A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear members and friends:

I hope that everyone is healthy and that you have made the best of a spring that was marred by the loss of so many lives and by the imposition of difficult limitations on those of us lucky enough not to be struck by the coronavirus. By the time that you read this, summer will have arrived. Unfortunately, we’ll all still be dealing with the dramatic fallout from the virus, which will crimp our summertime activities in much the same way that it did our enjoyment of the spring. Like you, I very much long for a return to the pre-pandemic days of what now seems like a long time ago. As you know, we had to cancel our March general meeting as well as our June celebration of the Society’s 20th anniversary. Given the continuing guidance on social distancing, it is unlikely that we will be able to celebrate Ferragosto in the same way as in the past.

Although we have not yet made a final decision, the uncertainty surrounding the state of things in mid-August, combined with the need to make reservations and preparations now, makes it unlikely that we’ll be able to hold our usual picnic. We will inform you once the decision is final. In the likely event that we cannot get together physically, we will try to set up a virtual get-together instead. Despite these cancellations and postponements, our organization is not exactly in sleep mode. We put together two enjoyable online sessions in which participants came together to discuss a film with an Italian American theme. In each case, an Italian American film producer, Jim Toscano, led the discussion and provided insights that only someone on his side of the camera could offer. Plans will soon be underway for a third such session.

In addition, by the time you read this, a number of us will have taken part in a special online event to reunite the Italian American communities — from New York to Rome. On June 21, Father’s Day, participants will have had the pleasure of chatting with the cast and crew of “Road to the Lemon Grove”, a film shot on location in Sicily which deals with the topics of immigration, the importance of family, and love. So our organization is as active as it can be in these unsettling times. Virtual encounters cannot really replace actual, physical ones, but they are the best substitute we have in the present circumstances. I know that we are all looking forward to the development of a safe and effective vaccine and the resumption of life as we once knew it. In the meantime, stay safe and enjoy the summer.

Best regards,

Ray LaVerghetta