Message From the President

The year keeps on trucking, the first two months of 2019 are complete and they have been very busy to say the least. What is that old saying, no rest for the wicked and the righteous don’t need it. I do not know where I fall into that, but I know rest will be coming. It seems like I have not been home for a complete weekend since the New Year has started.

I want to extend my condolences to our 3rd VP Sadie and Past Trustee Aldo from the Central for their losses. Everyone will miss Sid and Pam greatly. My thoughts and Prayers are with you and your families.

A special Thanks to our Financial Secretary David and our Budget and Finance Chair for your time to go thru the budget to be presented at Grand Council and at Convention. It was a long process, so thank you both for taking the time!!

As I am writing this I have just returned from the National Winter Plenary. It is nice to report that all three legs of National, Supreme, Sons of Italy Foundation and CSJ are all running in the positive. Mostly due to the Legacy donations that they have received. Our Membership numbers for ending 4th quarter 2019 was 32,367. (this does not include at large members). NELA is once again planned for May 22nd 2020 where National will honor the national scholarship recipient’s s and they have (4) honorees along with a Medal of Honor Recipient that they will honor also. More info will be available soon. National will once again be having a fundraiser where they will sell calendars for the month of October where you can win cash. I will have calendars available at the Grand council meeting in March. All officers will receive them and we will be getting more from national shortly.

Speaking of Grand Council is once again here. March 22nd 2020 we are meeting in Torrance CA, at Centinella Valley Lodge building. I hope to see many members there to see our Grand lodge at work.

Our Social Media chair Donna with the Help of Past Queen Mary has our Facebook and Instagram page working overtime. If you would like to post items on either format send info to Donna, her contact info is in the Illeone. This is a great way of communicating with members. It is just another avenue of communications. They are available so let’s use them!!

We are still selling tickets for our 365 winners every day raffle. It’s nice to see winners from all over the state and some repeat winners also. This is a nice friendship, birthday, even Easter gift. You never know you might be one the big winners coming. I did take a bunch with me to the National meeting so we do not all of our winning tickets sold to them do we? So buy a ticket, have your lodge buy a ticket also.

With spring in the air, that means Baseball season is beginning and all the North Bay local teams are having their Italian Heritage games. I know the southern sports teams also have heritage games but I do not have the dates. The only dates I have so far are in the northern district, San Francisco Giants August 26th, Oakland A’s August 1st Let’s try and support all of our teams throughout California as they promote our heritage.

Planning for the 2020 Convention is well underway it will be at the Concord Crown Plaza. More information will follow shortly.

To all the officers, again thank you for taking this leadership role.

“Always be generous with your encouraging words, you may find that they may inspire others to be the best they can be” Catherine Pulsifer (Think about this).

Let’s work together to grow together!!

Until next month…

Yours Fraternally
John