Events On Saturday, March 8, 2008, we held our Installation of Officers and St. Joseph’s Celebration at East Lake Woodlands Country Club. All our guests enjoyed the breakfast buffet, complete with an excellent omelet chef, followed by the installation of our new officers for 2008-2010. Officiating at the candlelight ceremony was State Deputy Antoinette Caporice, assisted by Joseph Caltagirone and Mary Signorelli, all from Loggia Mona Lisa. We also celebrated St. Joseph’s with the blessing of the bread by Fr. Ted Costello who spoke about the meaning of this important day. And to complete the event we all enjoyed delicious zeppole, the traditional St. Joseph’s pastry. Also in attendance were special guests Brig. General Giuseppe Santomartino and Lt. Col. Massimo Bubbio from the Italian Joint Cell. A variety of lovely baskets were raffled benefiting our scholarship program. Our annual Christmas Party is a potluck dinner for all our members, their families and guests. It’s a fun, family-style get-together where we share an abundance of delicious Italian food made by our members, representing all areas of Italy.  As we carry on the Italian tradition of gathering together with family, we meet old friends, make new ones, and wish one another prosperity and good health in the New Year. We hope you will be able to join us next year! Very dear to our hearts are the three special charities for which OSIA is a proud contributor - Alzheimer's, Cancer, and Cooley's Anemia. In doing our part, our lodge hosted a fabulous "Reach for the Stars" Luncheon and Fashion Show on Saturday, October 13, 2007, at the prestigious Eastlake Woodlands Country Club. In attendance were close to 100 women enjoying a delicious lunch, fashions by The Cotton Patch, and complimentary gifts from The Daughters of Italy Lodge. Each guest also received packets containing brochures, literature, and gift items from the three charities. Grand Lodge of FL Cancer Chairperson Linda Biondi was the featured speaker.  The drawing of the three raffle prizes – $100 Macy’s gift certificate (3rd prize), woman’s aquamarine ring valued at $200 (2nd prize), and $500 Grand Prize – was held at the conclusion of the afternoon. Each year, we proudly commemorate Festa della Repubblica (Italian National Day), the anniversary when Italy became a republic - June 2, 1946. Special Guests include Italy's military personnel assigned to the Joint Cell, CENTCOM, MacDill AFB; the Consul General of Italy; state and local dignitaries, state OSIA officers, and invited guests. In 2006 and 2007, the event we co-hosted with Loggia Mona Lisa #2699 (Tampa) was held at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore Hotel. In addition to a formal luncheon, we have incorporated an extensive display of cultural items from Italy. Some of our outings have been very casual as with our Daughters of Italy Annual Picnic each year in April at Howard Park, Tarpon Springs. The wonderful smell of Italian food roasting on the BBQ, Italian music floating in the air, and the fantastic friendship of our members and guests makes for a memorable day. For more information about these events or for upcoming celebrations, please e-mail: vincenzad@verizon.net.