Bulletin # 394 December 2016/January 2017

W E WISH TO ALL MEMBERS

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Once again, I want to thank you for having placed your confidence in me and returning to elect me as president of our organization. Last month during the General Assembly, I told you that many of you know me for more than thirty-five years when I was president of the Casa de España in San Diego. Some of you know me from eight years ago when you elected me to be the president of the House of , Casa de España in San Diego.

These are the results of the votes last Sunday, November 13:

Executive Board: Jesus Benayas - President, elected by acclamation. Evangelina Yguerabide - Vice President, elected by acclamation. Giancarlo Taylor - Secretary, elected by acclamation. Robert Williams - Treasurer, elected by acclamation. Directors: Penelope Bledsoe 41 votes Angeles Leira 31 votes Mary Hinshaw 24 votes David Buenaventura 22 votes Louis Porto 15 votes Ronnie Morales 1 vote According to the rules of our organization, only the three directors with the most votes are part of the Board of Directors.

By law, this Board of Directors elected by the Association House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego, is responsible for all the decisions taken during the year. In our case the board of directors has been elected to make the best possible decisions for the organization for a whole year, and not to have to go around asking the members constantly what decisions to take day by day, on parties, celebrations, investments, and so many other things that a board of directors has to face. So indicate our regulations (Bylaws) certified by the Secretary of State of California. Otherwise, the members would have to appear every month at a meeting of infinite length, for making those decisions. Anyway, if any member is interested in the deliberations of the Board of Directors, such member may attend the monthly meetings of the Board of Directors, listed in our web page, and form part of committees that study and help to make decisions.

And speaking of the members, in addition to paying the annual fee, members must study and know the ¨Bylaws¨ or Rules of the Organization, because many of the comments made at the last annual meeting, have their response in such Rules or Bylaws, thus they will be able to better understand the processes and modes that an organization has to follow to keep up the organization according to the Laws of the USA. These Bylaws can be found on our web page. And to corroborate this they just have to attend meetings of other organizations, of the City, schools, and other entities, to observe how it holds a meeting in order and how to ask questions about the topic that is explicitly identified in the agenda.

The Board of Directors meets every month and you can attend to hear and be informed of what is talked about and what is happening in the organization. These meetings are open to members and the public and are listed in our web page of House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego. If a person wants to talk about something specific to our organization, he/she has to inform the Secretary or the President in advance so that it can be put on the agenda. Suggest as accurately as possible the topic, ideas for its resolution, if there is a problem, as well as individuals who can help such a resolution and the time that would be required for this.

Thank you again for your confidence in me.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! Jesús Benayas We congratulate our President for the well-deserved recognition that "SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION" has done;

REPORT ON THE FULFILLMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES OF HOUSE OF SPAIN/CASA DE ESPAÑA IN SAN DIEGO

House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego has just ended our 2016 membership year. The Board of Directors would like to report on the activities and events which we have organized and accomplished this past year which support the objectives and purposes of our organization, House of Spain, Casa de España in San Diego, as defined in our bylaws. Thank you to members who have kindly and generously collaborated toward achieving these accomplishments. Special thanks to our President, Jesús Benayas, and Vice President Nina Yguerabide for the endless hours and strong sense of dedication and commitment to bring Spanish history and culture to our members, community, and visitors to the House of Spain.

SECTION 1. OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSES of our By-laws The primary objectives and purposes of this corporation shall be: To build and operate a center that will become the focal point for cultural, educational, social and charitable activities in the city of San Diego related to Spain. Here are some activities that meet these objectives: * Open the casita 50 Sundays a year, 24 Saturdays, and 12 Tuesdays; * Participate in all events organized by the House of Pacific Relations; * Present a program on July 4 together with the Sons of the American Revolution and Children of the American Revolution; * Participate in festivals that celebrate the presence of Spain in San Diego; * Organize parties in the casita for members and some open to the public; * Organize conferences and lectures on Spanish topics or of special interest to the Spaniards in San Diego; * Visit schools and universities to disseminate Spanish culture and history; * Train the student participants to greet and talk about the Spanish culture; * Offer Spanish classes in the casita; * Receive students with their professors in the casita; * Collaborate with the Sister Cities Society, Cabrillo Festival, Battle of San Diego Bay, and others.

