Presidents Message
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
While watching Public
Television the other evening I was
reminded of Italian contribution to the art
world by the beautiful music of Luciano
Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. They are
masters of giving you goose bumps.
Pavarotti passed on in 2007 but his
musical footsteps will resound forever.
Andrea Bocelli sees more
through his tenor voice than his eyes
could provide.
I also had the misfortune of seeing the
Reverend Mr.
‘’Wrong’’ Wright
flailing away at the
Roman Italians.
Perhaps without the
Italian architecture that
graces his church he
would not have a pulpit with which to
send forth his rantings.
Noting the difference that each
of these men provide as examples to
others it is sad to see that the one
cloaked in religious garb is spreading a
poison of discontent rather than a call for
peace and harmony.
Let Mr. ‘’ Wrong ‘’ Wright
remember Italians where once a minority
in this melting pot and came forth by
earning their way and not by demeaning
other ethnic groups.
We are proud to be Italian
Americans we love our country, we
bless America, and will never, never,
ever damn it.
And don’t you ever forget it.
Happy New Year
Fraternally,
Frank Cossentino, President
General Meeting on January 13 at
7:30pm. Your presence is requested for
the nomination of counsel members.
The membership attendance prize for
last month was $140; unfortunately
Dominic Ferri was not in attendance and
lost the prize!
Friday Night Dinners
La Cena del Venerdi’ Sera
Jan 4 – Lasagna
Jan 11 – Chicken Marsala
Jan 18 – Roast Beef & Veg.
Jan 25 – Gnocchi w. Sausage
Feb 1 – ½ Chicken w/pasta
Feb 8 – Crab Chesapeake
Feb 15 – Ravioli w/Meatball
Feb 22 – Rigatoni w/Vodka
Sauce
Feb 29 – Chicken Cacciatore
The Lodge Travel Calendar
Atlantic City
January 7th, 2009
February 4th, 2009
March 4th, 2009
April 1st,, 2009
May 6th, 2009
June 3rd, 2009
Eligibility requirements and other
necessary information are posted
on the application.
Call Mike Girolamo 410.866.2115
Speedy Recovery to:
Auguri di Pronta Guarigione
Santina Cricchio, Concetta Castagna,
Donna DeLuca
Deepest Sympathy
Sentite Condaglianze
Our sincere and deepest sympathy to
the family of Delores Butta and to the
Barbera Family on the death of Mary
Barbera Butler.
Essays by the Scholarship Winners:
We hope you are aware of the fact that
the La Famiglia Scholarship Committee
has selected the four recipients of
financial aid totaling $9,000 from the
Little Italy Lodge. Each year, the
committee is amazed by the content of
the essays submitted for consideration
when the essays are submitted with their
applications. The committee felt that the
entire Little Italy Lodge would enjoy
reading the essays of the four recipients
in forthcoming La Notizia monthly
newsletters.
Summary of Receipts and
Disbursements
General Account
November 2008
Balance 11-1-2008
$ 28,242.00
Receipts
$ 6,628.00
Disbursements
$ 16,007.00
Balance 11-30-2008
$ 18,862.00
Try your luck at Bingo
Bingo Jackpot: $1,000
January 18, 2009
Our new Jackpot for January will be
$1,000 if won by 55 numbers. Come and
try your luck at Bingo. Doors open at 12
noon, the full game package is $10.
Please join us for a day of fun. Food will
also be available for purchase. Cake
donations are greatly appreciated.
La Famiglia Scholarships for
2009
The La Famiglia
Scholarship Committee
announces they will
award two scholarships for
students of Italian heritage in
the amounts of $4,000 and
$3,000 for seniors in high
school who are planning to
attend college in the fall of 2009.
The competition for the two
scholarships is also open to
students who are currently
attending college toward an
undergraduate degree.
Students who wish to join the
competition must file an
application. The application will be
available on January 1, 2009 and
can be obtained by clicking on the
Lodge website www.littleitalylodge-osia.org. and
click on 'philanthropy'
If you have any questions
regarding the awarding of
these scholarshipls, please contact
Jerry Elliott at 410-561-0199
This year, the committee asked the
applicants to submit a written response
to:
“In the early 1890’s Italian immigrants
experienced many hardship upon their
arrival in the United States. Elaborate
on these challenges and how they were
overcome”.
This month’s essay was submitted by C.
Patrick Passaro, who attends Neuman
College.
