November 2018

 

 

President’s Message

Brothers and Sisters,

Wow! We did it. We pulled off another fantastic Festa. Thank you to each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication in the months leading up to the Festa and on the few days before, during, and afterward. It truly is a labor of love.  We heard wonderful compliments about the food and the event as a whole. We also managed to recruit 16 new members from the Festa! I would like to give special thanks to Brothers Mark and Tod for their leadership in co-chairing the event.

Now, let’s all enjoy a little rest before the holiday hustle. I hope you will join us at our Thanksgiving celebration next week.

Fraternally,

President Brooke

Membership Information

General Membership Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, 140 W. Government St. Pensacola.

Our next General Membership Meeting is:

Thursday, November 8, 2018, at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Parish Center.  At this meeting, Buona Fortuna will celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with the membership. We hope everyone can attend and we are asking everyone to sign up for one dish from to bring to the celebration. Please RSVP to the email sent to you with your name, number attending and the dish you would like to bring to the dinner. It is also a BYOB/Wine event. It is important to know how many members are attending and what the menu will include so we can fill in any missing areas before the dinner date. A short business meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. 

Council Meetings

Grand Lodge Quarterly Meetings

Friday, January 18 and Saturday, January 19, 2019, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hotel, 1330 Saxon Blvd., Orange City, FL 32763, hosted by Deltona Lodge.

Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27, 2019, Four Points Sheraton, 33 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda, FL 33950, hosted by Port Charlotte Lodge.

2019 Convention, June 26-29, 2019, Doubletree by Hilton, 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441.

The Grand Lodge’s website: www.osiafl.org

Meeting Set Up/Clean Up Committee:

We need all the members attending a meeting to help clean up after the meeting. 

Charities

If you have a charity that you would like supported by Buona Fortuna, please contact Michele Ledoux.

Lodge Committees

The current list of committees is located in this newsletter, just under the council, state & national list of officers. 

Buona Fortuna needs your participation. If you would like to join a committee, please contact President Hardy.

Daniel Boham, Carla Boham, Sharon Cassata Ward, Susan Patton, Lisa Orlando May, Dina Linn, Gabrielle Davis, Delia Zappala Driessen, Kathleen Ludlow, Cindy Backer, Eric Backer, Erika Jorgenson, Lisa Nolan, Lisa Moody, Carey Bennett, Pamela Mittlesteadt.

Festa Italiana 2018

Thank you to Al Lombardi, Patti Russo and Shirley Cotita for taking photos of the Festa. Visit the Photo Album page on our website to see all the photos from the Festa.

Drawing Winners                                                                    

$1000 Ben Holsworth
IPad Carolyn Mc Henry
$250 Bob Grappone

Our Italian American Heritage

Did You Know This About Bocce?

 

The game is ancient. It dates back to 5000 BC. And although it originated in Egypt, it’s considered thoroughly Italian. Greek colonists introduced it to the Roman Empire and the game quickly became the chosen sport of nobility and statesmen, then spread throughout the general population.

Over time it developed into its present model, which was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants in the mid to late 1800s. Bocce was not only a way to preserve an element of the culture they left behind, but also a means of maintaining a sense of community and camaraderie. The game continues to thrive in many communities across the US. Even New Mexico.

Nancy Brakensiek, founder, coordinator, and capo of the Ball Blaster Babes created the all-women’s league more than a year ago that challenges the myth that Bocce is a game for old Italian men. Nancy, a bocce junkie, who is neither elderly, nor Italian, nor male is a force to be reckoned with on the court. She came up with the Ball Blaster Babes idea when she saw other women showing up regularly at the courts for practice, and to play in the monthly tournaments sponsored by the Italian Cultural Club. “They played well. They were focused, Nancy compiled an email list and sent out an invitation. In essence, it read, “Grab a partner and roll with the Babes.”

The first Ball Blaster Babes tournament had four two-person teams. It was a success. It was fun. And it was a “go” from then on. Today there are more than 30 women on the BBB email list. Nancy schedules about six no-frills, all-women tournaments per year, and she recruits constantly. Bralensiek offers free coaching and training by appointment. As a result, her Babes’ league continues to grow.

