Fiscal Note
No appropriation is required.
Title
Recognition of Italian Workmen's Club Month - January 2012
Body
WHEREAS, from the very beginning of our country, Italians have brought honor to themselves and have enriched our national life. In the beauty of Washington DC, Italian immigrants carved the seated figure in the Lincoln Memorial, adorned the National Cathedral with statues, the Capitol Building with art and who built the State Capitol Building plus other Madison Landmarks; and
WHEREAS, the millions of Italians who came to the United States brought with them a distinct strength of character, faith in God, devotion to family and love of life; and
WHEREAS, a group of hardworking men whose speech bore the soft intonations of the Italian language who came to Madison to escape starvation and unemployment in their native land banded together in 1912 to form a mutual benefit organization, the club Lavoratori Sicilani Muto Socorso e Benificenza on January 18, 1912; and
WHEREAS, twelve of these men banded together to form the local society today known as the Italian Workmen's Club; and
WHEREAS, the club during World War II was one of the foremost purchasers of the U.S. War Bonds, demonstrating the members' loyalty to America and the progress they had made in attaining a place in society as "solid citizens"; and
WHEREAS, until 1948, meetings of the society were conducted in Italian; thereafter, the English language was officially used since many of the younger members chose English in preference to their native tongue;and
WHEREAS, many past and present members of the Italian Workmen's Club have been or now are successful businessmen and civic leaders in the CIty of Madison; and
WHEREAS, the Italian Women's Club remains a symbol of mutual assistance inspired by necessity in a strange land in an earlier day;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City of Madison Common Council congratulates the Italian Workmen's Club on its 100th Anniversary and designates January 2012 as Italian Workmen's Club Month in the City of Madison and commends past and present members for the contributions they have made to the City of Madison;
BE FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution is presented to the Italian Workmen's Club in recognition of their contributions to the diversity of the City of Madison.