This site includes the postings from the Irish Aires email list. This includes a listing of Irish/Celtic events in the Houston area and other information that the Irish Aires radio program posts.

Monday, August 29, 2005

2005 IAUC National Convention

To Main Index To receive this news via email, click HERE. No Message is necessary. ---- 2005 National Convention Friday, September 30 - Sunday, October 2, 2005 Westin Convention Center - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Make your Reservations for the 22nd Annual IAUC Convention! http://www.iauc.org/conventionreg2005.htm HOTEL INFO http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0503018971&key=3B425 JOURNAL AD ORDER FORM http://www.iauc.org/convjrform2005.htm Irish Activists to Gather for 22nd National Convention - July 13 2005 http://www.iauc.org/rel7-13-05.htm ---- Dear Friends of Ireland: The 22nd Annual IAUC Convention will be September 30 to October 2, 2005 at the Westin Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA This year's theme focuses on advancing democracy in Northern Ireland and what Irish-American Organizations can do to help. We hope to open the discussion for attendees and participants on how Americans can promote the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement to bring representative democracy to the citizens of the six counties. We are pleased that the leaders of many Irish-American organizations have accepted our invitation to participate in panel discussions on Saturday, October 1. Our other distinguished speakers (http://www.iauc.org/speakersconv2005.htm) will include: · Judge Peter Cory, whose investigation recommended public inquiries into the killings of Pat Finucane, Robert Hamill, Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright · Máirtín Ó'Muilleoir, journalist and author of "Belfast's Dome of Delight" · Mary Nelis, former Sinn Féin MLA, recipient of the 2005 Paul O'Dwyer Award · Professor Ruan O'Donnell of the University of Limerick, historian of the Robert Emmet Association and author · Professor Jim Vincent of Robert Morris University whose work includes "Tangled Roots": the Troubled History of Irish-Americans and African-Americans · Bill Rolston, Professor of Sociology at the University of Ulster and author · Diane Byrnes, radio host of Echoes of Erin · James Lamb, Vice President, Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh · "Lifting a Dark Cloud" a documentary on the murder of Kathleen Thompson produced by the Pat Finucane Center will be shown at the convention. This year's convention promises to be informative, educational and enjoyable. We hope you will attend, share your views and lend your support. Please complete the registration form (http://www.iauc.org/conventionreg2005.htm ) and return it at your earliest convenience. On behalf of President Somers and the Convention Committee, we look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh this fall. Sincerely, Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin, Convention Chair Proposed Schedule of Events (Subject to change) Friday, September 30: * Arrival and registration * IAUC Board Meeting - 1pm to 5pm (open to all IAUC members) * Hors d'oeuvres and Diane Byrnes, Host of Echoes of Erin - Featured Speaker 7pm - 9pm (Open to members and non-members dinner not included) Saturday, October 1: * Registration * Saturday Morning Continental Breakfast 7:30 am - 8:30am * Morning Speakers/Panel Presentations 9 am - 11:30 am * Lunch and Awards Presentations 11:45 am - 12:45 pm * Afternoon Speakers/Panel Presentations - 1:00 pm - 4:30pm * Dinner & Keynote Speaker and Award Presentations 7pm - 9pm * Music and Entertainment to follow (Saturday events are open to members and non-members) Sunday, October 2: * Breakfast - 7:30am - 8:30 am * IAUC General Meeting - Chapter Reports, Resolutions Presentations and Officer Elections 9:00 am- 1 pm (IAUC members only) ---- REGISTRATION FOR CONVENTION Register for the 22nd Annual IAUC Convention - click here - http://www.iauc.org/conventionreg2005.htm The 3-day registration fee of $150 includes all events and meals listed above. Registration Packets will be mailed out to all IAUC Members and posted on the Website soon. Bringing a spouse or friend who wants to do some exploring in Pittsburgh? Informational brochures on Pittsburgh and the surrounding vicinity are available by request. For any questions please contact Convention Chair by email: Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin or call the IAUC Toll Free Number at 1-800-947-4282 and leave a message or direct dial 412-782- 2715. ---- HOTEL Hotel Reservations must be made separately with the Westin Convention Center $99/night Call: 1-800-WESTIN1 or #412-281-3700 or book online. TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM ONLINE - click here - http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=0503018971&key=3B425 Site: Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh 1000 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 website: http://www.westin.com/pittsburgh Telephone for reservations: 412-281-3700 Guest Room Rates: $99/night for Singles and Double/Twins + tax The Westin has 616 guest rooms available 80% of