A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear members and friends:

Here we are in the month of November, with the end of 2018 just weeks away. Our society has had a good year, sponsoring its bimonthly Sunday afternoon presentations, sprinkling in other cultural celebrations, and supporting the events of our sister organizations in the metropolitan area.

A short recap of activities just in the period since my last message will illustrate our organization’s social and cultural engagement. The Society arranged a sparkling evening of classical music on September 8, performed by two outstanding musical artists from Abruzzo – the pianist Alberto Ortolano and the soprano Tania Buccini. Those fortunate enough to be there enjoyed beautiful music, wonderful Abruzzese artistry, and a fun reception following the performance.

The Society then held its September General Assembly at Carmine’s on September 23, at which time Immediate Past President Maria D’AndreaYothers delivered a very informative talk on the transumanza in Abruzzo and Molise. The presentation enabled us to learn more about that ancient tradition involving the seasonal movement of animals between flat and mountainous terrains. For more details on the meeting, see the article in this edition of the Notiziario. On October 8, a number of AMHS members attended the annual Columbus Day celebration in Columbus Plaza, outside Union Station in Washington, D.C. The AMHS joined several other local organizations (Lido Civic Club, National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Knights of Columbus, and National Christopher Columbus Association) to lend support to the event. Some of our members also attended the NIAF Expo 2018, a daylong festival showcasing Italian products and vendors held in conjunction with the NIAF annual Gala in Washington, D.C. Some AMHS members also attended one or more of the multiple events celebrating Italian Language Week.

There were two theater shows, consisting of a Roman comedy (October 13) and a Neapolitan comedy (October 14), which were organized by the Ente Gestore for Casa Italiana and featured Italian actors with credits both in Italy and abroad. The shows took place at Westbrook Elementary School in Bethesda, Maryland. The AMHS was proud to be an official sponsor of these presentations. A third event in recognition of Italian Language Week was a talk given by the Education Office Director of the Italian Consulate General in Chicago, Professor Sandro Corso.

The topic of the talk, sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute and held at the Chevy Chase Village Hall on October 14th, was “Spoken Italian today: regional language variation in Contemporary Italy.” Our social calendar continues with our November General Assembly meeting, which will take place at Casa Italiana on Sunday the 11th. The highlight will no doubt be our annual wine-tasting event, in which local winemakers, including AMHS members, will offer their products for our gustatory delight. We will have one order of business to conduct first, however, as we will vote on the election of three new members to the AMHS Board. The candidates are: Andrea Balzano, Alfred Del Grosso, and Helina (Ellie) Zewdu Nega. I thank them for their willingness to be candidates for a position on the Board. At the same time, on behalf of the Society, I would also like to thank the Board members whom they are replacing, Sarah Scott, Jonathan Stern, and Lourdes Tinajero, for their service to AMHS. Finally, I would like to remind the membership of a unique event that our organization is supporting: the Bella Italia Market, which will take place on December 1 and 2 at Casa Italiana.

The event will provide a showcase for Italian products and services, and proceeds will help support the Italian cultural, language, and heritage programs that Casa Italiana organizes or sponsors. Please mark your calendars for this entertaining exhibition, which is free and open to the public. In closing, I would like to express the hope that all of our members and friends enjoy the remainder of this year, especially the upcoming holidays, and that your interest in and support for the Society remain strong in 2019. Please remember those fellow members who have struggled with illness this past year, especially Antonio Bianchini and Nancy Hurst. Antonio and Nancy, as well as others, should be in our thoughts and prayers.

Best regards,

Ray LaVerghetta