Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I, like most of you, am anxiously awaiting cooler weather here in South Florida. We still need to be on guard and prepare for possible hurricanes during the month of October. Our first general business meeting following the summer break on September 10 was truly exciting. Our members provided a large variety of homecooked appetizers, entrees and desserts for the potluck dinner that were delicious and satisfying. The total attendance (including 20 guests) required the addition of two additional tables to our expected total. New members were installed and a very informative presentation was made by our Vice President, Joan D’Amato, on the value of membership. Finally, the strategic plan for doubling our member-ship in two years was made by our Membership Chair, Michael Schippani, with details on pro-gress to date. The upcoming October 8 meeting will focus on the celebration of Italian herit-age with appropriate presentations. It should prove to be informative, educational, and in-spiring. This Newsletter contains useful new information on cuisine, local eateries, and very heartwarming acknowledgements from FAU Italian Studies students who benefited from our financial support. Your Board of Trustees is working diligently to plan on additional events that will be announced soon. As always, we need your input and support on improving oper-ations. Feel free to contact me if you wish to participate on any particular committee. I fore-see only good things moving forward.

Sincerely,

Bob Ianniello

President