A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear members and friends:
It may be hard to believe, but we really are in the month of September. That means Fall cannot be far behind. As you think back over the past days of summer, your memories may include one or more of our recent AMHS events. One such event might be our July 22 General Assembly meeting, which featured Washington Post reporter and AMHS member Mike De Bonis. Mike gave us an extremely interesting talk on both his travel to Abruzzo and his experience as a reporter covering congressional and national politics. If we measure the interest of a talk by the number of questions from attendees, then Mike’s presentation has to rank as a huge success. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to see the results of the good work of our scholarship program, as Ben Abeles, one of our scholarship winners for the 2017-2018 academic year, addressed the membership on his background, his recently completed university studies, and his plans for the future. For a good description of the meeting, see the article in this edition of the Notiziario.
Another memory might be our Ferragosto picnic on August 12, when a sizeable number of our members and friends gathered at Ft. Ward Park, Alexandria to celebrate this traditional Italian summer holiday. This was our second picnic at the Alexandria location. Those attending brought their own picnic baskets, ate home-cooked food as well meats on the grill, enjoyed beverages of all kinds, listened to music, and simply enjoyed each other’s company on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. There was some rain later during the picnic, but it didn’t put a damper on the festivities. For proof, see the pictures that appear in this edition of the Notiziario. Looking ahead, you’ll be able to make some more good memories, this time of an evening of superb classical music. Our Society will sponsor a unique cultural event on September 8th. Entertainment will be at the hands of two very talented musical artists from Abruzzo, Alberto Ortolano and Tania Buccini, who will perform a wonderful repertoire of music written by the Abruzzese composer Francesco Paolo Tosti, as well as by Rossini, Verdi, Mozart and Puccini. The music and the reception together should make for a delightful, latesummer diversion. For additional details, see Nancy DeSanti’s article later in this Notiziario.
Please keep in mind too our next General Assembly meeting at Carmine’s on September 23. In addition to the excellent food at Carmine’s, we will have the pleasure of hearing one of our members, Immediate Past President Maria D’AndreaYothers, talk about the transhumance in Abruzzo and Molise. The word transhumance refers to the movement of sheep (or other animals) to mountainous pastures in the summer and back to pastures on the plains in the winter. It is a centuriesold tradition that is characteristic of these two regions, with the sheep tracks still visible today. Maria will touch on other significant traditions as well. It will undoubtedly be a very interesting afternoon, so don’t forget to mark the date on your calendar.
As we move into the Fall, I encourage you to continue to take part in your Society’s activities. An active membership is a great source of strength for any organization. I hope to see you at our meeting on September 23rd. Moreover, if you and I haven’t formally met yet, please feel free to come up and say hello on the 23rd, or on any event thereafter. It’s time for me to get to know as many of you as possible.
Best regards,
Ray LaVerghetta