McAllen Table Historical Profile: 2015-2016 May 11, 2015 Transitional Meeting of Incoming Officers, Appointed members and Committees Seated around the table L-R: Mariella Gorena, Carola Chapa, Deanna Ramirez, Marcia Ingram, Mandy Pena, Raquel Oliva, Mary Hernandez, Jane Hereford, Lily Torrez and Leticia Pena. Standing L-R: Irma Zavaleta, Patti Mayers, Sylvia Alanis, Adelina Garza
August, 2015 PART Directors and State Officers Meeting in San Antonio Edinburg, Alamo-San Juan-Pharr and McAllen Table Representatives L-R: Herminia Martinez, Gloria Cantu, Mary Bard, Gloria Garcia, Mariella Gorena, Sylvia Alanis. Seated: Carmen Guerra and Lily Torrez
September, 2015 Business Meeting October 6, 2015 Founder s Day Standing L-R: Irma Zavaleta, Mariella Gorena, Carmen Guerra, Sylvia Alanis, Raquel Oliva, Carola Chapa. Seated: Sylvia Cardenas, Rosa Alma Rosa Revesz, Sister Norma Pimentel, Jane Hereford and Mary Hernandez
Founder s Day speaker: Sister Norma Pimentel Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the RGV Dan Cardenas, Pianist - Music of Mexico Founder s Day Entertainment Special Guests at Founder s Day Celebration Seated L-R: Sylvia Cardenas and Alma Rosa Revesz (volunteers at Respite Center), Sister Norma Pimentel, Brownsville Table I Director Isabel Vezzeti, Dolly Flores from Edinburg. Standing L-R: Carmen Guerra (past Director General) Maria E. Yzaguirre from Bownsville Table I and Herminia Martinez, Edinburg Table Director
November, 2015 Business/Program Meeting Featured Program: Guatemala Sylvia Alanis, Table Director, Violette Metz and Minnie Lanham (program Chairmen) with Guatemala Consul Alan Perez and guest in the center. November Induction of new member, Alma Revesz presented with a pin by Carola Chapa, Membership Chairman
December 1, 2015 Mother/Daughter Luncheon Raquel Oliva, Carola Chapa, Mariella Gorena and Sylvia Alanis with Guest Speaker, Bennie Thompson (center), who presented a Christmas poem, The Unexpected Guest by Edwin Markham. 2015 Humanitarian Project Entertainment was presented by Aliya Peterson, Pianist, UT-RGV Donation to the Respite Center presented by Carola Chapa to volunteer workers, Sylvia Cardenas and Alma Rosa Revesz
January 5, 2016: Luncheon/Program Haiti Program Chairmen Irma Zavaleta and Marcia Ingram with Guest Speakers: Rex & Donna Leach (center) February 2, 2016: Business/Program Honduras Mariella Gorena, Rosario Grajales, Alma Rosa Revesz, Hortensia Pacheco, Guest Speaker: Ana Jessy Bulnes, Consul-Honduras, Ana Maria Moon and Alice Tavarez
March, 2016: Business/Program Meeting Current Events Bertha Martinez, Mariella Gorena and Linda Garza Carola Chapa with Violette Metz, who presented the current events on Guatemala Guest with Berry Fritz, Elizabeth Perkins, Graciela Cobo and Yolanda Barrera
Pan American Observance Day April, 2016 Dr. Art Cavazos, Superintendent of Harlingen School District, Guest Speaker Table Directors: Virginia Hale-Brownsville Table II, Criseyda Rios-Zone I Director, Eva Munoz de Manzarraga Alliance Director General, Bersabe Salazar-Roma-RGC, Lupita Sarabia-Miguel Aleman. Standing L-R: Angie Gonzlez-San Benito, Sylvia Alanis-McAllen, Gloria Cantu-ASJP, Herminia Martinez-Edinburg All Valley Flag Bearers
Scholarships Presentation May 3, 2016 Three very deserving students from the three McAllen High Schools were honored at the May luncheon of the Pan American Round Table of McAllen. Shown from left to right are: Deanna L. Ramirez, P.A.R.T. Scholarship Committee Chair, Josh Rainha from Nikki Rowe High, Alejandra L. Muñoz from McAllen High, Gracie Cobo, Scholarship Committee, and Maria Hernandez, Scholarship Committee. Not shown is Brooke Baus of Memorial High School. New Members Presented New members Alexandra Vela and Norma Garza with Table Director, Sylvia Alanis
In Memoriam Berta G. Guerra August 18, 1923 - February 17, 2016 -Director 1987-1989 -First Associate Director -Treasurer Recognition: more than 40 years of service as a PART member
McAllen Meeting September 6, 2016 Immediately following the first meeting of 2016-2017 on September 6th, the most recent new members were given an orientation by members of the Orientation Committee. Shown in the photo are: Seated (l-r) Myrna Rodriguez, Noellia Pena, Alejandra Vela and Norma Garza. Members of the committee, standing Aida Torres, Violette Metz and Carmen Guerra. Mary Lou Trevino was not present for the picture.
