Sunday, December 15, 2013

A Postscript: The Pennsylvania Society

By now the Pennsylvania Society has wound up its 115th annual soiree in New York City and just about everyone has headed home.
Before we let another moment pass we wanted to thank Blank Rome law firm partner (and former Philadelphia bar Association Chancellor) Scott Cooper and all the wonderful people at Blank Rome for their remarkable hospitality which we so enjoyed at their annual gathering Friday evening. Blank Rome lawyers are trained right. They know how to treat people.
Some have asked us why the Pennsylvania Society meets in New York instead of meeting in Pennsylvania. Well, the answer is they do meet in Pennsylvania during the year, most notably for their Annual Luncheon.
But this one annual pre-holiday bash has always been held in New York City. Our understanding is it all got started when railroad barons decided to take their friends and families to New York to get away for awhile and enjoy some holiday fun. And so movers and shakers in Pennsylvania have been going to New York a couple of weeks before Christmas ever since.
The event is held at the world famous Waldorf-Astoria because the hotel is ideally located and it's one of the few hotels big enough to accommodate the shindig and all the related meetings and parties that surround it. Over the years it's just grown and grown.
Why do people keep coming? Obviously, to see and been seen.
You see people at the Pennsylvania Society that you don't see all year -- lots of people, including many, many important people.
And if you don't have fun at the various parties and events, it's your own damned fault.
On top of all that, you get to enjoy New York City at its best -- at Christmastime.
Now, we have no idea why the Pennsylvania Society decided to honor Joe Biden at its Big Event on Saturday night this year. That stumped us. Couldn't they find a lifelong Pennsylvanian to feature? We could have suggested any one of a number of other worthier recipients.
But, thank God we got out of town before Biden arrived. In our opinion, he's a sad joke and a national embarrassment.
As for the rest of the weekend -- Superb!

No comments: