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GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA

"It is amazing what you can accomplish,

if you do not care who gets the credit".  Harry S. Truman

The road to success is always under construction.

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Happy Valentine Day

Order Sons of Italy in America

OSIA FOUNDER VINCENZO SELLARO M.D.

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JOSEPH DITRAPANI, National President

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Grand Lodge of Florida

EDWARD MOTTOLA JR., State President

(click on any photo to enlarge) 

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

AS 2011 DRAWS TO A CLOSE, PLEASE ACCEPT MY HEARTFELT WISHES FOR A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS AND A NEW YEAR OF MIRACLES  WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HOPEFULLY, SANTA WILL REWARD EVERYONE.

 WE ARE SIX MONTHS INTO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT YOUR   NEW BOARD OF OFFICERS HAVE COME TOGETHER AS ONE.  OUR PRIMARY GOAL IS TO SERVE THE ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP AND WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL  LODGE PRESIDENTS TO RESOLVE ISSUES BEFORE THEY ESCALATE INTO PROBLEMS.  WE ARE ALSO EAGER AND PREPARED TO RENDER ASSISTANCE AND ADVICE WHEN REQUIRED.

 I AM ALSO HAPPY TO REPORT THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF OUR PURPLE ASTOR BALL. THIS FORMAL EVENT WILL BE HELD AT OUR STATE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY JUNE 23rd, 2012, AT THE MARRIOTT ORLANDO AIRPORT HOTEL.  THE AGENDA WILL INCLUDE HONORING THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN RECIPIENTS OF OUR 2012 STATE SCHOLARSHIPS.

 CHAIRPERSONS FOR THE BALL ARE SISTERS GERTRUDE DORRIES, PRESIDENT OF OSCELOLA COUNTY LODGE # 2523 AND CAROLYN CIANCIOTTA, STATE 2ND VICE PRESIDENT.

OUR GOALS INCLUDE THE CONTINUED GROWTH WITHIN OUR STATE MEMBERSHIP AND THE PURSUIT OF INOVATIVE WAYS TO EXPAND STATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS WHILE REMAINING GENEROUS WITH CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CHARITIES.

FINALLY, WE MUST JOIN TOGETHER, MARCHING ARM IN ARM, REMAINING EVER VIGILANT AND DEDICATED IN PRESERVING OUR PROUD ITALIAN HERITAGE AND CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THE AVAILABILITY OF ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS.  WE’VE ALSO BEEN CHARGED BY OUR FOREFATHERS, AND OUR FOUNDER, DR. VINCENZO SELLARO, TO CONTINUE THE DREAM OF BONDING TOGETHER AS ONE……. UPHOLDING AND STRENGTHENING OUR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THIS AMAZING EXPERIMENT WE CALL AMERICA.

WE ARE A TEAM OF ORDINARY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO CONTINUALLY PRODUCE EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS.…….. IT IS NOT THEM AND US.  "WALKING THE WALK" TOGETHER..... HAND IN HAND..... WILL ENSURE THE SUCCESSES AND DREAMS OF OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS.............  NOTHING LESS WILL DO!

SEMPRE AVANTI,

EDWARD MOTTOLA, JR.,

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GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA

ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA

 THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA, ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA WAS INCORPORATED IN THE YEAR 1953.  CURRENTLY, THERE ARE 39 FILIAL LODGES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA WITH A TOTAL MEMBERSHIP OF 2, 932 MEMBERS.  INCLUDED IN THIS MEMBERSHIP ARE 9 STATE OFFICERS, 4 PAST STATE PRESIDENTS AND 8 STATE TRUSTEES.  IN 1988 TRUST AGREEMENTS WERE FORMED BETWEEN THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA AND THE SONS OF ITALY FLORIDA FOUNDATION.  THE TRUST WAS FORMED TO CREATE AND BE OPERATED EXCLUSIVLY WITHIN THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 501 (C) (3) OF THE IRS FOR CHARITABLE, CULTURAL, LITERARY, EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC OR MEDICAL RESEARCH PURPOSES.  THE TRUST IS GOVERNED BY AN ELECTED BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHCH ARE REFERRED AS THE TRUSTEES OF THE TRUST AGREEMENT.  THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA IS A SUBORDINATE LODGE OF THE ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA. 

 DURING EVEN YEARS, THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA AND ITS FILIAL LODGES MEET IN SESSION FOUR TIMES A YEAR.  DURING ODD YEARS, MEETINGS ARE HELD THREE TIMES A YEAR AND A STATE CONVENTION IS ALSO HELD DURING THE ODD YEARS.  THE SONS OF ITALY SONS OF ITALY FOUNDATION ALSO CONVENES DURING GRAND LODGE SESSIONS.  THE FOUNDATION ISSUES 15 SCHOLARSHIPS ANNUALLY IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000-.00 TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA’S EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.  LOCAL FILIAL LODGES ALSO ARE ACTIVE IN ISSUING SCHOLARSHIPS WITHIN THE BOUNDRIES OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL UNIT. 