SOURCE: Little Italy in New Mexico

Just A Few Hours Away In Birmingham, Al

Italian immigrants came to Birmingham, AL, seeking the American Dream. By 1910, the Italian community was the city’s largest single ethnic group in Alabama. Like immigrants from other countries, Italians were able to find jobs in Birmingham’s iron and steel mills. But this isn’t the only industry where Italian immigrants helped leave an imprint upon the city of Birmingham. The Italian immigrants also sought to make a name for themselves, their families and their heritage. How did they do this? Public service, groceries, and artistic ventures were just a few ways.

Public Service
One way in which Italian-Americans have created a lasting footprint on the city of Birmingham is by becoming public servants. Paul DeMarco is a former Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives. “America provided opportunities to my grandparents, great-grandparents and my mother who came to this country,” said DeMarco. “My grandfather always said, ‘You’ve been blessed, so give back to your community.’ That’s why I ran for public office in the first place. I think the best way to stay grateful for a great country is to give back to the community either through public office or through charitable means.”

Another noted Italian-American in the public service sector of Birmingham was Nina Miglionico. Miglionico was born in Birmingham in 1913 to Italian immigrants Joseph Marion and Marianna Miglionico. After attending Howard College, then transferring to the University of Alabama School of Law, she became a pioneer lawyer and politician in Birmingham. She was an early activist for women’s rights and to date is the longest-practicing female attorney in Alabama, practicing law for 73 years. She was the first woman elected to serve the City of Birmingham, which she did for 22 years in the City Council. During her time in office, Miglionico stood for racial equality and consistently voted to repeal the city segregation ordinances that led to the civil rights campaign of 1963. A memorial statue was created in her honor in 2015. The bronze statue faces Birmingham City Hall from where it rests in Linn Park.

Italian Grocers and Farmers
By the mid-1930s, there were over 300 Italian-owned groceries in Birmingham. Some of the more famous names were the Cantanzano Brothers, Grand Fish and Oyster Company, Giardina Macaroni Company, Bruno’s Supermarket, Perry’s Steakhouse Pork Chop.

Architecture
When you think of Italy, one of the first things that may come to mind is its incredible architecture and sculptures, such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Statue of David in Florence. But did you know that Italians are to thank for a number of historic architectural landmarks in Birmingham? Vulcan – the city symbol of Birmingham – was designed in 1903 by Italian-born sculptor Giuseppe Moretti. In 1904, Moretti moved to Birmingham to begin working on the statue. The Vulcan depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. He stands 56-ft. tall (this doesn’t include his 123-ft. pedestal) and is the largest cast-iron statue in the world.

Another noted piece of architecture in Birmingham is the Florentine Building (or Sims Building). Created between 1925 and 1927 by Henry Upson Sims and architect David O. Whilldin, the Florentine is a two-story, terracotta building located on the southeast corner of 2nd Avenue North and 21st street.

The city is home to several prominent Italian- American architects, most notably Joseph Giatina, Jr. of Giattina Aycock Architectural Studios and Richard Carnaggio of Cohen, Carnaggio, Reynolds. Founded in 1966, Giattina Aycock has built malls, schools, and office buildings throughout the city for more than 50 years.
Cohen, Carnaggio, Reynolds accomplishments include many historic restoration projects including the City Federal Building and new buildings in Midtown.

Community
Upon arriving in Birmingham, Italian immigrants wanted to create a sense of community. One way they did this was with the construction of Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. Saint Mark’s was the Catholic church where immigrants raised the money for the church to be built and also where the original Italian festivals were celebrated. A festival is still held every year in the spring.

SOURCE: Bham Now

How to Say ‘I like’ something in Italian

Piacere means ‘to like’ in English but a more literal translation would be ‘to be pleasing’. In English we say ‘I like Italian’ but in Italian we would say ‘Italian is pleasing to me’ – Mi piace l’italiano.

