At its January 18 meeting, The Board reaffirmed these officers:
President: Bob Iacopi
Vice Presidents: Kathy Pavacich and Bob Puppo
Secretary: Lorraine Cappellieri
Treasurer: Joe Civello
Other Board members included Sue Bacigalupi, Peg Bougopolous, Virginia Gavin, Bob Goodwin, Nick Lickwar, Larry Martinson and Myron Zaccheo. As of this date, the Club has 405 members. The Board voted to cap the membership at 425. Because of the high membership total, it was also decided not to have any more events at Foothill Center. From this point on, all events will be at either The Clubhouse or Cribari Center. This precludes the use of any outside caterers. Our Treasury balance is about $12,000, where it has remained for the last three years. On the basis of research done by Myron Zaccheo and Sue Bacigalupi, the Board tentatively agreed to buy a portable coat rack for The Clubhouse, pending some more research on the cost. This gift would be in lieu of any special gratuities to the Clubhouse staff. The Board also decided to update the e-mail address list for the membership, and to establish a web site for the Club.
The January 22 Wine & Cheese Party attracted a record crowd to Foothill Center. More than 165 members enjoyed a broad selection of Italian wines, plus antipasto and dessert platters. Chairman Larry Martinson assembled a large committee to handle the food preparation, and volunteers served the food and poured the wines. Ed Knott provided singalong music. The Club sustained a financial loss, but it was a high-quality event and all the effort was greatly appreciated by those in attendance.
At its February 22 meeting, the Board decided to consider higher prices for non-members at future events. There would be no blanket policy, and each event would be evaluated individually. As a test, prices for the April Spaghetti Western Night were set at $40 for members and $50 for guests, a $10 differential instead of the usual $5. Final approval was given for the purchase of the $700 portable coat rack for The Clubhouse.
The annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner was held on March 12, at the Clubhouse for the first time because Foothill Center can no longer accommodate the large crowds for our events. It attracted a record crowd of 200 (including 35 guests), which enjoyed the dancers from the Golden Greene School of Irish Dancing, and a barbershop quartet. Dinner was our typical corned beef and cabbage, with all the trimmings. Prices were $30 for members and $35 for guests, which covered all the expenses.
At its March 31 meeting, the Board confirmed the purchase of the portable coat rack for The Clubhouse. The purchase was subsequently approved by the VG&CC Board of Directors.
On April 15, Club membership reached the Board-mandated limit of 425.
The April 16 Spaghetti Western Night at Cribari Cener was a rip-roarin’ success. A crowd of about 140 turned up in Western dress, and enjoyed a country buffet, complimentary wine, a gift of a deck of playing cards, and music by The Don Giovannis. A line dancing demonstration was held during the intermission. The room was decorated with a Western theme, and photos of guests were taken in The Conference Room. Prices of $40 for members and $50 for guests did not cover all the expenses, but the success of the event generated even more positive word-of-mouth publicity for our club.
Our annual off-campus bocce party at Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos was held on May 18. Chairman Bob Puppo organized a successful morning of games followed by lunch for about 32 participants. The event lost money, primarily because of the high cost of mailing the invitations, but a good time was had by all.
At the May 25 Board meeting, Peg Bougopoulos, Virginia Gavin and Lorraine Capellieri announced they would be leaving the Board at the end of the year. Marilyn Gingerelli and Bob Marchant agreed to be two of the replacements, and a third will be selected later in the summer. The Board voted to have the new Board members start attending meetings in July, to get familiar with Club policies and procedures before the retiring members actually depart.
In June, The Club co-sponsored a very successful three-part program with The Villages Senior Academy. On June 2, Dr. Bob Senkewicz of the University of Santa Clara presented a two-hour lecture at Foothill Center of “Italian-American History in Northern California” to a crowd of about 70. On June 9, Italian Club member presented a two-hour program on “Italian For Travelers” to a crowd of about 30, again at Foothill Center. Both programs were administered by the Senior Academy and were open to all Villagers at no charge. On June 16, about 130 Villagers and guests enjoyed a bus trip to San Francisco to visit the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in the morning and then attend the North Beach Festival in the afternoon. The Community Services Office handled all the reservations; cost was $25 per person. These programs fulfilled the Club’s intention of informing residents of The Villages about the importance of Italian culture in our community, in an entertaining fashion. Joe Civello coordinated the program on behalf of The Club.
The June 5 BBQ and Bocce Party had to be cancelled because of threatening weather. It was rescheduled for July 10 and more than 175 members and guests celebrated the warm weather with a dinner of sausages, barbequed steaks, salads, bread and dessert. Chairman Joe Civello and his helpers organized bocce play throughout the afternoon, and we again had a very successful raffle that contributed more than $1,900 to the Club treasury. Price was $20 for members and $25 for guests
The annual cookie sale at The Villages Independence Day celebration was the most successful in the Club’s history. Chairperson Virginia Gavin ran the event like clockwork, aided by a large group of volunteers. The event raised more than $650 to help support other Club events.
On August 14, the Club held its annual Ed Pasquale Golf Classic. A record number of golfers participated—81—and the dinner at The Clubhouse drew a crowd of 127 to enjoy an Italian buffet and then take home the usual great array of prizes. Chairman Myron Zaccheo entertained the crowd with a lively post-dinner presentation of awards. Members paid $30 for dinner only and $35 for golf and dinner; guests paid $35 for dinner only and $40 for golf and dinner.
On September 15, our annual cooking class drew a crowd of more than 50 to enjoy a presentation by guest chef Joe Rizzi, owner of ChefWorks, who did a great job demonstrating the preparation of pasta with pesto and chicken Marsala. President Bob Iacopi also gave a demonstration on preparing the cannoli that were so popular at the Independence Day cookie sale. Ed Knott handled the technical presentation. Cost was $20 per person, which covered all expenses, including wine and food samples for all the attendees.
Our first “Notte della Musica” was held on October 8. It featured the usual group of singers from the San Francisco Opera, but this year their repertoire consisted of light opera and show tunes rather than opera. A crowd of more than 160 enjoyed the singing and another fine dinner by the Clubhouse staff. Chairperson was Peg Bougopoulos. Price was $35 for members and $40 for guests, which more than covered our expenses.
The Annual Membership Meeting on November 13 was held in the Clubhouse for the first time. Dinner was an Italian buffet, and the movie was “Il Postino,” which everyone enjoyed. President and event chairman Bob Iacopi gave a brief presentation on the Club’s 2011 events and plans for 2012. Price was $22, and there were 119 present, the largest crowd ever for a membership meeting.
The annual Christmas Party was held on December 10. The largest crowd to ever attend an Italian Club event—240—enjoyed an elegant dinner, which included choices of steak, salmon, chicken or eggplant parmesan, and music by The Island Wave Band. Paulette ReNee provided pre-dinner entertainment. Prices for $40 for members and $50 for guests, which more than covered all the expenses. Chairman Bob Goodwin provided wine on the table along with dinner, and his volunteer committee was recognized in the vent program.
On December 13, the Board held a special dinner meeting at Foothill Center to honor our retiring Board members (Peg Bougopoulos, Virginia Gavin and Lorraine Capellieri) and welcome our incoming Board members. Food was prepared by Sue Bacigalupi, Diane Marchant and Bob Iacopi.
At the end of this year, we have 435 members.
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