National Conference of State Societies

Save the Date: South Carolina Oyster Roast is March 29

The South Carolina State Society of Washington, DC will host the 7th Annual Oyster Roast Saturday, March 29th at the American Legion Post 139.  Music will be provided by the Wil Gravatt Band.  Please save the date.  To learn more about how to join the South Carolina State Society and see a listing of upcoming events, please CLICK HERE to visit the society web site.

Kansas State Society Honors David Dillon on April 22

Kansans in Washington, please save the date. The Kansas State Society of Washington, DC will hold its annual Cherry Blossom Banquet on Tuesday, April 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.  The society will honor Mr. David Dillon, CEO of the Kroger Coorporation, with its 2008 Kansan of the Year Award. There will be cocktails at 6:30 pm followed by dinner at 7:30 pm.

David Dillon is a native of Hutchison, Kansas and a 1969 graduate of Hutchison High School.  He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business form Kansas University and a Jursi doctorate from Southern Methodist University.  After starting his career with King Soopers in Denver, Dillon moved to Phoenix and held different positions with Fry's Food Stores of Arizona.  He returned to Kansas where he was named President of the Dillon Company in 1986. In 1995, he moved to Ohio to assume the position of President of Kroger Corporation. Under different banners, Kroger Corp. owns and manages hundreds of retail food stores in about 31 states. 

In 1994 David Dillon was honored as the Leadership Kansas Alumnus of the Year and in 1999 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Kansas University School of Business.

   

Illinois and Massachusetts Host St. Patrick's Day Parties

Several state societies will celebrate the feast day of Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, during the middle of March.  The Illinois State Society of Washington, DC will host its annual St. Patrick's Day Party on Thursday night, March 13 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Finn macCool's Irish Publick House, 713 8th Street, SE, Washington, DC.  CLICK HERE to see map. Admission is free to Illinois State Society members and $15 for nonmembers. Ticket cost includes two drink tickets and free food.  RSVP by March 13 to the ISS Hotline at 703-461-3610 or send an email to IllinoisStateSociety@verizon.net. For more information about the Illinois State Society, CLICK HERE to see our web site.

The Massachusetts Society St. Patrick's Day Dinner is set for Saturday, March 15 starting with a cash bar at 5:30 pm and dinner starts at 6 pm at the Pier 7 Restaurant in the Channel Inn Hotel at 650 Water Street, SW.  CLICK HERE to see map.  Parking is free.  Two menu choices include corned beef and cabbage with carrots and potatoes OR Chicken Tarragon with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables.  Dinner will finish with the famous Pier 7 Strawberry Ice Cream Log!  For members and nonmembers the cost is $31 per person including gratuity.  There will be door prizes.  Reservations are due by March 6.  To RSVP, call Ellie Harvey at 301-530-5169 or send your checks payable to Massachusetts State Society to Ellie Harvey, 5802 Greenlawn Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.

State Society of Arizona Invitation Tonight

The State Society of Arizona is sponsoring a special event tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Sonoma, 223 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  Special Event:

BioZona Reception, Martin L. Shultz, Chair.  Arizona's Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, Saundra E. Johnson, Executive Vice President, and The Flinn Foundation request the pleasure of your company at a reception on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Sonomam 223 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.

Please RSVP to Felecia Clack, Flinn Foundation (602) 744-6831 or send an email to fclack@flinn.org.

Tea for Delaware and Maryland Princesses on March 1

The Delaware State Society and

The Maryland State Society

will jointly sponsor a tea for their respective 2008 Cherry Blossom Princesses on Saturday, March 1 from 3 pm to 5 pm at the home of Mrs. Zoe Roa, 9400 Crimson Leaf Terrace, Potomac, Maryland 20854. The event is free for Delaware State Society members and there is a charge of  $10 for other guests. For more information and to R.S.V.P call Nancy Aiken at 301-983-8182 or send an email to Nancy at her home email address broomie53@aol.com.  Delaware Princess Christina Aiken is pictured at left and Maryland Princess Abigail "Abby" Adams is pictured at right.

Help Tennessee Tornado Victims on Monday, Feb. 25

The Tennessee State Society of Washington, DC and The Ugly Mug at 723 8th Street, SE invite y'all to attend a Happy Hour to raise funds for tornado-ravaged areas of Tennesee.  The date is Monday, Feb. 25th, 2008 from 5:30 pm to close. All money from a $5 wristband for admission will be donated to tornado victims.  The wristband gets great drink specials all night. Between 7 pm to 10 pm, all tips to the guest bartenders will also be donated to victims. CLICK HERE to visit the web site of the Tennessee State Society and learn more about this event and how to join the society.

