I would like to preface this article by saying that what I have written below is not directed toward our past leadership in any way. Instead, it is my testimony of the early days of my membership and my ignorance that would soon be put into check.
When I joined the AOH in 2014, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you much about our National Board, if anything. If you’d have asked me if I knew names like Murphy, Wallace, McGinley, Meehan and Boyle, I’d tell you I’d probably heard them in a movie or read them in a book. Names like Brendan Moore or Jim McKay may have come across my radar but, again, I would have had a better chance of guessing correctly the $2,000 questions on Jeopardy. My ignorance would ultimately be fixed, and I would learn the importance of our National Board.
My first introduction to the National Board would be in 2016 during my time as Vice President of my local Montana division in Great Falls. We were told that our nonprofit status would soon be expiring if we failed to get our information updated with the IRS and the National Board. I think we all remember those dark days of the AOH when we thought the IRS paperwork was never going to end. Here I am, not once ever hearing of this elusive National Board, being told by “Big Brother” that we were in danger of losing our division. I thought, Who are these guys? Who are they to dictate what we do in our division? Like most Irishmen, my patience and calmness immediately kicked in, and I was ready to embrace these men as brothers… I can’t even use words like Irishmen, patience, and calm in the same sentence without cracking a smile. It would take almost seven more years before I would totally understand the purpose and goals of our National Board.
Now, as I sit on the National Board, elected by you, my Bothers, I come, asking you to take a better path than I did. See the National Board for what it is: a group of dedicated Brothers just like yourselves who are trying to make the Order better for all involved. Please be patient with us as we guide the Order through this technological time, have compassion for us as we send you emails for the 20th time. And mostly, say prayers for us and your fellow Brothers as we try to navigate this Order through a tumultuous time in our country.
Lastly, we are always here to respond to your questions or concerns. Our email addresses are on the website and it’s our job to be here for our membership. I hope everyone had a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!
]]>As my wife hesitantly took down our Christmas tree, my employees stripped our business walls of holiday decor, and our very own neighborhood Clark Griswold pulled the last strand of lights from his roof – it was official, the holidays were over. A new year has once again snuck up on us, and if you’re anything like me, you’re wondering how 2024 went by in the blink of an eye.
As we embark on this new year, we get to reflect on the things we want for ourselves, our families, and our jobs in hopes that we always strive to make this year better than the last. Pope Francis proclaimed this year as the year of Jubilee, rather the year of hope. So, I began looking at my own commitments to the AOH and what I hope for the organization in 2025.
I was blessed to have a very mixed emotional phone call with one of my State Presidents. A phone call that started with stubbornness, frustration and pride, ended with understanding, truth and openness to one another’s goals and hopes moving forward. My hope for the AOH is that from the top to the bottom in this organization, we start having open, honest conversations with one another, bring down our walls, and strive to make the organization better.
The more I dig into our roster systems, the more I find missing emails, officers absent from Form 9s, and we continue to get word on how many individuals are being suspended from divisions without the correct protocol. My hope for the AOH is that we strive to make the Order 100 percent accessible to every member. The way we do that is by making sure we fill every position needed, and embrace the new technology coming our way. We fill in all contact information for members. We as officers work hard for our members, so that they have all information needed as a member about what is happening within this organization.
Lastly, in my own division at home, we lost a member. He was a staple of the community, and one of our original founding members. Our Order is aging – my hope for the AOH is that we strive to bring new members in who can influence our technology, and youth, but continue to honor our members who made this organization function long before e-mail was even a thought. It’s on their backs that this organization became the greatest Irish Catholic Order, and I hope that we can now take that responsibility moving forward.
I truly hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and happy new year! I also hope that each of you has a prosperous 2025, and as we move into Irish Heritage Month and Saint Patrick’s Day that we all remember why we joined this Order.
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