ESU Spring 2025 Meetings

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May 2025

We finished up our 2024-2025 season with a meeting featuring an afternoon tea. Members of the Syracuse Branch donned their hats and experienced  a sampling of tea sandwiches, a cream tea and sweets, along with a choice of teas and tisanes (herbal teas). Members Alice Borning and Pearl Fischer presented a broad spectrum of "tea experiences" they have enjoyed in both the U.S. and internationally. In addition, an ideal method of preparing a pot of tea was explained.  

Pearl Fischer (L) and Alice Borning (R)

April 2025

Sam Dance, a retired social studies teacher who volunteers as a tour guide at the Seward House in Auburn, NY, was our speaker.  Assisted by his wife Candy Dance, Mr. Dance presented a slide show and talk about the Seward House.  He introduced us to Seward's political achievements, his close friendship with former former political adversary Abraham Lincoln, and Seward's wife Francis's connection to the Underground Railroad, including her friendships with abolitionist sisters Lucretia Mott and Martha Coffin Wright and neighbor Harriet Tubman.

Precisely 160 years prior to our meeting date, plotters carried out the assassination of Lincoln and attempted to assassinate his Secretary of State, William H. Seward, as well. Mr. Dance's retelling of the attack on Seward held the audience in suspense.  But Seward lived to return to his Auburn home, dying there in 1872.

Sam and Candy Dance

March 2025

Our March meeting featured speaker Ciarrai Eaton, the Operations Director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center in Fayetteville, New York.  Her topic was Irish Immigrant Working Women in Syracuse and Onondaga County.  Beginning in the 1850's these young immigrants earned money by carrying out domestic and animal care chores, but as industry expanded, female workers in Onondaga County were employed as seamstresses, shoe makers, and cigar makers.  

They sewed shipping bags for the salt production industry or worked for the Onondaga Pottery china factory.  Former domestic workers found employment in the hotels and boarding houses that sprang up along the Erie Canal and the railroad lines which passed through Syracuse. Others found seasonal jobs, such as picking hops for the many companies producing beer in central NY.  

Throughout this time, the young immigrants sent money home to support their families and to pay for additional family members to travel to America. Thus, the process of chain migration was begun. 

Ciarrai Eaton (L) Jean Spicer (R)

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ESU Winter 2025 Meetings

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January

ESU members were treated to a presentation by Mark Noble, a Syracuse artist who specializes as a muralist.  Mark has painted several murals that now grace Syracuse.  He shared how he got started.  The owner of a downtown restaurant who had seen some of his more traditional work asked if he could paint a mural.  "Of course," said Mark, although he had never painted one.  He agreed to take on the job and started researching types of paint, supplies, methods, any tips he could get from books and other artists, and ended up creating a mural that caught everyone's eye in downtown Syracuse.  That has been Mark's reaction to all sorts of challenges:  "Sure, I can do it."  And then he does.  He shared slides of several of the murals he has completed.

Mark is pictured here with Program Chair Alice Borning.  Other photos depict his presentation and work.  See more of his work at marknobledesigns.com.

February

Our February meeting traditionally celebrates Shakespeare as we ready for the local competion leading to the national ESU competition in New York City in late spring.  High school students from all over the country (and other countries as well) compete in their local ESU branches, with the winners going to the national competition.  These students showcase their understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare by memorizing and performing a soliloquy from a play of their choice along with one of Shakespeare's sonnets.  Last year's winner local winner, Lucy Wright from Tully High School, shared her experience, accompanied by mentors and advisors Alissa Elmer and Emily Paccia-West, teachers at Tully High School.  This was the first time we were treated to a behind-the-scenes description of what the NYC weekend is like for both the advisors and the contestants.  They shared their experience, along with slides, to make the weekend come alive for us. 

This year's local competition will be held Saturday, March 1st, beginning at 9 am at Syracuse Stage.  It's free and open to the public.  Our members are encouraged to attend.  Not only will you be supporting the efforts of the students, teachers, and committee, but you will be treating yourself to a unique and enjoyable experience.

Our local 2024 winner Lucy Wright, flanked by Alissa Elmer (l)
and Emily Paccia-West (r).

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Fall/Winter 2024 Meetings

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December 2024

December found our branch enjoying each other's company over a delicious holiday meal and listening to the holiday music of the Harmony Katz.  This group was founded by Director Pete Carentz and Norm Manor in 1997.  In their words: "The Harmony Katz are a fraternal organization, a brotherhood of barbershoppers joined together in four part harmony, that have pledged to use their special gift of 4-part harmony to do good in our community."  

They perform for the love of singing, their joy in bringing pleasure to others, and their desire to help their community.  All donations made for their performances go to the The Food Bank of Central New York and other local food banks.   To learn more about them (and to hear them sing), go to www.harmonykatz.org where you'll also learn about their offshoot choruses the Katz Meow, the Silver Katz, and the Acousti-cats.

