Every year the NAWF awards scholarships to North American students wishing to study in Wales.  There is an Exchange Scholarship of $5,000 and, thanks to the Lloyd family, a travel scholarship of $1,000.  Grants of up to $1,000 are also awarded to individuals or organizations, all, of course, with Welsh connections, be they cultural, educational or their heritage.  In the past scholarships have been awarded to musicians, historians, linguists, and entrepreneurs.  We have been extremely proud of these young people and they, in turn, are grateful for the support received from the Foundation.

This year the applications for scholarships was overwhelming and the standard of the applicants quite outstanding.  How does one choose a "winner” from such an elite group?   Fortunately this year the Foundation received two unexpected windfalls - via a donation from the Welsh Women's Club of America and from the estate of the late Marjorie Owen.  This enabled us to give not one but three Exchange Scholarships to three outstanding young women.

Elizabeth Green of Pennsylvania, is a superb musician and already enrolled in the Composition programme in Bangor University.  Her goal is to compose for films and art installations and also for ensembles.  She has already composed for a local television company and is currently working on an orchestral work to be performed at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, bringing together Welsh, American and Taiwanese performers in an expression of peace and goodwill.

Brooke Martin of Georgia, is also a musicologist doing her postgraduate degree at Bangor University, with a focus on Welsh music.  Her passions are reed organs and brass bands.  Her research will focus on the impact of brass bands on the mining town of Wales.  She also hopes to nurture the growth of brass bands in the U.S.
Claire Oldfather of Alabama, already a student at Aberystwyth University, is an Archivist focusing on Classics and Folklore and Mythology.  Her major interests are the Arthurian romances, comparing those in Wales, England and France.  Her aim is to read for a Doctorate in Celtic and Mediaeval Studies.  All three of the above are learning Welsh.

The Lloyd family Travel Scholarship is awarded to Keri Lawrence of Ohio.  Keri will study for a term at the University of Wales, Trinity St David's.  Her aim is to connect cultures by developing a website, blog and sketch album in order to guide other students wishing to study abroad in Wales.

This year $2,500 was available for Grants.  These monies were divided between Arvonia Historical Society, Kansas, Tom Chandler, a Welsh actor based in NY City and James Sevitt, an educator researching social injustice and focusing on the post global financial crisis of 2008 and Brexit .  According to James, these events have exacerbated the deep divisions and resentments between metropolitan centres and the neglected peripheries, i.e. the "haves" and the "have-nots".  His research focuses on Cardiff and Merthyr Tydfil.

The Lloyd Jones Award winners are Danielle Williams of Penygroes and Daniel Avis of Llanidloes.  Both are outstanding designers, with Daniel focusing on jewellery and Danielle hoping to design an alternative Oxygen Mask and Nasal cannula.  

We congratulate all of our successful applicants and wish them well. I am certain that you have all been impressed by these winners.  However, our on-going support for worthy North American Welsh students depends totally on our having the necessary finances.  Please consider helping us by donating to our Scholarship Fund.  Please contact Dr. Philip Davies at [email protected].

Hefina Phillips-NAWF Scholarship Committee

by Hefina Phillips (on behalf of the NAWF Scholarship Committee)
One of the greatest joys in life is to share ones passions with others.  Chairing the Scholarship committee of the NAAF has certainly brought me a huge amount of pleasure.

Annually two scholarships are offered to North Americans who wish to study in Wales.  There is an Exchange Scholarship of $5,000 and the Lloyd Travel Scholarship of $1,000.  Of course, deciding to whom these scholarships are to be awarded can be quite a headache.  Not so this year.  Although there were several applications, two were outstanding and it was not difficult therefore for the Scholarship committee to come to a decision.

The two successful applicants were Mari Morgan and Marah Hager.

Mari Morgan is well known to many of us in North America.  She was the director of Côr Gogledd America and is a prominent and popular conductor of cymanfaoedd canu.  She emigrated to the United States in the 1990s.

Currently Mari is reading for her PhD in Trinity/St David's University College, Carmarthen.  The subject of her Dissertation is the work and history of the Welsh American musicians Daniel Prothero and Joseph Parry.  This is proving to be extremely exciting and Mari has discovered manuscripts and information that were until very recently unknown.

