It’s all part of an effort to make the Center a more welcoming place for the next generation and their families. That, in turn, is an outgrowth of a survey the Center conducted fairly recently when it became incorporated as a nonprofit.
Now seems like the right time to do it, Maloney says, so she hosted a meeting at her house in Havertown, and invited representatives of various parts of the local Irish community. There was a consensus around the middle school social idea.
Many of these kids already interact with each other, Maloney says, at Gaelic Athletic Association activities, like the Delco Gaels and the Glenside Gaelic Club, local Irish dance schools and competitions, and CYOs at schools such as Cardinal John Foley Regional Catholic School and Sacred Heart School in Havertown. Given that many of the kids in this age group already knew each other in one way or another, the middle school social seemed like a natural idea.
Well, there is no formal agenda, and that’s pretty much the point.
Also on hand, Maloney believes, will be older teens who are members of the Foróige Youth Group, a program of the Irish Immigration Center of Greater Philadelphia, to serve as informal chaperones—and also to give younger teens yet another idea of Irish cultural involvement as they get older.
Of course, there will also be adults on hand, all of whom have secured the necessary security clearances, to monitor the activities.
For parents who choose to wait for their kids, there’s also something to do. The event starts at 7 p.m. and wraps up at 9:30, so there will be coffee and tea in the Fireside Room. Board members will be on hand to give them a tour of the sprawling facility.
The Center is located at Carpenter and Emlen Streets, across from SEPTA’s Carpenter station. Admission is $10, payable at the door. Pre-registration required at https://goo.gl/forms/69FgSjoVykizDeNd2. For more information, please contact Lisa Maloney at lisamaloney29@yahoo.comor 215-514-1654.