GRAND MARSHAL - 2009

DOROTHY FLAHERTY WELDON

National President - Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc. 2006-2008

Daughter of Martin J. Flaherty, County Galway, Ireland and Mary McElligott Flaherty, County Kerry, Ireland

• Graduate of St. Basil High School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• B.S.N. Degree from Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Professional Certificate in Public School Nursing from California University, California, Pennsylvania.

Employment:

• Head Nurse - Out-Patient Department, Pittsburgh Hospital.

• Screening Nurse Coordinator of Eye and Ear Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA.

• School Nurse for Several Districts.

• Bookkeeper for Mon Valley Anesthesia Associates, Mon Valley Hospital.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Chapter Chairwoman of the American Red Cross.

• Instructor - updates for the Health History Nurses of the Red Cross.

• Sponsored a two day Disaster Certification Course.

• Organized the First Red Cross Blood Drive at Transfiguration Parish, Monongahela, Pa. and Chaired successful Blood Drives at that site for 20 years.

• President and Secretary of the Transfiguration Parish Council.

• President of the Mon Valley Nurses Association - 2001-2008.

• President of the Ladies of Charity, St. Anthony/Transfiguration Parishes.

• Imm. Past President of the Sisters of St. Joseph Auxiliary Board. Baden. PA.

• Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Hospital Eucharistic Minister and CCD Teacher.

Awards:

• Received the Clara Barton Honor Award for Meritorious Leadership in Nursing.

• Received the Anna Malia Ruddy Award - Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc., Pennsylvania's most Prestigious Award - 2001.

• Manifesting the Kingdom Award - Nominated by Transfiguration Parish and presented by Bishop Donald Wuerl, former Bishop of Pittsburgh, at St. Paul's Cathedral January 2, 2003.

• “Irish Man of the Year Award” presented by the Mon Valley AOH to the First Woman.

Offices - Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc:

• Charter Member and Current President and served as President Numerous Years of the Mary Ellen O'Neill, Division #4 Mon Valley, PA. as well as Vice-President, Secretary,

Treasury and Publicity editing the Local LAOH Newsletter shared with the Mon Valley AOH #1 for 20 years.

• State of Pennsylvania Office of Catholic Action, Missions and Charities, Irish Historian, State Treasurer, State Secretary, State Vice-President and State President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, LAOH, Inc.

• National Office of Catholic Action, National Irish Historian, National Treasurer, National Secretary and National President of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc.

• Co-Coordinator of the AOH/LAOH National Convention, Philadelphia, Pa. 2002-2004.

Accomplishments in the Office of National President Laoh, Inc.

• Developed a National Directory for the National Board as National Secretary and kept it updated in the current term of Office of National President.

• Develop and update a Database for the US Bank Credit Card to enable royalties to defray the LAOH financial responsibility of the allotted pages in the Hibernian Digest.

• Obtained First Time Liability Insurance and had a Policy Bound with coverage to provide financial protection for the National Board in the event they are sued in conjunction with the performance of their duties as they relate to the LAOH, Inc. It is also retroactive.

• Assisted in the revision and printing of the current LAOH Membership Application.

• Planned the Ritual Revision Weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. that culminated in the current Notebook containing the Ritual and Constitution.

• Signed a contractual agreement with Robert K. O'Neill, Ph.D. Burns Librarian of John J. Burns Library, Boston College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on October 16, 2006 that Boston College will accept all the LAOH, Inc. archival materials and the Library will be the Home of the LAOH, Inc. Donations. Eventually the composition of the transfer of documents will be linked to the LAOH, Inc. website.

• Obtained the 501 c3 Tax Status - March 6, 2007 from the Internal Revenue Service for The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Inc. Under this Code, the LAOH is exempt from taxes to the Organization and contributions will be deductible to the Donor. The LAOH, Inc. is qualified to receive tax deductible bequests or Gifts.

• Edited and Produced the National LAOH, Inc. Newspaper for 4 years.

• Developed a National LAOH, Inc. Handbook for the Board members.

• Chaired the First Ladies Ancient Order of HIbernians, Inc. Saint Brigid of Ireland Humanitarian Award with the Past National Presidents comprising the Committee.

• Family - Wife of Dr. John F. Weldon, Retired Chief Anesthesiologist - MV Hosp. Mother of : Dr. John P. Weldon, Dr. Maureen Kamons, Dr. Patrick Weldon, Sean Weldon (in Medical School) Grandmother of : 8 boys, 2 girls.
Photos by Bonnie Cousins
March 11, 2008 at Pittsburgh City Council and the Mayor's Office
Representatives of the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and, Miss Smiling Irish Eyes and her Court and St. Brigid' Court Awardee at Pittsburgh City Council where the City Proclamation was read by City Council President, Doug Shields.
2008 Grand Marshal, John McEvoy and 2008 Hibernian of the Year, St. Patrick himself, Rich O'Malley
With Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
Parade Committee Chairman, Jimmy Green
The Crowning Luncheon, Rivers Club,
March, 14, 2008
Allegheny County Chief Executive, Dan Onorato as he crowns Miss Smiling Irish Eyes, Katelyn Wood
St. Brigid's Court Recipient, Donna Kalisek
The 2008 Miss Smiling Irish Eyes and her Court
With Parade Committee Chairman, Jimmy Green
GRAND MARSHAL - 2007

John James McEvoy

 

John James McEvoy, one of Allegheny County's most dedicated Hibernians, will be Grand Marshal of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade March 15 in Pittsburgh.

The honor was voted upon by a majority of the directors of the Irish Society for Education and Charity, Inc. of Pittsburgh, parent organization of the parade committee, according to Jim Green, parade chairman, former president of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. and current vice president of the Allegheny County A.O.H.

The selection of McEvoy was announced at a meeting of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee Feb. 5.

McEvoy, who will turn 82 on March 29, is a native of Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes. He has been a Hibernian for three decades.

He was the 1995 Allegheny County Hibernian of the Year and was granted the honor of "life membership" by the A.O.H. national board in 2006.

His formal education included his study of electrical engineering at Allegheny Technical Institute and Pennsylvania State University and mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh before getting his degree in business administration and technical writing at Carnegie Mellon University.

McEvoy joined Hagan Chemicals & Controls, Inc., in 1942 but interrupted his civilian work to join the U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-45) and its Aviation Cadet Program.

After the war, he returned to Hagan, which was spun off to Westinghouse Electric Corp. in 1967 and from which he retired after 43 years in 1985.

In 1951 he married the former Catherine (Kay) Obeldobel, by whom he had a daughter and three sons.

His many activities in the early years included chairing Westinghouse family picnics and Christmas parties for 30 years and being a scoutmaster.

McEvoy is a member of A.O.H. Division 9 (the Oakland Irish), the Irish American Unity Conference, the Irish Society for Education & Charity, Inc., the Knights of Equity, the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, the Regina Elena Beneficial Association, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Teutonia Maennerchor.

Within the A.O.H., he's Financial Secretary of Division 9, Recording Secretary of Allegheny County, Secretary of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee, Sentinel of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. State Board and a Director on the Board of the Irish Society of Education & Charities, Inc.