2011-13 Executive Committee:

President
Augustine W. Pescatore


Vice President
Charles Camilari

Immediate Past President
Dr. Marylouise DeNicola

Orator
Dr. Rocco Gigante

Recording Secretary
Constance Arriviello

Financial Secretary
Dr. Anna M. Mattei

Treasurer
Dr. Marylouise DeNicola

Historian
Dominic Marinucci

Trustees
Karen Bitting
Dennis Biondo
Rose Gallagher
Carmella Giancaterino
Frances Passalacqua
Barbara Ricci
Renee Novello

Mistress of Ceremony
Carmela D'Angelo

Guard
Robert Gargano

 

 

 

 

A Message from the President     February 2012J
Augustine "Augy" Pescatore

                                                                              Felice San Valentino

By now you have eaten most of the chocolate, the roses are fading and the Valentine Dinner is a romantic memory.  I hope this holds true of you all but romance is not the only type of love we need to express, especially right now.  Our friends, relatives and especially District co-workers who have lost their jobs recently need us.  Believe me, they need us to show that we care for them; a phone call, a smile and a hug or that important lead on a possible job.  Any of those things can make people e feel a lot better not only about themselves but also about life.

We have a great occasion approaching, the 44th President's Dinner. Look for details in the newsletter and a flyer enclosed for your reservation.  Once again, the Forum has nominated and chosen a great lineup of honorees reflecting all fields of education.

Let's show everyone what caring and concern is all about.  The Forum will not only be recognizing excellence, strength of character and honest service but also will be awarding our scholarships that night.  Please continue to support this recognition as you have in the past.  It's easy, fill out the dinner reservation and you can have a fun night out with good food, dancing, and as I always say, 'talk' to friends.  We are having a "Chinese Auction", featuring Italian Food Baskets, Award Winning Wines and who knows what else.  We'll also sell the popular 50/50 tickets.

So, while you have the newsletter in you hand, fill out the reservation and we will see you at Galdo's on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

           Memorial Cards

Memorial Cards benefit the Scholarship Fund. If you would like to use memorial cards as a donation to the scholarship Fund in memory of a deceased family member or friend, contact Anna Mattei.

               .

Visit our Website at:  columbusforum.org

 If you have any information you would like to share with your fellow members contact Anna Marie Mattei
at  annamattei@hotmail.com so she can add it to the Website.

  Contacts:

 Connie Arriviello, Recording Secretary    ca2560@comcast.net
 Marylouise DeNicola, Treasurer                mdenicol@gmail.com
 Augustine Pescatore, President                popitofour@Comcast.net
 Rocco Gigante, Orator                               gigante@eitcomm.net

Happy Birthday

  To the following members

 

March:  Ralph Bonagura, Michael Grosso, Vincent Ianni, Emilio Matticoli, Renalto Melignano, Josephine Miller, Gloria Morrison, Catherine Muffi, Renee Novelli, Anthony Panepinto.

DUES

Dues for 2012 are due by March 15th. .  Including in the mail is your dues statement which includes dues and your insurance premium for the year.

Your dues pay your monthly dues to the National, Grand Lodge and Columbus Forum and your monthly insurance premium.  Dues also pay for our expenses, as well as, the mailings and donations to charities in your name as a Lodge member. 

Thank you to the 71 members who have sent in their dues.

News from the Grand Lodge OSIA

The Dante Commission has a scholarship for 8th Graders going to a Non public school in the fall as well as a scholarship for High School seniors going to College in the fall.  Email Dr. DeNicola

If you are interested.  mdenicol@gmail.com

News from District 3 OSIA

 District 3 has a scholarship for High School seniors going to college in fall.  Email Dr. Marylouise DeNicola if you areinterested in applying.  mdenicol@gmail.com

The Forum has three scholarships available to High School seniors. Last month's mailing had the application forms.               

Cultural Corner

 by Dr. Anna M. Mattei

                                                                          carnevale venezia  February 21st is Carnevale

     Carnevale, or mardi gras, is celebrated in Italy and many places around the world 40 days before Easter, a final party before Ash Wednesday and the restrictions of Lent.
     Carnevale  in Italy is a huge winter festival celebrated with parades, masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. Children throw confetti at each other. Mischief and pranks are also common during Carnevale, hence the saying 'A Carnevale Ogni Scherzo Vale', anything goes at carnival.
     Carnevale has roots in pagan festivals and traditions and, as is often the case, was adapted to fit into the Catholic rituals. Although carnival is actually one date, in Venice and other places in Italy the carnival celebrations and parties may begin a couple weeks before.
     Masks, maschere, are an important part of the carnevale festival and Venice is the best city for traditional carnival masks. Carnival masks are sold year round and can be found in many shops all over Italy. People also wear elaborate costumes for the festival and there are costume or masquerade balls, both private and public.
     The 2012 date for carnevale is February 21 but celebrations in many parts of Italy start in early February.
     Viareggio, on the Tuscany coast, has one of the biggest Carnevale celebrations in Italy. Viareggio Carnival is known for its giant, allegorical paper maché floats used in parades not only on carnevale but also the three Sundays before and two weekends following. Festivals, cultural events, concerts, and masked balls take place throughout the carnival season all over Italy. Restaurants have special carnival menus.
     The town of Ivrea, in the Piedmont region, has a unique carnival celebration with medieval roots. The carnival includes a colorful parade followed by orange-throwing battles in the center of town. The carts are presented with a parade through town about a month prior to Carnevale. Then orange battles take place on Sunday through the Tuesday of Carnevale. The culminating event is the burning of the scarli (big poles, erected in the middle of each district's square, covered with dry bushes) until the end the carnival season.
    The town of Oristano (see Sardinia map) celebrates Carnevale with a costumed parade, horse races, and a re-enactment of a medieval jousting tournament in a festival called La Sartigilia.
     The island of Sardinia is steeped in tradition and that's especially true in the Barbagia villages outside Nuoro. Tradition is strongly reflected in their unique carnevale festivals, influenced by ancient cult and rites.
     Acireale holds one of Sicily's most beautiful carnevale celebrations. Flower and paper-mache' allegorical floats, first made in Acireale in 1601, parade through the town's Baroque center. There are several parades during carnevale period and the floats are on display. There's also music, a chess tournament, children's events, and a fireworks finale.
      I had the opportunity to participate in many celebrations of carnevale, in Viareggio, Venice, and small towns.  It is an experience not easily forgotten.  As a little girls, my mother would dres me up and my father would take me to masked balls. What fun!   The music, the food, the costumes, the joy of the people as they prepared for the sacrifices of the Lenten season is not something easily forgotten.  I wish all of you a symbolic Buon Carnevale