Greetings from Petaluma!

We had a small group for our dinner meeting this month. The members who attended had a delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner, thanks to Ed Santero and his kitchen cooks and crew. Thanks too, to those members who helped in any way and who made the desserts. I lost my notes from the meeting and being a senior citizen, cannot remember everything that went on.

Fred Schram spoke about the Fish Hatchery and invited members to go on a tour. Reservations need to be made to do so.

Dave Biggio won the monthly raffle.

Roma Lodge # 1573 is celebrating their 90th Anniversary this year. The lodge presents milestone certificates of membership to members celebrating in 5-year increments and those with 50 or more years as members of Roma Lodge. A celebration was scheduled for April however due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak the lodge will be moving the event to a later date. Those members:

First of all I hope this article finds everyone well and safe. This is a very hard time our country in facing, actually world is facing. Fortunately we have family to rely on and be with. Please check in with our elderly members who are by themselves and please let us all listen to our elected government officials. Please everyone stay safe and if you need anything reach out to your fellow members. Many of our members are older and they should not spend much time around groups. BE SAFE!!.I’m hoping the next article I write for the Il leone will be more upbeat.

We were just able to complete our Grand Council meeting with the use of a conference call and webinar. Thank you all that participated, I personally think things went well and we were able to get our agenda done in a timely manner. Thank you Mark and Lori Rossi for all your help in making this successful, I appreciate the feedback I received from the officers and members. Thank you for your support.

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.

News From the North
By Barbara Fumosa Wisniewski
State 1st Vice President

Sisters and Brothers: Ken and I have just come back from our first trip to Italy! We got to see Rome in a way most people don’t get to see. There was hardly anyone there. By the time we got to Catania where my father’s family came from, we realized we had to cut our trip short and come home. COVID-19 had taken hold in Italy and was in the USA as well. We were fortunate that we were able to get home before the lanes of flights were closed. Since then we have been under voluntary quarantine for 14 days. We will be back!