Guam Society Princess Ball is Saturday, April 5

The Guam Society of America cordially invites you to the 2008 Cherry Blossom Princess Ball in honor of Marissa Christine Tydingco on Sunday, April 5, 2008.  The dinner and dance is from 6 pm to 12 midnight at the Washington Navy Yard Catering and Conference Center, Building 211. Dance music by The Tropic Sounds door prizes, a raffle and silent auction, and a cash bar.  For more information on ticket prices and menu, please call Irene Rives at 202-302-6826 or send an email to rives@comcast.net. To learn more about the events of the Guam Society of America and how to join GSA, please CLICK HERE to visit our web site.

Save The Date: Sunday April 6 Lantern Ceremony

NCSS and the National Park Service will jointly sponsor the 54th annual Stone Lantern Lighting and Concert outdoors on the Tidal Basin on Sunday, April 6 starting at 2:30 pm with prelude music by the Toho Koto Society of Washington, DC.  Five hundred chairs will be set up for the public on a first come, first seated basis and admission is free. Additional music will be provided by the Cardinal Choir.  The 8 and 1/2 tall two-ton Japansese Stone Lantern was carved 357 years ago in 1651 to honor the Third Shogun of the Tokugawa Period. It was given to Washington, DC in 1954. Public officials will offer brief remarks including the guest of honor, His Excellency, Ryozo Kato, the Ambassador of Japan to the United States.  The location is one block west of the Paddle Boat Dock at the west end of Kutz Bridge near the intersection of 17th and Independence Avenues, SW. The Lantern area is located about four blocks west of the Smithsonian Meto Station on the Orange and Blue lines.  Parking is very limited so Metro or taxi cab is the best option. The World War II Memorial is about sixty yards north of the Lantern on 17th Street and public restrooms are located there.

2008 TICKET ORDER FORM IS BELOW

Please click on pdf file below to download order form for NCSS events such as the Spirit of Washington Cruise on Tuesday, April 8, reserve NCSS-sponsored complimentary tickets for the Congressional Reception on Wednesday, April 9, and to purchase tickets for the black-tie formal U.S. Cherry Blossom Grand Coronation Ball on Friday, April 11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Download 2008_ticket_order_form.pdf

Tickets for the 2008 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen Grand Coronation Ball are now on sale. The black-tie event is one of Washington's great traditions for sixty years. The ball includes a sushi reception before dinner on Friday night, April 11 at 6 pm with dinner at 7 pm.  Tickets are $150 each or $1,350 for a table with nine seats and one seat for a state cherry blossom princess. Tables of ten without a princess are $1,500.  The location is the Grand Hyatt Hotel at 1000 H Street, NW adjacent to the Metro Center.  CLICK HERE TO SEE MAP.

To get more information, contact NCSS Ticket Chairman John Espinal by sending an email to 

NCSSEVENTS@COMCAST.NET.

Channel 9 News Anchor Andrea Roane will MC NCSS Cherry Blossom Ball on Friday, April 11

WUSA-TV Channel 9 morning news anchor Andrea Roane will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for the 60th Anniversary U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen Grand Ball sponsored by the National Conference of State Societies (NCSS).  "I am thrilled that she accepted our invitation," said NCSS President Lou Barrett.  The dinner and dance will be held on Friday, April 11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at 1000 H Street, NW in Washington, DC.

Roane is now in her 26th year with W*USA 9, a tremendous achievement. She currently co-anchors 9 NEWS NOW from 5-7am and 9-10am with Mike Walter. She was recently selected as a distinguished annual honoree by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership's Greater Washington Network, which recognized Andrea's outstanding work within the community and the region as a "leader and trailblazer deserving of recognition." The GWN serves over 8,000 industry professionals in the region.

Andrea joined W*USA 9 in August 1981 as the Sunday evening and 6:30am weekday anchor. In 1983, she co-anchored the Noon broadcast with Bob Dalton. In 1989, Andrea co-anchored the 4pm news with Mike Buchanan. In 1995, Andrea co-anchored the 6 & 11pm newscasts with Gordon Peterson. In October 2000, Andrea was re-teamed with Mike Buchanan for the 5, 6, and 9am newscasts.