Dear Brothers and Sisters:
As the Supreme President of the Sociedade do Espirito Santo, I can’t help but reflect on how all of the 99th Supreme Presidents before me must have felt when they received this prestigious honor.
Even through a turbulent time in my life to be able to come back to the Sociedade do Espirito Santo to fulfill my dream, it is an extreme pleasure to have been installed the 100th Supreme President.
I was once told, follow your dreams if it is worth waiting for, it is worth having. My journey to President began as Supreme External Guard in 1979 on the evening of the installation of a beautiful lady and my dear friend Past Supreme President Isabel Gomes in Santa Cruz, California.
This journey was interrupted in 1983 when I had no choice but to not continue to Supreme Master of Ceremonies at the installation of another beautiful lady and dear friend Past Supreme President Mary D. Oliveira, however I was elected to the Supreme Finance Committee.
Through this journey I was blessed to have served five consecutive years as Finance Committee Member, five consecutive years as Supreme Director, three years as Assistant Secretary-Treasurer and in 2003 in Buellton, California, the Divine Holy Spirit shined his radiant light on me and gave me the opportunity to return to the Supreme Line, as Supreme Master of Ceremonies where I left off in 1993.
Now, the circle has been completed, and I am sure that a record has been made the longest time to complete the line, twenty eight years.
I can also reflect back when there was a time, a password was a secret word and used only by members to show their validity as SES members. Times have changed as we progress and a password is a necessity of the past, however, after all those years, I am going to introduce a password I would have selected, and use it as my theme for my administration, “Our Dove of Love”.
May our Dove of Love encircle all of us as we continue to promote our culture, our heritage and our faith in our forefathers
Ours, meaning all of us working together in peace and harmony, in charity and protection and in the motto of our beloved Sociedade do Espirito Santo “Assistance and Sociability” working towards a positive direction.
We are in the middle of some very difficult and challenging times within our fraternal organizations; however we owe it to our founding fathers of our great Portuguese Fraternal Societies to preserve the past by building a structure to meet the needs of tomorrow. In so doing, it will take changes, and changes are good.
Thinking back for just a minute and reflect on your own personal lives, have you had to accept changes in order to survive in today’ society?
It is no different for our fraternal society, that we all love, our passion does not stop here this very moment with blinders until next year and thinking “ Oh...it’s going to get better”.
It’s not going to happen until we re-structure with innovative ways to advance into a rapid changing time. I emphasize we, meaning all of us encircling our Society with our “Dove of Love”, Juniors and Seniors hand in hand, promoting and preserving our organization, who marks its 112th birthday this December 16th. United together there is strength and in strength there is numbers, and in numbers there is a future, a future to continue our principle aims that we have been blessed to have from the past. Our determination to accept the reality of today is strength for a future tomorrow.
It has been said many times Juniors are our future, if we are going to talk the talk, we need to walk the walk. Take our fraternal hands and walk with the Juniors into the future.
To Junior Supreme President, Denée M. Perez, I am very honored to have you at my side as we rein together and travel throughout the State of California visiting our Subordinate Councils, greeting our members and making new friends to add to memories I know we will treasure. Thank You for sharing this year with me and May our Patron “The Divine Holy Spirit” guide you with safe travels and God “Bless You With Good Health”.
Denée, I want to help you build a better future for our Juniors and so doing we built a strong future for our beloved Sociedade do Espirito Santo. I would like to invite and encourage all Juniors whenever possible, even if needed to rotate amongst yourselves to attend the official visits, the visual of your presence will influence and impact those in attendance to want to get involved in a fraternal society that recognizes their Junior Members.
All of you are a valid asset to the Sociedade do Espirito Santo and with hands joining hands we can make a difference to strengthen our role in some very challenging times to your children and grandchildren to enjoy the fruits of our labor in generations to come. I also plan and encourage us to welcome our brothers and sisters of our Fraternal Organizations, by working together; helping one another we can survive in a time that seems to be so difficult. Our emblem of the Divine Holy Spirit embraced with the Olive Branch says it all and I plan on extending the Olive Branch throughout my administration to help strengthen and uniting our Portuguese Fraternals.
I am looking forward to travel this beautiful state of ours promoting our culture, heritage and principal aims that govern our Sociedade do Espirito Santo. The Official Visits of our Subordinate Councils will be top priority of mine during my administration.
Without our Subordinate Councils, there will be no Society; there is truly the heartbeat of the Sociedade do Espirito Santo.
Working with our Councils is essential, and I welcome and encourage the cooperation of our District Deputies, Council Officers and Supreme Officers, Past Supreme Presidents, Spouses of Past Supreme Presidents, Honorary Supreme Officers, Ex Supreme Officers, Supreme Junior Officers and Past Supreme Junior Presidents, to assist me with the building of our future by recommending new members and encouraging them to join this great society.
I wish to further extend the Olive Branch throughout my administration promoting our Society in Friendship and Fraternalism.
My heartfelt appreciation to the Delegates of this 106th Annual Convention for the confidence you have entrusted in me and I take great pride on this honor you have bestowed upon me. I will do my upmost best to achieve your greatest expectations.
To my Convention Queen Cheyanne Sousa and Princesses Vanessa Martins and Athena Correia, my sincerest appreciation for accepting to be “Our Royalty” and Reign over our 2007 Convention and throughout the upcoming year. The three of you so eloquently represented with dignity, pride and beauty. I thank you and you’re Parents so very much!
To my family my sincerest appreciation for your Love and Understanding of my acceptance to this most honorable position. Your support and encouragement means a great deal to me. I Love all of you!
To my wonderful Convention Committee under the capable leadership of a great friend, Joe E. Dias my heartfelt appreciation to all of you for your untiring dedication and sacrificing to produce a most beautiful and memorable convention for all to treasure. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I extend my sincerest congratulations to Past Supreme President Joe M. Louro and Spouse Janice Louro for your dedicated service this past year and for the success of your administration adding another Golden Page to our Beloved Sociedade do Espirito Santo and also to Past Supreme Junior President Paula A. Teixeira and Fiancée Marc Silva for a fantastic job representing the Our Junior Members and for the Awesome Job on your Charity Project. The four of you served our Society with much Dignity and Pride, a job well done!
As the Supreme President of the Sociedade do Espirito Santo of the State of California, I extend my warmest greetings: To the Governor and State Officials of the State of California, the Counsel General of Portugal, all other Fraternal Societies, Civic and Social Clubs, to the Portuguese Radio, Press and Television and to all Members of Our Beloved Society.
In closing, I pray that the Divine Holy Spirit, “Our Dove of Love” will guide me safely throughout my travels and protect each and everyone one of you and your families.
Duly authorized by the Supreme Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to announce that the following prizes will be awarded during my administration:
I. To a member sponsoring 35 or more applicants, a gold ring;