There is a close connection between Trinity/St David's and the Madog Centre of Welsh Studies at Rio Grande University, OH.  It is from this Institution that our second winner comes.  Marah Hager's CV is spectacular!  She has been extremely involved with Welsh activities in the college, promoting awareness of Welsh culture in the community.  During her stay at Trinity/St David's she will work on a publication documenting her personal experience in the Welsh Exchange programme.  She also aims to improve her Welsh and become fluently bi-lingual as she explores her heritage.

The Scholarship committee were so impressed with these two stellar applicants that the decision was made to divide the scholarship moneys equally between them.

We are extremely proud of them both and wish them "Pob lwc" as they continue with their studies.

A third scholarship is the Lloyd Jones Scholarship at Bangor University. A major endowment has been provided by Lloyd Jones of Allentown, PA to recognize the accomplishments of individuals graduating from Bangor University, North Wales.  Awards are given to promising young entrepreneurs based on projects completed in their undergraduate studies.  This year's recipients are Rhiannon Haf Quirk who designed and manufactures soft toys and decorative furnishings for her proposed on-line business, and Richard Gabriel Noakes, who designed and manufactured a prototype camera system to increase visibility for tractor drivers reversing attached trailers on farms in mid-Wales.

Rhiannon and Richard graduated from Bangor this year with a B.Sc. in product design.  We congratulate them and wish them well as they begin their careers in Wales.

Jonathan Morgan’s latest book, The Welsh Warrior Through the Ages, was fittingly launched at the Firing Line, the Museum of the Welsh soldier at Cardiff Castle last week.

The NAWF co-hosted the event, subsidising music from three talented young musicians from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.  Part of the evening’s proceeds went to the Foundation.

The book charts the history of the Welsh Warrior from Celtic times, takes in the archers who fought alongside the English Edward I against the Scots and celebrates the proliferation of gallantry awards acquired by Welshmen through the ages.  It includes a foreword by Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC, who describes it as inspirational and long-overdue.

The evening attracted many high profile attendees including Guy Clarke, Secretary of the Cardiff Business Club; Professor Dan Davies, Head of Education at Cardiff Met University;  Professor Brian Morgan of Cardiff Met University;  Dan Clayton-Jones, Prior of St Johns; Hugh Phillips, former High Sheriff of Glamorgan; Chris Williams, Chairman of Crawshays Rugby Club; and Stephen Thomas, Secretary of WEA.

Published by Cambria Books, The Welsh Warrior Through the Ages is available in paperback or eBook form from Amazon and other bookshops.
    

The National Welsh-American Foundation  has changed its name to the North America Wales Foundation.
 
President of the North America Board, Stacy Evans, said the decision had been taken jointly by the American and Wales Boards to reflect the growing role played by Canadian members.  “It was time we recognised the importance of Canada to our movement, especially this year with the North America Festival of Wales takiing place in Calgary."
    
Prof. Jon Roper,  Vice-President, Wales,  said the Wales Board was unanimous in its support.  “Significant numbers of Welsh people migrated to Canada as well as the USA and it is important the Foundation reflects this as well as the support it receives from members in Canada.”

Grenville Thomas accepts 2016 Heritage Medallion from the North America Wales Foundation..
Calgary presented a very different face for those newly returned from the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Abergavenny. At the western end of the Canadian prairie it has the Rockies as a spectacular background. The city manifests the wealth and prosperity derived from the harvest of the oil from Alberta’s tar sand reserves. However, the atmosphere in the Westin, home to NAFOW for four days, was joyfully and entirely Welsh. After the wonderful opening program on Thursday night it was time for the joint banquet of the WNAA and NAWF on Friday evening.

The banqueting hall was full to capacity and everyone was in a festive mood as the evening opened with the traditional procession of the leaders and guests of the two organizations to the strains of Men of Harlech played by Steve Jensen.  After the Canadian and American national anthems were sung the benediction was given by the Reverend Eirian Wyn Lewis the well-known Baptist minister from Mynachlog Ddu in Wales. Hywel Davies, Past President, WNAA in his familiar role as Master of Ceremonies, introduced the members of the top table. A sumptuous dinner was enjoyed by all before we moved on to the main program of the evening.

