Congratulations to the winners of the Western Foundation February Winner Every Day Drawing! Thank you to all the lodge members, family and friends who supported the drawing. You sold and purchased 530 tickets and donated an additional $187. Leaving the Foundation with proceeds just above $4,200. Great Job! Special thanks to Past State President Lynn Lawrence Murphy and State Recording Secretary Lori Rossi for their effort in managing the fundraiser.

We are hopeful that in the latter part of 2021 that we will be getting back to somewhat of a normal routine. The Vincenzo Bellini Lodge in Chico has scheduled The Sons of Italy Western Foundation California Golf Classic

One month into the New Year, 2021 and we are slowly getting thru this pandemic; at least we are seeing a dim light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccine distribution is on its way, even though slow we are getting close. Keep the positive thoughts there. Just imagine what the people of 1918 were thinking compared to what we have to day. STAY POSITIVE!!

It is nice to hear Lodges are still trying to stay in touch with their members. The drive thru dinners many lodges are doing seem to be successful and even though we do not see that smiling face thru that mask, I am sure it is under there. Many lodges are using Zoom for their get together

I want to congratulate our Lodge Presidents who are setting up either all Zoom or Hybrid meetings. Some of our Lodges are doing take out/drive by dinners to keep in touch and to do fundraising during this time. There is one Lodge that is doing a “Dining on Zoom” meeting twice a month. They pick a type of food and everyone makes it. Then they spend an hour eating and socializing. If you don’t make the meal you can still socialize. It is a wonderful way to keep in touch safely. All our Lodges are doing a great job of keeping in touch with our members.

We have just celebrated Valentine’s Day. Here are some fun facts about the history of this day. This day is celebrated in Italy but didn’t start with Saint Valentine it began about eight hundred years before he was born. Valentine’s day history has its roots in ancient Roman culture

Dear brothers and sisters in OSDIA, in these days, our world seems rife with division, envy, and hatred. Patience, compassion, understanding seem scarce, and when they do appear, seem too often overwhelmed with knee-jerk negativity to have much impact.

As I have written in my past articles, I have focused on building Membership, offering constructive ideas, and setting specific goals. As we all know, building membership requires constant solutions and implementation

Greetings brothers and sisters. I hope all is staying safe during these difficult times. Thought I would share the treasured story of Saint Agatha as her feast day is celebrated every February in Catania, Sicily. For centuries, from the 3rd to the 5th of February each year, Catania goes through a unique experience. A whirlwind of strong emotions accompanying the three incredible days dedicated to the “Santuzza”, as the locals name it, that involve thousands of devotees every year. They are eventful days full of faith, tradition, and devotion, a Feast that is quite unique in the world; the only comparison can be the Holy Week in Seville, Spain, or the Corpus Domini in Cuzco, Peru. During these three days, the whole town is abuzz for the patron Saint’s Festival,