<![CDATA[LAOH NYS - Blog]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 03:48:07 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Stand Up for St. Patrick]]>Sat, 03 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/stand-up-for-st-patrick
With Saint Patrick's Day fast approaching merchandise defaming the Irish is starting to appear in stores and online. There are undoubtedly some among us who may think drunken Irish merchandise and/or meme’s are funny or that we have become too politically correct and should not be so easily offended by such poor attempts at humor. We disagree. 

These things aren’t simply distasteful, they are defamatory. If it were any other race of people it would not be okay or funny. Nor is it okay or funny to perpetuate negative stereotypes of the Irish or any people.

Negative stereotypes can do more than just offend. Did you know anti-Irish sentiment influenced America’s first immigration laws? Laws that are now at the forefront of the news. Laws that have in the past and continue to put the futures of thousands of Irish immigrants in limbo. And let’s not forget, “No Irish Need Apply”. 

Words and perceptions matter. Let ours be positive and reinforce the image of the hardworking Irish, the charitable Irish, we all embody. ​

What You Can Do

It is on all of us to call out defamatory and discriminatory practices, products and posts, to educate on why it is wrong, and demand its stoppage and/or removal.

Businesses and vendors are likely to have emails and social media accounts in addition to phone numbers and mailing addresses. Search online for contact and social media information. Post directly to their social media pages and/or post to your own page and tag them using their handle or page name, for example ours is @laohnys. 

Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, also often have policies regarding offensive and discriminatory posts and procedures for reporting them.
​Whether you reach out in person, by phone, through the mail or online, remember to be respectful while explaining the situation and demanding action. If you’re adversarial they may stop listening. You can be assertive without being aggressive.

​Also, please remember when you speak out or take action it is as an individual. If there is a group or business you think we should reach out to as an organization, let us know. Our Anti-Defamation Chair is Catherine Norton Doherty*. ​

Our Voices Will Be Heard

In the past we have stood up to Jeopardy! for airing defamatory remarks by calling, writing letters, and posting to their social media accounts. They heard us and apologized. 

In the past we have asked vendors to remove defamatory merchandise being sold at Hibernian events. Some vendors stopped selling the merchandise, others packed up all their merchandise and left the event. 

In the past people have bought up all the defamatory merchandise being sold by chainstores and returned it after the holiday. After several years one of the individual stores stopped selling it.

Not everyone can put all that merchandise on a credit card and return it after it’s no longer profitable to sell at the store. But you can take all the items off the shelves and bring them to customer service or the registers, explain why they are defamatory and request they stop selling them. The store may put them back but before they are re-racked they are not available for purchase. 

You can also post product reviews on merchandise available online. Educate others who may be considering purchasing the items about why they shouldn’t and encourage the seller to remove the item.

Our Duty

It is disheartening to have to fight every year against these opportunistic blatant displays of defamation at a time when we should be focused on preparing for St. Patrick’s Day, a holy and sacred day honoring St. Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland.
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We are calling on each of you to stand-up for your heritage, for your Irish sisters and brothers, for yourself. Not just in the St. Patrick’s Day season but all year long. When you see negative stereotyping, defamation or discrimination in any form, speak up. Educate and advocate for a fair representation of the Irish people. As proud Irish-Americans this is our duty.

*Name of LAOH NYS Anti-Defamation Chair updated 3/03/2018
]]><![CDATA[The Indelible Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Irish Suffragette]]>Wed, 13 Sep 2017 00:18:42 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/the-indelible-hanna-sheehy-skeffington-irish-suffragetteOn this Primary Day we are thinking about our sister from across the sea, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, born in Ireland in 1877. In her lifetime Hanna worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage, for equal rights, and for Irish independence. Three components she believed were crucial to Irelands future. “Until the women of Ireland are free, the men will not achieve emancipation.” (Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, 1909).

Following the execution of her husband without trial during the 1916 Easter Rising Hanna travelled to America, under false papers having been forbidden to travel by the government, to gain support for the rights of Ireland to self-determination and to give an inside history of the Irish Rebellion. Her talk, “British Militarism as I Have Known It”, took her to over 250 venues around the United States, including Carnegie Hall in New York as well as an audience with then President Woodrow Wilson. Throughout her tour over $40,000 was raised for the cause of Irish Independence. After smuggling herself back into Ireland she was jailed briefly in England before being released and resuming her fight in her homeland. Hanna returned to the United States in 1922 to raise funds for the American Committee of Irish Republican Soldiers and Prisoners’ Dependents Fund.

