Healey-Driscoll Administration Honors Massachusetts Veterans and Families at Annual Veterans Day Ceremony

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Honors Massachusetts Veterans and Families at Annual Veterans Day Ceremony  

From the Governor's office

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago today joined veterans, service members, and Gold Star families at the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony inside the Hall of Flags at the Massachusetts State House. 

The event brought together state and local leaders to honor those who have served and to recognize Massachusetts’ ongoing commitment to veterans through expanded programs, stronger partnerships, and record investments in care, housing, and support. 

“Massachusetts is home to generations of heroes who have defended our freedom and strengthened our communities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Today we honor their service and reaffirm our administration’s promise to ensure every veteran receives the services and support they deserve, whether through housing, employment, or health care.” 

From the Governor's office

“As the daughter of a Navy veteran, I know how deeply military service shapes families,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration is committed to honoring that legacy by building a state where veterans and their loved ones are supported every step of the way.” 

“It was extraordinarily meaningful to welcome Mary Brigham and her three sons, whose father and grandfather, Sgt. Thomas P. Flynn of Worcester, was a World War I veteran and Purple Heart recipient,” said Treasurer Goldberg. “Our Unclaimed Property team had recently found 6 Purple Hearts in safety deposit boxes. Sgt. Flynn’s medal was one of them. We are so grateful to him and all veterans for their sacrifices on behalf of us and our country.” 

From the Governor's office

“Veterans Day reminds us that service never ends,” said Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago. “It lives on in the way we care for one another, build community, and honor the people who wore the uniform. I feel humbled to serve those who served us and proud of the progress we continue to make together.” 

The ceremony featured performances by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, the Lynn English High School Marine Corps JROTC, and Boston Police Officer Kim Tavares, who performed the national anthem. 

Two honorees received this year’s Veterans Day awards: 

• Andrew Biggio, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Boston police officer, and author of The Rifle: Combat Stories from America’s Last WWII Veterans, received the Captain Thomas Hudner Jr. Valor Award for exemplifying extraordinary courage and service to the veteran community. 
• Soldier On, a Pittsfield-based nonprofit organization dedicated to ending veteran homelessness, received the Captain Thomas Kelley Community Engagement Award for its decades of leadership providing housing, support, and stability for veterans across Massachusetts. 

The 2025 ceremony also highlighted the End Veteran Homelessness Campaign, a signature initiative of the Healey-Driscoll Administration that has placed over 1,000 veterans in permanent housing since its launch in 2024. The campaign, led by EOVS in partnership with the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, combines data-driven outreach, coordinated care, and historic investments to ensure every veteran in Massachusetts has a safe, stable home. 

The ceremony further recognized the 2025 Acts of Service Campaign, part of Massachusetts’ Semiquincentennial commemoration, which uplifts stories of community service and encourages residents to give back to those who have served. 

Since its establishment in March 2023, the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) has transformed how Massachusetts delivers care to veterans. Under Secretary Santiago’s leadership, both the Massachusetts Veterans Homes at Chelsea and Holyoke achieved full state and federal licensure and certification; the HERO Act was signed into law expanding benefits and protections; and the state launched its largest-ever investment in housing and services for veterans and their families. 

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES EXPANDED MILITARY LEAVE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY WORKFORCE

