From the President's Desk

By Robert A. Bianchi, Esq.

Dear Sisters, Brothers, and Friends of OSDIA: It has certainly been a very active few months since taking on the Presidency for the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA). It is a great honor to serve the largest and oldest Italian-American organization in the United States.

We continue to ensure that our members, and prospective members, know that we not only promote our Italian-American culture, but have done so by raising tens of millions of dollars in charitable contributions and scholarships through our Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF).

Simultaneously, our Commission for Social Justice (CSJ) has been at the forefront of combating the attacks on Columbus while also promoting the positive image of Italian Americans that is so necessary to counter the unrelenting and unfair attack upon our heritage.

While the SIF and CSJ are vital components to OSDIA, so, too, are the Committees of OSDIA that serve every day in so many necessary areas—like membership, technology, budget & finance, bylaws, future good of the order, fundraising, women’s action committee, business development committee, and Grand Lodge outreach committee, just to name a few.

Unlike ever before, our committees are using the talents of our membership (regardless of where that talent is) to assist us in moving the organization forward.

With the help of the SIF, CSJ, our Committees, and the National Office staff, we have implemented many changes including auditing finances, auditing vendor contracts, creating Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) for doing business, and so much more. My team is composed of Dr. Mark DeNunzio and Dr. Mary Kovach, who also serve as my points of contact to the National Office. Their work to make sure that all projects have clarity and vision is greatly appreciated. So far, we have saved thousands of dollars, and our review continues.

Also, I am very proud of each and every Vice President, all of whom serve as Advisors to every committee in the Order and have been instrumentally involved in my decision-making process and are a sounding board for me. Their counsel and advice not only assists me, but also prepares them as they move up the chairs of the Order. I think our new manner of working together as President and Vice Presidents has never been healthier and more productive. They are all delivering value to OSDIA and are incredibly engaged in moving the vision forward.

As important, because of our newly implemented organizational practices, we have been better able to target high priority projects that are designed to increase membership, develop alternate sources of revenue, and score on some incredible marketing that has never been seen before, and which I am very proud of.

This is not to mention the great programming, contests, and projects that we completed and have coming up in the next few months. They will be educational and very interesting not only to members of OSDIA, but to all people from all walks of life. It is my vision that OSDIA not only preserve our heritage, but also be seen to the outside world as an organization that provides thought leadership to all people. Such programs, for instance, would be our Domestic Violence Awareness, Mental Health Fitness, and Financial Independence seminars that will be run through our newly formed Women’s Action Committee.

There is so much to do, and I thank all of you who have supported our efforts to maintain our traditional ways, but so too, bringing new, novel, and fresh ideas to complement the best that we have always had to offer.

My best for a Happy New Year.

Fraternally,

Congratulations to Lodges Celebrating Their 100th Anniversary in 2022!

William Marconi #1140 (Clarksburg, WV) Colombo-Stella #1149 (Fresno, CA) Ashtabula #1169 (Ashtabula, OH) Trionfo Italico #1171 (New Castle, PA)