Piacere is commonly used in two forms: piacein the singular and piacciono in the plural.
For example:
Mi piace il gelato – I like ice cream (literally ice cream is pleasing to me)
Mi piacciono le carote – I like carrots (literal carrots are pleasing to me)

The singular form is used for infinitive verbs:
Mi piace cantare – I like singing (singing is pleasing to me)
Mi piace dormire – I like sleeping (sleeping is pleasing to me)

If you would like to talk about someone else liking something, you can add ‘a’ before their name:
A Marco piacciono i biscotto – Marco likes biscuits
A mio zio piace cucinare – My uncle likes cooking (cooking is pleasing to my uncle)

The pronouns to use after ‘a’ are:
Me (me)
Te (you)
Lui (him)
Lei (her, you formal)
Noi (us)
Voi (you plural)
Loro (them)

A lui piacciono i film – He likes films (films are pleasing to him)
A noi piace andare in bicicletta – We like going for a bike ride (going for a bike ride is pleasing to us)

You can also the following pronouns before the verb to explain who is doing the liking. For these ones you do not use ‘a’:
Mi (to me)
Ti (to you)
Gli (to him)
Le (to her, to you formal)
Ci (to us)
Vi (to you plural)
Gli (to them)
Ti piace studiare? Do you like studying? (is studying pleasing to you?)
Ci piacciono gli italiani – We like Italians (Italians are pleasing to us)

To make a negative, you add ‘non’ before the pronoun:
Non mi piace la pizza – I don’t like pizza (pizza isn’t pleasing to me)
Non mi piacciono i funghi – I don’t like mushrooms (mushrooms aren’t pleasing to me)

However, if you are using the sentence structure with ‘a’, the ‘non’goes before the piacere:
A Sofia non piace la televisione – Sofia doesn’t like the television (the television isn’t pleasing to Sofia)
A noi non piace andare in aereo – We don’t like going by plane (going by plane isn’t pleasing to us)

SOURCE: Italy Magazine

Buona Fortuna 2835 Lodge Officers

Guard Shirley Cotita

Mistress of Ceremonies Dawn Wilson

Master of Ceremonies Andy Fricano

Past Presidents Gene Valentino, Mark De Nunzio, Pete Resedean

Herald  Tod Wilson

Public Relations/Webmaster/Newsletter Editor: Jovina Coughlin

Lodge Chaplain  Giovanni Mirra

Lodge Photographers: Al Lombardi/Shirley Cotita

State & National Officers

Contact Information:

Sons & Daughters of Italy in America – Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591

Webmaster/Editor – Jovina Coughlin – jovinacoughlin@gmail.com

Website Address: https://soibuonafortuna.org/

The first page (Home) has all the pages on the website listed across the top. Some of the pages have a drop-down menu. If you hold the cursor over the page name, you will see the other pages that are in that menu. 

Buona Fortuna Email System

Our email address is buona-fortuna@googlegroups.com

Please check your spam filter and make sure Buona Fortuna sent emails are not going there. Add us to your address book and that will not happen.

Visit Us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sonsofitalybuonafortuna 

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/BuonaFortunaSon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buona.f/

Remember Those Who Are Ill

• Rita Somma
• Lena Grace, Phyllis Alles’ goddaughter
• Vera Fricano

 

November Birthdays

Reg Altazan
Susie Argeris
Rebecca Blake
Joe DiBella
Joseph Del Signore
Delia Driessen
Brooke Hardy
Dan Kaestle
Frank Patti
Mary Resedean
Amanda Wayland
Cara Wilbur

Italian Cookbook For Sale

Preserving Our Italian Heritage. Cost per book $15.00. Great gift for Birthdays, Weddings, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and Christmas. 

Grand Lodge 2018 Calendar For Sale

Calendars are available to purchase and cost $25 from July until the end of the year. The calendar program is part of the Cash Three-Evening Florida Lottery Program. Prizes range from $100.00 to Special Holiday prizes for up to $1000.00. Dates for the Special Prizes are:

9/3-$100. 9/11-$200, 9/19-$100. 10/8-$1000, 10/31-$100. 11/11-$100, 11/22-$500,12/7-$100 and 12/25-$1000.

The calendars make great gifts for relatives and friends. You may purchase a calendar at the General Membership Meeting. Checks should be made out to the Grand Lodge of Florida.

Newsletter Article Deadline

The newsletter is published monthly on the first day of the month. The deadline to submit information is the 30th or 31st day of the previous month. Submit all information to Editor:  jovinacoughlin@gmail.com

Newsletter Ads

Members’ Personal Ads for Selling Consumer Goods cost $3.00 per month. Business Ads cost $36.00 for 12 months and are payable each January. Email a copy of your business card information or your personal ad information and a photo of the item you are selling to jovinacoughlin@gmail.com. Please make the check payable to Buona Fortuna Lodge and mail it to Buona Fortuna Lodge #2835. P.O. Box 12351, Pensacola, FL 32591.

Community Business Ads