Southfield Manor Part IV – The Committees
SM Committee
By Adhid Miri, PhD
Committees are the engine of success. Southfield Manor operated with several active committees. One of the most important committees was the board of directors, which consisted of nine elected members to represent the general membership. Their duties were always conducted in the best interest of the membership and in oversight of all club administrative policies and activities.
Comittees provide continuity and drive to sustain and grow the membership. Committees bring people together, involve people of different backgrounds to work together with shared understandings and expectations, providing a place of strong community.
Committees also offer opportunity for the development of the upcoming generation and allow talent to surface and get tested. They help pass knowledge, train, and prepare the young people in the ways of self-direction and determination on which the future of the association depends.
The Southfield Manor/CIAAM had active committees which included the Bulletin-newsletter, Education, Finance, Social, Public relations, Marketing, Art & Cultural, Sports, Travel, Youth, Fundraising, Chaldean Heritage, Women, Club Committee, and several other semi-permanent committees such as planning, elections, awards, membership drives, legal and bylaws, which were activated as needed.
Club Bulletin
The club bulletin was written voice of CIAM. It was published monthly. The top line first words were to encourage members to volunteer and participate. Several members worked to produce the news for the bulletin. Journalists Yousif Nadhir and Louis Stephen were the first editors after the official grand opening of the Southfield Manor on May 31, 1981. The first issue (vol#1, #1) was published on September 10, 1981.
Yousif Nadhir, Louis Stephen, Dave Nona, Dr. Talat Karmo, Francis Boji, Jamal Shallal, Amir Denha, Dr. Jameel Anton, Dr. Nouri Mansour, Dr. Adhid Miri, and others played a role, aided by dedicated group of members like Zuhair Antone, Fouad Manna, Nabby Yono, Faieq Konja, Raad Kathawa, Samir Qashat, Masoud Agobi Kraiem, Rocky Husayno, Adil Bacall, Dr. Basil Najar, Debbie Najor, Edsel Najor, Randall Denha, Vanessa Denha and others. The bulletin covered the club functions and other items of interest, including activities, programs, board policies, and procedures. It was published in both English and Arabic and included comprehensive reports by all CIAM Committees.
Elections Committee
CIAAM Soccer Team
Elections at the club were a special annual event that polarized some community members for a limited period. Members seriously campaigned for their friends and family members, others, ran negative campaigns as if this were the election for US congress and not for a small community club! Some leading members claimed to have the power to decide the outcome of the next ten elections!
There were shifting interests and strategies that were not clearly visible to ordinary members. Some vintage members, who enjoyed control, openly encouraged their favorites to run for the board of directors and discouraged others from getting involved. A more organized faction had a smarter strategy, they worked under the radar, directing votes to their candidates and they gradually prevailed.
The first CIAAM elections were truly special and full of excitement with 35 candidates running for the 7 open board seats! Past election committee chairman’s that served CIAM over the years were, Louie Boji, Wadie Nafsu, George Garmo, Dr. Talat Karmo, Amir Naimi, Adhid Miri, Steve Kalabat, Salwan Shimoun, and Al S. Yaldo.
Several members helped support the election committee chairperson, including, Dr. Hani Habib Hermes, Sabah Summa, Nabby Yono, Amir Denha, Salah Zoma, Wadie Makhay, Fahmi Gallozi, Nouri Choulagh, Fouad Barbat, Bassim Kassab, Nouri Karmo, Rocky Husayno, Gibrael Sinawi, Badie Bodiya, Zuhair Antone, Sandi Toma, George Kalabat, Mark Jonna, and Martin Manna.
The Education and Culture Committee:
Several members chaired this committee, including Salim Sarafa, Dr. Jameel Anton, Jamal Shallal, Dr. Basil Najar, and Karim Sarafa.
This important committee was very productive in the late eighties when headed by chairperson Dr. Talat Karmo, along with the participation of a diverse team composed of Ann Antone, Sally Lorrie, Rosmary Antone, Ayoub Bacall, George Asker, Dr. Munther Haddow, Dr. Hani Hermes, Suad George, Sally Loussia, Ramzi Najor, Joe Sarafa, Elham Shayota, Sam Yono, Richard Jergis, Amir Naimi, Ishak Al-Hirmizi, and others.
