Next Meeting – The next monthly meeting will be held on Monday, December 1, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the FOP Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street.  Food and refreshments will be served. Please note, District 3 will also be holding their meeting on that night.

 President’s Message

 By now, some of you may have heard of ongoing problems with the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.  At issue are accusations against current Grand Lodge President Vincent Turco and counter-accusations against First-Vice President Ron Romeo as well as members of current and prior Grand Lodge administrations.  Numerous letters and documents have been mailed out to me and to members of the executive board, delegates and members sitting on Grand Council.

 The tit-for-tat has gotten so bad and unruly that the Nation Office has stepped in and requested a ‘cease and desist’ against all parties in the dispute until the matter can be reviewed by the national office.

 As your president, I want you to know that after having read these communications numerous times, I am not in a position to take sides in this matter.  The accusations, should they hold true, have the potential to effect the position of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania within the Order of the Sons of Italy.

 This matter has been discussed at the September, October and November Meetings as well as with the Executive Board. The concern of some members is that our per capita tax should not be squandered to pay for copying and postage of the aforementioned letters and attorney’s fees when it should be used to promote the causes of the order; such as scholarships and Italian cultural education programs. Some members have proposed that we suspend paying our per capita tax until this matter is resolved. On November 3, 2008 in response, the Executive Board has passed a motion to escrow all per capita tax until such time that the matter is mediated by the National Office of OSIA.  Attached you will find a letter which has been mailed notifying the Grand Lodge of our actions.  

 As an organization we should be spending our time planning fun events and supporting good causes.  We have our Adult and Children’s Christmas parties coming up this month and a 50th anniversary banquet planned for March 26, 2009. I would also like to see another bowling benefit as requested by many members and perhaps additional outings to the Phillies and other sporting events.

 2009 also brings Lodge Elections and I encourage all members who are interested, to run for one of the offices. Although I have only been in office for one term, I will not be seeking reelection in March.  I have enjoyed the task of serving as your president; however at this time I must attend to personal and family matters.

 I wish everyone a safe and fun filled holiday season and I hope the New Year is full of health and prosperity for all.

Upcoming Events – (If you are interested in attending any of these lodge events, please contact President Maurizio DeLisi, unless otherwise noted.)

American Legion Post 937
Annual Banquet, Saturday, November 29, 2008 – Kings Caterers, 4010 New Falls Road, Bristol, PA. 6pm.
Tickets are $55.00 – $27.50 for members. Legionnaire of the Year is Nick Forgione

Adult Christmas Party, Sunday, December 7, 2008 –in conjunction with District 3. 5:30-Swan Caterers Waterfall Room. Tickets are $45 per person, $22.50 for members.

Children’s Christmas Party – Sunday, December 21^th, 2008. 11am to 2pm in the FOP Hall.  As always, children nine years and under will receive gifts from Santa.  Santa will distribute gifts provided by members to children ten years and older.  Please use the form below to submit your children’s (or grandchildren’s) information.   We need to receive it no later than December 8, 2008. Please mail it, call it in, or send it via our web site.  Chairperson Joe Spera is looking for members to volunteer and work for the party.  If you want to be a part of this committee, contact Joe via the online contact form and select 2008 Childrens’ Christmas Party as the topic.  Even if you do not want to be on the committee, we can always use an extra pair of hands – a cook, a truck and driver, etc.  This is one of our most successful events – let’s keep it that way.  Cakes and cookies are appreciated on the day of the party. 

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CHILDRENS CHRISTMAS PARTY –DECEMBER 21, 2008 – WE MUST RECEIVE FORM NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 8, 2008.   YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER ONLINE @ www.custodespacis.org

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Meeting Schedule:

All Meetings start at 7pm and are located at the FOP Lodge 5 Hall, 1336 Spring Garden Street

Monday, January 5, 2009

Monday, February 2, 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

Monday, May 5, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009

Per Capita Tax Letter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 1, 2008 ­ We write on behalf of the 103 year old Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) and our 550,000 family members throughout the nation, and our anti-defamation arm, the Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), to strongly and unequivocally reject and condemn recently reported remarks made by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. According to MSNBC and other published and internet sources, Rev. Wright in 2007 stated: “[Jesus'] enemies had their opinion about Him…. The Italians for the most part looked down their garlic noses at the Galileans.” He then called Jesus’ crucifixion “a public lynching Italian style” executed in “Apartheid Rome”.

OSIA and the CSJ have sterling records of championing social justice and fair treatment for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality or religion, and of combating, wherever and whenever necessary discrimination, defamation and stereotyping. We have worked closely, collaboratively and effectively for such causes with numerous and various social, religious and cultural groups throughout our long history. The civically responsible, philanthropic and patriotic works of the Sons of Italy have been publicly attested to by every US president since Woodrow Wilson.

Indeed, it is this unchallenged record of advocacy of social justice for all people that has delayed our response to Rev. Wright’s unfortunate remarks, as we seek to lend reason and clarity to a deeply troubling historical reality. Rev. Wright’s remarks cannot merely be attributed to “anger”, but must be viewed against the backdrop of many years of what historian Richard Gambino called a “monstrous tradition in America” and an “injustice which remains hidden” directed at Italians.

