ANNUAL REPORT 2015 TRADITION History EDUCATION Legacy British COMMUNITY Royal Patronage SOCIETY Commonwealth Fundraising Donations CONTENTSSponsorship SOCIAL WORK MEMBERSHIP Charity Fellowship TUITION Socail Advice PARTNERSHIP Network Heritage1 RELIEF2014 inEngland numbers PHILANTHROPY 3 Welcome 4 2014 Events 8 2014 English Ball 10 2014 GEORGE Bash 13 Scholarship Program 14 Beneficiary Program 16 Honorees 17 Financial Summary 18 2014 Donors 20 Bishop Benjamin Moore Circle 21 Our Members 27 Membership Perks 29 Who’s Who Since becoming its Patron in 2000, I have been pleased to observe the progress of St. George’s Society. Charity is very different from what it was when the Society was established almost 250 years ago, yet it continues to help people in great need, as its founders intended. HRH THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER TRADITION History EDUCATION Legacy British COMMUNITY Royal Patronage 2014 IN NUMBERS SOCIETY Commonwealth Fundraising Donations Sponsorship SOCIAL WORK MEMBERSHIP Charity Fellowship TUITION Socail Advice PARTNERSHIP Network Heritage RELIEF England PHILANTHROPY $1,109,581 CHARITABLE $312,929 EXPENDITURE $81,943 ENGLISH BALL GEORGE BASH FUNDRAISING TOTAL FUNDRAISING TOTAL 38 SCHOLARSHIPS 30 3,862 EVENTS TWEETS 85 EXCLUSIVE 29 MEMBERSHIP PERKS 237 EMERGENCY SOCIAL WORK GRANTS VISITS 153 NEW MEMBERS Annual Report 2015 1 2 Annual Report 2015 WELCOME Dear Friends, In my first year as President of St. George’s Society, I am pleased to share with you the 2015 Annual Report featuring the Society’s activities and achievements in 2014. Thanks to your generous support, we continue to fulfill the Society’s historic mission of providing vital assistance to people of British and Commonwealth heritage in New York who are in need of financial and emotional support. Highlights of 2014 include the following: • We gave comfort and security to 109 sick, elderly and disabled people by providing assistance with basic necessities such as rent, utility payments and medication, in addition to advice and counseling from our two professional social workers (see pages 14-15). • Thanks to money raised in the “Fund-A-Scholar” auction at the Society’s annual gala, the English Ball, we awarded 38 new scholarships to final year students at Lehman College, part of The City University of New York, helping them to complete their studies and launch their careers. • In addition to the English Ball, we hosted a variety of events, including the Society’s first golf outing since 2008 and our first ever Christmas Carol Concert in partnership with the British International School of New York (see pages 4-5). • Our co-brand GEORGE continued to grow and bring new members to the Society. We launched a series of pub quizzes in partnership with the British Consulate General New York and The UK Universities Alumni Group and the GEORGE Winter Bash honoring Jonny Wilkinson, OBE raised over $80,000 for the Society’s charitable programs (see pages 10-11). I would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated supporters, volunteers, committee members and staff for helping us make this happen and my predecessor Bob Titley for his sterling leadership during the past two years. I would also like to welcome to the team, Karen Karpowich, who joined as our CEO in October 2014. Prior to joining St. George’s, Karen held leadership positions at The Financial Women’s TRADITIONAssociation and The New History York Women’s Agenda. EDUCATION Legacy Finally, we were sad to see the departure of the Society’s Almoner, John Shannon, in BritishFebruary 2015. COMMUNITY John oversaw tremendous growth Royal in the Society’s Patronage charitable giving over the past 20 years and we have launched a special appeal in his honor (see page 14). I urge SOCIETYyou to support The Commonwealth John Shannon Beneficiary Fund and help Fundraising us continue to make a real difference to the lives of the less fortunate in our community. DonationsSincerely, Sponsorship SOCIAL WORK MEMBERSHIP Charity Fellowship TUITION SocailRichard Sexton, Advice MBE PARTNERSHIP Network HeritagePresident RELIEF England PHILANTHROPY Annual Report 2015 3 2014 EVENTS St. George’s Society’s first event of 2014 was the Annual General Meeting in January featuring a lecture about The Real Downton Abbey by Curt DiCamillo. The Society partnered with a number of other organizations throughout the year including the New York British-American Societies for the annual Summer Garden Party in July; Societies representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales for the Four Nations Whisky Tasting in October; The Anglosphere Society for an Evening with Mayor of London Boris Johnson who spoke about his new book The Churchill Factor in November; The Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Garden for a Remembrance Day Lunch in November; and The British International School of New York for the Society’s first ever Carol Concert in December featuring the school choir and readings from award-winning British actor Jim Dale, MBE and