Dayton AOH

Brian Ross – 2010 Irishman of the Year

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:22:52 +0000

I am proud to award this year’s Irishman of the Year award to my good friend Brian Ross. It gives me extra satisfaction to present this award to Brian considering I was the Vice President in charge of new propositions.

2010 AOH Irishman Of Year

I interviewed Brian at the hall and remember quite clearly telling him “You will get out of this organization what you give in.” Well, let me tell you he has given much to his fellow brothers and I hope he has gotten as much enjoyment as we have gotten from him. For the last five years Brian has been our Treasurer, a job that doesn’t get much fanfare, but is vital to the organization. He’s always involved in the reverse raffle and lends a helping hand at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Brian was born and raised in Fairborn and graduated from Fairborn Baker High School. Brian has four older sisters. He has worked as a machine operator for Johnson Electric for 30 years. He is a loving father of three sons; Kevin, Stewart and Thomas. Brian enjoys walking, hiking and bicycling. He also enjoys a pint of Guinness. He has been a generous supporter of the local Dayton arts for many years and very active in all the Irish community functions.

Thanks again Brian for all your hard work.

Art Gannon

AOH President

Check Out Our Photo Galleries

admin — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:45:56 +0000

We just uploaded some new photos from our 2010 St. Patrick’s Day Event at the IUE Hall. Check those photos, as well as past photos, out and leave your comments.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR GALLERIES

New Website Launch!

admin2 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:49:13 +0000

The Ancient order of Hibernians has launched it’s new website thanks to Dry Rain Media.

Our website offers an interactive blog for members to post comments on photos and blog posts.

Check out our new website and see all that it has to offer.

Send us a message if you would like to join or become an associate member.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians John F. Kennedy Division 1 is the place to be!

St. Patrick’s Day Party

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:22:42 +0000

The Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians are putting the final touches on our annual St. Patrick’s day party on March 13th at the IUE hall at 1675 Woodman Drive Dayton, OH. It will be from 3 pm -10pm. We will have performances by an excellent Irish band, Dulahan.

Also the McGovern Ceili Dancers and the Celtic Academy of Irish Dance will be performing. There will be hundreds of people enjoying food and beer while honoring the patron saint of Ireland.

It’s $8 at the door or $6 prior. Kids 13-18 $3.00 and kids under 13 are free.

Hope to see you there!

For tickets contact Brian Ross at 937-256-6373.

Steve Smith, Irishman of The Year 2009

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:35:32 +0000

This year’s Irishman of the Year is not a native buckeye, but was born in southern California, within the city limits of Los Angeles. His dad was raised by first generation Irish parents in the New England area, in the Green Mountains of Vermont, and his mother, who had Swedish roots, was born in Minnesota. They met in California during World War II, were married, and Steve was the first of two children. Sometimes referred to as the “land of the fruits and the nuts”, he certainly did not fit that stereotypical mold of most Californians. He spent most of his growing up years near the many beaches in the Golden State, and that accounts for his love of the water and the sea. Steve played varsity football and baseball in high school. To his parents’ dismay, Steve had a desire to go to college away from home, and to serve his country like his Irish father (who served in the US Navy in World War II). He enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program at SMU, deep in the heart of Texas. He earned his commission as a new Second Lieutenant in the mid 1970’s, and following graduation with an Electronics Engineering degree, his first assignment was Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. He admits he did not know where Dayton (much less Ohio) was on the map, but he found out soon enough. He fulfilled his commitment, and stayed at the base as a civilian employee for the rest of his 34-year career. He worked as a software engineer involved with many of the aircraft that the Air Force has built over the years: the B-1B bomber, the F-117 Stealth fighter, the F-22 fighter, and most recently, the F-35 fighter (referred to as the Joint Strike Fighter in the media). However, Steve wanted more than a career; he wanted to belong to organizations he believed in. For 30+ years he has been a member of Toastmasters International, a public speaking group that improves communication and leadership qualities, something in which Steve needed improvement. He recently received the “Distinguished Toastmaster” award, the highest honor Toastmasters offers. He has given over 50 speeches, started a new toastmasters club in the area, and led a leadership project (it just so happens the project was our latest Reverse Raffle held last November). Also, applying his communications skills, he has fulfilled a childhood dream to be a radio broadcaster. Since 1993, Steve has been a volunteer broadcaster with WYSO, a local public radio station. He hosted a nighttime jazz show for a couple years, and currently co-hosts a live, call-in trivia game show.

All these accomplishments led up to a decision Steve made in March 2004. He stumbled upon an opportunity to belong to a fraternal organization that promoted one’s Irish heritage. After all, celebrating one’s legacy is indeed an honorable journey. He saw that the Ancient Order of Hibernians was the ideal group to get involved in. After joining, getting involved he did. After nine months, Steve was elected JFK Division President, where he served honorably for the term of one year. After that, a year or so later, he was elected Recording Secretary, an office he still holds. Steve strives to keep the meeting minutes lively with his keen grasp of the English language. In addition, he maintains a roster of all the active Hibernians in our division. To add to his already busy workload, Steve was appointed Treasurer of the Home Corporation, which oversees the day-to-day operation of the Hibernian meeting hall in Beavercreek. He immediately transferred the Home Corporation’s bank accounts to a financial institution that offered online bill paying, which saved the AOH costs of mailing bills in by “snail mail”. He helped install the operating system on the new office computer. All in all, Steve has tried to improve operations of the Order, while still volunteering to do what has to be done. He has been happily married over 29 years to his wife, Susan Thoma. They have two children, a boy and girl. This year’s Irishman of the Year was a “no-brainer”. It is my pleasure to congratulate the 2009 winner, Steve Smith.