THE FOUNDATION IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH CHARITABLE WORKS, SUCH AS DONATING FUNDS TO THE CANCER FUND, ALZHEIMER’S FUND AND COOLEY’S ANEMIA FUND AND ANNUAL DONATIONS AMOUNT TO $25,000.00 PER YEAR.  ALL FUNDS ARE RAISED BY THE FILIAL LODGES AND IN TURN TRANSFERRED TO THE FOUNDATION.  THE FOUNDATION HAS MADE DONATIONS IN OTHER AREAS SUCH AS THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE IN ITALY, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SEPTEMBER 11^TH FOUNDATION AND THE POLICE MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. 

 THE CSJ COMMISSION, COMMISSION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, IS AN ACTIVE COMMITTEE, NOT ONLY ON A STATE LEVEL, BUT ALSO WITHIN EACH FILIAL LODGE.  THE COMMITTEE STRIVES TO PROMOTE OUR ITALIAN HERITAGE AND CULTURE.  AND ALSO DEALS WITH ISSUES OF DEFAMATION, BIAS AND BIGOTRY AND STRIVES TO PROMOTE THE POSITIVE PROGRAM WITHIN EACH GRAND LODGE.

 THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA HAS ALSO BEEN MOST ACTIVE IN PRODUCING NATIONAL AND STATE LEGISLATION.  IN 2000, NATIONAL LEGISLATION KNOWN AS “WARTIME VIOLATION OF ITALIAN AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES ACT” WAS VIGOROUSLY PURSUED AND EVENTUALLY BECAME LAW.  IN 2002, THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA LED THE WAY IN THE ISSUANCE OF UNITED STATES POSTAGE STAMP IN HONOR OF UNITED STATES MARINE CORP. GUNNERY SGT. JOHN BASALONE.  MOST RECENTLY IN 2008,  THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA MET WITH SUCCESS IN LEADING THE WAY IN THE PASSAGE OF FLORIDA STATE LEGISLATION WHICH PRODUCED CERTIFICATION TESTING FOR TEACHERS SEEKING TO TEACH THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE WITHIN THE FLORIDA STATE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. 

 THROUGH THE YEARS, SINCE ITS FORMATION, THE GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA (OSIA), ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA, HAS REACHED OUT TO THOSE IN NEED, AS WELL AS SEEKING TO PROMOTE THE MANY GOOD DEEDS BROUGHT FORTH BY OUR MEMBERSHIP.  WE ACT AS ONE IN MEMORY OF OUR ANCESTORS WHO CAME TO THE SHORES OF AMERICA TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY THE GREATEST LAND IN THE WORLD. 

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            MISSION  STATEMENT

              WE ARE A FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION.  WE

             DEDICATE OURSELVES TO THE PRESERVATION  

             OF OUR ITALIAN HERITAGE, LANGUAGE AND

             CULTURE IN HONOR OF OUR ANCESTORS.  WE

             SEEK TO SUPPORT THOSE IN NEED THROUGH    

             OUR CHARITABLE AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS.

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                                                  2011-2013 STATE OFFICERS

President....................................EDWARD MOTTOLA Jr.

Immediate Past President.........DENNIS PIASIO

1st Vice President......................ANGELA HARRINGTON

2nd Vice President.....................CAROLYN CIANCIOTTA

Orator.........................................ROBERT BERARDI

Recording Secretary.................JUNE VANDERWYDEN

Financial Secretary....................ALICE RUSSELL      

Treasurer...................................TONY CIANCIOTTA

 PAST STATE PRESIDENTS 

* FRANK CASTELLANO * ROSEMARIE BONIELLO *

                                                                                      * SAL D'ALESSANDRO * GRACE S. CAMPISI MAROCCIA *

                                                                                                     * DAN COSITORE *  CHARLES CAGNO *         

                TRUSTEES                  

(CLICK ON A NAME TO VIEW REGION INFORMATION) 

                                                                                          Region l......................................THOMAS BOLLENBACHER

                                                                                          Region ll.....................................MIKE CARMOLINGO

                                                                                          Region lll....................................GUS GUADAGNINO

                                                                                          Region lV...................................TONI RUGGIERI

                                                                                          Region V.....................................ROCCO CAFARO

                                                                                          Region Vl....................................SAM PITTARO

                                                                                          Region Vll................................. JEANETTE D'ALESSANDRO

                                                                                          Region Vlll..................................MARK GREGORIO

                                                                                          Region lX....................................MARLENE CAPDEVILA

           Arbitration             National Delegates           National Trustee

                JOSEPH DENTE                                         EDWARD MOTTOLA JR.                                 DR. MARK DeNUNZIO

                AL GRECO                                                   BILL ZUPPA 

MILLIE GASPERONI                                 ANTOINETTE CAPORICE         

PAUL MILANA                                             TONY CIANCIOTTA

NATE RIVALDO                                          ROSEMARIE BONIELLO

                                                                    CAROLYN CIANCIOTTA  

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