The event served to bring to the stage two distinguished individuals, both born in Wales. Grenville Thomas came to accept the Heritage Medallion, NAWF’s highest honor for his contributions as a loyal, passionate and generous Welshman. He is our greatest contemporary explorer, prospector, discoverer and entrepreneur. We honor him most of all for so much that he has given back to his Welsh communities both in Canada and in Wales.  Robert Lewis came to sing, almost entirely in Welsh. His prodigious voice has brought him two of the National Eisteddfod’s most prestigious awards; the Osborne Roberts Blue Riband in 2015 and more recently the Towyn Roberts Scholarship at Abergavenny this summer.

Grenville Thomas was introduced by Merlyn Williams, his dear friend from their childhood in Wales and later in Yellowknife. It was an introduction made with flair and humor permeated by the deep sense of admiration and community that they had shared over the years. To commemorate the occasion Grenville then accepted the Heritage Medallion and plaque from NAWF secretary Philip Davies. Earlier in the day Grenville gave a wonderful seminar when he told his life story, from his childhood in Wales with Merlyn and others to his amazing adventures in Canada and elsewhere. He was introduced at the seminar by another good friend Brian Lewis, and then surrounded and prompted by his Yellowknife friends he regaled us with the enormous achievements and contributions that he has made over the years.  A life worthy of a biography and a movie.

Grenville and Robert’s journeys to Canada and to Calgary happened at very different times and for entirely different reasons. Grenville came soon after graduating in 1964 as a mining engineer from Cardiff University to work at a nickel mine in Sudbury Ontario.

Grenville Thomas accepts 2016 Heritage Medallion from the North America Wales Foundation.  Robert Lewis, the 2015 National Eisteddfod of Wales Osborne Roberts Blue Riband Medallist, performs at the Banquet.

Calgary presented a very different face for those newly returned from the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Abergavenny. At the western end of the Canadian prairie it has the Rockies as a spectacular background. The city manifests the wealth and prosperity derived from the harvest of the oil from Alberta’s tar sand reserves. However, the atmosphere in the Westin, home to NAFOW for four days, was joyfully and entirely Welsh. After the wonderful opening program on Thursday night it was time for the joint banquet of the WNAA and NAWF on Friday evening.

The banqueting hall was full to capacity and everyone was in a festive mood as the evening opened with the traditional procession of the leaders and guests of the two organizations to the strains of Men of Harlech played by Steve Jensen.  After the Canadian and American national anthems were sung the benediction was given by the Reverend Eirian Wyn Lewis the well-known Baptist minister from Mynachlog Ddu in Wales. Hywel Davies, Past President, WNAA in his familiar role as Master of Ceremonies, introduced the members of the top table. A sumptuous dinner was enjoyed by all before we moved on to the main program of the evening.

The event served to bring to the stage two distinguished individuals, both born in Wales. Grenville Thomas came to accept the Heritage Medallion, NAWF’s highest honor for his contributions as a loyal, passionate and generous Welshman. He is our greatest contemporary explorer, prospector, discoverer and entrepreneur. We honor him most of all for so much that he has given back to his Welsh communities both in Canada and in Wales.  Robert Lewis came to sing, almost entirely in Welsh. His prodigious voice has brought him two of the National Eisteddfod’s most prestigious awards; the Osborne Roberts Blue Riband in 2015 and more recently the Towyn Roberts Scholarship at Abergavenny this summer.

Grenville Thomas was introduced by Merlyn Williams, his dear friend from their childhood in Wales and later in Yellowknife. It was an introduction made with flair and humor permeated by the deep sense of admiration and community that they had shared over the years. To commemorate the occasion Grenville then accepted the Heritage Medallion and plaque from NAWF secretary Philip Davies. Earlier in the day Grenville gave a wonderful seminar when he told his life story, from his childhood in Wales with Merlyn and others to his amazing adventures in Canada and elsewhere. He was introduced at the seminar by another good friend Brian Lewis, and then surrounded and prompted by his Yellowknife friends he regaled us with the enormous achievements and contributions that he has made over the years.  A life worthy of a biography and a movie.