John Devoy, a leader of Irish Republicianism in America wrote, “Mrs. Skeffington has done more real good to the cause of Ireland during her short stay in America than all the Irish orators and writers over the past 25 years.”
On the 100th Anniversary of Hanna’s tour of the United States her granddaughter, Dr. Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, who continues Hanna's fight for equality, is traveling to America to retrace her grandmother's steps. She will be speaking all over the country (dates below) about her grandmother's legacy, women rights, and to film the documentary, “Hanna and Me: Passing on the Flame.”

Watch the video above and explore the links below to learn more about the indelible Hanna Sheehy Skeffington.
Breaking the Mould, Hanna Sheehy Skeffington
Hanna and Me: Passing on the Flame
Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington: The Life and Times of the Great Irish Suffragette
Irish Rebel's Granddaughter Aims to Carry on Her Legacy with US Tour
Micheline Sets Sail to America
Remembering Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, a Truly Independent Irish Woman
Hanna’s US Tour
The following are the New York dates posted on Hanna's US Tour Facebook page. Please visit the tour Facebook page for the most up-to-date information or contact Joanna.McMinn@gmail.com for further information.

SEPTEMBER  
7th - American Irish Historical Society, New York NY
9th - Ireland House radio interview, New York NY
25th - Irish American Heritage Museum, Albany NY (beautiful write-up on the Facebook Event page) 
26th - Emma Willard School Keynote lecture, Albany NY

OCTOBER
18th - Le Moyne College, Syracuse NY
19th-20th 
TBC, Rochester NY
TBC, Buffalo NY

NOVEMBER
Nov. 20th - New York University, New York NY
]]><![CDATA[Immigration & Legislation Update: DACA]]>Tue, 05 Sep 2017 23:17:02 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/immigration-legislation-update-dacaPresident Trump has decided to end DACA as it is now, within the next 6 months.

This time will allow Congress to re-invent DACA as it stands.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA is an immigration policy founded by the Obama administration in 2012. DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two year period of deferred action from deportation. It also allows them eligibility for a work permit.

This program currently is protecting almost 800,000 undocumented immigrants from deportation.

So, now we wait and hope that Congress makes the right decision to protect the Dreamers. Stay tuned.

​Teresa Kearns
LAOH NYS Immigration& Legislation
​Irishsmiles17@Verizon.net 

]]><![CDATA[Cutting Legal Immigration]]>Sat, 05 Aug 2017 02:04:20 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/cutting-legal-immigrationNew immigration changes proposed by President Trump will limit legal immigration into the U.S. to highly-skilled, English speaking immigrants. Changes to the job-based visas will also take place.

The Bill is sponsored by Senators Perdue of Georgia and Cotton of Arkansas.

This Bill would be a skilled points system cutting back on immigration based on family and pushed on skills. It would eliminate the international diversity visa lottery and limit the number of annual refugee admission.

​The RAISE Act (Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act), is a revised version of the Bill I shared with you earlier this year.

This Bill will face a fight in Congress.  Stay tuned.

As always in our motto,
Teresa B. Kearns
LAOH NYS Immigration & Legislation
Irishsmiles17@Verizon.net
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Trump's New Immigration Bill Could Lower Irish Visa Numbers - Irish Central 8/3/2017
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US immigration proposals: What's in the Raise Act? - BBC 8/3/2017
]]><![CDATA[Making the Most of Convention]]>Thu, 06 Jul 2017 12:35:17 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/making-the-most-of-convention​Conventions are opportunities for learning and networking. The more prepared you are, the better your experience will be. Make the most out of the 2017 AOH/LAOH New York State Convention with these tips:
Be Prepared
LAOH NYS is paperless. Information is distributed via email and documents are posted to the website in pdf format. The hotel does have wifi but be aware that high traffic can impact connection speeds. Make sure you have access to the information you need by printing or downloading documents before arriving to convention. PDF reader apps, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, are available for most mobile devices.

