Eveland and Dolly Kohls. | This delightful outing was arranged by Lillian and Tom Galloway. They are shown in the photo at lunch (reviewing the racing forms!) with Margaret Whiting in the Keeneland Club House. | What a fantastic view of the races. Sharing a table and the view from the Club House are David and Nancy Black, Virginia Donaldson and Lucretia Dye. |
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A WEEKEND IN PROVIDENCE AT
THE NATIONAL ESU CONFERENCE
| The 2003 National ESU Conference was held in Providence, Rhode Island November 13 to 16th. The Cincinnati Branch was represented by members shown in the photo on the right: Eileen and Robert McCarthy, Margaret Whiting, Eileen Knollman Cincinnati Branch President, and Kathy Luttmer. Absent for the photo: Joseph Luttmer and Rick Vogel. Special achievement awards were made to Cincinnati members in two areas: One to Suzanne and Stephen Schweller (not present at the convention) for their outstanding work in the Walter Hines Page Scholarship program and the second to Margaret Whiting as the current editor of the Cincinnati Branch Notes. |  |
A SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISER FOR
THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
Several of our ESU members participated in this spectacular evening's fundraising festivities on September 21. The event was co-chaired by Mary and Jon Gimpel and Ginger and David Warner at the Warner's home. There was "music and merriment" throughout the evening as guests "brushed up on their Shakespeare" in "Shakespearean" attire! In atttandance: (L/R) (1) Jessica Rothert (our Shakespeare Competition winner), Eileen Knollman, Dolly Kohls, Isabelle Paul, Janice Flanagan Joyce Holmes, Bob Amott and Lucretia Dye. (2) Mary Gimpel, Dr. Ingrid Faoud, Dr. Fred Faoud, and Ginger Warner (3) With Robert Westheimer, President of the Board of the Shakespeare Festival, are Dolly Kohls and Lucretia Dye.
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Margaret Whiting, Editor, may be contacted by phone (513-241-6070) or by email: mpwhit@aol.com
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