The committee organized many successful activities, lectures, and events with topics such as an evening with educators, an evening with businessmen, art and talent show, an evening with the youth, an Arabic film night, and social night for pioneers from the 40 and 50s. One particular lecture by a distinguished lecturer, Dr. Adeed Dawisha, in October 1987, was especially significant in timing and topic. It is still relevant to this day. It was entitled “Iran, the Arab World and U.S. Policy in the Gulf.” The lecture had over 300 attendees. Dr. Dawisha is the Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University.
Another major score for this committee was on September 14, 1989. The CIAM educational committee invited Behnam Nasser Nuaman Abu Alsoof, an Iraqi archaeologist, anthropologist, historian and writer, born in Mosul to Christian Syriac family, Cambridge University graduate and professor at the University of Baghdad, to hold a lecture on ‘‘Mesopotamia and the Chaldeans.”
The Iraqi- Mandean Poet Lameea Abbas Amara gave a mesmerizing and memorable read of the verses of her poetry to a packed crowd on November 24, 1997.
The Sports & Youth Committee:
The Chaldean youth are an important part of any social, or cultural club, injecting a new blood of active, educated, individuals to help establish various community organizations.
In the early eighties, after the club was built, Sabah Summa started two youth soccer teams for kids under 8 and 10. Around that time, Sabah also coached and played for the Over 30 soccer team of the Iraqi American Graduate Association (IAGA) which had among its squad Gabby Gabriel, Mudhafer Numan, Talat Karmo, Ismat Karmo, Nazar Stephan, Adel Sesi, Faiz Yono, Mazin Barbat, Duraid George, and Dr. Jacob Mansour. Most players plus other IAGA members joined the club when CIAAM approached them and offered a special membership initiation rate to join. About 15 members from the IAGA joined the club together, including Dr. Nouri Mansour, Ghassan Hami, and Fahmi Gallozi.
After the IAGA members joined the club, the ‘Over 30 Soccer Team’ officially became the ‘Southfield Manor Soccer Team.’ In order to compete with other ethnic teams in Michigan, more serious players gradually started joining the Over 30 team. The new players included Mike Robin, Nathier Zoma, Mike Koza, Sabah Kaji, Mumtaz Yaldo, the late Louie Esshaki, Lawrence Gabriel, Alex Alexander, Issam Jabiro, Ramiz Summa, Issam Rassam, Amer Choulagh, Danni Asmar, Sahir Gappy, Mahir Abdal, Fawzi Mocha, among others.
In addition to players listed above, the CIAAM Over 30 Team had the privilege to include in its squad the captain of the Iraqi National Team, the late Abid Kadhum. The Over 30 soccer team was sponsored by CIAAM and won the Michigan League Championship cup in 1982. In celebration of the achievement, the late Mike George treated the winning team to a special dinner at the club. The team continued to play together for more than 10 years.
It is worth noting that our Chaldean community is one of the first ethnic communities that brought the sport of soccer to the state of Michigan in the early seventies. Nadhir Zoma and other young Iraqi soccer players started the Iraqi American Soccer Team and many of our Southfield Manor Over 30 team players came from that original team.
These young members were involved in groups as diverse as the Chaldean Federation of America, Chaldean Youth, Associated Food Dealers, CIAM soccer teams, and other organizations serving the community. The Chaldean Voice was one of their success stories, which included the team of Shoki Konja, Saher Yaldo, Fawzi Dalli, Dhia Babbi, and Maher Kanouna.
In the late eighties, the youth and sports committee was headed by Haitham Jameel.
In August of 1990, the committee organized a bus trip to Cedar Point for fifty young men and women aged 14-24. The young people were accompanied by two chaperons, Rosemary Antone and Julia Najor. Juices and donuts were served along the way and the day was spent on rides at the fun park.
Other chairs of the youth and sports committees were Frank Jonna and Waleed Jaadan, supported by volunteers Bill Kassab, Rita Kinaya, John Farida, Kim Shallal, Carleen Shallal, Karen Bodiya, Anita Bodiya, Mark Sarafa, Burt Kassab, Marcen Karmo, Yvonne Nona, Klara Acho and others.
