NDA President's Dinner

              Notre Dame Academy President's Dinner

May 2, 2012

Thank you and thank you Bob Pauley, John Revisa and Char Dunlap.

When Bob first called me about the award, I was hesitant and I said “Bob, this is great, but I don’t think I’ve done anything special to deserve it.  He said “You People” You’re all alike.   You all start out by saying that you are not deserving and after a few minutes you start sounding like saints and by the end of the conversation you’re saying things that sound like  “oh no Lord, I am not deserving for I am one of God’s greatest  sinners”.    I said Bob, You went from, Ken, we’d like to give you an award to, Ken, you’re one of God’s greatest sinners!  And he did it in about 20 seconds.  I don’t think he even took a breath.    Now, in my family, you always start with the insult first and then spend the next 3-4 minutes soft peddling it.   It’s called Irish Diplomacy.   For those of you who aren’t Irish, Irish Diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to Hell and after 3 or 4 minutes,  you’ve got that person actually looking forward to the trip!

Fr. Tim Shillcox, Ken, Fr. Conrad Kratz

When I graduated from Premontre in 1974, I had no idea that so many Norbertines would still be a part of my life 38 year later.  Fr. Dane was my pastor and was assissted by Fr. Mark Falcone at St. Agnes.  Others have become close family friends including Fr. Abbot Gary Neville and Fr. Tim shillcox.  Fr. Conrad Kratz has become a cherished friend of everyone in the Blaney family.  It was 26 years ago, tomorrow that Fr. Kratz officiated at our wedding.  We are honored that he made a special effort to be here tonight.      It’s also nice that the sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelette are represented by Sr. Pat Clement.   Sr. Pat has also become a close friend as she works as a pastoral associate in 4 of the west side parishes.  

 

I want to thank my family, my wife, Cathy and my daughters, Erin and Kathleen but also my extended family, all of my brothers and my sister Mary Jo who nominated me for this award.  I think that most people think of my family as a very large group of the same person.   When I was a child it always bothered me that people couldn’t seem to keep us separate.   However, tonight I think it has worked to my advantage.   I don’t think that any one of us would be worthy of this award, but perhaps collectively, we could come close.  

In 1963, my brother Bill enrolled at Premontre and  through the six of us and through the 6 of our children and through Tom teaching for over 30 years and through Patrick’s time on the school board, someone in our family has been associated with the school for 48 out of the last 49 years.  Which to me, seems like a long time.    

A couple of years ago I ran into Mrs. Schumacher at a funeral.  She had been standing in the same spot for a long time so I went and asked her if she would like a chair.  Being the gracious woman that we all know that she is, she thanked me but declined.  Later, I saw her, in the same spot but now she was sitting in a chair.  My brother, John, said he had brought it over to her, “and when he did, she looked at him, thanked him and said, “Oh John, you’re such a Blaney”.  Only the egotist in my family would assume that she meant that as a compliment.

Every year Cathy and I and our daughters watch the Movie, “It’s a Wonderful life”.  You’ve all seen it.  It’s a great movie and Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a wonderful everyman-type of character.  Everybody who watches it, loves it and it’s because we can all identify with George Bailey.  He stays in the same town in which he was born, he works hard in the family business, he volunteers in his community, watches out for his friends, keeps his moral center, and does whatever he can for his family.  But as we all know, as George got a little older; he believed that his life’s accomplishments did not really make much of a difference.   But at the end of the movie his community lifts him up, affirms him and thanks him.  After receiving this award tonight, I think I know how he felt. 

Thank you, thank you for what you do for NDA and thank you for what you do for our community.