Grenville and Robert’s journeys to Canada and to Calgary happened at very different times and for entirely different reasons. Grenville came soon after graduating in 1964 as a mining engineer from Cardiff University to work at a nickel mine in Sudbury Ontario.

For Robert 2016 brought the opportunity for his first visit to Canada to share with us his brilliant vocal talents. This, as described in detail elsewhere in this issue by Dafydd Evans, he did in great style accompanied by Steve Jensen. Our story with Robert Lewis begins at the National Eisteddfod in Meifod in 2015 when he won the Osborne Roberts Blue Riband.  For the third year the NAWF offered an opportunity for the winner to come to North America to perform at NAFOW. This allowed Robert to come accompanied by his parents Ian and Ella and girlfriend Charlotte.  Robert received a standing ovation and this was followed by stirring rendering by the audience of Hen Wlad fy Nhadau to bring the formal part of the evening to a close.  Many of us lingered to spend communal time together as seen in the photograph of the friends from Yellowknife. They brought a very special sense of friendship and welcome to the whole Festival.

Both Grenville and Robert left for the United Kingdom shortly after the Festival ended. Grenville travelled on business and Robert to begin his third year of studies at the Guildhall School of Music. We wish them both success in their endeavors, the future of Welsh life wherever they go will be brighter and better for their presence and contributions.

Y Fenni, site of the National Eisteddfod, and Calgary, home to this year’s North American Festival of Wales are separated by seven time zones. They differ physically in many ways. However the bond of Welsh culture and heritage bound them to each other this summer. A number of us were fortunate enough to participate in and enjoy both of these flagships of Welsh cultural activities. 

Nestled on the banks of the Usk river that flows through Abergavenny, the site was a sylvan setting for this year’s Eisteddfod.  For the second year five of our North American Welsh organizations had banded together to give Wales a taste of Welsh North America. Ninnau, Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project, Canolfan Madog, Rio Grande University, National Welsh American Foundation and Welsh North American Association were each represented. We (David and Janet Allen; Philip and Meril Davies) arrived on Friday afternoon to set up the booth for Cymry Gogledd Amerig. To find our booth we looked for the iconic Pink Pavilion, which had been a landmark on the Maes for the past decade only to realize that it was no more.  It had been replaced by an unremarkable box like Pavilion. Named “the Evolution”, it however brought far better interior facilities than its predecessor and by the end of the week was meeting with universal praise.

Bright and early on Saturday morning Berwyn Jones and Martha Davies arrived and it was all go for the next eight days.  The booth was always well staffed as several of us from North America took turns manning the booth.  Among us were Hefina Phillips, Hywel and Mari Davies, Jeanne Jones and Louis  Jindra.  Having Rebecca Roy, the Dafydd Morris award recipient at last year’s NAFOW in Columbus, with us was a particular pleasure as she prepared and competed to great acclaim in the mezzo soprano competition. She tells of her experiences elsewhere in this issue of Ninnau. Special also was the presence of several of our Welsh connections at the booth, Jenny Hubbard Young joining us for several days. Members of the Welsh board of the National Welsh American Foundation; Jonathan Morgan, Frances Jones Davies, Joanna Masters, Jon Roper, Bill Jones, Lynne Wilkins and Jenny Mathers joined us on successive days. This company alone made for a very enjoyable and productive time but of course we were there to welcome the myriad, estimated at 130,000, of visitors who came to the Eisteddfod during the week. We made sure that the booth was easily recognized by the display of large U.S and Cnadian flags.  Visitors were mostly from Wales but a remarkable number turned out to be visiting from North America. Some of them had never heard of Ninnau so we quickly took down their particulars, gave them a free copy, and introduced them to the many Welsh organizations on this side of the pond.

The weather was the usual blend that Wales experiences; a wet day, a windy day and then a couple of beautiful days. Happily one of these coincided with one of our major highlights of the week. This was the induction of Martha Davies into the Gorsedd of the Bards. It was a beautiful warm Friday morning as a large crowd gathered around the Gorsedd circle on the Maes to watch the inductees approach in a procession from the Gorsedd Pavilion. With appropriate ceremony Martha, assuming the Bardic name of Martha Bethania, was accepted in to the Gorsedd by the Archdruid Geraint Lloyd Owen, known as Geraint Llifon. After the ceremony Martha was the center of attention as the only one of thirty one new members of the Gorsedd born and living outside of Wales. Her four years spent in Aberystwyth many years ago allowed her to learn the language and instill in her the passion for all things Welsh which she so richly shares with husband Berwyn.

