Message From the President
Presidents Report to Grand Council - Winnipeg Convention
Presidents Report
Order Sons of Italy
Trieste Lodge, Hamilton Ontario
April 17, 2009
Dear Brothers & Sisters of the Order Sons of Italy:
It is my honor and privilege to address you for the National Convention.
The Trieste Lodge membership is strong and engaged; we continue to carry forward the traditions of our proud organization, and we are ever so mindful and respectful of the contributions made by those individuals who have served before us.
Since January 1922, under the guidance of our founding President – Rosario Ingrassia, the Order Sons of Italy Trieste Lodge No. 4 has been committed to helping the less fortunate, fostering responsible citizenship, and enhancing the greatness of Canada.
As the 37th President of the Sons of Italy Trieste Lodge, it has been my commitment, along with my Executive to inspire a new generation of Sons of Italy members by, whenever possible, taking the time relate our accomplishments of the last 87 years.
Over the course of the last 9 months, we have initiated an unprecedented number of new members, this is attributed to the hard work of the current executive and our members, and most importantly, the high regard and respect in which our community holds The Sons of Italy – Trieste Lodge.
We continue to remain engaged in the issues of times, the earthquake in the province of Aquila ( region of Abruzzo ) which has caused death and destruction was received with great sadness that morning of April 6th 2009.
A day in which we at the Sons of Italy – Trieste Lodge, offered prayer and condolences and the need to move quickly and offer support.I am proud to advise, that on April 17th 2009, our organization made a $10,000 contribution to the earthquake relief fund. We are hoping to make future contributions and we will be working very hard over the weeks and months ahead to assure we achieve this goal.
Due to the dedication of the executive, members and volunteers, our events continue to be successful. The Trieste Lodge’s key annual fundraising events are as followings:
- Annual Turkey Roll: Which was held on Friday November 28th 2008, it was well attended and continued with its tradition of being filled with good sprits and sense of giving. The turkey roll has become one of the largest fundraisers for our organization. The event has raised over $11,000 dollars.
- Italian-Canadian Citizen of the Year: This was held on Saturday November 22nd 2008. The evening was a resounding success and well attended by over 350 people, local media and representatives of all three levels of government. The event raised over $20,000 dollars.
- Golf Tournament: Held the 3rd Thursday in June. Raises on average between $6,000 to $9,000 annually. The Tournament held in June 2008 raised close to $10,000 dollars.
These key events allow us to generate an annual Charity Budget of between $18,000 to $25,000 which goes directly towards supporting worthy causes and charities in our community.
The calendar year at the Trieste Lodge is extremely busy as we also conduct the following events.
Regional Food Night: - A Dinner held in the month of September as part of Hamilton’s Festitalia celebration, which runs the entire month of September. This was held on September 24th 2008 and attended by nearly 400 people.
Memorial Mass: - A Mass is held on the 2nd Sunday in November. The Mass is in Honour of all soldiers who sacrificed their lives in war, and in Memory of all the departed members of our order. It is followed by brunch our hall. The Mass held on November 9th 2008 was well attended.
Senior’s Christmas Flowers: - We deliver Poinsettias to seniors in retirement homes and nursing homes. This past December we delivered over 200 plants.
December Christmas Gathering: - Our December meeting was reverted back to our previous Traditional Christmas Gathering. Free to our members with a $20.00 dollar cost for spouses and guest. The event took place on December 9th 2008.
Children’s Christmas Party: - Held in December. It costs members $10.00 to register each child. All the children receive a gift and are treated to a fun filled Sunday afternoon.
Card Night: - Traditionally held the last Friday in January. This event is filled with laughter, great food and intense card playing. People come to play in the Briscola Tournament, or set up a game amongst themselves. The event took place on January 23rd 2009 and was a great success.
Father / Children Night: - Members are encouraged to bring their children to our general meeting in February. We always have a guest speaker along with a special dinner for the children.
Wine Tasting Contest: - Members submit their homemade wines for the contest. We have three categories, Red, White and Rose. The event takes place in conjunction with our March general meeting.
Spaghetti Supper: This event has become one of our most anticipated events of the year. Members and the community look forward to our pasta and home made meatballs, along with our authentic sauce. Last May, the ladies of our Lodge made close to 2,000 meat balls. We truly take pride in this event.
“Roastee” Award Dinner: The event was held on October 24th 2008.
In a humorous way, we acknowledge the accomplishments of our
Members for their years of service. The award is a tribute to ones
Commitment to service and charity and the betterment of the
Community.La Passeggiata – A walk-a-thon held at our retirement residence Villa
Italia. All proceeds go to Villa Italia. The event is run by the Board and
Staff of the Villa.I am proud to announce that the Sons of Italy Choir is celebrating 20 years of entertaining in our community. The Sons of Italy Choir is a key component of promoting our Italian heritage and I am ever so respectful and appreciative of the time and effort each choir members puts forth.
They are great ambassadors for our club. If anyone is interested in hiring our choir please contact us at the Trieste Lodge.Our Bowling team / league continues to thrive. I always look forward to meeting and having discussions with all the team members.
An annual tournament is held followed by a dinner banquet. Good luck to all the participants.The success of our Senior Men’s Soccer Team continues to move forward with the addition of a second Team. Each individual becomes a member or social member of the Trieste Lodge and participates in all our events. Good work, Gentlemen.
A great deal of work has been put into our website. Our address is www.sonsofitalyhamilton.org. If any other lodge wishes to link to our site please forward your web address to executive@sonsofitalyhamilton.org
In closing, the status of our Lodge is strong and secure. The Trieste Lodge continues to move forward. We are blessed with a dedicated Executive that is filled with hope and optimism for the future. Also, it is important to recognize the committee chairmen and members for their hard work and dedication to the Sons of Italy – Trieste Lodge during the 2008-2009 term.
The hard work and long hours that each of you have put-forth is greatly appreciated.I extend my best wishes to the Grand Lodge and Lodges represented here in Winnipeg for our National Convention, it has been my privilege meeting with each and every one of you.
Respectfully yours,
Ralph Vitello
President – Sons of Italy
Trieste Lodge