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES EXPANDED MILITARY LEAVE BENEFITS FOR THE CITY WORKFORCE

BOSTON - Tuesday, November 11, 2025 - Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston’s Office of Human Resources today announced updates to the City’s Military Leave Policy to strengthen support for employees who serve in the United States Military. The updates, which take effect on November 11, 2025, introduce expanded paid leave for Active Duty service and streamlines the leave request process. “These updates will make it easier for our service members to take the time they need to fulfill their duties, with clear protections and compensation, while reinforcing Boston’s deep respect and gratitude for those who serve,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful to all our city employees working double duty for both the City of Boston and serving their country. Their devotion to others is inspiring and deserving of benefits that fully support and respect their work.” The changes build on the City’s long-standing commitment to honor, protect, and support employees who serve—whether in routine training, national emergencies, or active deployments—and aim to ensure fair, consistent, and streamlined administration of military leave across departments. Approximately 600 City employees will benefit from the updated policy.  Currently, the City of Boston’s Military Leave Policy provides job and compensation protection for employees who are called to military service. All employees are entitled to unpaid leave under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), a federal law that protects the employment rights of service members. In addition, benefits-eligible, full-time and part-time City employees receive paid leave and, when applicable, differential pay depending on the type and duration of military service. Military leave can be taken for: Annual training, drills, and parades Active Duty service Emergency missions under Massachusetts law The City’s policy also outlines the process for taking and returning from leave, and ensures continued access to benefits like health insurance and vacation accrual during eligible paid leave. Employees are guaranteed reinstatement to their positions under USERRA guidelines. Mayor Wu today announced the following revisions to the Military Leave Policy to better serve our employees: New Paid Benefit for Active Duty Service: For the first time, the City is offering 40 days of fully paid leave per federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30) to employees called to Active Duty, followed by differential pay (if applicable) once those days are exhausted. This new benefit ensures financial stability for service members and aligns compensation for Active Duty with existing benefits for training and emergency deployments. Improved Request Process for Employees: To improve the experience for employees and to ensure consistency across departments, the City has launched a centralized Military Leave Request Form through the City’s employee portal. This ensures all leave is properly recorded and administered, and reduces administrative burdens on departments and employees.  “When employees serve in the military, they’re serving all of us,” said Chief People Officer, Alex Lawrence. “These policy updates make sure that when our staff are called to duty, whether for training or national service, they can go with confidence that their job, pay, and benefits are protected.” “When a City of Boston employee is called to active duty, they are not stepping away from public service—they are expanding it,” said Commissioner of Veteran Services, Robert Santiago. “Our obligation as a municipal government is just as clear: when they serve our country, we serve them and their families.” The City will continue to honor its responsibilities under federal law, while also offering stronger local protections and resources to City workers. In addition to the new paid Active Duty benefit announced today, the policy also provides:  Up to 40 paid days per federal fiscal year for training, drills, and parades Up to 30 paid days per mission for emergency deployment under Massachusetts law Job reinstatement protections and decompression time after military leave Ongoing accrual of vacation and sick time during paid military leave consistent with applicable CBAs and employer benefit policies Access to group health benefits during military service Employees who are currently on military leave as of November 11, 2025, will remain covered by the previous policy until their return. To explore job openings or learn more about working with the City, visit boston.gov/jobs.

Governor Healey Unveils Art Exhibition by Massachusetts Veterans

 Governor Healey Unveils Art Exhibition by Massachusetts Veterans   

 

BOSTON – Today, in honor of Veterans Day, Governor Maura Healey unveiled a temporary art installation featuring works created by veterans living in Massachusetts. The exhibition, presented in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council, showcases the work of Peter J Damon, Hector René Membreño-Canales, and Francis Olschafskie and will be on view in the Governor’s Reception Area through December 12. 

“Our veterans have sacrificed and contributed so much to our state and our nation, and this exhibition is an opportunity to honor their service and showcase their many talents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It invites the thousands of visitors who come through the State House to pause, reflect and connect with Peter, Hector, and Francis’s work. I’m deeply grateful to each of them for sharing their art with us.” 

“I want to thank the Mass Cultural Council and all three artists for helping us bring this meaningful exhibition to the People’s House,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our veterans embody the values that define us, and it’s an honor to celebrate their service and creativity here in our capital.” 

Under Governor Healey's leadership, veterans services in Massachusetts have been transformed. She appointed the first-ever cabinet level Veterans Services Secretary, Jon Santiago, signed the most comprehensive veterans’ legislation in state history with the HERO Act, helped more than 1,000 veterans get housing through the End Veteran Homelessness campaign, opened a state-of-the-art new facility at the Chelsea Veterans Home and broke ground on the new Holyoke Veterans Home. 

