Message From the State President

This past month I attended a beautiful 100th anniversary celebration of the Eureka Lodge at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka, CA with Past State President Vera Girolami.   It was a long rainy ride up and back but well worth the trip  It was an honor to meet and sit with Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel.  A beautiful invocation was given by Fr. Mike Cloney.

Honored guests and congratulations were given to Betty and Gene Senestrano.

I presented certificates from both the Grand Lodge and National Lodge for the special anniversary.

Special certificates and pins from the Grand Lodge were awarded to the following members:  25 year Members Lorene Luster, Betty and Gene Senestrano and Catherine Yancheff;  35 year Members Ernest Bondi, Joe Bonino and Caterina Spagnoli and to 50 year member Gus Cricchio.  A very special certificate was also presented to Evo Fanucchi who has been a member for 20 years but who has achieved the great age of 103!!! September he will be 104.

Beautiful gift baskets filled with special Humboldt County goodies were presented to the honorees and special guests.

It was wonderful seeing Past State Trustee Richard Luzzi and his wife Judy who came all the way from Washington State to attend the dinner.  He is suave as always and “still full of the devil!” This trip brought back so many memories.  I remember attending the Eureka convention and enjoying picnic’s sponsored by the lodge when I was 15 years old!

Three weeks later I was on the road again traveling to Weed and Klamath Falls, Oregon to again celebrate 100 year anniversaries.  The Weed building bought back memories as my Dad took us to Weed to see the new building the members had built when he was a State Trustee.  The building even looks better than in those days but back then there was nothing else around it. I am so proud of the Weed Lodge achieving 100 years and still maintaining their lovely building!

The Hall was beautifully decorated and a large group gathered for the celebration.  The catered buffet was delicious. Certificates and 25, 35 and 50 year member pins were presented to many of the members along with a certificate of appreciation from the Grand Lodge and a beautiful plaque from the National Lodge.

It was very nice seeing other lodges represented there, especially our friends from the Shasta Lodge. Many State Officers also attended. Thank you to President Richard Negro and the Weed Lodge for their hospitality and the beautiful basket.  I love my place setting of the original “Weed” china given to me.  I will cherish it.

The next day we traveled to Klamath Falls, Oregon to celebrate their 100th anniversary.  I love all these special celebrations – four of them so far during my term.  The Klamath Falls celebration was held at the beautiful “Red Rooster Grill & Pub”. It was so nice to see President Oliver Spires again.  I loved looking at all the old memorabilia from the years.

50 year pins were presented to Eugene and Rhonda Rosterolla and a very special award given to Yolanda Rosterolla for eighty years of membership!  I again presented certificates of appreciation from the Grand Lodge and the National Lodge.

I think the North should thank us for all the green hills!  It rained all day on the way to Weed and Sunday morning we woke up to snow!  It then snowed on the way to Klamath Falls. Monday we had sun on the way home!!

Our new building is coming along beautifully.  Our cabinets are done as is our beautiful new kitchen.  We will soon have a place for our lunches!

Better get this article to our Editor!

Ciao for now…  Until next month…