Southern California Rose of Tralee

Southern California Rose of  Tralee

Program & Events 2007

Rose Orientation 2007

The 2007 Rose of Tralee program started with it’s traditional kick-off event – Rose Orientation.  Once again, St. Lawrence’s Parish was the backdrop for this first meeting of Rose Debutantes and Rose Committee.

The day began with announcements about the Rose Program, paperwork for the Roses, and a bevy of information about the upcoming events.  But once the “business” of the day was complete, it was a great opportunity for the Roses to mingle with each other and the Rose Committee, too

Organized by the Dynamic Orientation Duo of Lorraine and Annie, the day turned out to be a success and one enjoyed by all there.  With many new faces mixed with a few familiar, the Rose Class of 2007 soon was shaping up to be a diverse and well accomplished group of young women with the single goal of sharing their Irish heritage with each other…and building a few friendships, too.

Irish Heritage Day 2007

A Rose favorite – Irish Heritage Day 2007 – gave the Roses a chance to learn about the Irish culture, share their knowledge of the Irish heritage, and bond with each other even more.

The started with Irish Language and Annie Singleton.  Committee member Paula was on hand to assist Annie.  A staple of Heritage Day, Irish Language gives the Roses the opportunity to learn a few basics of the Gaelic language.

Now in it’s fourth year at Heritage Day, Rose Presentations this year focused on the creative arts – literature, poetry, theater, film, music, art – and the Roses were “challenged” this year to show more of their creative side.  With impressive presentations, including a shoe-box diagram, poster board displays, and even a little play-acting, the Roses rose to the challenge and showed not only their creativity, but their appreciation of their culture.

Complimenting the Rose Presentations this year was the next speaker – Tim Byron Owen.  A theater director, Tim talked about his own experiences in theater, especially Irish theater.  A special treat for the day, Tim brought along Vincent Dowling, a former artistic director of the Abbey Theater.  Mr. Dowling shared a little of his rich and fascinating history of the theater with the Roses and by the end of his hour, had everyone present enthralled with his tales.

Theater was followed with a short break for lunch and the Roses continued to enjoy Mr. Dowling’s stories as he and Tim stayed to share some warm Irish stew with the Roses.

With the day already half over, it was time to enjoy another favorite of Irish Heritage Day – Irish sports.  Kevin MacDonnell of the GAA once again demonstrated different aspects of Irish sports, such as hurling.  And then in a change of pace, the Roses took a short “field trip” to a nearby field where Kevin showed them several more tactics.  Then the Roses themselves took a try at it.

Back inside, the Roses settled down to Grif Healy’s presentation on Irish History.  A long time supporter of the Rose Program, Grif gave the Roses a brief – yet thorough – and very much interesting “crash course” on the beginnings of Irish History and its progression through the centuries.

Although Joan Kelly was scheduled to instruct the Roses in Irish dance, a last minute change had to be made and Doireann Hoy of the Celtic Gold Academy allowed the Roses to sit-in on one of the dancers’ practices and then the Roses had the chance to learn a few steps.  Even though for several Roses, it was their first attempts at the steps, all the Roses enjoyed their time with the Celtic Gold Academy dancers.

The day wrapped shortly afterwards and Irish Heritage Day for 2007 was over.

Rose Garden Party 2007

With the rains sweeping through Southern California only days before, there were no threats of a downpour for the 2007 Rose Garden Party.  Somewhere “over the rainbow” in Valley Glen, the Roses gathered with family and friends to make their “unofficial” debut to the Irish Community

Once again, Irish Fair President Terry Anderson opened his home to this festivity, as Roses, Committee and Irish Fair Board members joined in one of the highlighted events of the Rose Program.

After a delicious potluck of assorted foods and tasty treats, a small presentation took place as the Irish Honorees were announced, the Rose Committee was recognized, and the Rosebuds were introduced.  Seasoned Rosebuds Brenna and Brittany shared a little about being a Rosebud and their new friendship and then together, presented the Rose Class of 2007.