Since taking office, Governor Healey sought to expand diverse art on display in the Governor’s Executive Office Suite by adding Black Tie by Robert T. Freeman and At the Tremont Street Car Barns by Allan Rohan Crite, which are on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts. She has also displayed other temporary exhibitions in the Governor’s reception area, including celebrating Black History, Climate Month, Pride Month, the Cape & Islands, Hispanic Heritage Month, Western Massachusetts, Native American Heritage Month and Women Veterans. The office also has on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Early Summer by J. Appleton Brown, Spring Hillside by J. J. Enneking, George Washington by Francis Alexander, Landscape by Leslie Prince Thompson and Showery May Morning, by J. Appleton Brown. 

 

Additional information about the temporary installments: 

Peter J Damon is an artist, catastrophically injured Iraq War Veteran, and co-owner of True Grit Art Gallery in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Alongside his wife, Jenn, he operates this vibrant space, representing over 25 artists from across Southern New England and establishing it as a key cultural venue for Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. 

After suffering traumatic amputations of both arms in 2003 while serving in Iraq for the Massachusetts National Guard, Damon channeled his resilience into art as a profound source of meaning and purpose. He paints primarily in oils, drawing inspiration from his working-class roots in Brockton, Massachusetts, where he grew up. His work captures the simple yet evocative colors, shapes, lines, and textures found in the humble architecture of Brockton and the surrounding areas, including Middleborough, where he now resides. Through his art, Damon explores themes of grit, recovery, and everyday beauty, inviting viewers to find depth in the ordinary. His pieces reflect not only personal triumph but also a deep connection to the landscapes and communities that shaped him. His work “Parade Day” and “Canal Drawbridge at Dusk” are on display in the Governor’s Reception office. 

 

Hector René Membreño-Canales is a Honduran American artist, educator, and researcher whose work explores the intersections of military experience, identity, and visual culture. A former U.S. Army Public Affairs Officer, he served for over a decade with deployments and assignments in Iraq, El Salvador, Poland, Germany, and Canada. In 2022, he completed the Smithsonian Institution’s inaugural U.S. Army Monuments Officer Training, continuing his commitment to preserving cultural heritage in conflict zones. Currently based in Massachusetts, Membreño-Canales is the Francis C. Robertson Instructor of Visual Studies and Photography at Phillips Academy Andover and a Lecturer in the Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT) Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Membreño-Canales’s earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the School of Visual Arts and a Master of Fine Art in Art and Art History from Hunter College, City University of New York.  He has received awards and grants from The Eddie Adams Workshop, Red Bull Arts, Magnum Foundation, and Harvard University. His photograph Soldier in Kevlar is currently on display in the Governor’s Reception area. 

Francis Olschafskie is a photographer, educator, and media artist, and a 2025 Mass Cultural Council Grants for Creative Individuals recipient. His work explores the intersections of photography, media, and technology, reflecting decades of artistic and academic engagement. 

Olschafskie holds an undergraduate degree in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and a graduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. He has taught in the photography programs at New York University, the School of Visual Arts, the International Center of Photography, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

His photographs have been widely exhibited across the United States and Europe, including at the Walker Art Center, Museum of Modern Art, Isentan Museum, Greek Ministry of Culture, Tisch School of the Arts, Robert Hull Fleming Museum and the Photographic Resource Center.  

 His work Flowers is currently on display in the Governor’s Reception area. 

紐英崙伍胥山公所主席來年不換人 伍振中、伍偉業對調正副職位

紐英崙伍胥山公所2名主席伍振中（右），伍偉業（左）。（周菊子攝）

               (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導) 紐英崙伍胥山公所11月9日在波士頓華埠泰勒街會址聚會，宣佈本屆職員合作無間，在宗親們無異議中，來年將由在位主席伍振中、伍偉業續任主席一職。只是為彰顯來年是新屆任期，他們兩人原本的正副主席位置將對調。

右起，伍慧儀，伍偉業，伍振中，伍艷梨，伍仁甫，伍玉娟，伍少維，
伍詹淑慧（左一）等伍氏公所職員。（周菊子攝）

              已於2023年升任元老的伍煥華，這天擔任主持人，和歷屆顧問，伍紹仁、伍樂仁，伍侃滋，伍樹俊，以及甫卸任美東副總長一職，回歸伍氏顧問行列的伍輝民，還有伍氏宗親等不下40人，共聚一堂，底定未來一年大局。

