Opportunities for Welsh Societies and Individuals!

The 2011 North American Festival of Wales (NAFOW)* will visit Cleveland and the following sponsorship opportunities, large and small, are available for individuals, foundations and corporations to support the event. Co-sponsorships and partial sponsorships are also welcome. Acknowledgement of your support will be recognized in tangible ways during the Festival and on our website. All sponsorship will be recognized in the Festival Program Booklet and orally if the sponsorship is tied to a specific event. Other benefits for the larger donations can be discussed . As you review the following list you will see that the possibilities for co-operation are many and we sincerely hope that you will take advantage of them.

Specific Event Opportunities

-Entire Festival $50,000 (representatives of the two entities would have to negotiate the details of such an arrangement)

-Grand Concert $10,000 (to help defray expenses of a visiting male choir from Wales)

-Opening concert $5,000

- Pub night entertainer s $1,500

- Banquet Soloist $2,500
-Seminars in total $3,000

(single seminar $500; single honorarium $200)
-Cinema Wales $1,000

-Eisteddfod Adjudicators $200 - $2,000 (dependent on whether from outside or already part of Festival)
-Other instructors/entertainers $200 each (folk dance, Welsh language, Ysgol Gan, etc.)

Non Event-Specific Festival Essentials

-Festival Accompanist $2,500 (piano and organ as appropriate throughout the Festival)

-Audio/Visual support for Festival $8,000 (paid to contactor)
-Publicity $400-$1,500 (Ninnau and Local)
-Publishing the Program Book $2,50
-Publishing and mailing expenses for Registration materials $3,000
-4 issues of Hwyl Newsletter Annually $5,200 (one issue $1,300)

-Electronic Advertising $500 (NAFOW Website, Facebook, Americymru, etc.)

-Special flooring for Dance Seminar $250
-Travel for entertainers& presenters $600 (on average each)
- Hotel room-nights $150 ( per night per entertainer, 20+ needed)

-Organ Rental $1,600

-Piano Tuning $400

General Festival Overhead

-Supplemental Office Assistance $1,000

-Office supplies $500 (printer cartridges and paper, copying, etc)

- Shipping $350 (Boxes from HQ to Festival site)

To discuss any aspect of the above or if further information is required, please contact Hywel Davies at 301-654-5832 or at hywelmd@verizon.net .

* The North American Festival of Wales (NAFOW) is a four-day Festival that is the principal activity of the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association (WNGGA) which is the underlying [501 (c) 3] non-profit organization responsible for organizing it.Visit our website at www.nafow.org .

A competition, the aim of which is to maintain and raise the standard of choral singing in Wales, comes to it's closing stages in the next few weeks.

CR CYMRU
Wales' best choirs compete for the title of Cr Cymru 2011 19:30 Nos Sadwrn 19:45 Nos Sul s4c.co.uk/corcymru		Daw'r corau gorau ynghyd i gystadlu am deitl Cr cymru 2011 19:30 Saturday 19:45 Sunday s4c.co.uk/corcymru

I am new to this site, came via interest in Rhydian Roberts. I wish I could get to your Eisteddfod, went to the 2010 one in Ebbw Vale, it was brilliant and I met the daughter [Susan] of one of my childhood heroes, Paul Robeson.

I am supposedly retired, but still working to get children through uni. One daughter is in her last year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama at Cardiff, studying stage management, loving every minute and thinks Cardiff is the best place to be.

I have written a book to be published 28th April, you may be interested in it as it is set in medieval Wales, with references to lots of myths and legends as well as history. I hope that as well as enjoying it as agood readit will encourage people to visit the places in the book, Wales is so beautiful!!!

Bye for now - work beckons!!

BTW--I love this sign--alternatively known as, "Caution, elderly pickpockets"!

SPEAKERS of Welsh and English might have more than their bilingualism as an advantage over monolingual counterparts. Because scientists believe being bilingual a state familiar to generations in Wales brought up on the likes of Sali Mali from their earliest days exercises the brain and protects against Alzheimers disease. Researchers in the US revealed last night their study found mastering two languages acts as a mental gymnasium by forcing the brain to multi-task. The study showed bilingual Alzheimers patients developed symptoms several years later than those who spoke only one language. And it could have wide-ranging implications for the 21% according to the 2001 Census of the population of Wales able to speak Welsh.

Read full article here: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/02/19/speaking-welsh-may-delay-onset-of-alzheimer-s-91466-28196591/

I've bolded some of the high points.