Building bridges with Wales is one of the primary missions of the National Welsh American Foundation. A successful way of doing this has been the support of the winner at the National Eisteddfod of the Osborne Roberts Blue Riband for the best vocalist under the age of 25 to attend and perform at NAFOW the following year. It was therefore with anticipation and excitement that we went to the Pavilion on Thursday afternoon to listen to the four finalists. The winner was Steffan Lloyd Owen, a baritone from Pentre Berw on the Isle of Anglesey. We look forward to inviting him to perform at NAFOW in Rochester in 2017.
2014’s Osborne Roberts winner Robert Lewis was at the Eisteddfod with his parents, Ian and Ella and friend Charlotte, and visited us in the booth on a number of occasions. He met with Rebecca Roy on one of these visits and a sweet memory is of the two of them deep in conversation – another bridge built!  In between his visits with us Robert competed for the Towyn Roberts Scholarship, a prestigious and much sought after award for vocalists embarking on their professional careers. Robert made it through the preliminaries for this competition and late on Wednesday night he competed in the final with several more seasoned individuals. But at the tender age of 20 he won – and immediately left for the long drive to Salsibury to perform in an opera the next day!

After a wonderful eight days catching up with old friends and making many new ones it was time to close shop and depart for our destinations far and wide – back to North America for many of us to prepare for NAFOW at Calgary. It was a highly successful week, full of culture and memories for the ages.

We are committed to bringing talented Welsh voices to an American audience.  For the third year, weare sponsoring the winner of the prestigious the National Eisteddfod’s Osborne Roberts Blue Riband competition to appear at the North American Festival of Wales.

Robert will be performing at the Foundation’s Gala Awards and Banquet in Calgary, Ontario on Friday 2 September.

Robert is a bright young star among the crowded firmament of promising young Welsh vocalists. In 2016 he became the youngest winner of the Eisteddfod’s Blue Riband at nineteen years of age.

A farmer`s son from Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, Robert is in his second year as an undergraduate in vocal studies culminating at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London studying under the tutelage of Adrian Thompson.

Robert is a familiar face on Welsh television having performed with “Ysgol Theatr Maldwyn” and having competed in eisteddfodau for many years. In 2013 and 2014 he won the under 19 years boys solo at the Urdd National Eisteddfod receiving the Mrs Olwen Phillips Scholarship and the Melbourne Australia Welsh Chapel Scholarship. He has already gained much success in Welsh opera. In 2013 he was a member of the cast of the Welsh National Youth Opera`s production of Paul Bunyan by Benjamin Britten. In 2015 Robert again joined the Welsh National Opera as a member of an eight part ensemble in their production of the Welsh opera “Gair ar Gnawd” by Pwyll ap Sion which was performed at the Ffwrness theatre in Llanelli and televised on S4C.

Many successes came Robert’s way in 2015 as a soloist in Eisteddfodau and open competitions in Wales and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As Montgomeryshire hosted the National Eisteddfod at Meifod Robert enjoyed performing in the “Noson Lawen” evening concert as one of three tenors.  Later in the week he went on to win the National Eisteddfod’s prestigious Osborne Roberts Blue Riband competition and scholarship.  He also received the David Lloyd and Jean Skidmore prizes for the most outstanding tenor in the 19 to 25 age group.

In September he was one of four finalists in the Morriston Orpheus Coir Supporter’s Association.

A recent charity dinner recital in Brecon raised much needed funds for a number of Welsh charities including the National Welsh American Foundation.

The event at held at The Castle Hotel on Thursday 3 March was attended by one hundred and twenty people including Sir Andrew and Lady Sue Large and Sir Paul and Lady Katherine Silk.

The key feature of the evening was a superb recital by the internationally-renowned harpist Catrin Finch who left everybody astounded by her skill, versatility and musicianship. Pictures by Robert McDonald and Penelope Timmis were also auctioned for the featured charities.