While America of the late 19th century witnessed widespread racist, ethnic and anti-Catholic hatred, few immigrant groups suffered more than Italians: in 1891, in New Orleans, ten Italian prisoners found not guilty by a jury were executed by a mob in the largest lynching in American history. That same year, several Italians were lynched in West Virginia. In March 1894, several hundred Italians were driven out of Altoona, Pennsylvania, by an armed mob. In 1895, six Italian labor organizers were lynched in Colorado, six more in Hahnville, Louisiana, as were five Italian shopkeepers four years later in Tallulah, La. Fatal mob attacks against Italians were recorded in 1901, in Mississippi, 1906 in West Virginia, and 1910 in Tampa, Fl. In addition to the highly prejudicial and legally tainted Sacco and Vanzetti case of the 1920s, historian John Higham wrote that “No pogrom has ever stained American soil, nor did any single anti-Jewish incident in the 1920′s match the violence of the [vigilante mob-led] anti-Italian riot ” in West Frankfort, Illinois.

Words are important and have meaning, clear and subliminal. Shock jock Don Imus, whose very staple and basis for earning many millions of dollars, is the use of provocative, abrasive, demeaning and edge language, was fired and universally excoriated for the use of three extremely offensive and inappropriate words. A skilled communicator, Rev. Wright’s deliberate choice of words having explicitly 20th century meaning (“lynching Italian style”, “Apartheid”, even “Italians”; there were Romans at the time, Italy didn’t exist) to describe first century AD events speak to an intention far beyond the expression of mere “anger”, or the citing of putative historical truths. We decry those intentions and sentiments as, we are confident, do all decent and fair-minded individuals. Rev. Wright, while perhaps retired, nevertheless owes all Italian Americans a sincere apology. We live in a profoundly complex, multifaceted, diverse society, which defies simplistic questions, answers and reasons. We must transcend personal injustices and seek a deeper understanding and appreciation that each of us, separately and as a group, often are and feel offended. No one has a monopoly on being discriminated against, defamed or stereotyped.

OSIA’s and the CSJ’s purpose here is not political. We desire no involvement in the current presidential campaign, nor do we wish to become embroiled in a political maelstrom. Still, one of the three candidates will, in all probability, become the next leader of the free world and the next president, thus representing all of the US’s 300 million-plus citizens, 26 million of whom are of Italian heritage. We believe that Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama must unequivocally condemn the words and sentiments voiced by Rev. Wright, and clearly disavow his actions.

Philip R. Piccigallo, Ph.D
National Executive Director
Order Sons of Italy in America

The Supreme Council
Order Sons of Italy in America

The Commission for Social Justice Board of Directors

Delegates in Attendance
Theresa Cardamone
Angela Cardamone
Charles H. O’Connor
Charles O’Connor, Jr.
Rita Rastelli
Maurizio DeLisi
Gary Cardamone – as State Trustee

Elections
Custodes Pacis members were nominated for and accepted various positions within the Grand Lodge on the district, state and national levels. We have placed ourselves within a unique position to now have 5 members represent the lodge at the district and state levels with two members now sitting on Grand Council.. Additional we now have two members eligible to attend the National Convention as delegates. All those elected should be commended for being willing to take on these duties.

District Elections
Rita Rastelli – State Trustee – District 3
Angela Cardamone – Dante Commission for Education – Vice-President
Maurizio DeLisi – Alternate – National Delegate(Recently, selected to attend the national convention as a delegate)
Charles O’Connor – Arbitration Commission

Grand Lodge Elections
Gary Cardamone – State Financial Secretary

Donations
Donations in the amount of $100 we made to the following charities:
Alzheimer’s, Cooley’s Anemia, Commission for Social Justice and Coaches for Cancer

By-Law Amendments
By-law amendments were not voted on due to a violation with the distribution of the proposed amendments prior to the convention. Since the delegates did not have 15 days notice, the by-laws will be voted on via
U.S. Mail

Per capita increase
The body voted to increase the per capita tax by $4 per year per member. This will take place in 2008. The per capita tax increase and the effect it has on Custodes Pacis finances will be discussed at upcoming meetings.

Sempre Avanti column for June 2007:
Seeing Double
by Dona De Sanctis

Washington – May 1, 2007 – Any doubts about the existence of a double standard when it comes to Italian Americans and political correctness were swept away for good last April during the Imus incident. You remember it, don’t you?

On April 4, shock jock radio talk host Don Imus and his executive producer, Bernard McGuirk were on the air talking about basketball when Imus referred to the players on the Rutgers University women’s basketball team as “nappy headed hos.”

The remark was made at 6:30 in the morning and heard by about 150,000 people, but it soon wound up on YouTube which services millions of people online. Imus publicly apologized and even appeared on Al Sharpton’s syndicated radio program where the good reverend accused Imus of “setting a precedent that allows racist language to be used in mainstream, federally regulated television and radio.”

Soon Jesse Jackson weighed in along with the NAACP and the National Association of Black Journalists. Within a week, Imus was fired and his 40- year radio career was over.

You may download the complete article here:June 2007 Sempre Avanti