which are non-smoking. Check out the website for all the room features and hotel amenities – this is a beautiful hotel with some striking views of the city skyline. There is an indoor pool and health club with sauna, steam room, whirlpool and massage and other features. The Westin is less than 2 blocks from the Amtrak Train Station and the Greyhound Bus Station. There is parking on- site and off-site parking (one block away for a cheaper rate).Cabs are available here but I don't recommend them for trips to and from the airport. Express shuttle service to and from the airport. The rate is: $17 one-way and $32 round trip. The local port authority bus service may also have a flyer shuttle from town to the airport. As of May 2005, Southwest Airlines is flying nonstop service from 4 cities to Pittsburgh: Chicago, Philadelphia, Orlando and Las Vegas. My understanding is airfare prices start at $29/one way. There may be more cities added by then. Other airlines will be dropping their prices to compete with Southwest. Check with an online site such as Travelocity or Expedia or your travel agent. SPEAKERS We are pleased to announce that Minty Thompson, the daughter of Kathleen Thompson, the woman who is the subject of the documentary 'Lifting a Dark Cloud-The Kathleen Thompson case' recently shown at the Belfast Film Festival, is sending a copy of the film about her mother for screening at the National Convention. Minty lived in Pittsburgh under the Wider Horizons program before moving back to Ireland and she hopes to visit Pittsburgh during the convention if possible and bring the Relatives for Justice Quilt that has a square dedicated to her mother on it. For the Friday evening social, we hope to have Diane Byrnes, host of the Pittsburgh based radio program: Echoes of Erin, speak about Irish emigration to the Western PA area. Andy Somers has requested that individuals or chapters consider making a specific donation toward under-writing speaker travel fees to help defray some convention costs. If you are interested, please make the checks payable to the IAUC with a notation that it is for speaker costs. Send the check to: Irish American Unity Conference PO Box 81974 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Contributors will receive a mention in the Convention Program Journal. Any questions, please contact me at #412- 782-2715 or email: Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin (mailto:sarahm1916@stargate.net). Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin, Convention Chair ---- IAUC Convention Journal Ads Submission Due Date: September 10, 2005 Help promote democracy, civil rights, justice and peace in Ireland by placing an advertisement or a special message in the IAUC's 22nd annual convention program journal. The journal will be distributed to all attendees of the 22nd annual national convention in Pittsburgh (September 30-October 2, 2005) and will be also be available for a limited time by special mail order after the convention. Reach out to other Irish Americans, politicians and businesses and help the cause for peace and justice in a re-united Ireland. National Journal Coordinator: George Trainor, Vice President, IAUC San Francisco Chapter. George will be contacting chapters and helping solicit national advertising for the journal. JOURNAL AD ORDER FORM - click here – http://www.iauc.org/convjrform2005.htm For Paper Ads and payments send to: Irish American Unity Conference c/o Jean & Robert Kaniecki PO Box 81974 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 E-mail copy should be sent to: Terry Griffith mailto:pittsburghirish@earthlink.net ---- Request for National Convention Raffle Donations The National Convention Raffle Committee would like to enlist the help of all chapters to make this year's convention raffle a success. We are asking each chapter to participate ensuring the success of the raffle by donating an item/s for the raffle. Even if members from your chapter are unable to attend, they can contribute in this small way. Suggested items, Irish collectibles, prints, signed books, glassware/pottery or simply something unique from your chapters' location; even a cash donation as a prize is a great incentive to buy raffle tickets! The convention is to be held in Pittsburgh on Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. While it may seem early to begin this request, I wanted to be sure that chapters have plenty of time to include this item on your next meeting agenda; as some chapters do not meet every month. We will need to receive items by Aug. 1 in order to put together raffle advertisement information highlighting the great prizes that can be won. We'll send out a message so that all IAUC members who cannot attend the convention are still able to send for raffle tickets if they wish to participate. For further raffle information contact: Gretchen Bales, Raffle Chair (mailto:Fitzlvr@sbcglobal.net) Tel: #765-286- 4672 or Jim Caldwell (mailto:jconluain@peoplepc.com ) We hope to hear from all of you and thanks for your continued hard work and dedication. ---- To Main Index To receive this news via email, click HERE. No Message is necessary.
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?