2) The center will also serve as a meeting place where locals and visitors could find information and assistance in a wide variety of cultural, educational and humanitarian topics. * Prepare a monthly bulletin of articles of cultural, historical, and local interest; * Provide contact and information for Spanish newcomers to San Diego; * Maintain a web page in English and Spanish to inform members and the public in general of the activities and events of the House of Spain; * Maintain a presence in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram that promote the House of Spain; * Maintain a library in the casita of volumes of the great writers in the ; * Maintain a video library in the casita of videos and CDs of topics of the Spanish culture; * Prepare posters and brochures on Spanish topics including the House of Spain, Bernardo de Gálvez, Vasco Núñez de Balboa , maps, the Spanish aid to the American colonists: all available to the public; * Distributing brochures on Spanish regions, monuments, cities * Provide an annual scholarship for the college tuition to the children or grandchildren of members of the House of Spain

3) The center will endeavor to spread the knowledge of and interest in the by means of artistic and folkloric presentations (both at the center and throughout the San Diego community), there will also be educational meetings and seminars on a regular basis, all of them open to the public in general. * Spanish feasts celebrated for members of the House of Spain and open to the public Three Kings Day; Friendship Day; Viva La Pepa; Day of San Juan (Saint John); of Spain; Lawn Program with Spanish food, dance and music; Ethnic Food Fair with Spanish food, dance and music; December Nights with Spanish food, dance and music; * Special presentations on Spanish topics in the casita and other sites: Vasco Núñez de Balboa (House of Italy); Cervantes and the woman in his fiction; (Continued on next page) (REPORT ON…continued) Julia San Román on the origins, history, and evolution of her current pictorial vision, GLIMMER; Paco Sevilla and the art of flamenco; Don Quixote and the student of the twenty-first century; Culture and (the Naval Base); Statue of Balboa for Balboa Park; Spanish culture and history to groups of students and their incorporation into the opening of the casita on Sundays: California State University, San Marcos and San Diego High School, High Tech High, El Capitán High School, Cesar Chavez High School, Longfellow Spanish Immersion School, and Mesa College; Presentations in schools to reach the greatest number of students: El Capitán High School, Longfellow Spanish Immersion School, California State University, San Marcos.

The Board anticipates another year of programs that celebrate and disseminate Spanish culture and history and support educational programs. We invite the members that they accompany us in carrying out these objectives. Thank you for your collaboration. Sincerely, Penelope Bledsoe Director

FEAST OF CORONATION OF THE QUEENS OF HOUSE OF PACIFIC RELATIONS This past November 20 was the coronation of the Queens of the different countries that make up the HPR. That night our Queen Tico Conde Porto was crowned as "Queen of Queens'", whom we congratulate and thank for her work she has done and is doing for our institution.

Death: We regret to inform you that Francisca Almanza Díaz (1942-2016) the sister of our friend and member of the House of Spain for many years, Regli Dee, has died in Puebla del Rio, province of Seville. Our wish is that her spirit fly to be with her loved ones in heaven. Her children Pedro, Francisco José and Álvaro will always remember their excellent mother with a lot of affection. Rest in peace, dear sister. The Holy Expedition of California The Franciscan friar Father Junipero Serra participated in the colonization of this state together with Gaspar de Portolá

Last third of the eighteenth century. Spain, no matter how credible it may seem today, just ten generations later, holds the sovereignty over almost the entire territory of the United States, with the exception of the northeast quadrant, where the British colonies settle, and has colonized the entire south, from Florida to New Mexico. But California is missing. Almost two centuries before, the mariner Sebastián Vizcaíno had traveled its coast, mapping minutely all the accidents of the Californian coast, drawing a map keeping with top secret by the Spanish authorities. But Spain applied to weave their vast empire, California had been at the moment bordered, and the mists of time and forgetfulness slid on those solitudes.

