Message From the State President

“INSIEME”

I am writing this right at the deadline, one day after I returned home from a very successful (at least I think so) of our first Grand Council meeting in our new home!

First of all, let me thank everyone who set up the meeting and picked up supplies for our lunch. I am not naming people because I am sure I will forget someone, so a very special thanks to all of you. I also want to thank everyone for staying after the meeting and helping to clean up.

I do want to thank State First Vice President Mark Vaona for donating new computers for the office. He worked in between the meetings setting everything up. Thank you so very much Mark.

Thank you also to Lori and Mark Rossi for emptying our storage unit and bringing the last of the boxes and chairs to the building. They also set up the tables for the meeting and Lori made sure all the offices were set up.

Everyone was given a tour of the downstairs and I hope that everyone loves this new home as I do. Like I have said before, it is a distance for me to travel but our members in the area have been so wonderful to me by letting me stay with them.

Thank you Lynn and Bill Murphy and John and Pam Tedesco for opening your homes to me so that I don’t have to stay in a hotel. I have been trying to travel there every other week and try to stay a few days. We will be having an “open house” as soon as things are unpacked and put away. We do have an office ready for an administrative assistant who will be hired, have a history room, stock room and a mail room. (Plus lots of other rooms available)

We sold eighteen of the round tables to a club in San Mateo and made a nice profit. Thank you, Ugo Pignati for picking up the tables.

Saturday’s Pledge of Allegiance was let by Past State President Vera Girolami and a beautiful invocation given in both Italian and English was given by Past State President Maria Fassio Pignati. I have been trying to utilize our Past State Presidents.

I again attended a meeting of the St. Helena Lodge where they had a “movie” night with a showing of an Italian film. It was a great idea and I really enjoyed the evening and the movie. The price included a boxed dinner and the Lodge had the whole theatre to themselves.

I also recommend seeing “Cabrini”.  I have only seen a few clips but hope to see it very soon.

Please note that address changes of members and change of officers must be reported to the Grand Lodge. It is important that the list of lodges in the Il Leone have correct addresses and information.

I attended the Bocce Tournament of Columbia Lodge and proudly distributed the cash prizes to the winning teams. It was a great afternoon with a delicious BBQ lunch served. Thank you, Ugo Pignati for the delicious desserts!

I hope that everyone had a Buona Pasqua!  Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms!

Ciao for now until next month.