[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17531-17532]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE AMITY CLUB ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 15, 2011

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to 
rise today to pay tribute to a very special community group, the Amity 
Club, as the membership gathers to celebrate its 75th Anniversary--a 
remarkable milestone for this outstanding organization.
  During the first part of the 20th century, New Haven, Connecticut was 
home to the largest per capita population of Italians, constituting 
almost half the population of the entire city. At this time, Italian 
immigrants established strong roots in New Haven, working hard and 
raising large families. Most of these immigrants came to the United 
States with only a rudimentary primary school education, yet they had 
much higher dreams for their own children. They understood that 
education was the cornerstone of success and it was one of their 
central reasons for immigrating to the United States. It was from this 
same commitment to education and success that the Amity Club was 
established.
  In the early 1930s, Frank Rubino, an architect who had become a 
leading building contractor and real estate developer in New Haven, was 
an active member of the Kiwanis Club yet he was one of few Italian 
members--as was the similar case in most of the City's service 
organizations. He was deeply proud of his American citizenry but he was 
as deeply loyal to his Italian heritage. Though there were a multitude 
of small Italian clubs throughout the city, they existed more for 
social purposes. Frank soon became convinced that the city needed a 
strong, service-oriented organization, with its membership made up of 
professional and business men of Italian background who shared his 
passion for their Italian heritage as well as his pride in being an 
American citizen. In fact the name AMITY was proposed not only for its 
dictionary meaning of ``peace and friendship'' but because it also 
combined the country they called home, AM for America, and the country 
of their strong ancestry, ITY for Italy.
  Central among their work would be to provide scholarships to 
deserving students so that they could secure a college education. As 
one of their first acts following its official recognition as an 
association, the Amity Club members formed the Amity Trust Scholarship 
Trust Fund. Over the years, it has consistently grown and its funds 
have helped thousands of young students earn their college degrees and 
pursue their dreams. In addition to these scholarships, Amity Club 
members have been involved in innumerable service projects throughout 
the city, all aimed at improving the quality of life for all residents.
  Our communities would not be the same without the efforts of 
volunteers and service organizations like the Amity Club, who, for 
generations, have made a difference in the lives of others and worked 
to make our towns and cities better places to live, learn, and grow. I 
am proud to stand today to recognize the extraordinary contributions of 
the Amity Club and to extend my sincere congratulations to them on 
their 75th Anniversary. In all that they have accomplished and continue 
to accomplish, the Amity Club has not only met the expectations founder 
Frank Rubino had for the organization, they have far exceeded them.

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