August 2004 at the PIASC brings us our annual Western Night on Friday, August 13. Here is your chance to dress casually, enjoy a great BBQ steak dinner with all the trimmings, play games, and dance all night (if you wish) with the great Ron Zucca Band. Then, on Saturday, August 29 please join us for the “Vieni a Tavola” event (see flyer included with the July Pensogram), followed by our annual Club Picnic at Flood Park on Sunday, August 30. Relax and enjoy a great outdoor event in this beautiful park, with great food, games, and entertainment with your family and friends. There will be something for everyone.

Please keep in mind Toscana Night at the PIASC, coming up on September 11, with the fabulous original (Tom Serafini) Espresso Five Band. Finally, for our golfers, the PIASC Golf Tournament will take place on September 20. Please call the Club or refer to the July Pensogram for all the details.

I usually do not do this, but this time I must express my opinion on the following: The last time I checked we had about 114 people on the waiting list to join the Club. We tried to make it possible for most of these people to become members, by proposing an increase in our membership cap from 650 paying members to 750. However, it seems that all the contrarians showed up at the last general meeting to defeat this proposal. A lot of these members who came to vote against the proposal are hardly ever seen attending other events. The arguments they advanced at the prior meeting for not increasing the membership cap, were, in my opinion, shallow and unfounded. I believe that these contrarians voted selfishly, in favor of Club retrenchment instead of expansion, and in so doing, shot themselves in the foot. Voting for the increase would have made the Club available to a greater number of people with a common heritage and background. It would have made the Club stronger and more successful. I believe that the Club was founded by optimists who were proud to be Italian and who wanted to form a Club for the enjoyment of all people with a common heritage. Limiting the number of members, or denying entrance to those who desire to join, in my opinion is a great disservice to the Italian-American community, the Club as a whole, and it represents a step backwards.

Sincerely,

Emil Bagneschi, President