左起，伍侃滋，伍煥華元老，伍樂人，伍偉業和伍振中主席，伍輝民，伍紹仁，伍樹俊
等顧問合影，（周菊子攝）

                 伍煥華表示，伍氏公所2名現任主席，伍振中和伍偉業的用心，用力，宗親們有目共睹，無異議的敦請2人連任。

                伍振中將轉任正主席。他創辦有龍舟博物館，並同時擔任華人醫務中心及中華書法會理事，明年還將擔任紐英崙中華公所核數，能者多勞的身兼多職。

               伍偉業轉任副主席，他現在還具有波士頓安良工商會會長身份。

伍樹俊稱許主席做得好。（周菊子攝）

               伍煥華在會中細數過去一年來，公所主席、幹部們任勞任怨的為宗親服務，儘管事務繁瑣，卻事無分大小，都安頓得十分妥當。2名主席親力親為，任何一個環節有需要，立馬頂替上陣之外，財政伍仁甫，伍豔梨得處理所有公所水電保險，大小用品採購，會勘製作印刷等的費用繳納，為婚慶喜喪等人情世故支出禮金等的收支票據，還得懂得使用電腦，試算表，電子簽名等現代化工具來做詳細記錄，核數伍玉娟樓得一筆筆對帳，業主任伍慧儀得面對水管，窗門，地板等各種修繕，絞盡腦汁，因應保險公司新提出的各種投保要求，以及保費大幅上漲等情況，尤其辛苦。

伍煥華（右二起），伍詹淑慧，伍慧儀，伍仁甫聆聽宗親發言。（周菊子攝）

              曾任主席的伍樹俊也花了不下9分鐘的舉例敘述，包括處理下水管淤塞，二、三樓公所物業出租等問題，直言他加入公所廿多年來，覺得本屆主席做了最多事。

               伍煥華表示，其實包括中文書記的伍鍾美貞等人，公所的每一位幹部成員都十分熱誠，為宗親服務不落人後。待新年度來到，明年一月辦理交接儀式時，將再落實新一屆的服務幹部團隊。 （訂正版，伍仁甫為財政之一）

伍胥山元老伍煥華（左二）向宗親報告公所事務。（周菊子攝）

李伍碧香（右）說宗親們都很熱心，自己做了許多甜點，佳餚帶來分享。（周菊子攝）

伍氏宗親們開完會，享用餐點。（周菊子攝）

元老伍煥華描述公所幹部們都做了些事。（周菊子攝）

Healey-Driscoll Administration Highlights Importance of School Breakfast

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Highlights Importance of School Breakfast 

Education Secretary Tutwiler visits Springfield Public Schools
to see ‘Breakfast in the Classroom’  

SPRINGFIELD – The Healey-Driscoll Administration visited Springfield Public Schools today to highlight the importance of school breakfast. Participation in school meals continues to climb after Massachusetts made state-supported universal free school meals permanent. School breakfast participation increased by 78,000 students from 2019 to 2024, a 36 percent increase. However, the number of students who eat lunch each day is still about double the number who eat breakfast. In fall 2024, 292,000 students ate breakfast daily while 595,000 ate lunch.  

 

The administration is committed to increasing school breakfast participation to make sure students have the fuel they need to stay alert and focused throughout the school day. It is also a focus of Governor Maura Healey's Anti-Hunger Task Force’s work to mitigate against President Trump’s cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and adopt long-term solutions to hunger. 

 

Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Director of the Office for Food and Nutrition Programs Rob Leshin visited the Rebecca M. Johnson School today to see breakfast in the classroom firsthand and tour Springfield’s Culinary and Nutrition Center, a 62,000-square-foot, full-service, commercial kitchen. In partnership with Sodexo, this center prepares meals cooked from scratch for the districts’ cafeterias. The district was able to open this center with funds collected from increased revenues from school breakfast reimbursement. Today, 26 percent of Springfield Public Schools food service purchasing is of local products.   