Remember to silence your mobile devices during events and if one goes off please refrain from calling out as this creates more of a disruption.
Convention Check-List
  • Dues Card
  • Major Degrees Card (if observing Degrees ceremony)
  • Sash to wear for opening & closing mass
  • LAOH Convention Schedule - updated 6/30/17
  • Something warm for air conditioned meeting rooms
  • Passport or enhanced drivers license if you plan on crossing the border into Canada
During Sessions
Be an active participant. Listen with an open mind, take handouts, and keep notes. Review the final officers reports and proceedings from our last state convention, especially those pertaining to any breakout sessions you might attend. Check out the blog posts for Immigration Updates if you’re going to the Immigration & Legislation breakout session. We also have a post on Brexit & the Peace Process in Ireland if you’re thinking about attending the Brexit & Election Discussion on Friday.

​Ask questions, share your thoughts. All delegates have a voice and a vote.​
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Stay Safe on Public WiFi 
  • Networks that require a password are more secure;
  • Before connecting with a network verify that it belongs to the hotel or business that it appears to;
  • Do not access financial information or process financial transactions on public wifi;
  • Update your passwords when you return home.
Click the links for more safety tips:
Stay Safe While Using Hotel WiFi
How to Use WiFi Safely While Traveling 
Wi-Fi Hotspots: Connecting While Traveling
​Networking
Whether you’re in meetings, hospitality rooms, at dinners, etc., if you find yourself with people you don’t know, introduce yourself. “You should make it a point to strike up conversations, with as many people as possible. Bounce ideas off to people and see what they think. Find out if they would be willing to exchange contacts. Don’t engage in pointless small talk, but have meaningful conversations with people about your business and industry. (Agrawal, n.d.)"​​

Post Convention
​Reflect on what you learned, what you liked and what you may approach differently at future events. Follow-up with connections and share your experiences.

“Too many people make the mistake of thinking that a convention is over once they get home. You need to take advantage of the knowledge you obtained, the people that you met and the opportunities that presented themselves. This is the true value of a convention. (Agrawal, n.d.)"

These are just a few tips for making the most out of your time at convention. Prepare yourself to work hard and have fun. We'll see you in Buffalo!​
Agrawal, V. (n.d.). Simple Tips and Tricks to Get the Most Out of a Business Convention. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from http://www.lifehack.org/481621/simple-tips-and-tricks-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-business-convention

Council, Y. E. (2017, January 24). Seven Ways To Prepare Before You Attend Your Next Business Conference. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2017/01/24/seven-ways-to-prepare-before-you-attend-your-next-business-conference/#1108f3a8393e

Dubois, L. (2010, September 08). How to Get the Most Out of a Conference. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/09/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-conference.html

Get the Most Out of Your Convention. (2017, January 3). Retrieved July 5, 2017, from https://busybusy.com/blog/get-the-most-out-of-your-convention/

Hopkins, G. (2012, February 28). Before You Fly Off to That Conference Have You Thought of Everything? Retrieved July 05, 2017, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin397.shtml

How To Get The Most Out Of A Convention. (2017, June 20). Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.womeninradio.org/blog/2017/6/20/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-convention

Parsons, J. (2015, September 03). 11 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Next Business Convention. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://www.inc.com/james-parsons/11-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-next-business-convention.html

Shane, D. (2014, April 28). 10 Things to Prepare Before Attending a Conference. Retrieved July 05, 2017, from https://smallbiztrends.com/2014/04/what-to-do-before-attending-a-conference.html
]]><![CDATA[Irish History Writing Contest Results]]>Sun, 30 Apr 2017 17:45:37 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/irish-history-contest-results
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Irish History Writing Contest 
The topic of the 2016-2017 LAOH, Inc. Irish History Writing Contest was The Role of the Irish in World War I. The contest was open to all students grades 6 through 12. 

The LAOH NYS Board received 19 Level-1 essays and 10 Level-2 essays. 