acclaimed British journalist Martin Bashir. Other notable events included a St. George’s Day Reception at the Chelsea apartment of David Levy and Amanda Bowman; the Society’s Fall Kick-Off Reception at the iconic Hearst Tower; and a Golf Outing at the picturesque Bayonne Golf Club in October. Further afield, the Society’s Advisory Council, chaired by Martin Sullivan, OBE, met in London in September after which there was a reception in the presence of our Patron HRH The Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO hosted by Lord Saatchi for Council members and friends of St. George’s Society. The year drew to a close with the ever-popular annual Christmas Luncheon at the Yale Club in December. Jim Dale, MBE, Pauline Brooks Dr. Donald K. Briggs, and George Strimel Mary Lamasney and June Briggs Laura Adams, Liz O’Keef, Paul Adams, Neena Dutta and Anushka Sinha with Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew Andy Booth and Yukyong Choi Jennifer Johnson, Kazie Metzger Harvey Ian Calderon, Karen Karpowich Frank M. Spano III and Lady Weatherstone and Natalie T. Pray and Daisy Rowan 4 Annual Report 2015 FELLOWSHIP Mary Lamasney, Melissa M. Gibbs and Julie Rosenberg Peter Buffington, Michael A. Boyd and Stephen J. Storen Jeffrey Ryan and Nancy Sakas Kathleen and Patrick Carr and Amanda Bowman Carol Spawn Desmond, Peter Felix, CBE, Richard Sexton, MBE and Ronald Lee Fleming and June Felix Celia and Brian Hopkinson JoAnne Davidson Sir Alan Collins, KCVO, CMG, Natalie T. Pray, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, KG, GCVO, Lady Judge, CBE, Martin Sullivan, OBE, Robert J.K. Titley and Peter Felix, CBE Dr. Philippa Cheetham and David Thursfield and Andy Booth and Peter J.C. Mosse Stuart Welburn Duncan Edwards Christmas Carol Concert Victor and Carol Stewart, Michael A. Boyd and John C. Harvey Boris Johnson Jim Dale, MBE and Martin Bashir Annual Report 2015 5 2014 EVENTS St. George’s Society’s co-brand GEORGE is the leading British networking group for vibrant professionals in New York City. The aim of GEORGE is to provide access to new connections, good conversation and dynamic business professionals from all industries while helping a good cause. In 2014 GEORGE hosted a series of events including annual favorites Pancake Day and Bonfire Night as well as Network GEORGE and Curry Club. In June, GEORGE partnered with Virgin Atlantic to host the Summer Soirée on a Tribeca rooftop with 360° views of Manhattan and later in the year launched The GREAT British Pub Quiz, in partnership with the British Consulate General New York and The UK Universities Alumni Group. In 2014 St. George’s Society was a beneficiary of the Captain’s Knock Rugby and Soccer Dinners as well as a networking evening at Burberry’s flagship store with NBC Sports’ Robbie Earle, Rebecca Lowe and Robbie Mustoe. Adam Smith, Marc Blacklock, Yukyong Choi and Chris Patmore Laura Adams, Liz O’Keef, Paul Adams, Neena Dutta and Anushka SinhaSheena with Virgin Pabari, Atlantic Louise Cabin Rapley, Crew Ele Timson, Erica Williams and Harriet Taylor Richard Sexton, MBE, Meaghan and Alex Jillions and Jeremy Wilkins Team ‘Mighty Midlands’ Lillian and Donal Dennehy Melissa Epperly and Tara Tunney 6 Annual Report 2015 NETWORK Anna Titley and Samantha Hamilton with Virgin Atlantic Cabin Crew LauraLaura Adams, Adams, Liz LizO’Keef, O’Keef, Paul Paul Adams, Adams, Neena Neena Dutta Dutta andand Anushka Anushka Sinha Sinha with with Virgin Virgin Atlantic Atlantic Cabin Cabin Crew Crew Mark Aiston, Melissa Sexton and Ellen Press Robbie Mustoe, Rebecca Lowe, Richard Sexton, MBE and Robbie Earle Luke Parker Bowles and Simon Gibbs Soccer Legends: Jimmy Conrad, Alan McInally, Steve Coppell, Liam Brady, Bryan Robson and Bruce Grobbelaar Anastasia Tonello, Robin McDonald and Paul Babych Rugby Legends: Chris Paterson, Zinzan Brooke, Mal O’Kelly, Simon Shaw, Dan Lyle, Jeremy Guscott and Paul Wallace Annual Report 2015 7 2014 ENGLISH BALL The 2014 English Ball took place on 21 May at 583 Park Avenue and raised over $310,000 for the Society’s charitable programs. The Society presented its Medal of Honor to Wilbur Ross, CEO of WL Ross & Co LLC and the award was introduced by textile magnate Silas Chou. Executive Vice President of Sotheby’s C. Hugh Hildesley took the floor after dinner inviting bids from guests to support the Society’s Scholarship Program at Lehman College. The auction set a new record raising $108,000 which funded 38 scholarships in 2014. Bill Cunningham was there to capture the evening and the New York Times featured the English Ball in its ‘Evening Hours’ section. Lead sponsorship was provided by Assured Guaranty, Bloomberg, Jefferies, Mountbatten Institute and WL Ross & Co LLC. Dr. Geoffrey Scott Carroll Rodney N.M. Johnson, MBE and Vicki Downey and Jennifer Johnson Wilbur and Hilary Geary Ross, Pattie and Robert J.K. Titley Martin Sullivan, OBE, Antoinette Sullivan, Jaquine Arnold and Philip Warner, OBE Richard Sexton, MBE Chris Ford and Suzanne Cseh and David Levy and and Melissa Sexton Mario DellaPina Nicholas C.