As each Rose Debutante stepped forwarded, she shared a little about herself with everyone present.  Then a few of the Roses auditioned their party pieces for the Grand Ball and entertained the crowd with their singing and dancing abilities.

The short presentation wrapped with a few words from the current Rose – Meggy Dixon – who shared in song her thoughts and feelings about the past year of her life as the Southern California Rose of Tralee.

Although the day was a bit chilly, the rains held off and guaranteed another successful Rose Garden Party.

Judges Interviews 2007

A new location brought about a slight change for the Judges Interviews.  Gone was the “chat about the kitchen table” format, as the Roses found themselves in interviews being conducted in a more business-like atmosphere.  

Even with the new format, a few things that didn’t change was the Judges Q&A with the Roses, along with the before-and-after discussions the Roses had with each other in the waiting area.

Thanks again to Allison Young for her assistance in finding a location for the interviews and finally, a special thanks to the Rose Judges for taking the time out of their busy schedules to conduct and participate in this year’s interviews.  Your commitment to the Panel and to the Rose Program is greatly appreciated by all the Roses and Rose Committee.

Pub Nite 2007

Sonny McLean’s in Santa Monica was the scene for the 2007 Rose of Tralee Pub Nite and definitely was the place to be scene!

The Boston themed bar was happy to host one of the favorite events of the Rose Program and provided everyone there a memorable night.  With karaoke as the main attraction, the possibilities of an entertaining evening were endless.

To start the festivities, 2006 Rose Meggy won over the crowd with a moving rendition of “Danny Boy”.  She was followed by some of the Rose Debutantes performing together.  While the harmony may have been a little off, it was evident that the fun of the evening was easily taking over.

With the close quarters of the bar, it was hardly impossible to keep from turning from one conversation to another conversation.  The atmosphere was lively and jovial and a night that had many of the Rose Debutantes still talking about days later…

Of course, the signature karaoke song of the evening was “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”…performed by who else – the Roses themselves!

Rose Rehearsal 2007

Practice, practice, practice…

Rehearsal 2007 was another great evening for the Roses and the Committee.  There was lots of hard work, but there was lots of fun to be had, too.

With the Show Director Bill Hacket absent for the evening, Rehearsal Night Coordinator Christina took the reins and prepared the Roses for their Big Night.  They learned and practiced the walk, the onstage interviews, party pieces, and all the other necessary ingredients for a successful Debutante Presentation.

2006 Rose Meggy rehearsed her duties for the evening, while John Foley and Jim Harrison were drafted to escort duty.  Sheena worked with the Rosebuds on their roles for the evening and even a couple of the Rosebuds helped out – giving a few “pointers” to the Roses.

Emcee Marty Maguire was on hand to meet the Roses and work with them on their interviews and mystery questions.  Everyone agreed they were happy to have Marty back in the show again this year.

As long and hard as the Roses and Committee worked, there were still some laughs and good times.   The evening ended with a sit-down with the Roses as Christina and Paula and 1992 Rose Kari Ann passed along some “words of wisdom” to the Roses as they entered the final week of the Rose Program.

Irish Civic Day Ceremonies & Irish Day Luncheon 2007

The city of Los Angeles caught a case of Irish fever as the 132^nd Irish Civic Day Ceremonies took place at City Hall.  Councilman Tom LaBonge once again presided over the annual event.

2006 Rose Meghan Dixon spoke about her year as the Rose of Tralee for Southern California and remarked on the cultural diversity of Southern California and noting how the Irish were sharing the day in Council Chambers with members of the Persian community.  She then introduced the Rose Debutantes present to the Council members and remarked that she would be turning her crown over to one of them the next evening.