Excepts from: SPOKEN LIKE A NATIVE

Learning a minority language opens doors and hearts

By Thomas Swick

Smithsonian Magazine March 2011

The reasons for learning languages are numerous if not always obvious. Standing in a lost luggage line recently at the Falcone-Borsellino Airport in Sicily, I watched as a group of new arrivals tried to cut ahead of me by forming a second line at one of the other windows. La queue est ici, I said sharply, and throwing me nasty looks, they reluctantly moved behind me. Why be an ugly American when you can be an ugly Frenchman?

Marquee languages definitely serve their purposes. But when you learn a minority language, like Romansh or Sioux, you become a member of a select group a linguistically exclusive club. And with membership comes privileges.

Like secrecy. My wife is from Poland when I lived for two and a half years and though we rarely use her language at home, we find it comes in handy at a boring party or a bad art show.

But the real beauty of speaking a minority language is the instant acceptance you get from native speakers . (An illustration of this is the 1997 book Travels in an Old Tongue by Pamela Petro, who learned Welsh and then visited Welsh-speaking communities in, among other places, Norway, Singapore, Japan and Argentina.) By learning a language that is usually considered difficult and not markedly practical, you accomplish something few outsiders attempt. And appreciation for your effort is almost always greater than that shown, say, to a French major spending her junior year in Paris.

Yet the benefits extend beyond appreciation. When you acquire a new language, you acquire a new set of references, catchphrases, punch lines, songs all the things that enable you to connect with the people. And the smaller the community, the deeper the connection. Speakers of D-list languages often feel misunderstood, a foreigner who understands gets the allusions, reads the poets not surprisingly becomes like family. All languages open doors, minority languages also open hearts.

Lamphey Court Hotel in Pembrokeshire is now under new management.

Phil Thomas, 44, has arrived at Lamphey Court with an extensive CV working at leading hotels throughout the UK.

Its a great privilege to arrive at Lamphey Court, a hotel which has the best architecture in Wales, Mr Thomas said as he gazed up at the south-facing Ionic pillars at the Georgian mansion.

Mr Thomas said: Lamphey Court has a great reputation and as the new general manager I am looking to enhance that reputation even further, particularly in relation to the quality of our kitchen.

The stunning location speaks for itself. But I am confident we can build on our name to provide quality facilities and service which will attract everyone, visitors from afar and, very importantly, those local people who support us.

I am genuinely excited about the launch or our new state-of-the-art spa. Costing up to 2 million and exclusively using products such as Cinq Mondes, Lamphey Court will put Pembrokeshire on the map when it comes to exclusivity, luxury and relaxation. Together with the new management team that I am forming, Lamphey Court will remain to be the best hotel in West Wales.

Mr Thomas, a Welsh speaker, married with one daughter, was born in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire. He went to university in Cardiff and gained a degree in hotel management and a post-grad in tourism marketing.

His hotel career has taken him throughout the UK, including St Pierre in Chepstow, the Park Hotel in Cardiff and the Cawdor Arms & Abercothi Fishery in Llandeilo as well as General Manager at Lake Vyrnwy. One of his most recent projects was launching a new 16 million four star hotel on a greenfield site in Cambridge.

Mr Thomas added: I have many years experience of managing hotels in different locations and I look forward to bringing that experience to bear in bringing further success to Lamphey Court.

Website

http://www.lampheycourt.co.uk Phil Thomas at Lamphey Court Hotel

From our This Day in Welsh History blog :-

The town of Bridgend in South Wales may seem a little remote from the main action in World war II. But on this day in 1945 a dramatic escape from the Island Farm POW camp in the town took place and for a short while 84 senior German military officers were roaming the Welsh countryside. Nearly all were subsequently caught having made it in a few cases as far as Birmingham and Southampton.

From the Wikipedia :- "Island Farm was a Prisoner of War Camp (Camp 198) on the outskirts of the town of Bridgend, South Wales. It hosted a number of Axis prisoners, mainly German, and was the scene of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain during World War II. Near the end of the war it became known as Special Camp XI. The list of former inmates includes many senior SS military leaders, who were awaiting extradition to the Nuremberg trials.

Bridgend was also important during WWII for other reasons. It was the site of a massive ordnance factory at Brackla, just outside the town, which at peak production employed 40,000 workers, making it the largest single production plant in British history."

From the Wikipedia :- "Until 1936, the 900 acres (3.6 km2) of land occupied east to west by the Bridgend Industrial Estate, Brackla and the Brackla Industrial Estate was farm land. In 1936, noting the building propensity of war by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, the British Government agreed creation of two new Royal Ordnance Factories, including one at Bridgend on the site of what is now Bridgend Industrial Estate. Needing to store munitions, they eventually dug eight long shafts under Brackla Hill, connecting it to two new ROF's on what is now Brackla Industrial Estate. Both facilities were connected to the Great Western Railway South Wales Main Line, with the line to the Barckla facility running along what is now Church Acre.[2] At its peak, ROF 53 employed some 40,000 people, and was the biggest single factory in Western Europe.