 

“It was wonderful to be in Springfield today to see the impact of Breakfast in the Classroom firsthand. Springfield is a model for meeting children where they are, sustaining high breakfast participation, and incorporating local products with meals made from scratch,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “Now more than ever we know how important healthy school meals are to student wellbeing and learning, as well as supporting families’ overall grocery budget and ability to put food on the table.”  

 

“I’m proud that Massachusetts has committed to universal free school meals that give students access to healthy food twice a day,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “Learning is a struggle for students who are hungry, and I’m glad to see the increased number of students eating school breakfasts.”  

 

Since Springfield Public Schools implemented Breakfast in the Classroom, breakfast participation increased from 44 percent in 2015 to 85 percent as of May 2025. After implementation, nurse visits due to hunger decreased 26 percent across the district.  

 

Research consistently finds that students who eat breakfast, including at school, do better academically and are more engaged. Students also display decreased behavior and social-emotional problems and have lower rates of absenteeism. Importantly, students are more food secure, and school breakfast can increase the amount of nutritious food students eat and protect against obesity and other negative health outcomes.  

 

“Springfield Public Schools greatly appreciates the partnerships that have made Breakfast in the Classroom a success.  We are honored to be recognized as a model in the state for this program,” said Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall. “We’ve been providing breakfast in the classroom throughout our district since 2015, and it has had a positive impact on attendance as well as behavior. It does a great deal to build community as well as reinforce a feeling of belonging.  We all can attest to the fact that good nutrition and high-quality education are inextricable, and a nutritious breakfast is the best way to start a day of learning.” 

 

When the state made universal free school meals permanent, it required all schools participating in the federal National School Lunch Program to also provide breakfast for their students. Under state law, schools where 60 percent or more of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program must offer all students a school breakfast after the beginning of the instructional day. This can happen through a variety of models, including breakfast in the classroom, “grab and go” breakfast, and “second chance” breakfast in the cafeteria. The administration works with districts to help them find the model that works best for them. 

 

紐英倫龍岡親義公所慶百週年 元老趙羨藻明年辦攝影展

紐英倫龍岡親義公所主席關榮康（右起），關麗莎頒發表揚狀，
感謝元老趙羨藻、張秀眉夫婦廿多年來的扶持。（周菊子攝）

世界龍岡親義總會監察長趙仁君（左起）送上紀念牌匾及錦旗
給紐英倫龍岡親義公所主席關榮康，關麗莎，以及司儀張英華。（周菊子攝）

            （Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導）紐英倫龍岡親義公所的劉、關、張、趙四姓宗親，11月8日在波士頓帝苑大酒樓慶祝100週年，和來自台灣，紐約，砵倫，休士頓等地的外地宗親，以及僑團朋友，道賀政要共300多人歡聚一堂，期許年輕世代接棒，延續傳承。

            會上還頒發獎座給元老趙羨藻，資深會員張國深，趙能，感謝他們這麼多年來為公所的付出與貢獻。

紐英倫龍岡親義公所宗親，嘉賓和洪青體育會醒獅隊合影。（周菊子攝）

            本地元老趙羨藻即將於明年2月在波士頓Newbury 街上Robert Klein畫廊舉辦「兩個世界：趙羨藻攝影之旅」展覽，砵倫元老張向揚當場豪捐5000元，支持紐英倫龍岡百年慶活動的兩大好消息，更為大會增添興奮氣氛。

紐英倫龍岡親義公所主席關榮康（前左ㄧ），關麗莎
（前左六）和幹部及外地宗親合影。（周菊子攝）

             紐英倫龍岡親義公所主席關麗莎，在另一主席關榮康領讀「勿以惡小而為之，勿以善小而不為，惟德惟賢，可以服人」的祖訓後，站在掛著寫有「桃園結義古城會，忠義仁勇萬代傳」對聯的四姓祖先畫像前，懇切歡迎，感謝宗親，戚友的蒞臨。她說劉關張趙四姓，講究忠義仁勇，團結同心，經歷風風雨雨，走過百年，殊為不易。希望宗親們攜手，繼續為服務公所、僑社而努力。歡迎之前由於種種原因，離開了的宗親們歸隊，也鼓勵年輕一代秉承祖訓，共創未來。

洪青體育會的醒獅表演精彩。（周菊子攝）

左起，司徒宗達，趙仁君，右起關榮康，張向揚，趙苑茵，關麗莎等人
在波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏離席時送行。（周菊子攝）

          關麗莎也特別說明，為慶祝百週年，她和關榮康，劉素嬋編撰了一本厚118頁的特刊，重點介紹該公所過去這15年來動態，並敦請該會名譽主席，曾任駐英國代表（大使）的劉志攻，寫了一篇2001年2月，他回到波士頓當經文處處長，搓合龍岡宗親的“一段往事”，以及請該會元老趙羨藻寫了一段他1951年來到波士頓，龍岡親義公所位於牛津街（Oxford Street），由張棠世長負責，打理會務。在張棠去世後，有熱心宗親關麗華挺身推動會務，世長趙龍方協助，才又重新組織起來，於是在當年的台灣退伍軍人會主席趙巨鈺，台灣高麗蔘大王趙伯翹等人來訪波士頓時，都一定先到紐英倫龍岡親義公所拜會的故事。百年特刊中的文章，照片都很直得欣賞。    

關麗莎（右起）、司徒宗達歡迎波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏，世界龍崗
監察長趙仁君，波士頓僑教中心主任高家富，經文處組長黃耀良。（周菊子攝）

                                                        

        這晚到賀的嘉賓有駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏，組長黃耀良，波士頓僑教中心主任高家富，紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝，波士頓市議會議員Ed Flynn，Erin Murphy

送上祝賀表揚狀的有麻州眾議員麥家威，黃子安，麻州稽核長Diana DiZoglio等人。

名譽元老張秀眉致詞。（周菊子攝）

          龍岡親義公所宗親，世界龍岡親義總會有來自台灣的監察長趙仁君，來自紐約的元老張漢澤，趙羨明，其後任美洲監察長的趙秋生伉儷，以及來自休士頓副主席關紫紅。來自紐約龍崗親義總會的有元老趙永照，主席關振立伉儷，來自砵倫龍崗親義公所的有元老張向揚，監察長趙苑茵，主席趙疊，來自紐約趙族宗親會的有副主席趙善興，顧問趙必亮，以及兼任浮石紫氣堂主席的趙呂誠，來自紐約劉橫水同鄉會的有主席劉銳湛，顧問劉偉愛等。

砵倫龍岡親義公所趙苑茵（中右），主席趙疊（中左）送上錦旗
祝賀紐英倫龍岡親義公所百週年。（周菊子攝）

世界龍崗親義總會監察長趙仁君（左起）送上紀念牌及錦旗給
紐英倫龍崗親義公所主席關榮康，關麗莎。（周菊子攝）

其中來自紐約的宗親有地利之便，陣容最龐大，超過40人。其餘各地宗親，加起來有10來人。

            世界龍岡親義總會監察長趙仁君表示，他代表主席張振中到賀，送上錦旗及紀念獎牌，祝賀「百年之夜，龍脈相傳」。由於他本人同時擔任桃園趙氏宗親會第13、14屆理事長，鑑於劉關張趙四海一家，他這天也代表桃園，送上祝賀旗幟與禮金。他表示去年12月，他到廣東開平參加會議，有幸獲得世長們垂愛，出任監察長，今年3月也特別到紐約拜訪過一次，現在參加紐英倫龍岡的百年慶，送上繼續榮耀，再創百年好風景的祝福。

            在致詞環節中，關麗莎還請宗親們上台合唱「龍岡之歌」，同時說明這首創作於七十年代的介紹龍岡歌曲，還是公所元老夫人張秀眉的姨丈關照祺宗長創作的。

宗親致詞祝賀。（周菊子攝）

      

         當晚的祝賀表演，由甄若矛創辦的星樂隊現場唱奏。關麗莎特別指出主唱之一趙寶玲也是傑出宗親，2年前辦過一場很成功的個人演唱會，另一名主唱曾艷琴，曾是專業歌星。

波士頓市議員Ed flynn（左二），Erin Murphy(右二）送上表揚狀。（周菊子攝）

            根據世界龍岡親義總會網站，以及維基百科，龍岡親義公所又稱賜姓堂，起源於廣東江門市開瓶水口鎮的龍岡古廟，1875年的清光緒元年，劉關張趙的四姓宗親在舊金山建立龍崗古廟，1910年再建親義公所大樓。之後，美洲，澳洲各地都有龍岡公所。世界性的龍岡親義總會則是1960年代在香港籌建，1963年正式成立。

