Join the Sons of Italy
The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) was first established back in 1905 as an aid society for the Italian immigrants who were arriving in great numbers at the time. Today it has grown to a network with more than 700 chapters and 600,000 members all over the U.S. This organization plays a leading role in preserving the traditions, culture, history and heritage of the estimated 26 million Americans claiming Italian ancestry, as well as encouraging the study of Italian language and culture and promoting closer cultural relations between the U. S. and Italy.
Instructions
1. Locate your nearest lodge or chapter. Joining the Sons of Italy as a lodge member is your easiest route to direct participation in all of the organization's many activities.
2. Sign up online or by mail as an at-large member. At-large members are those who cannot attend lodge meetings or do not have a nearby OSIA lodge, but their annual dues still entitle them to all of the benefits of membership in the Sons of Italy.
3. Fill out an International Membership form if you reside outside the U.S. or Canada. You will need to mail or fax this form in with payment in U.S. dollars (checks and credit cards accepted).
4. Start your own lodge if you have at least 25 interested members and a meeting place. You'll need to contact your state's OSIA headquarters (Grand Lodge) or, in states with no Grand Lodge, the national headquarters in order to order a lodge start-up kit.
5. Give a gift membership if you know a friend or family member who might be interested in joining the Sons if Italy. Gift memberships may be ordered online, but the recipient will need to join as an at-large member until he decides to affiliate with a particular lodge.
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