Say it ain’t so Joe, say it ain’t so!!
But it is so. After twenty years at the helm, as our beloved Lodge President, Joe LaPorta is retiring and turning the reins over to our current Vice President Frank Di Salvo, who will now serve as President.
But he isn’t going to disappear! He won’t be far away, and will be on hand to help Frank with the transition, and to keep his beloved Lodge functioning, at the level we have all enjoyed with Joe at the helm.
The most important message Joe wanted to convey to everyone is that he couldn’t have remotely done the job without the assistance of his first lady, and wife Laurie. She has been by his side for the entire ride. Laurie has helped oversee the kitchen function, and supporting the Lodge in so many ways. As an example, making up the gift baskets that are auctioned off at the annual golf tournaments for the last four years. Assembling them, from getting donations, to filling the baskets, a lot more complex an operation then what you would imagine. Just one of the “out of sight components”, that make up our amazing Lodge, and it’s not just Laurie that Joe wants to thank.
There is no way he could have done the job without the assistance of all the volunteers, to numerous to name unfortunately. They are the backbone that has kept the Lodge at the magnificent level that we all have enjoyed these twenty years, when Joe and the volunteers, entertainers, guest entertainers raised a floundering, failing Lodge all the way back to where we are today, perhaps the most successful Lodge, in the Western division Joe thanks everyone of them, the editors of the Il Leone and all his friends at the Grand Lodge.
He also wants to thank every member, past and present that has helped make the Lodge such a success, and their donations and contributions to programs like our annual toy drive for the Barbara Sinatra program.
And after another blistering summer our doors open October 11! Frank DiSalvo will be entertaining and Joe will be around to say hi and greet everyone!
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Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Grand Lodge of California P. O. Box 2467 Fairfield, CA 94533 Phone: (415) 586-1316 Fax:(415) 586-4786