Once World War 2 ceased main operations, ROF 53 stopped production at the end of 1945, and closed completely by the end of 1946. The land was sold to property developers, with that north of the railway developed as a housing."

Other Useful Links

Completed answers may be sent to Mr David Garland Jones, Actor, Guru, Raconteur, Youtube Phenomenon, care of his Facebook Pages or Youtube Channel David's youtube Channel

Vollsanger 2011

(Info from Press Release): A World Record Expedition by Wounded Servicemen to Trek Unaided to the Geographical North Pole Patron: HRH Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales

In April 2011 an expedition will embark on a journey to the Geographical North Pole unaided. Amongst this group will be military servicemen who have been wounded in the line of duty and subsequently have lost limbs to amputation. This is a brave undertaking by people who have had their lives irreversibly changed whilst serving their country. They now seek to rebuild their lives and to inspire and help others to follow their lead as they set out to prove that injuries and amputations need not be a barrier to endeavour and achievement.

Walking with the Wounded, supported by Artemis, is a unique and truly special expedition that will see wounded servicemen from our trek to the Geographical North Pole unaided. In doing so they will the record books as the first amputees to reach this remote destination.

If you'd like to join me in supporting Tonypandy native Steve Young and the rest of the Team, you can donate online here: http://www.justgiving.com/steveyoungwelshguard

They are scheduled to leave March 24th.

The four week expedition will see these amazing adventurers covering up to 400km (300 Miles) of the frozen Arctic Ocean by foot. They will journey through some of the most hostile conditions on Earth, enduring temperatures as low as -50C. These temperatures are made worse by the consistently high moisture content in the air. Hypothermia and frost-bite are very real dangers in this environment.

The route to the North Pole will not be straight-forward. The team will have to navigate dangerous open water leads as well as vast swathes of ice rubble and pressure ridges. The Arctic Circle is also home to the notoriously aggressive Polar Bear. All this means every step of the way is tricky and fraught with risk. Through this difficult terrain each person will be pulling their own gear, clothing and rations in pulks (sleds). These pulks will weigh in excess of 100kg.

In short, trekking to the North Pole is one of the most demanding, dangerous and difficult journeys that we, as humans, can undertake. These adventurers will be doing so with the added challenge of their injuries, which they received in the line of duty.

As part of the schedule, the expedition team recently took part in the Exmoor 30:30. The Exmoor 30:30 is an adventure race across Exmoor, Devon where all participants are required to carry 30lbs over the course of 30 miles. It was created initially to test the endurance of The British Army and is considered to be one of the harshest adventure races on UK soil. The team successfully completed the course, coming third overall and beating eight able bodied teams.

In early November the final four-wounded serviceman, who were chosen from over100 applicants, took part in a demanding training weekend in Norway. Joined by two expedition leaders and polar guides, the expedition team were able to train, bond and prepare themselves for the harsh and deadly climate of the Arctic.

This expedition is taking place to raise money for the charity Walking with the Wounded whose primary remit is to help rehabilitate wounded service people back into the workplace.

Words of Support:

Prince Harry (Patron): This polar adventure will exemplify the tenacity and courage of those who serve in uniform. Walking with the Wounded promises to be remarkable. I salute the Team walking to the North Pole in early 2011, and I urge the public to get behind them.

Brigadier Ed Butler: Rehabilitating wounded service men and women back into a non-military workplace is a huge task the nation faces in these modern times. It is down to the tenacity and courage of teams like Walking with the Wounded that funds and interest in this issue can be raised.

Bear Grylls An epic challenge for a vitally important cause. I so admire this team and their determination to make a difference. And boy they are doing it the hard way! Brilliant!

Steve Young, one of the Team Members, is the cousin of a friend of mine in Wales. I will be following this effort and posting updates as I get them. Meanwhile here is Steve's info. You can read about the other Team Members here: http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/profile/simon-daglish/

Why have you agreed to be part of Walking with The Wounded?

When I was approached to discuss taking part in this challenge I was so excited, I have always been fascinatedwiththe artic and to be given the opportunity to take part is such a privilege.

This challenge is a huge goal to achieve and hopefully it will inspire other battle wounded soldiers to push themselves and never give up.

Team member profile

I am currently in full time physiotherapy in RAF St Athan which is very close to my home in the Rhondda Valley. I live with my long suffering fiance Emma and although we do not yet have any children we are constantly adding to our family with animals we feel sorry for that need adopting.

I have been in the Welsh Guards for over 11 years and am currently a Platoon Sergeant.

