Churchillians Gather Forces in New York City

Next Thursday’s inaugural event of a newly formed New York group devoted to Sir Winston Churchill could be among its finest (three) hours.The courageous statesman, author, and orator who led Britain in World War II is one of the most widely admired individuals in history, so it is not surprising that New Yorkers would gather in his honor.The chairwoman of the executive committee of the New York Churchillians, Peggy Hatton, said about 700 invitations have gone out for the reception at Scully & Scully, a store on Park Avenue.A European history major at Manhattanville College, Ms. Hatton became interested in Churchill while growing up in Elizabeth, N.J., and watching movies about World War II in a local theater.She said she got the idea after learning there was not a New York chapter, and became more enthusiastically determined after attending a Churchill luncheon in Manchester, Mass.She said the host committee members range in age between 24 and 70. Eventually, she said, she would like to establish Churchill scholarships similar to the Fulbright Scholar Program, to send American college students to Oxford and Cambridge to study leadership.Among those whom Ms. Hatton is working with to come up with Churchill quotes to have on display at the event is an associate editor at Forbes magazine, Jack Gage. A few may include: “I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter” and “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”Ms. Hatton said there would be Champagne, a bagpipe player, and a video screen showing footage of Churchill. She said there are plans for Churchill family events in October and November, as well as a local museum exhibit on Churchill.The executive director and almoner of the St. George’s Society of New York, John Shannon, when told of the event, said: “How fun! Everyone likes Churchill. He’s incredibly popular.”A member of the executive committee, Randall Baker, who works in the apparel industry, said he first learned of Churchill as a young boy. Upon visiting his English grandparents in California, he saw a portrait of Churchill glaring down at him. He asked, “Grandma, who is that man?” He recalled her reply: “That man saved the free world.”Barry Singer, the proprietor of Chartwell Booksellers, a rare-book dealer on East 52nd Street specializing in Churchill, said interest in the British statesman and soldier has been growing, and he offered three reasons. First, he said, the state of the world is such that many wish Churchill were around. Second, various 50th anniversaries of World War II milestones put Churchill back in the public eye. Third, he said, when the economy does well, there are a lot of people who like to think they are Churchill.The New York Churchillians are a chapter of the Churchill Centre, based in Washington, D.C. Asked about why they use the British term “Centre” rather than the American version, the executive director of the Churchill Centre, Daniel Myers, said, “We like to refer to it as a global spelling.”He said there are 23 chapters in America, and plans are afoot to start one in Seattle. He said the Centre dates its origin to 1968, when a group of stamp collectors interested in Churchill formed. At a later time, the group became reinvigorated as the International Churchill Society, and an affiliate group in New York met in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1995, the nonprofit group incorporated as the Churchill Centre.“Education, in one word, is our mission,” Mr. Myers said. One challenge he noted is acquainting young people with Churchill. The Centre is co-hosting a conference in Hyde Park, N.Y., in June with the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute.Churchill has various New York connections. Most notably, his mother was born in Brooklyn. Mark Twain introduced the young member of parliament at the Waldorf-Astoria in 1900. There is also is a small sitting area and garden called “Winston Churchill Square” in Greenwich Village, at Sixth Avenue and Downing Street. It has the same name as the address of the official residence of the prime minister of England.New York almost finished off Churchill. In 1931, he was nearly killed by a car while crossing a street in Manhattan. Mr. Myers said that being from England, Churchill looked the wrong way to check oncoming traffic.

Churchillians Gather Forces in New York City

Churchillians Gather Forces in New York City

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