Message From the 1st Vice President

Dear Members,

With the start of the new year, I am looking forward to scheduling my State Officer Official Lodge visits to the Central Lodges. Congratulations to the following lodges: The Watsonville Lodge #2016, received second place in the Santa Cruz County Fair Holiday Lights display.

The Cristoforo Colombo Lodge #1534 on Fill the Boot – Lodge Donation Campaign total amount as of 12/31/2021 $6,940.00. Almost there, to Fill the Boot! A wonderful way and great idea to generate funds for your lodge. Also, their Festa Primavera will be on April 30, 2022.

The Shasta Lodge #2453 raised $2,482.54 for the Salvation Army. Member John DiMatteo who has been recycling their cans and bottles since August 2009 and has finally reached the first milestone of going to $10,000.00 and is now at $10,233.69.

The National office has asked that we advocate for our members to follow the organization’s YouTube Channel, Facebook, and other social media platforms, while also sharing their emails.

The Commission for Social Justice has launched an official CSJ Resource Page to collect and host educational information for reference – not only for our members, but for the entire Italian American community! Since 1979 CSJ has been the ani-defamation arm of the OSDIA that is committed to fighting the stereotyping of Italian Americans and conducts campaigns at both the community and the national levels that support cultural and social issues of importance to Italian Americans. Thank you to Jackie Giacomazzi and Tina Sparlin State Deputies of the Roma Lodge #1573, and Hanford Lodge #1543 for respectfully sending in their fourth quarter 2021 State Deputy report. A reminder to all appointed State Deputies; if you are making your visits to the lodges you were appointed to, please send in your quarterly reports. First quarter 2022 is due the end of March and no later than the 1st of April 2022!! Send copy to the Grand Lodge office and one to your district State Vice President.

I also would like to thank those members who have taken the time to reply to State Vice Presidents monthly gathered news emailed to the Lodges Presidents, State Officers and Committee Chairpersons. I, as well, as my fellow Vice Presidents appreciate receiving the comments.

WOW! The OSDIA has celebrated 117 Years as an ethnic organization, one of the oldest and largest organizations of Italian Americans represented throughout the United States! It is something to be proud of!!

I had the pleasure of representing our State President Barbara Fumosa Wisnewski to sit in on the monthly Grand Lodges and Subordinate Lodge Presidents Zoom meeting on February 3, 2022. Topics of discussion were: Planned date for the February Plenary meeting, OSDIA Interviews LIVE! Re-branded to Italian America Show (new logo), Membership Survey, NELA 2022, New logos, Resignation, and replacement, plus, hearing from the various Grand Lodges Presidents on what is happening, and up-coming events in their Grand Lodges. Thanks to State President Barbara for giving me the opportunity to participate in an interesting and informative meeting. Looking forward to attending the Grand Council Meeting. Our Grand Council meetings will be held the weekend of March 18 – 20, 2022, at the Grand Lodge of California Hall of Mirrors in San Francisco, CA.

Ciao – until next month