The Harmony Katz are pictured below, joined in their last number, Jingle Bells, by ESU volunteer Jean Soper, who did an outstanding job with the bells.   Thanks also to Program Chair JoAnn Wallace who arranged for the Harmony Katz to join us.

The Harmony Katz

Member Jean Soper accompanies the Harmony Katz on the jingle bells

ESU members enjoy the holiday program

November 2024

Our November luncheon brought us a lively and interesting presentation by Nan Eaton, President of the Central New York United Way.  She informed us of all the ways this nonprofit works to solve local community human service needs (unitedway-cny.org).  

Accompanying her was Laurie Black, Director of Community Education for United Way.  Ms. Black oversees the Book Buddies program, which pairs each volunteer with a student in grades K-3.  They meet once a week during the school day to read together (cnybookbuddies.org).  

The United Way presenters were introduced by ESU member Kathy Hinchman.

Presenter and ESU member Kathy Hinchman along with United Way's Nan Eaton and Laurie Black    

October 2024

We were pleased to welcome Tim and Lisa Ballantyne, Master Gardeners, garden designers, and owners of Ballantyne Gardens of LIverpool, NY.  They took us on a slide tour of several gardens throughout the Northeast from the charming Pickity Place in New Hampshire to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx and beyond.  We learned about plants and designs, and we now all know about Lord and Burnham greenhouses. We enjoyed the beauty of these gardens and are probably all thinking about future garden visits.  Afterward Tim and Lisa graciously answered  gardening questions from our members. 

ESU member Ann Barker-Griffith (center) introduced Lisa and Tim Ballantyne.

September 2024

We started off our season with a presentation from Aldo Kattón, Artistic Director of the newly-formed Central New York Ballet.  This organization includes the artists in decisions regarding the company and has a goal of making ballet accessible to the entire community, believing that everyone can find joy and beauty in the art of dance.  

We were then treated to a ballet interpretation of the song "As Time Goes By" from the movie Casablanca, beautifully performed by Lucy Hamilton and Felipe Panama.

ESU member Shirlely Cruikshank introduced CNY Ballet dancers Felipe Panama and Lucy Hamilton, along with Artistic Director Aldo Kattón.

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April and May 2024

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The Syracuse branch finished its 2023-2024 season with its April and May meetings. In May Natividad Torrence, accompanied by her son, spoke to the group about MercyWorks, Inc, where she serves as Program Director. MercyWorks' mission is to educate, encourage and empower young people in our underserved communities through a series of innovative classes and hands-on workshops. See a list of their current programs at their website here.

Pictured here are Natividad Torrence and her son, along with E-SU Syracuse Branch Co-President Ann Barker-Griffith.

The May meeting celebrated Mother's Day, spring, and our branch at the traditional "Wear Your Vintage Hat" day. Member Aileen Balitz spoke about her experience as a new member of the Shakespeare Committee and her attendance at the local Shakespeare workshop and competition. Co-President Ann Barker-Griffith gave a presentation on the many purposes and programs of the English-Speaking Union nationally and in various branches across the country. Pictured below are members in their millinery finery.

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Winter/Spring 2024 Meetings

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March 11, 2024 Meeting

At our March 11 meeting, Elizabeth Balfour, the Education Coordinator of CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance, gave her presentation, "Tick Talk."   Member Shirley Cruikshank introduced Ms. Balfour who informed our group about the prevention of tick-borne diseases and how to deal with ticks if we find them on our own, our children's, or our pets' bodies. Each member was presented with a tick kit to help with the removal of ticks. Ms. Balfour is pictured below.

February 10, 2024 Meeting

Our February 10 meeting featured Professor Thomas Miller of Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing art with an entertaining and informative talk entitled "Celebrating Shakespeare." He gave us a chance to test our Shakespearean knowledge with some interesting audience participation questions.

January 13, 2024 Meeting

Our speaker was Garth Johnson, the curator of The Paul Phillips and Sharon Sullivan Ceramics Collection at the Everson Museum of Art. In this dynamic and interesting presentation, Mr. Johnson explained that Syracuse holds a prominent place in the world of ceramics, largely due to the influence of Syracusan Adelaide Robineau who was a prominent ceramicist of the 1800's. Ms. Robineau's scarab vase is a proud and valuable possession of the gallery. Johnson explained the thousand+ hours of work that went into the making of the vase, from carving to glazing to firing. The vase is only one of many pieces of Ms. Robineau's at the museum. Her work is also exhibited throughout the United States, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Syracuse Branch President Ann Barker Griffith and Garth Johnson

The ceramics exhibit changes frequently allowing different collections and pieces by various artists to be featured. Some of the pieces are whimsical, some functional, many elegant, but all are, as Johnson said, art. He encouraged us to visit if we have not done so recently and to bring Syracuse guests to the Everson, our I.M. Pei-designed treasure.

Johnson explaining some of the finer points of the Robineau scarab vase

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