Social, Entertainment & Travel Committee:
Several members and ladies volunteered to serve on the social committee. Hanna Shina was at the heart of most events as an organizer and events specialist. Faisal Arabo, Najib Karmo, Shafiq Shaya, Heckmat Gallozi, Mwafaq Arabo, Ghalib Mona, Nizar Yono, Zuhair Antone, Ramzi Qas-Korkies, Zuhair Garmo, Emad Zeir, Talal Samouna, Fawzi Dalli, Margarete Sarafa, Sally Najor, Lilly Yono, Marlene Gerjis, Walid Habboo, Dr. Shakib Halabu, Dr. Jehan Barbat, Rommel Koza, Martin Manna, Sahir Haddad, Munem Qaji, Najib Jallo, Dhia Babbi, and others played an important part.
Mr. Faisal Arabo was chairman of the social and travel committee in 1989. During that year, Nabby Yono led the initiative with assistance from Hanna Shina, Mahir Kalasho, and Eugene Kalasho among others to organize a memorable river boat event dubbed the “Moon Light Cruz River Trip” on the Star of Detroit, attended by over 200 people. Entertainment was provided by the young rising star, singer Rafid Sawa and his band. Several other picnics and international travel programs were organized, including a two- week trip to Iraq in 1989.
The 2001 social event with star singer Kadhum Al-Sahir was very special. The world class violinist and one of Iraq’s best music composers, Nadhim Naeem (1925-2020), was leading a group of distinguished musicians that included the oud maestro, Karim Badir, and his band. Al-Sahir was honored to introduce Mr. Naeem to the packed Southfield Manor crowd and the famed composer and his band played magnificent pieces of legendary Iraqi singers Nadhum Al-Ghazal and Salima Murad Pasha.
In attendance, and at the invitation of Mr. Tarek Dawood of Dawood Motors, was the Music Director/Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi (1991-2005) who was so impressed by Mr. Naeem’s performance that he offered him the opportunity to join the famed DSO!
The basic intent of these committees is to continually inform and upgrade the knowledge level of the members and their families so they can take an active role in shaping the future of the community for many generations to come, just as the Chaldean pioneers did many decades ago.
Unfortunately, the support to most committee activities and their engagement faded with the Shenandoah Country Club. In this author’s opinion, this was a mistake repeated by successive boards since 2005.
Acknowledgements for contributions by Sabah Summa, Hanna Shina, Nabby Yono, Adil Bacall, Gabby Gabriel, Zuhair Antone, Jacob Bacall and Faisal Arabo.
The first CIAAM committees and chairpersons in 1981:
Fund raising committee
Louie Boji
Education & Cultural
Salim Sarafa
Public Relations
Joseph Nadhir
Advertising & Publishing
Louis Stephen
Sports & Recreational
Frank Jonna
Ground & maintenance
Habib Qashat
Finance
Badie Bodiya
Legal
Karim Sarafa
Membership
Oraha Shoneyia
Elections
Wadie Nafsu
Social
Margarette Sarafa
Club Committee
Ralph Ayar
Sgt. of Arms
Najib Karmo
The Newsletter
Bulletin Committee
Notable Performances Through the Years
A large collection of the Arab world singing stars performed at the Southfield Manor including:
• Lebanese singer Tony Hanna – tickets $30 (1982)
• Lebanese singer Mahir Majdi (1982)
• Famed Iraqi Singer Yas Khudir with Karim Badir Band for the 3rd anniversary party –tickets $40 (1983)
• Mohammed Al- Arabi Iraqi TV Star and singer with Sofia Sadiq Tunisia TV star NYE (1986)
• Mohammed Jamal and Juliana Jindo (1987)
• Majid Al-Kubbani and Nabiha Barada with Nadhim Naeem and Abdul Karim Bader (1987)
• May & Waheed (1989)
• Fouad Salem (1990)
• Kadhum Al-Sahir (1995 & 2001)
• Adil Ugla (1997)
• Qassim Al-Sultan
• Sa’adon Jeber (2000)
• Ragheb Allama
• Mahmoud Anwar (2000)
• George Wasouf
• Haitham Yousif
• Kadhum Al-Sahir (2001)
• CIAAM 22nd anniversary singers Albert Oscar Baba and Fatin Shabo (2003)
• Raad Barakat and Karim Al- Bayati (2003)
• Ismael Farwachi (2003)