BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ESU - ECPv6.8.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.esuus.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for ESU REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260712T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260716T235959 DTSTAMP:20260626T230210 CREATED:20260514T173909Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T160532Z UID:11118-1783814400-1784246399@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:ESU 2026 Founder’s Award Gala and National Patron Tour “Ovid and Shakespeare’s Metamorphoses” DESCRIPTION:Dear Friends\, \n\n\n\nThank you again for being part of the truly special week in New York City this past April — a week that brought together the Annual General Conference\, the National Shakespeare Competition\, and\, as its highlight\, the Celebrate Legacy – Inspire the Future reception marking the 25th anniversary of the ESU House and honoring the leadership donors to the first-ever ESU Capacity Building Campaign. We appreciated the support\, enthusiasm and generosity you brought to the evening. Your presence made the event truly memorable\, and we are deeply grateful for your continued commitment to the ESU. \n\n\n\nI am delighted to reiterate the wonderful news I announced that evening: in just one year\, the ESU Capacity Building Campaign has raised over $900\,000\, more than 90% of our $1 million goal\, thanks to you\, our most generous leadership donors. With one year remaining in the Campaign\, we will soon open this effort to the broader ESU community. I have every confidence that they will follow your example and help us exceed our goal. \n\n\n\nWe are profoundly grateful for the generous contributions of so many of you in attendance. Among our leadership supporters is Mr. Donald Best\, who will be the honoree of the 2026 Founder’s Award Gala in London on July 14 at the Oxford–Cambridge Club. \n\n\n\nMr. Donald Best is a distinguished Board member\, devoted steward of our mission\, passionate internationalist and one of the ESU’s most generous donors. His commitment to the ESU of the United States has extended far beyond our national borders: for many years he has championed ESUs around the world and enthusiastically promoted the global fellowship at the heart of our mission. \n\n\n\nHis recognition will be a highlight of an extraordinary week of activities surrounding the Gala. \n\n\n\nUnder the theme of Metamorphoses and guided by Dr. Catherine Loomis\, our program in and around London will feature a series of specially arranged visits to palaces and cultural institutions\, offering behind-the-scenes access and opportunities to meet members of historic families\, distinguished scholars and individuals whose work and insights illuminate the week’s theme. These exceptional experiences\, together with intimate receptions and shared moments with the international ESU community\, will culminate on Tuesday evening\, July 14\, with the Founder’s Award Gala at the Oxford and Cambridge Club honoring our dear friend Donald Best. \n\n\n\nIt promises to be a remarkable week of celebrations\, and I very much hope some of you will join us. Space is limited to 16 participants\, so I encourage you to reserve your place soon by following the link provided. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE  \n\n\n\nThank you once again for your support\, your friendship\, and your belief in the ESU’s mission. I look forward to seeing you in London. \n\n\n\nWith warm regards\,Dr. Quinn PeeperChairman\, The English-Speaking Union \n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n Online Registration \n PDF Registration Form\n Itinerary\n Participant Agreement\n Hotel Information URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/2026-national-patron-tour/ LOCATION:Florida ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/quinn-letter.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260715T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260715T180000 DTSTAMP:20260626T230210 CREATED:20260528T180300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T161350Z UID:11198-1784134800-1784138400@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: Halifax Resolves DESCRIPTION:During the 250th Anniversary of the birth of our nation\, many focus on the colonial activities centering around New England. A little-known event occurred in North Carolina in the little village of Halifax that helped turn the tide and create our nation. The Halifax Resolves and the three North Carolina Delegates that attended the Second Congressional Congress were the catalysts that brought us to the founding of the United States of America. \n\n\n\nWe invite all ESU members and guests to be part of ESU’s continuing celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary with this Happy Hour. Brian Burns will describe a historic event that was the first official action for independence from any of the thirteen British colonies in continental North America. \n\n\n\nThis ESU Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU Sandhills Pinehurst\, N.C. Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link. \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE \n\n\n\nAbout Brian Burns \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBrian Burns is a retired Army Officer living in Pinehurst\, NC. He is thePresident of the Sandhills Pinehurst\, N.C. Branch of the ESU. He is also onthe ESU Happy Hour Committee\, and a member of the ESUUS NationalBoard of Directors. An avid military historian\, Brian earned his degrees inUS Military History from Purdue University and the University of Arkansas.With many of the battlefields of the American Revolution and the Civil War within driving distance\, Brian has traveled and visited most up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Although not known for the most famous actions in the American Revolution\, as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States\, he will show how North Carolinaplayed a significant role in the formation of our nation. \n\n\n\nCocktail:Colonial Rum PunchMake ahead: Oleo Saccharum (the colonial secret weapon) Peel strips of lemon zest andtoss with ½ cup of sugar and let rest for 30 minutes. The oils from the peel dissolve intothe sugar\, creating a fragrant\, silky syrup.Prepare:Combine one shot of rum\, ½ cup of citrus juice and one tablespoon of oleo saccharum.Add cold water (or cooled black tea for extra depth – a popular colonial trick). Add alarge ice cube and enjoy. URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-halifax-resolves/ LOCATION:Florida ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.esuus.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-12.32.41-PM.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260729T180000 DTSTAMP:20260626T230210 CREATED:20260625T170306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T170308Z UID:11288-1785344400-1785348000@www.esuus.org SUMMARY:Happy Hour: The Loyalist and the Patriot DESCRIPTION:Step into a gripping dialogue with acclaimed prize-winning historical biographer Flora Fraser and Doug Bradburn\, President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon\, as they reexamine the American Revolution through a provocative lens. This conversation challenges the familiar narrative of unity and independence. It reveals a nation divided—neighbors\, friends\, even families torn apart by opposing allegiances. Was this truly a revolution\, or America’s first civil war? Through vivid storytelling and historical insight\, Fraser and Bradburn explore the deeply personal conflicts between those who risked everything for independence and those who remained steadfastly loyal to the British Crown.ESU continues celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary with this intriguing Happy Hour. Expect a thought-provoking journey into the complexities of loyalty\, identity\, and the true cost of freedom. \n\n\n\nThis Happy Hour is sponsored by the ESU New York City Branch. ESU Happy Hour programs are online\, free\, and open to all members and the public. Registration is required to receive the webinar link.  \n\n\n\nRegister Here \n\n\n\nAbout Flora Fraser \n\n\n\nFlora Fraser is a historical biographer\, based in London\, specializing in archival research on women of the eighteenth century in Europe and in America. Her books include Beloved Emma: The Life of Emma\, Lady Hamilton\, The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline\, Princesses: The Daughters of George III\, and Venus of Empire: The Life of Pauline Bonaparte. \n\n\n\nHer recent book\, The Washingtons: George and Martha\, won the 2016 George Washington Book Prize. Her new life of Scottish heroine\, Flora Macdonald is available in the UK as Flora Macdonald ‘Pretty Young Rebel’ (Bloomsbury) and in the US as Flora Macdonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story (Knopf).About Douglas Bradburn\, PhD \n\n\n\nDouglas Bradburn is the President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Bradburn joined Mount Vernon in 2013 and was the Founding Director of The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. He became the 11th Director of George Washington’s Mount Vernon in 2018. He is an award-winning author and well-known scholar of early American history. Bradburn is the author of The Citizenship Revolution: Politics and the Creation of the American Union\, 1774-1804\, and three anthologies\, including Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion. He is the co-founder and editor of the award-winning book series\, Early American Histories\, at the University of Virginia Press\, and the winner of numerous awards\, grants\, and fellowships\, including the yearlong Gilder Lehrman Research Fellowship at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello.Exclusive Patron Membership OfferFor a limited time\, we invite you to enjoy a special benefit available only through this ESU Happy Hour event. Members who upgrade to a National Patron Membership\, and new supporters who join at the National Patron level\, will receive an autographed copy of Flora Fraser’s acclaimed book\, Flora Macdonald: Pretty Young Rebel her life and story\,” a unique keepsake from this exceptional presentation featuring Flora Fraser and Doug Bradburn.Patron Members play a vital role in sustaining the English-Speaking Union’s mission to educate\, inspire\, and connect people through the power of the English language and its rich cultural heritage. Signed copies are limited and will be available while supplies last. We hope you will take this opportunity to become a National Patron Member and help ensure the continued strength and impact of the ESU for years to come.Colonial Rum Punch“One of sour\, two of sweet\, three of strong\, four of weak.”Ingredients:1 part fresh lime juice (the “sour”)2 parts sugar or simple syrup (the “sweet”)3 parts dark rum (the “strong”)4 parts water or weak tea (the “weak”)Optional: grated nutmeg on top (very traditional!)Instructions:Stir the lime juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.Add the rum and mix well.Pour in the water or tea and stir again.Taste and adjust—colonial recipes were flexible.Serve over ice (or without if you want to stay historically accurate). URL:https://www.esuus.org/event/happy-hour-the-loyalist-and-the-patriot/ LOCATION:Florida ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.esuus.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/aug-2026-hh.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR