April 8, 2000 Meeting Minutes

POINTers IN PERSON Minutes
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
George Koleas (#1527)

Pointers In Person, Chapter 22, met at the Italian Community Center, in  Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Saturday, April 8, 2000. Present at the meeting were, Joyce Jennings Currier(2783), Vincent and Connie D'Orazio (3418), Mave Freyberg, Tina Favero, George Koleas (1527), Filomena Lea, Pat Moon, Marie Roth (766) Margaret Schutz(2149), Susan White and new members Janet Czerwonka, Elsie Fucile and Phyllis Pinter. Our total membership continues to grow, as does our database, which now contains over 330 surnames. The latest version of the surname database was distributed at our meetings.  Members provided new edits to the database.  Some members can not attend meetings, but are receiving all minutes by either e-mail or U.S. mail.

We began by reviewing news and correspondence we have received since our last meeting.

We are continuing to develop our plans for a display Festa Italiana on July 20-23, 2000. We agreed that we would have a small display with at least two of our members in attendance at all times.  Our display would include: a map of Italy with push pins identifying all of the villages we are researching; a display of a family group sheet; a family tree and some other common genealogical records; our database and the POINT database to look up names for attendees; and information about POINT. Members in attendance signed up on a schedule to staff our display. We will work six hour shifts 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.. Volunteers are still needed on Thursday and Friday both shifts and Friday and Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. to staff our display. Members of POINT are asked to donate their old directories to be used to look up names. Please mark your calendars and consider volunteering for as much time as you can.

Susan Petta-Nokes has access to microfilm of church records from Our Blessed Virgin of  Pompeii Catholic Church. She is making hard copies for our Chapter to look up names of member families that attended the church.  We already have an index of baptisms. She will work on marriages next. Actual records are located at St. Rita's.

Vincent D'Orazio(3418), reported on his recent trip to Italy. He visited a municipo office. The clerk was going to show him the records that he wanted to see, but the Directore intervened and said that he could not come close to the records, that he could not set eyes on them and had to submit a form to get them.  As he walked away from the office, form in hand, he saw a sign of a senator that was running for office with the same surname as someone from his family.  He stopped in, struck up a conversation  and escorted by the senator right into the municipo office where the senator ordered the clerks to get the records ready for him! Later he was walking past a restaurant and saw an ashtray with one of his surnames on it.  It was an advertisement for a furniture factory.  He will be following up during future trips. Vincent advises to always ask for the town historian. While in Isola Del Liri, he found Bruno Di Vona. While in Marche he found Gabriele Cavezzi. Both had written books about their towns and gave him copies. In the book given to him by Gabriele Cavessi he found his great, great, great-grandmother Granucci! You may be able to get the name of the town historian by writing to the Mayor of the municipo. Vincent also found that the Catholic Priests are very busy. Italy has a shortage of priests, just like here and many have two or three parishes. So, be very patient and polite if you write to them for information.  They are very busy and overwhelmed.

Vincent D'Orazio(3418), recommended an Italian translating website at http://translator.go.com/.
 
Our next meeting is Saturday, September 9, 2000  starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If you have any questions or want to volunteer time at our display at Festa Italiana, please feel free to contact us.

Visit our homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/point11_2000/index.html