St Anthony Association of North Carolina

Bro. Dave Wright was incredibly generous and hosted the SAANC Summer Solstice Party at his house gorgeous house this year.  A number of St. A’s trekked out to the wilds west of Carrboro and partook of burgers and dogs – both foodstuff and four-legged – and chilled.  Sis. Rosenthal told us about her recent time in Israel; Sis. Jacobson gave me the straight dirt on a favorite old campfire story, that of the boa constrictor that may or may not have lived in the walls of the Annex; I got to see a number of St. A’s I haven’t seen in way too long and next year can’t come soon enough.

The point of all this is, of course, that I took some photos when I wasn’t gums-deep in a burger.  Lovely mental image, I know, but in comparison my photos will look great and that’s the point.  Even better:  some photos I took in June of flowers in the Hall’s front yard gardens.

Lots and lots of Xi’s (and a couple of other chapters?) rolled up on Top of the Hill at the corner of Colombia and Franklin Streets in Chapel Hill this year.  There were many drinks and dinners and a lot of great conversation.  Who would have guessed that the undergrads are into Steeplechase races?  Not me, and I had a fascinating conversation about them with Sis. Joy Jennings, the current Alumni Correspondent for Xi chapter.

I did my best to document the occasion but the toasting part made it awfully difficult to hold the camera still for long periods of time.  Still, I thought you’d like to see the photos I took, even if one of them involves a particularly pronounced motion blur.

Swingout 2010 Banquet Attendees at the Carolina Alumni Club

Much, much fun was had by the 75+ attendees of Swingout 2010. If you weren’t able to make it – we missed you! – and you can peruse a small selection of photos at the Swingout 2010 photo gallery.

The biggest change this year was the SAANC member meeting being inserted into a “regular” meeting. Despite some initial hiccups, and some difficulty hearing, I think it went quite well. SAANC president Mike Glover requested feedback from those who were in attendance, and if you want to drop him a line you can do so from the comment form.

The next Swingout is slated for April 8-10, 2011 so mark your calendars now!

The St. Anthony Association of North Carolina will have a semi-formal meet-up/cocktail mixer at the Tutto Mondo night club (next to the Pewter Rose Bistro). We’ll be gathering between 5 and 7 PM.

This is a casual affair intended to provide the opportunity for members of St. Anthony Hall in the greater Charlotte area to socialize and renew their bonds with old friends and new.

All chapters are encouraged to come – and guests are welcome, too.

Detail from a painting of Saint Anthony by Piero di Cosimo, c.1480, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

The St. Anthony Association of North Carolina warmly welcomes you to join us on Sunday, January 17th from 5PM-8PM, in Raleigh, NC as we gather on the Feast Day of St Anthony – the traditionally celebrated date of the founding of St Anthony Hall. We’ll be at The Oxford, 319 Fayetteville Street, in downtown Raleigh.

Please let us know you’re coming by registering here!

Semi-formal attire is encouraged (though not mandatory). We also ask the brothers and sisters of St. Anthony Hall to please consider utilizing the colors of our order, azure and gold, where possible!

We welcome members of other chapters of St. Anthony Hall to attend.

Spouses, partners and guests are welcome to attend.

Some light food will be provided. Drinks will be available for purchase from cocktail servers at the lounge space reserved.

Parking is available in public lots and decks in downtown Raleigh.

Epsilon, Xi, Kappa at the Epsilon house

GC 2010 was a rip-roaring success on so many levels, it’s difficult to elaborate on them all. Xis were very well represented with a large alumni and active contingent. Total figures for the banquet on Saturday night were 270 (!) people in attendance, with about 250 St As registered for the entire weekend. The sessions were long, but much work was done and a robust debate was had. I don’t believe the temperature ever got above freezing (or if it did, it didn’t by much), but the host chapter, Epsilon, greeted everyone warmly and with much enthusiasm.

One of the best arrangements for a banquet I have ever seen: it was on the top floor of the hotel where many people were already staying. Many ribald tales, tons of singing and dancing, a fabulous band and extra classy people.

Did you miss it? Look for pictures coming soon to the National website. Are you on Facebook? Comment here and I can add you to the Facebook St A group.

Xi will be hosting the GC in 2012. Epsilon had a huge contingent of folks who hadn’t been back in years. I hope we can get the word out and make a great family reunion happen.

GC 2010, hosted this year by the Epsilon Chapter at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, promises to be a grand affair. Are you coming? Register and pay online through the National website, then hop on over to the GC2010.org site for updated schedule, hotel and event information.

As of this writing, there are 170 people registered for the Saturday night banquet; in order to get a proper head count to the caterers, the organisers need to know PRONTO if you’re coming! Register today!

The St Anthony Association of North Carolina cordially invites you to a casual post-holiday gathering on Saturday, December 26th from 5-9 PM at the home of Doug Baldwin X’94 in Durham, NC. Some hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided – if you have something to share, please bring it!

We’ll have a photobooth too, so feel free to get creative with your attire.

Annie Peacock X’08 writes:

On November 10th, 2009, the Xi Chapter of St. Anthony Hall hosted a discussion presented by the Orange Country Rape Crisis Center. The intent was for brethren to gain awareness about sexual violence and its prevention. The talk encouraged debate and understanding around the difficult issue of sexual assault. The program explained myths about rape and sexual assault, provided strategies for both men and women to act as allies and advocates of sexual assault prevention.

Brethren turnout was incredible and the talk was inspiring and educational. We are hoping to make this talk a semesterly event open to the entire community.

Peter Pendergrass X’07 writes:

tomorrow is the homecoming game against duke. it is our special alumni tailgating day, so please come and eat food and hang out with us.

the game is at 3:30pm, so we will be out in the parking lot (selling spaces) by about 10am. eventually we will start grilling burgers and whatever else we have.

if you’d like to bring some food with you, you are welcome to do so!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO COME, AND YOU WANT TO PARK AT THE HALL, PLEASE RSVP TONIGHT TO THE PARKING GURU (Eric Mills).

if you have any questions (about anything at all, not just this) send me an e-mail.

yit [ T U R N . I T . B L U E ]b!
peter pendergrass. xi 07.
fall 09 alumni correspondent.