But in 1761, the Spanish ambassador in Russia reported that the Russians descended from Alaska, installing commercial factories on the Pacific coast. And Spain, extremely jealous of their sovereign rights, was forced to stop such an advance, to advance in possession. This and another reason, decided the clear-sighted Carlos III (Charles III) to occupy California. It was a populated region of natives without being christened, and in this Spain and the Crown, which had received from the Pope the mission of evangelizing the Indians, was also extremely scrupulous.

And that is why it is called Holy Expedition to the colonizing leap from Mexico to California, an operation meticulously designed, and for which it had a dual military and religious leadership. For the first, Gaspar de Portolá the Catalan of illustrious family. For the second, a lean Franciscan born in Petra, Mallorca, called Junipero Serra. One could not choose better.

The enterprise was prevented on two poles: to establish in San Diego, in Southern California, a mission and a presidio (which was not a prison, but a strong protector of the missionaries), and from there to project the great colonizing offensive, founding in Monterey Bay, in the heart of the Californian coast, the mission that had to be at the heart of the Spanish occupation.

The first part of the plan was implemented as planned: arrivals by sea to San Diego, Father Junipero stays organizing the Mission San Diego de Alcalá, and Portolá travels by land with a party of soldiers and mules, to locate Monterey and install the Spanish colonizing embryo. They take the map of Vizcaíno, which marked Monterey Bay with precision. But for more that they tracked they do not find it, passing by and continuing in a northern direction, until days after they make a sensational discovery: the vast bay of San Francisco.

More Portolá understands that he has come too high up and that it is necessary to return, but still now does not find Monterey. Lacking provisions, he decides to return to San Diego, in a dramatic return on which they have to eat the mules to survive, and they arrive to San Diego "smelling of mules", as expressed by the captain in his story.

But the situation in San Diego was agonizing: the San Antonio, the ship dispatched to New Spain in demand for provisions, had not arrived as planned, and hunger, scurvy, and death was merciless with the Spaniards.

Finally, the San Antonio emerged by the horizon to sails deployed, bringing the longed for provisions. Father Junipero interpreted this as a divine sign, and undertook the search again of Monterey, with a dual land and sea expedition, now embarking Serra himself. And this time Monterey appeared in the plotted point in the excellent map of Vizcaíno, and that before the mists had concealed. From the new Mission of San Carlos, Carmel, Father Junipero will establish a rosary of missions that consolidated the presence of Spain in California. Borja Cardelus - ABC - Culture 11/2016 Fiesta de Los Reyes Magos Feast of the Three Kings

La Mesa Directiva de la House of Spain/Casa de España in San Diego les invita a recibir a Los Reyes Magos. Este evento será gratis para los socios. El evento será en el Hall of Nations, Balboa Park, 4:00-6:30 de la tarde, sábado, 7 de enero, 2017. . Muy importante que se haga la reservación antes del 27 de diciembre, incluyendo la edad del niño o niña para que todos tengan un regalo.

Favor de responder al correo electronico: [email protected]

************************************************************************/ The Board of Directors of the House of Spain/Casa de España in San Diego invites you to celebrate the Feast to the Three Kings. This event will be free to the members. This event will take place at the Hall of Nations, Balboa Park, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM on Saturday, January 7, 2017.

Very important that you RSVP before December 27 so that every child has a present. Include the age of the child/children

Please respond to the e-mail: [email protected]

Menu Hot Dogs, chips Potato salad Roscón de Reyes Juice, water, wine

P.O. Box 33064, San Diego, CA 92163 Phone (619) 615-3188 http://www.houseofspainsd.com Email: [email protected]

To read the Bulletin in English, visit the web page of House of Spain/Casa de España in San Diego: http://www.houseofspainsd.com