Early twentieth century Italian
immigrants overcame tremendous
challenges. Ultimately, they were able
to overcome these obstacles and
achieve the American dream for
themselves, their children and
grandchildren by relying on their Italian
community, their willingness to work,
and their religious pride.
My great-grandfather,
emigrated from Italy in 1906, and again
in 1919. Achieving the dream of living in
America, ‘’ the land of opportunity ‘’ was
difficult. When he and his family arrived
in Baltimore in 1906, the family had little
money, no jobs and a sparse command
of English. He took the only work he
knew---mending trolley lines. An
accident at work sent him scurrying back
to Italy, however, he would return to
Baltimore.
In 1919, he returned to help
support his extended family.
Reluctantly, he, his new wife, and two
year-old daughter arrived at Ellis Island.
No one was there to greet them.
They took the railway to Baltimore.
Again, no family arrived to help. The trio
wandered the streets of East Baltimore
until they found Robinson Street, where
his mother, father and siblings lived.
Racial discrimination was hard
for my great-grandfather and all Italian
immigrants. The newcomers were
considered non-white to many
‘’nativists.’’ In many cases, these
‘’natives’’ had arrived just a few years
before the Italians. They called Italians
WOPS and Dagos. These terms reflect
the popular attitudes that Italians were
‘’brash’’ and ‘’thugs.’’ Racism drew
Italian immigrants closer. They began to
support each other by living in the tightknit communities. Like ‘’Little Italy ‘’ in
Baltimore.
He and his fellow immigrants
faced difficulty finding work as well.
Since non-Italians often did not want to
work with Italian immigrants, Italians had
a hard time supporting their families.
Italians then, like Mexicans today,
frequently worked the hardest and
lowest paying jobs. They worked in the
coal mines and on the railroads. My
great-grandfather, for instance, worked
more than one job and usually did not
make enough money to provide for his
family. This was especially true during
the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Despite this, men like my bisnonno were
the backbone of the American economy
in the twentieth century. Their
willingness to work helped them to
eventually overcome the employment
discrimination they faced.
Italian immigrants also faced
hatred because of their Catholicism.
Protestant immigrants did not regard
Catholics as ‘’ Americans. ‘’ Protestants
considered Catholicism a foreign religion
in America. For example, Al Smith, a
1928 presidential candidate, faced
bigotry because he was Catholic.
People believed that, because Smith
was a practicing Catholic, he would
listen to the Pope instead of the
American people.
Catholics, like the Italians, overcame this
religious discrimination when John F.
Kennedy, an Irish-Catholic, was elected
in 1960. His election gave hope to all
Catholics.
They now knew that they could
overcome anti-Catholic discrimination.
Italian immigrants, like my
great-grandfather, dealt with these
challenges in their quest to achieve the
American dream. They overcame racial
discrimination, economic hardship, and
religious intolerance. Their
accomplishments make me proud to be
an Italian-American.
Volunteers Needed
The Lodge Council and the Volunteer
Committee have discussed the problem of
the shortage of volunteers to support
Lodge functions. Organizations that
depend on volunteer
help cannot survive without that support.
Other similar organizations
are having similar problems and solutions
are scarce. Therefore, we are coming to
you, the Membership, to ask you to help
us find solutions. What action by the
Lodge would encourage you to volunteer
to be a member of the Lodge Council, an
Event Committee Chair, an Event
Committee Member or just to make
yourself available to help out at a few
Lodge functions during the year? Send
your thoughts, suggestions and comments
to Trustee Tony Montcalmo at
'[email protected]' or mail them
to him at the Lodge address or place them
in the "Volunteer" box at the front of the
Lodge Hall.
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW!!
Please send the 2009 membership dues
to:
Lodge Dues, Imelda Liberatore
8834 Baileys Ct
Perry Hall, MD 21128
Please make checks payable to:
Little Italy Lodge #2286 SOI
$35.00 for new members
$30.00 for renewals
Mille Grazie
Thank you to Bob Taylor for the great
job he did chairing the adult Christmas
party. The food was great; everyone had
a lot of fun.
Thank you to Mary Barbera for the
decorating the lodge just in time for
Christmas! She did a great job.
Election of Lodge Officers
Nominations will be held at the general
meeting on Tuesday January 13, 2009.
Members must be present to accept
nominations. To vote you must have to
have renewed your dues!!!
Happy New
Year!
Lots of Luck,
Lots of Health,
Lots of Wealth