A MESSAGE FROM
OUR PRESIDENT:
Per visualizzare questo messaggio in ITALIANO clicca le frecce qui sotto!
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
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COVID-19 has definitely changed the way we operate as an organization, and although we have taken steps to keep membership engaged as much as possible, it is clear that we will not be able to return to business as usual for some time. To that point, I want to thank the members who joined together in September for dinner. We had approx. 40 members seated in the hall (following all government protocols) enjoying a great dinner prepared by Joe Mongiardi and the staff.
Unfortunately, we were unable to have another dinner in October as the rules regarding gatherings have changed. Although the changes do not apply specifically to us, I felt it prudent to get ahead of the curve and not take any chances having a large gathering at our hall. At this point we will not be having a meeting in November either, but we are hopeful that we may be have a gathering for dinner at our hall for Christmas. We will send out notification for this towards the end of November.
Although the Trieste Lodge has been on hold for many months, the 4 boards (Trieste, Charitable, Housing, Strategic) have been busy having virtual meetings. At the time of writing this message, Villa Italia remains a safe environment, free of a COVID-19 outbreak. To that end, we have not been notified of any outbreaks within our Housing projects. There has been also some major discussion between the boards regarding the Trieste Lodge’s strategic direction. Our next newsletter will hopefully outline some ideas for the membership to consider and discuss.
During September the Hamilton community celebrated another year of Festitalia. Of course, this year was modified to a virtual setting, but there are still some successes to be celebrated. Firstly, a congratulations to our very own Jessica Petrunti for winning the Young Person of Distinction (Under 30) award. Also, Jack Marchese receiving the Health and Well Being award for his years operating pharmacies and his philanthropy within the medical field. Lastly a congratulations to Frank Raso and Steven Zecchin for their fireside chat video that was shared online. It was a great video to help understand the history of Festitalia. I’ve also heard that this video has sparked some interest overseas in Italy, so there may be more to come from Frank.
My final mention is a congratulations to Past President Robert Skaljin for his appointment to President of the Sons of Italy Charitable Corporation. Rob takes over during a very important time, as the Charitable corporation operates Villa Italia and the health and safety of the residents and staff is of upmost importance. A special thank you to Brennan Caiella for his work the last couple of years as President. I can tell you that Brennan did a great job especially in the area of board governance.
Hoping everyone stays safe and healthy and we can see each other again soon!
Fraternally yours,
Lewis Merolli
President, Trieste Lodge
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