A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear members and friends:
With Thanksgiving just weeks away, we are well into fall and headed toward the holiday season. This year’s holiday festivities should be a lit tle brighter and a lit tle closer to normal than last year’s, thanks to the progress made in halting the spread of COVID. While the bat tle is far f rom over, the situation is much improved — something else for which to be grateful at our Thanksgiving table. Speaking of gratitude, many of us felt exactly that emotion on October 3, when we gathered at the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center (CISC) for our first in-person general meeting in over 20 months. Our guest speaker was Steven Livengood, the Director of Public Programs at the United States Capitol Historical Societ y and the Chief Visitor Guide to the U.S. Capitol.
His presentation showed us how Constantino Brumidi, the Italian-born “Michelangelo of the Capitol,” transformed the building ’s walls into stunning murals and how he painted the 4 ,664 square foot “eye’ of the rotunda. It was yet another striking illustration of how Italian immigrants have contributed to the culture and fabric of their adopted country. Mr. Livengood’s talk was ver y well received and prompted numerous questions and comments f rom those in at tendance. The event, which was coordinated with the CISC and the Italian American Museum of Washing ton, D.C. (IA MDC), featured the catering of Fontina Grille, which did its usual wonder ful job of preparing our food.
We hope that this informative and enter taining af ternoon marked the first step in returning to our in-person bimonthly general meetings. Plans are under consideration for a second general meeting this year, to be held on December 5. We have not yet finalized details, but stay tuned for additional information that will arrive at your electronic inbox shor tly. On October 11, some of our members at tended the Columbus Day events at the Christopher Columbus statue in f ront of Union Station in Washing ton, D.C. A s in the past, the A MHS was a suppor ter of the event and our ad appeared in the program’s booklet.
The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF ) held its 46th Anniversar y Gala dinner at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on October 23. This year NIAF celebrated Abruzzo as its region of honor. You should have received by now in the traditional mail your ballots for voting on the slate of officers and Board members for the upcoming term. Please be sure to return them in the enclosed stamped and labeled envelopes by November 30. Your par ticipation signals your interest and engagement in the Societ y and your suppor t for its leadership. In December, you will receive the annual scholarship fundraising booklet and let ter. The booklet demonstrates how our funding has grown over the years and acknowledges the generosit y of our donors. All the funds underpinning our scholarships come f rom our own fundraising, so the campaign is impor tant. In my view, the best way to preser ve our Italian heritage and pass it on to future generations is through the scholarship program.
The program awards students who have not only achieved academic excellence but who have also demonstrated an active interest in the Italian language and Italian culture. They will be the ones in the future to carr y the banner of the Italian language and culture in the countr y to which many of their ancestors immigrated. By growing their exper tise in Italian and deepening their familiarit y with Italy ’s customs and values, they will be in a position to promote them among their colleagues, employees, f riends and families. The scholarship program puts into practice the reasons behind the creation of our Societ y. It may ver y well be the most impor tant thing our organization does. So please consider suppor ting it. I wish all of our members a happy and healthy holiday season. Stay safe and enjoy the blessings that we have at this time of the year.
Regards,
Ray LaVerghetta