Ohio Cultural Alliance winds down 30-year run

February 6, 2017 at 9:49p.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

It’s inevitable that many people are saddened when a longtime, revered organization calls it quits, but George D. Beelen is spending more time preparing to pass the torch than lamenting the past.

“In 30 years, this has been a learning experience for us all. The overriding things we’ve done have been to look at and study people different from us,” Beelen said, referring to the main thrust of the Ohio Cultural Alliance, which was established in 1987. “Our overriding theme is that genius has no boundaries.”

Beelen, who served as OCA’s president, spoke during Monday evening’s OCA Retrospective and Legacy meeting and dinner at the Tyler Mahoning Valley History Center on West Federal Street, downtown.

During a gathering last December, Beelen, a retired Youngstown State University history professor, said the organization’s 30-year run was coming to an end mainly because he was unable to find anyone to replace him as president.

Over the years, OCA members have examined and studied cultures, heritages, traditions, religions and ethnic aspects of between 50 and 60 countries, Beelen noted. In addition, the organization featured cultural-enrichment opportunities, along with ethnic entertainment and dishes at many of its 300 meetings, he explained.