Founder s Day Celebration October, 4, 2016 Members of the McAllen Table enjoyed a special program on October 4 th, at the McAllen Country Club, in celebration of Founder s Day and in commemoration of Founder Florence Terry Griswold. Table member Carmen Guerra, Alliance Director General for 1988-2000, as nominee for the honor of Alliance Woman of the Year, was the special guest for the occasion. In her address, to the members, Carmen mentioned some of the highlights of her years as a member of the organization, and especially as Director General. In commemoration of Founder Florence Terry Griswold, Violette Metz and Lily Torrez presented their poems written for the purpose of participating in the Alliance Convention poetry contest. Violette Metz s poem, Homage for Florence and Lily Torrez A Saga of the Pan American Round Table & Tribute to Founder Florence Terry Griswold, were read by the authors. The poems will be judged by a special committee and winners of the contest will be announced at the convention. Pictures of past Table Directors and a group picture were taken to update the group picture on the web page. Table Director Sylvia Alanis and Mariella Gorena, center, presented a bouquet of yellow roses to Carmen Guerra. Violette Metz and Lily Torrez read their poems to the members.
Past Table Directors: standing l-r: Yolanda Barrera, Lily Torrez and Baudelia Crane. Seated (lr): Mandy Pena, Alma De La Garza, Mary Lou Trevino, Alice Tavarez, Carmen Guerra and Kay Moffett. McAllen Table Group Picture
Pan American Round Table of McAllen Alliance Convention - October, 2016 October, 2016 proved to be an exciting month for PART of McAllen, especially in anticipation and preparation for the 100 th anniversary of the Pan American Movement, in conjunction with the Alliance Convention. Eleven table members traveled to San Antonio, where five of the members participated in the parade of flags for the opening ceremony of the convention. Each member represented a member country, wearing the country s native costume and bearing its respective flag. Members Violette Metz and Lily Torrez accepted the challenge by the Alliance Special Commission of Cultural Diffusion to participate in the poetry contest Cien Años De Amor Y Paz established in homage to the Centennial of the Foundation of the First Table of the Pan American Movement. Mrs. Metz received a certificate of participation and a CD containing all the poems submitted in Spanish and in English, for her submission of Homage for Florence. Lily Torrez won First Place in the English category for her submission entitled A Saga of the Pan American Round Table Movement & Tribute to Founder Florence Terry Griswold. In addition to a CD and a Diploma De Honor, Lily was also awarded a 100 th anniversary pin and a gift of coasters from the Chilean Table. Lily Torrez Trinidad-Tobago, Graciela Cobo Honduras, Sylvia Alanis Ecuador, Hortencia Pacheco Belize and Linda Garza Bolivia
Second Convention Night in Native Costume S tanding (L-R) Ana Maria Moon, Linda Garza, Hortencia Pacheco, Raquel Oliva Seated: Graciela Cobo, Mandy Pena, Sylvia Alanis, Sandra Brown and Rosario Pop Poetry Participants Dolley Flores, Sandra Brown, Sylvia Alanis, Raquel Oliva Lily Torrez accepting First Place Award in the English category from Alliance Director General Eva Muṅoz de Manzárraga
Gala Night Lily Torrez, Sylvia Alanis, Raquel Oliva and Ana Maria Moon On the left is Carmen Guerra with painted portrait of Florence Terry Griswold, and on the right with her grandsons presenting her with yellow roses at the Gala Rosario Pope, Mary Bard, Carmen Guerra, Sylvia Alaniz, Ana Maria Moon, Mandy Pena, Seated is Lily Torrez
PART of McAllen Meeting November, 2016 Having just returned from attending the Alliance Convention in San Antonio, Table Director Sylvia Alanis presided over the PART meeting on Tuesday, the 1 st of November. Bertha Martinez served as hostess for the occasion, representing Mexico. Her table decorations consisted of fold-out catrinas in colorful formal attire; female skeletons that represent death, in keeping with the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. John Kreidler, Director of Kreidler Funeral Home, who has been very interested in the culture of Mexico and how death is portrayed, presented a very interesting talk on the celebration of the Day of the Dead in that country. Lily Torrez, first place winner of the Alliance poetry contest and Violette Metz, also a participant, were recognized for their work and five new members were installed and awarded with the Table s pins. Bertha Martinez presents John Kreidler as guest speaker Lily Torrez and Violette Metz New members, Myrna Rodriguez, Alexandra Vela, Norma Garza, Noelia Pena and Noelia Ramirez Return to McAllen Homepage...