ABOUT OUR LODGE

[ Home ] [ Festa Italiana ] [ Friday Night Pasta.htm ] [ Membership News.htm ] [ Charities.htm ] [ coming_soon.htm ] [ Cookbooks ] [ about_our_lodge.htm ] [ golf_tournament.htm ] [ Team Leaders.htm ] [ memories.htm ] [ Buona Fortuna Lodge ] [ Scholarship News ]

ABOUT OUR LODGE

CLICK HERE TO EMAIL US

*************************************************************************************

CLICK ON BOOK BELOW TO REVIEW AND/OR PURCHASE

OUR FAMOUS ITALIAN COOKBOOK

WITH AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RECIPES

*******************************************************************************************

CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO ENLARGE

ABOUT OSIA

The Sons of Italy is the oldest and largest fraternal order of Italian-Americans

in North America.

Founded in New York State in 1905 by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro M.D.,

we have grown to over 200 Lodges in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda.

We are a non-political, non-partisan organization that truly represents

Americans of Italian extraction from all walks of life. Our membership

includes judges, doctors, lawyers, laborers, businessmen, engineers,

elected officials, housewives, construction workers, and every other

occupation open to Americans.

Our local lodge, organized more than 30 years ago by the following charter members:

Tom Bevino; David Trapanese; Bill Zuppa; Sam Taormina;

Joe Proscia, Sr.; Frank Scandone; Dennis Barbarisi; Carlo Forte;

Gerard Perillo; Lou Raganella; Blanche Steidl; Felix DeLorenzo;

Jim Angelo; Violet Seaver; Chuck Franzalia; Vito Monteleone;

Charles Bonadonna; Joe Palazzo; Concetta Louis; Catherine Drusbach;

Jerry Bevino; Dominic DeCaprio; Frank DePrisco; Mario Manfredini;

Gino Brigante;

is named after our founder

Joseph B. Franzalia.

A native of West Virginia, Joseph B.Franzalia moved to Florida for health reasons. He settled in Fort Walton Beach, where he organized an Order Sons of Italy in America lodge that took the name Northwest Florida Lodge No. 2422. Later the members honored him by changing the name of the lodge to Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge No. 2422.

Our lodge provides financial support to many national and local charities and we

currently provide 11 scholarships annually to local high school seniors.

To accomplish these goals it takes a group of dedicated volunteer team

leaders and team players. It is through the dedication and hard work of

these individuals that our local lodge organizes and implements the many

fund-raising activities that provide the income to finance these

charitable programs.

The Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge #2422 takes great pride in it's accomplishments

and looks forward to increasing it's contributions to our proud heritage,

our community, and our "one nation under God" citizenship

in the greatest experiment ever.....AMERICA.

LODGE HISTORY

Lodge #2422 was founded as an Italian Fraternal Organization in early 1978 by Joe Franzalia and twenty-five Americans of Italian Ancestry in Northwest Florida. In a short time these charter members, under the leadership and organizational skills of Tom Bevino, decided to affiliate with the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA). Founded in 1905, OSIA had become the largest organization of Americans of Italian heritage. The required 25 Charter Members obtained a charter as Lodge #2422 in September, 1978 and was named the Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge. It is a filial lodge of the Grand Lodge of Florida, OSIA.

F or several years meetings were held in members' homes, community rooms and in facilities of other organizations. In the early 80's, real estate was located by Charter member and current President Bill Zuppa. Under the leadership of Charter members David Trapanese, Henry Steidl and Venerable Leo Tisa, the membership approved the acquisition which has, over the years, developed into an approximately 8,000 sq. ft. building with complete facilities, including ample parking and a picnic area with a bocci court.