The 2007 Irish Honorees in attendance were presented to the Council and received their commendations for their dedication and contributions to the Irish community of  Southern California.  The complete list of Irish Honorees for 2007 include Abbott Eugene Hays, Sheena Delance, Carolyn Leahy, Dan Hammett, Norah Wright Szechy, Cormac O’Modhran, Christine Bryne, Kathy Liera O’Sullivan, Chuck Gildea, and Carmel Hill.  The honor of Irish Man and Irish Woman of the Year went to Tom LaBonge and Anne Colburn

Once the ceremonies concluded, a few photos were taken and then everyone moved to a small reception upstairs before it was time to go to the St. Patrick’s Day parade through downtown Los Angeles.  Waving to cheering crowds were the Roses and Honorees, among many others participating.  The streets were lined with people who were—if only for a day—Irish.  The skies stayed a brilliant blue for the parade and for the rest of the day. 

The Los Angeles Athletic Club was the setting for the Irish Day Luncheon.  Irish Fair Board member Allyn was pleased with the success of the luncheon and Rose Committee members Christina and Sheena kept things running smoothly at the door as guests check-in and purchased tickets.  Over a hearty meal of corned beef and cabbage, everyone there enjoyed the lively conversation and laughs.

24^th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Grand Ball &

Rose of Tralee Debutante Presentation

It wasn’t just another ordinary Saturday night…

It was a night to get dressed-up

It was a night to laugh.

It was a night to dance.

It was a night to be remembered…

St. Patrick’s Day itself was the date of the 24^th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Grand Ball & Rose of Tralee Presentation at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City.  Against the backdrop of the bright lights of  Hollywood, the evening kicked off with cocktails and conversations among family, friends, and guests.  The Rose of  Tralee Silent Auction – a huge success in its debut last year – returned again to give the guests a chance to bid on some exciting prizes and of course, support the Rose Program.

As the merriment of the cocktail hour wound down, dinner was announced and the crowd moved into the Grand Ballroom.

Bill Hacket, the Rose Show Director, started the evening with general announcements and welcomes.  The Marine Color Guard presented the flags, while 2006 Rose Meghan Dixon paid tribute to the colors with the Irish National Anthem, followed by the Star-Spangled Banner.

As the crowd enjoyed the tasty meal of prime rib, Bill kept the program moving forward with the announcement of the Irish Honorees present and then welcomed Irish General Counsel Finbar Hill to say a few words.

Guest Emcee Marty Maguire started the highlight of the evening with a brief monologue commending the hard working efforts of the Rose Committee and Irish Fair Foundation and shared with the crowd how much he enjoys taking his young sons to the Fair each year.  Marty continued the show with the introduction of the Judges Panel, followed by the former Roses present – 1992 Rose Kari Ann Patterson Gerlach, 1998 Rose Allison McGuire Young and 2005 Rose Ashley Stanbury.

Marty then introduced the Rosebud Class of 2007, dropping down to one knee in some cases to bring himself level with the little girls.  He read a little bio of each Rosebud and gave each a moment on stage.  2006 Rose Meggy was onstage to handout short stemmed pink roses to each Rosebud…a slight variation on the long time tradition of handing out long stemmed red roses to the Rose Debutantes.  Already five years strong, the Rosebud program has become a success for the Rose Program with many returning Rosebuds already becoming a fixture in the Rose Family.

And then the moment had come…it was time for the presentation to start…

After almost six weeks of attending Rose Events and learning about their heritage and the Irish culture, the thirteen remarkable and unique young women known as Roses were ready for their night…for their time to shine.

As emcee Marty Maguire introduced each Roses’ background to the crowd, each Rose was escorted into the room – by fathers, mothers, good friends.  They were first greeted by the Marine Honor Guard and then by 2006 Rose Meggy who presented each Rose with a long stemmed red rose, along with a good luck hug.

Each Rose had an impromptu conversation with Marty before moving onto the mystery questions.  The Rosebuds were welcomed back to the stage with the basket of questions for the Rose to pick from.  Marty, in turn, would read the question and in some cases, the questions themselves got a laugh, but the answers got a few cheers.

