Rocco Telese motioned to accept the Feb. 18th minutes. Vince Corbo seconded it. The motion carried. The club's web sight is http://goiia.pbwiki.com/ (case sensitive, all lower case).

Notice: This is a new web site address.

Treas. di Milo read the financial report for the Feb. 18th meeting. Income from the Luncheon was $252. Luncheon expenses were $300 and gratuity, $21 for a loss of $48. Other incomes were Dues, $35; 50/50, $30, and Ronnie La Barbera's donation of his 50/50 winnings, $30. The balance is $1719.64. Vito Giovannelli motioned to accept. John Murgo seconded it. The motion carried.

The $35 dues for 2005/2006 are now due. A March 4th dateline has been issued. Anyone not paid up by then will be dropped from the club. This means you are OUT.

NEW BUSINESS: Sec. Bill Poleri read in part an email Brother Lee Pappas received from the Secretary-Treasurer Dick Gaglione of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Grandson of Italy, explaining that they meet once a month and shortened the initials GOIIA to GOI, but are thinking of revising it back. He also invited Pappas to a meeting any time he is in Vegas. Murgo explained that chapter was started by our club's founder, Tony Vallo, along with another founder, Jimmy Ceasar.

Sec. Poleri reported that he received a call from Bob (Ianzti) Chase of Sacramento, who was interested in G.O.I.I.A. because he was sick of the formality of the Sons of Italy. Poleri said he sent Chase the club's bylaws and a letter explaining what we are all about. Telese said the Sons of Italy Club is run like a corporation. Dax Litto added it's a very formal group. Patsy Perriello said that the nice thing about the Sons of Italy is that they have their own clubhouse where you can go to anytime.

Treas. di Milo suggested that we have one meeting a year where we bring our wives, girl friends, mistresses, and etc. Murgo agreed except don't hold a meeting at that time. Carbo agreed with him. Telese wondered if we don't have a meeting then should we hold that session on a non-meeting Saturday. Holzer motioned that we hold one meeting a year where we invite our significant others, but don't conduct a meeting. Mile Gileo seconded it. di Milo felt that holding a meeting when our guests are here will give them a view of what we do. Perriello agreed with di Milo, adding that we will pay for our guests' luncheon. Since the majority was in favor of holding a meeting when the wives and guests are here, Sec. Poleri asked Holzer if he would amend his motion to include holding a meeting. He agreed as did Gileo, the second. The motion was called and passed.

OLD BUSINESS: Murgo brought up the subject of members not showing up at the meeting. He expressed the fact that we must bring in more members and see when attendance was up and when it was down and find out what's the problem. "We have to get to our friends and get them back or we won't be around in a few years," he said. "We have to be a little selective, making sure they have Italian in them." Holzer said we can't go by their names, look at me. Perriollo suggested we call members to come to the meetings. Matranga said that calling is not the answer - the food is bad. Litto added that food is always the same and we never see anything different. Loyacano said we should use a phone tree. Poleri said that doesn't work because the committee always call several weeks before a meeting when they should call just a few days prior to each session. Poleri added that everyone gets a postcard to remind them of a meeting. He asked if we should do away with the postcards. Murgo said the postcards stay. Vito Gionanella, Perriello and Litto all agreed that the postcards must stay. di Milo said we have a letter ready to be sent to find out why members aren't showing up. Poleri said that we are holding back on the letter until we investigate a change of venue. Frank La Marca felt that the postcards are inanimate objects but a phone is more personal. "What I'm getting at is that we would be clicking together, meeting new persons, being more proactive and brainstorming more," he said.

Vince Corbo gave an update on our computer site. He reported that Lee Pappas was able to get a new location, www.goiia.com. Corbo explained they are moving the site to his server. It will have a common password. The directory will be in the protected password site while the regular site will be open to the public.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Charlie Gallo reported that Chicky Russo is on dialysis and his daughter is going to donate a kidney to him. He is doing fine, Gallo said.

Rocco Telese spoke on where he been spending most of his Saturdays. He has been to Europe 24 times in the past few years because of his job. Ten of those times he was in Italy. Last Christmas, an Italian company wanted him in Italy and when he told them that we in the United States get the Christmas week off so it can be spent with the family, the company paid for bringing his whole family to Rome for Christmas week. He said it's great to visit Italy.

Telese won the 50/50 and donated his $25 winnings to the club