PAST VENERABLES/PRESIDENTS

Tom Bevino, 1978-80; Leo Tisa, 1980-81; Charles Varalla, 1981-83;

Pat Hollarn, 1983-85; Felix Delorenzo, 1985-86; Jim Angelo, 1986-88;

Vito Marinelli, 1988-90; Pauline Parker, 1990-92; Bill Walker 1992-94;

Pat Cantacessi, 1994-96; Lou Villanacci, 1996-98; Vito Marinelli, 1998-00;

Maddie McNeal, 2000-02; Theresa Holland, 2002-04; Bill Zuppa, 2004-2006;

Maddie McNeal, 2006-Present

Perseverance, determination and leadership by the above Past Venerables/Presidents,contributed to the many improvements/achievements, including the final payment of our building notes made in 1998. Membership has remained at slightly more than 100 all through the years and has now reached an all time high of approximately 200 members on December 2005.

The lodge has been a community leader since 1978: contributing to local, state and national charities; sponsoring and participating in community events; hosting fund-raisers, dances and other festivities; providing college scholarships and helping the unfortunate and disadvantaged. Although a fraternal organization, and not primarily a charitable organization, the lodge makes contributions to many organizations, such as Cooley's Anemia and Alzheimer's Research, amounting to thousands of dollars annually. Additionally, over $10,000 in scholarships to deserving college-bound seniors at Okaloosa County High Schools, and an in-house scholarship for relatives of lodge members are awarded every year.

An annual Christmas party, with gifts, is provided every year tor the disabled residents of Sunland Center, Marianna, Florida. Originally implemented by the late Charter member Jim Angelo.

For many years the lodge building has served as a precinct polling place for all elections held in Okaloosa County. We are very proud of our current Supervisor of Elections, Pat Hollarn, who is also a Past President of our Lodge.

The annual two-day Festa ltaliana, originated by our first President Tom Bevino, now a quarter-century mature, has evolved from what was once the largest single-day public festival in the county .

The annual Amici d'ltaliani Golf Tournament, at the finest links in the area, provides Italian food and fun for the public. This event was originated by our founder Joe Franzalia, Bill Zuppa, and Frank Battista.

Every Friday evening the lodge doors are opened to the public for Pasta Night with teams of members cooking and serving authentic Italian food for a reasonable price. An original idea by Bill and Gloria Walker.

Being located between two major Air Force bases, the lodge has also hosted free dinners for families of military members deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and other overseas locations. When Hurricane Ivan badly damaged the area in September 2004, the lodge opened its doors to welcome victims of the storm to free dinners.

Rental of the lodge facilities has not only provided some revenue for accomplishing the foregoing, it has made available to the community excellent accommodation for all sorts of activities at very reasonable and competitive prices.

Not only is the lodge concerned with temporal things, the membership always seeks ways to promote Italian language and culture within the community. F or example, we are also proud of Past President Theresa Holland who is on the faculty of the Center for Lifelong Learning, sponsored by the University of West Florida, teaching Introduction to Written and Spoken Italian.

The informative Monthly Newsletter, LaVoce ltaliana, often uses Italian words, idioms, proverbs and short stories to help keep readers acquainted with the language and culture of their ancestors as well as modern Italy. This Newsletter was originated by the late Steve Myers.

The Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge takes pride in its accomplishments and looks forward, with God's help, to continue it’s contributions to our community and to the nation, as a brotherhood truly bound together in Liberty , Equality and Fraternity as proud citizens of the United States of America.

INTERESTING & AMUSING LINKS:

CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ELECTED OFFICIALS

Giovanna Zuppa Memorial Scholarship AMAZING PHONE SALESMAN

WEATHER REPORT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY PLAY WHACK THE PENGUIN GAME

IMMIGRATION HISTORY RESEARCH CENTER

MAP QUEST DRIVING DIRECTIONS ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT (Senior Citizen Version)

PRESERVING OUR ITALIAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK

ELLIS ISLAND RECORDS HURRICANE KATRINA PHOTOS

WEB MD FOR MEDICAL INFO/HELP

INTERVIEW WITH GOD MAY YOUR DAY BE SPECIAL - Poem & Story

FIND CHEAP GAS PRICES IN YOUR COMMUNITY HOTELS IN ROME ITALY

G.S. GELATO AUTHENTIC ITALIAN GELATO & SORBET HAPPY NEW YEAR