            趙仁君透露，世界龍岡親義總會經由各地龍岡公所討論，最後決定社址台灣。不過世界龍岡親義總會的網站，雖列有從第一屆到2021年第17屆的歷屆主席人名，但其他內容並不多。倒是維基百科上記載有世界各地有146個龍岡組織，擁有宗親300餘萬人，佔海外華僑總人數的七分之一。  

砵倫龍岡趙苑茵（左一），主席趙疊（右一）還送上繡有祖訓的錦旗。（周菊子攝）

          其中來自紐約的宗親有地利之便，陣容最龐大，超過40人。其餘各地宗親，加起來有10來人。

來自休士頓的世界龍岡副主席關紫紅（中）送上祝賀錦旗。（周菊子攝）

            世界龍岡親義總會監察長趙仁君表示，他代表主席張振中到賀，送上錦旗及紀念獎牌，祝賀「百年之夜，龍脈相傳」。由於他本人同時擔任桃園趙氏宗親會第13、14屆理事長，鑑於劉關張趙四海一家，他這天也代表桃園，送上祝賀旗幟與禮金。他表示去年12月，他到廣東開平參加會議，有幸獲得世長們垂愛，出任監察長，今年3月也特別到紐約拜訪過一次，現在參加紐英倫龍岡的百年慶，送上繼續榮耀，再創百年好風景的祝福。

紐約龍崗主席關振立（中）送上祝賀錦旗。（周菊子攝）

            在致詞環節中，關麗莎還請宗親們上台合唱「龍岡之歌」，同時說明這首創作於七十年代的介紹龍岡歌曲，還是公所元老夫人張秀眉的姨丈關照祺宗長創作的。

            當晚的祝賀表演，由甄若矛創辦的星樂隊現場唱奏。關麗莎特別指出主唱之一趙寶玲也是傑出宗親，2年前辦過一場很成功的個人演唱會，另一名主唱曾艷琴，曾是專業歌星。

紐英倫龍岡親義公所主席關麗莎（右一）和關榮康（左二）送上印有
姓氏的球衣給趙仁君（左一），張向揚。（周菊子攝）

            根據世界龍岡親義總會網站，以及維基百科，龍岡親義公所又稱四姓堂，起源於廣東江門市開瓶水口鎮的龍岡古廟，1875年的清光緒元年，劉關張趙的四姓宗親在舊金山建立龍崗古廟，1910年再建親義公所大樓。之後，美洲，澳洲各地都有龍岡公所。世界性的龍岡親義總會則是1960年代在香港籌建，1963年正式成立。

昭倫公所宗親到賀。（周菊子攝）

            趙仁君透露，世界龍岡親義總會經由各地龍岡公所討論，最後決定社址台灣。不過世界龍岡親義總會的網站，雖列有從第一屆到2021年第17屆的歷屆主席人名，但其他內容並不多。倒是維基百科上記載有世界各地有146個龍岡組織，擁有宗親300餘萬人，佔海外華僑總人數的七分之一。（訂正：應為四姓堂）

許久未見的宗親們抓住機會合影。（周菊子攝）

關麗莎和宗親們逐桌敬酒。（周菊子攝）

甄若矛（左一）的星樂隊，陣容越來越壯大。（周菊子攝）

趙寶玲（左起）、曾艷琴、胡凡等人是星樂隊主唱。（周菊子攝）

星樂隊主唱的男歌手是桑永驥（右）。（周菊子攝）

星樂隊主唱趙寶玲，也是龍岡宗親。（周菊子攝）

曾艷琴是專業歌手。（周菊子攝）

甄若矛（又）和李佩芸夫婦是鍵盤手。（周菊子攝）

星樂隊合影。馬仕威樂隊的鼓手梅偉文（右二）也加入了星樂隊。（周菊子攝）