A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Members and Friends/Cari Soci ed Amici,

Well, I for one am very relieved that the cold and snowy days might truly be behind us. Washington, DC is quite a lovely place in the springtime, with all of its splendor, tourists visiting monuments and museums and, of course, the famous cherry blossoms. We had an excellent program on the History of the Universe on March 30 at Casa Italiana.

I believe all who were present felt that our speaker, Dr. John Mather, a 2006 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, was able to make understandable – and entertaining – a very complex subject. We were also fortunate to have with us Laura Jones, one of the 2013 AMHS/NIAF scholarship recipients, who spoke graciously of her roots and the importance of the scholarship to her. Please be sure to read more about the March 30 meeting elsewhere in the Notiziario. I am very excited that for the first time in our history, we will hold a silent auction on June 1, 2014 in Casa Italiana. The purpose of the auction is to raise money for the AMHS Grant and Scholarship Fund. A dedicated committee, led by Lucio D’Andrea and Dick DiBuono, has been working hard to solicit donations from various businesses and organizations, and so far we have received some wonderful items for auction. I hope that each of you will consider making your own taxdeductible contribution to the auction, which will help to support a great cause. Be sure to read more about the auction elsewhere in the Notiziario.

I would like to highlight a couple of interesting opportunities. First, the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) has launched a brand-new affiliate program for Italian American organizations, including AMHS. This program will allow our members to reap the benefits of NIAF associate membership for $25.00 per person per year. (A regular NIAF associate membership, outside of this affiliate program, is $50.00!). I’ve described the program and its benefits in greater detail elsewhere in the Notiziario, and a membership form is contained herein for those of you who are interested in taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

The rewards are great, and can only help us to further our relationship with NIAF. Second, on Sunday, September 21, 2014, at 4:00 p.m., I hope you will join us at Holy Rosary Church/Casa Italiana for a program on the Italian legacy in the development and growth of the U.S. Marine Band. The Marine Band will give a presentation on the history of the band, and the influence of Francis Maria Scala, an immigrant from Naples who was the Band’s 14th director. The program will include a performance by the Marine String Quartet. This program will be free to the public. AMHS is proud to be a co-sponsor of this event with The Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC.

(We are working to gain support of other Italian American organizations in the DC area). Additional details will follow at a later date – but please mark your calendar! In closing, I thank each of you for your continued support. We are always open to hearing from our membership regarding programs of interest, trips that we should consider organizing, etc. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any member of the Executive Committee. I look forward to seeing you at the June 1 silent auction.

Cordiali saluti,

Maria D’Andrea