Chicago Welsh Societies

Chicago's Welsh Societies

The Welsh have a long and proud history in the state of Illinois, so in many ways it is unsurprising that Chicago is home to three separate Welsh societies that cater to various aspects of Welsh culture past and present:

The Chicago Cambrian Benevolent Society:

The Cambrian Society is the oldest of the three, and was among the earliest cultural organization

The society holds an annual St. David's Day banquet, organizes picnics and an annual Gymanfa Ganu (Gathering for Song) and has a century old tradition of making sure every Chicago Welshman is buried in a decent and marked grave.

The Welsh Women’s Club of Illinois:

Founded in the 1950’s by returning Welsh war brides, the Welsh Women’s Club is an active club that holds numerous events throughout the year.

The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society

The Tafia is an expatriate Welsh group that was formed in Chicago in 1999. As one of the youngest and consequently the most contemporary Welsh groups in North America, they are well-known to provide a real link to the present culture of Wales to the Chicago area.

The group’s activities are varied with social get-together s to watch Welsh sporting events and musicians in addition to the typical cultural events such as St. David’s Day. That is not to say that the traditional elements of Welsh culture are taken for granted by the group, over the years they have been involved with over a dozen concerts for Welsh male voice choirs in the Chicago area, including the Pendyrus, Penrhyn, Bangor, Black Mountain, Burlington and CF1 choirs at prominent Chicago venues.

In 2007 the group scored a double hit by attracting the former lead singer of Catatonia, Cerys Matthews to entertain the group at their annual St. David’s Day party and also the passing of Illinois General Assembly signing into law Bill HR0149 that proclaimed March 1, 2007, and each year thereafter, as St. David's Day in the State of Illinois and recognizing the Welsh contribution to the state.

External Links:

[1] The Chicago Tafia Welsh Society

[2] The Chicago Cambrian Benevolent Society

[3] The Welsh Womens Club of Illinois