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Tamara Evans, WSCO Member
Over 70 people gathered at the Worthington Hills Country Club for WSCO’s 2011 St. David’s Day luncheon. The weather was so much better than last year that no one was forced to cancel their attendance.
Attendees were greeted by Pam and Evan Jones, WSCO Membership Chairs, who shared one end of the registration table with WSCO member Laura Jenkins Gorun selling her hand-carved wood lovespoons. Nearby, President Beth Ransopher set up the WSCO tabletop display board and surrounded it with other Welsh-related informational items. At the other end of that table, the raffle items were on display.
The Seminar
What is a Welshman?
The Annual St David’s Day Seminar was pleased to welcome four exchange students from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s - Dion Jones, Ceri Lewis, Laura Thomas, Elin-Wyn Williams - plus Rio Grande student, Nathan Wood (Gallia County native), and the Madog Center for Welsh Studies intern Lucy Hannah Thomas (2008 Trinity Exchange student).
The students were introduced by Madog Center for Welsh Studies director, Jeanne Jones Jindra. Each member of the seminar program has a background in music and/or theater.
The students were challenged by Dr. Greg Miller (Director of Cultural Advancement at the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College) and Madog Center for Welsh Studies intern Lucy Thomas to develop and perform a program titled “What is a Welshman?” To quote their program handout “they used personal and family stories, local and regional stories, myths and legends.” Their program was also be performed for various Rio Grande school groups and at the Gymanfa in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
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WSCO Life member Ivan Davis with two of the seminar performers: Lucy Thomas and Laura Thomas. |
The students took turns acting their own personal stories interwoven with Welsh songs sung by the entire group. Each student showed much emotion as they performed their personal stories. The stories covered Welsh history as far back as the 1800’s through current times, both in Wales and Ohio. The program began and ended with the Welsh National Anthem.
Annual Meeting
Following the Seminar, WSCO President Beth Ransopher, presided over the Annual Meeting. All matters brought before the membership were approved. All board member nominations were approved.
Outgoing board member Mary Ellen Morgan was recognized for her many years of service to WSCO.
| Board members Jeff and Patti Jones |  |
Luncheon
After an excellent lunch, preceded by our traditional Welsh Leek Soup, raffle prizes were awarded from items in the Welsh Store and the generous donation by Pam Jones of a Longaberger daffodil basket.
Winners: Gene Beard, John Davids, Helen Davis, Carole Haley, Teg Lantz, and Peggy Speakman.
Diolch yn fawr to all who purchased raffle tickets, adding $153 to WSCO’s general fund.
President Beth Ransopher recognized Mary Ellen Morgan for organizing and planning the St. David’s Day Event not only for this year but for the last fifteen years.
Mary Ellen followed by entertaining us with Welsh surname matching – a way to discover if any of us had any connections that we may not have been aware of.
Group singing closed our Banquet conducted by Elin-Wyn Williams with John Davids, CWSS accompanist, on the piano.
Photos accompanying this article were taken by T. Evans
Donna Boyce, Editor
While many gathered inside the Ohio Statehouse to celebrate Ohio Statehood Day, while politicians did what politicians do, while thousands of public employees from around Ohio waved protest signs and chanted “Kill the Bill”, WSCO members raised the Welsh flag and sang the U.S. and Wales national anthems in downtown Columbus on March 1st.
Although we had to weave our way through thousands of people cheering those at the microphone speaking against State Bill 5, Board member Lynn Jones’ hat was a beacon to not only WSCO members but also to others of Welsh heritage in the crowd on the Statehouse grounds.
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