Level-1
1st Place - Maeve S., Richmond County
2nd Place - Alex T., Albany County
3rd Place - Emma F., Queens County
Honorable Mention - Alana P., Queens County
Honorable Mention - Aicha B., Queens County
Honorable Mention - Tyler C., Albany County

Level-2
1st Place - Gabriel W., Broome County
2nd Place - Karina C., New York County (LAOH National 2nd place)
3rd Place - Matthew O., Broome County
Honorable Mention - Shea G., Orange County
Honorable Mention - Sarah W., Broome County
Honorable Mention - Erin F., Suffolk County (LAOH National 1st place)

12 essays, 6 at each level, were forwarded to Dee Wallace, LAOH National Irish Historian. National winners were recently announced and two students from NYS took top honors in Level-2.  

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all who participated!
]]><![CDATA[IRS Filings]]>Sat, 08 Apr 2017 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/irs-filingsPicture
​Update: April 10, 2017

No Division or County Board in NYS is to file a 990 or any form with the IRS.  The State Board is completing everything. 

We all know the National Board had promised to complete and file the forms for tax year 2016. Unfortunately, a promise to file the report for 2016 was deemed meaningless by our current National President and Treasurer, without a vote by the National Board. 

Your New York State Board will honor the promise and insure compliance with the IRS for all NY divisions and county boards.
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Sisters,

You may hear that today the National Board advised each State Board that each Division must file with the IRS a 990 by May 15th. New York members PLEASE pay no attention to this. Although the National Board has chosen to forget the promise it made to the delegates at the National Convention, your New York State Board has taken action to make certain we all stay in compliance with all filings. New York State divisions and county boards do not have to take any action.

Please thank our Sisters Jacqueline Clute, Kathryn M Keane and Christina Parisi for their help and guidance in this.

​Your State Board is working hard to help Divisions and County Boards. Your State Board honors its promises to its members!
]]><![CDATA[Immigration & Legislation Update]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2017 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/immigration-legislation-update3047589The revised Immigration policy is out. “Dreamers”, or those brought to the US as young children, will not be targeted unless they commit crimes.

There are 11 million illegal immigrants here in America. 800,000 have committed crimes. These are the people who will be drawing attention.

Our nation’s Immigration laws will be more aggressively enforced.

Under the new directives, officials can by-pass due-process protections. Also, privacy protections to people who are not US citizens or green card holders will not be provided.

“All of those present in violation of the Immigration laws may be subject to Immigration arrest, detention, and if found removable by final order, removed from the US,” according to a fact sheet released by the Department of Home Land Security.

FYI, under President Obama, 2.4 million people were deported. Stay tuned.

Teresa B. Kearns
LAOH-NYS Immigration & Legislation
Irishsmiles17@Verizon.net 

]]><![CDATA[Immigration & Legislation Update]]>Fri, 03 Feb 2017 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/immigration-legislation-updateIreland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, has been monitoring the immigration changes in America. He has been in contact with the Embassy and the Consulates who in turn have been in contact with the immigration centers throughout the US.

The H-1B Visas are issued to Irish citizens who are professionals looking to enter the US legally. Between 2010-2015, 3,200 H-1B visas were issued to Irish professionals. Changes to this Visa are being proposed by a CA congresswomen. She wants to raise the minimum income for these prospective H-1B visa employees to $130,000 annually.
 
Also, an Executive order has been signed to limit funds to 140 Sanctuary Cities here in the US.

Pope Francis has condemned the hypocrisy he is seeing from Christians. He states: “You cannot call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help. All nations must focus on service to the poorest, the sick and those who have abandoned their homelands in search of a better future for themselves and their families.”

Stay tuned.


Teresa B. Kearns
LAOH-NYS Immigration & Legislation
Irishsmiles17@Verizon.net
]]><![CDATA[Update on Immigration]]>Sat, 21 Jan 2017 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.laohnys.com/blog/update-on-immigrationOn Thursday of this week, prior to the new administration, our State Attorney General issued guidance to local governments on how they can put laws and policies in place to limit their participation in Federal immigration enforcement activities that may come.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, listed steps that include the following. Refusing to enforce non-judicial civil immigration warrants, denying requests from Federal officials to hold people in custody for more than 48 hours who have not been charged. Limit access to people already in custody. Limit the gathering and reporting of information like someone’s immigration status.

This will be a fine line as to not cause distrust between law enforcement and the communities. Stay tuned.

Teresa B. Kearns

LAOH NYS Immigration & Legislation
Irishsmiles17@Verizon.net]]>