A Message from the State 1st Vice President

Ken and I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. We are still being very cautious.

Congratulations to all our new and returning Officers. We thank you for your commitment during this difficult time. We will need LEADERS willing to go the extra mile. We don’t, currently, know how the pandemic is affecting our membership. We need to reach out to our current members and not be afraid to look for new members. I know that might seem difficult but if we maintain our lodges’ social medias we can still reach out to potential members. Don’t be afraid to offer applications electronically and put those potential members on your email list. They will be more likely to be around when we are able to meet again if we keep them included in our emails and newsletters.

Your Grand Lodge President and Vice-Presidents are reaching out to you each month in the Il Leone. Your newsletter works the same way. Maybe highlight some members with their stories.

Again, I know you have heard this from me in the past, but Zoom is the way to go. You get to see members and speak with them during a meeting just as though you were in the room together.

Your Grand Council met via Skype on Saturday, October 10th. We have not stopped working to better the Order for us all. There were no written reports except for the Financials, (Thank you Financial Secretary, David Lavezzari for answering all our questions in a timely manner) but each of us gave a short talk of what we have been doing during this time in our positions.

I hope you took this opportunity to sit in on the Grand Council and Western Foundation meetings. The ability to sit in on these meetings without leaving the comfort of your home is probably one of the only advantages this Pandemic has given us.

The Il Leone needs your help. If you have an address change, please be sure to have your Financial Secretary send them to the Grand Lodge. We are being charged by the Post Office for incorrect addresses returned. Also, if you are interested in going into the osiaca.org and reading your Il Leone electronically, Let the Grand Lodge know. Printing and mailing are additional expenses we can reduce if you do that.

We are all looking forward to meeting (we hope) in person in March and our Convention chairs are working on a June Convention packed, with so much to be done. Anaheim, here we come!

Ken and I wish you a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Little Notes from Italy in November:

Ognissanti: Celebrated all over Italy as a national holiday, All Saints’ Day on November 1st commemorates all the saints, while All Souls’ Day on November 2nd is set aside to honor the deceased.

Opera Season: Italy is home to four of the world’s great opera houses; La Scala (Milan), La Fenice (Venice), Teatro San Carlo (Naples) and Teatro Massimo (Palermo). The season traditionally runs from mid-October to March, although La Scala opens on St. Ambrose Day (December 7th)

Truffle Season: From the Piedmontes towns of Alba and Asti, to Tuscany’s San Miniato and Le Marche’s Acqualagna, November is prime truffle time, with local truffle fairs, events, and music.

Till next month
Fraternally
Barbara