I have served on operational tours in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the 1st August 2009 I was involved in an IED explosion whilst travelling in a Mastiff Armoured Personnel Carrier during Operation Panthers Claw in the area of Babaji, Helmand Province. I suffered a complicated, burst unstable fracture of the L1 Vertebrae.

From this I spent 4 weeks in Selly Oak hospital and then was confined to aspinal bed for atotal of 4 months. Due to this I suffered massive muscle deterioration and , which along with my injury was treated through full time physiotherapy.

How have you found the training so far?

Due to my injury I am restricted to carry out training of a non load bearing type.I have mainly been concentrating on low intensity, prolonged periods of training such as the tyre pulling.I also have a weakness in my back which I am attempting to overcome by concentrating a lot of my time on core .

As for the arctic side of it, I have never put a set of Skis on in my life so am looking forward to getting on the ice in Norway, when the rest of the team will have a good laugh at my resemblance to Bambi on ice.

What are your daily activities?

I get up around 6.30am and make my way to Physio where I swim, do cardio training and weights. I am usually in Physio until 12.30 and I return home to have a couple of hours rest before my tyre pulling.

After being told we will burn over 8000 calories on the ice I am on a mission to eat everything in sight and am driving

mad with my constant requests and using the excuse I have to be fed up for the North Pole

Is doctor slang on the wane?

The inventive language created by doctors the world over to insult their patients - or each other - is in danger of becoming extinct.

So says a doctor who has spent four years charting more than 200 colourful examples.

Medicine is a profession already overflowing with acronyms and technical terms, and doctors over the years have invented plenty of their own.

However, Dr Adam Fox, who works at St Mary's Hospital in London as a specialist registrar in its child allergy unit, says that far fewer doctors now annotate notes with abbreviations designed to spell out the unsayable truth about their patients.

TOP MEDICAL ABBREVIATIONS

CTD - Circling the Drain (A patient expected to die soon)

GLM - Good looking Mum

GPO - Good for Parts Only

TEETH - Tried Everything Else, Try Homeopathy

UBI - Unexplained Beer Injury

The increasing rate of litigation means that there is a far higher chance that doctors will be asked in court to explain the exact meaning of NFN (Normal for Norfolk), FLK (Funny looking kid) or GROLIES (Guardian Reader Of Low Intelligence in Ethnic Skirt).

Dr Fox recounts the tale of one doctor who had scribbled TTFO - an expletive expression roughly translated as "Told To Go Away" - on a patient's notes.

He told BBC News Online: "This guy was asked by the judge what the acronym meant, and luckily for him he had the presence of mind to say: 'To take fluids orally'."

Quaint up North

Regional dialects abound, even in the world of the medical abbreviation.

In the north of England, the TTR (Tea Time Review) of a patient is commonplace, but not in the south.

And the number of terms for patients believed to be somewhat intellectually challenged is enormous.

"I can't believe what he just called me..."

From LOBNH (Lights On But Nobody Home), CNS-QNS (Central Nervous System - Quantity Not Sufficient), to the delightful term "pumpkin positive", which refers to the implication that a penlight shone into the patient's mouth would encounter a brain so small that the whole head would light up.

Regular visitors to A&E on a Friday or Saturday night are also classified.

DBI refers to "Dirt Bag Index", and multiplies the number of tattoos with the number of missing teeth to give an estimate of the number of days since the patient last bathed.

A PFO refers to a drunken patient who sustained injury falling over, while a PGT "Got Thumped" instead.

MEDICAL TERMS - A GLOSSARY

Digging for Worms - varicose vein surgery

Departure lounge - geriatric ward

Handbag positive - confused patient (usually elderly lady) lying on hospital bed clutching handbag

Woolworth's Test - Anaesthetic term (if you can imagine patient shopping in Woolies, it's safe to give a general anaesthetic)

This is an international language - Dr Fox's research reveals that a PIMBA in Brazil can be translated as a "swollen-footed, drunk, run-over beggar".

Doctor insult

And much of the slang is directed at colleagues rather than patients.

Thus rheumatology, considered by hard-pressed juniors one of the less busy specialties, becomes "rheumaholiday", the "Freud Squad" are psychiatrists, and "Gassers" and "Slashers" are anaesthetists and general surgeons respectively.

Dr Fox is keen to point out that neither he, nor the other authors of the paper, published in the journal Ethics and Behavior, actually advocate using any of the terms.

He said: "It's a form of communication, and it needs to be recorded.

"It may not be around forever."

He said: "I do think that doctors are genuinely more respectful of their patients these days."

If that is the case, perhaps the delights of a "Whopper with Cheese", "Handbag positive" or "Coffin dodger" could be lost forever