After the presentation of the Rose Class of 2007, Marty invited Rose Meggy to the stage for her farewell.  Meggy briefly recapped the wonderful year she had representing Southern California as the Rose of Tralee and congratulated the Rose Class of 2007.  Then she expressed her thank yous to everyone in a beautiful rendition of the musical number “For Good” from the Broadway hit “Wicked”.

After the applause for Meggy had quieted down, Marty lead the crowd in a rousing sing-a-long of Irish songs that had some people out of their seats – literally – and joining in the singing.

As the Roses exited the stage lead by Meggy and the Rosebuds, Marty reminded the crowd of the midnight crowning and the dancing and festivities still to come!

The Music Connection Orchestra kicked off the dance music with a few well-known songs that brought the people out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Throughout the evening they kept the variety of music going with something for everyone. It was a play list to take anyone back to their Senior Prom…no matter what their age. Nearly fifty years of music kept people rockin’ and rollin, groovin’ and jivin’ all night long.

The first band break of the evening brought about the party pieces being performed by the Roses.  Rose Kelsey began the selection with  her own arrangement of “Drowsy Maggie” on piano.  Rose Jessica got the people dancing in their chairs with her rendition of John Lennon & Paul McCartney’s “Eight Days a Week”.  She was followed by Rose Diana singing “Heaven”  - a popular love ballad made popular by Canadian signer Bryan Adams.  Rose Brittany entertained the crowd with “Not For the Life of Me” from the play “Thoroughly Modern Millie”.  Rose Aileen closed out the party piece portion of the evening with a solo Irish step-dance.

The side of the dance floor was filled with the performers’ fellow Roses, supporting and cheering, and leading the crowd in applause when the show was over.

                      


Then it was back to the dance music from the Music Connection Orchestra!

The second band break of the evening brought about the Riverdance-style performance from the Kelly School of Traditional Dance. Under the direction of Mrs. Joan Kelly, the school’s performances have become a highlight of the evening over the years. The entertaining numbers, colorful costumes and inspiring energy of the dancers kept the crowd seated around the floor engaged in the performances, especially the Roses and Rosebuds who took the front row to watch and enjoy the show.

 The Music Connection Orchestra returned to play a few more numbers before the Midnight Hour approached and the Roses returned the stage.

But before returning to the stage for the crowning, the Roses and Rosebuds kept busy taking portraits for the Rose Book and had a little fun – playing the old camp game of “Down by the Banks of the Hanky Panky”.

Marty introduced the President of the Irish Fair Foundation, Terry Anderson, to the stage, who in turn thanked Marty for an excellent evening as emcee and of course Bill Hacket for a superb job as show director.  Rose of Tralee Committee Coordinator Christina Barnes was introduced who thanked everyone for coming and supporting the Roses on their special night, as well as members of the Rose Committee for their tireless efforts to make the evening a success.

Terry introduced the Rosebuds onto the stage for a final bow and introduced Rosebud Brenna – one of the original Rosebuds – as a the Chief Rosebud.  Then Rose Meggy was introduced to the stage – crown in hand to pass to the next Rose whose name would be announced shortly…

A few more words of thanks, a mention of the Irish Fair in June and then Terry wrapped up his comments and asked for the envelope.

At last…the moment had come…clasped hands…a drumroll…and a name was announced…

And the young woman, chosen from thirteen remarkable and wonderful young women, to represent her fellow Roses and the Irish Community of Southern California at the International Rose of Tralee Festival and Pageant in Tralee, Ireland was Aileen Ciara Whelan.

Amidst cheers and applause, the newly crowned Aileen took her Rose walk down to the dance floor where she was presented to her father, Donal Whelan, for her first dance as the 2007 Southern California Rose of Tralee.




Congratulations to Aileen on her selection as the 2007 Rose of Tralee and to all the Roses and Rosebuds of 2007 for being the amazing young women and girls that you are!!!