Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Capitol District #3.

Transcription

1 Spring 2017 Volume 83-Issue 2 Capital District 3 ORDER OF AHEPA District Governor s Message Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Capitol District #3. CHRISTOS ANESTI! I hope that all of you and your families enjoyed a Blessed and Holy Pascha. It has been a busy couple of months since the release of the Fall 2016 Triogram. I worked with the Worthington Chapter members at the Annunciation Cathedral Greek festival the first weekend of November. Plenty of food, drink and dancing. The Worthington Chapter runs the Outside Food Venue each Year. Great job Brothers! In November I attended the Worthington Chapter #30 Veterans Day event at Ikaros Restaurant. PST Col. Nick Vambakas & his wife were also there. They had a great guest speaker who served on an aircraft carrier during WW II. He had some great memories and had pictures of various aircraft carriers used during the war. In December, I visited Chapter #408 in Wilmington NC to help with their annual Stop Hunger Now event. What wonderful participation between the Wilmington Chapter members led by PSP Jim Stasios and the parishioners of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. There were people helping from 9 yrs old to 75 yrs. If I remember correctly, they packaged 23,000 packets of food for overseas delivery. During that I visit I had the opportunity to go to a cookout at one of the Chapter member s houses. At the cookout, I was introduced to his wife, Jennifer, who was leaving on a humanitarian trip to Greece with three other women from the local area. This was truly a mission of helping the refugees in Greece as they were paying all of their own expenses. I was so impressed by their efforts that I asked the District #3 chapters to contribute funds for their mission. Several chapters responded since they received a little over $7500. At this year s convention, one of these women Dana Sachs will talk to the convention delegates about their mission at the Saturday Awards luncheon. Also in December, I attended the annual Kennedy-Krieger Institute Christmas Party for the children and families who are recovering from illness which requires them to stay at the Institute. This party is sponsored by the Lord Baltimore Chapter #364 every year. what a fantastic job the members and members of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox parish do. It is something to see the smiles on those kids faces! Kudos to the Lord Baltimore Chapter! In December, I visited the Charlotte Chapter for their annual Christmas party and had the honor of presenting the District Secretary of the Year award to Mark Kontos. It was well deserved. In February, I visited the Durham Chapter #277 to attend a coffee hour held by the chapter in honor of Brother Larry Odzak. I had the honor of presenting the AHEPAN of the Year award to Brother Larry. I had the opportunity to go to dinner with several chapter members and their wives at a local Greek restaurant on Saturday night and attend liturgy on Sunday. Father Stavroforos Mamaies of the St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church was so gracious as were all of the parishioners. You could feel the southern hospitality of people and the chapter members. Thanks for letting me be part of it! Also in February, I attended the annual Valentine s Day dinner at Ikaros restaurant hosted by the Lord Baltimore Chapter #364. It was a great affair and well attended. Unfortunately, the same week the Lord Baltimore Chapter and the Baltimore Hellenic community lost a great AHEPAN when Brother George Moniodis died. We had an AHEPAN funeral service for him. May he rest in peace! (continued on Page 2)

2 District Governor s Message (continued from Page 1) On February 15th, my wife and I attended the Fayetteville Chapter #9 annual Athenian Night., What a great affair! Many local political people participated and supported the Chapter s charity. The Daughters of Penelope Hestia Chapter # 416 helped by decorating the church hall. My wife and I had a great time and sat with PSG Jim Stasios and his wife Maria who came from Wilmington NC to attend. Spent some time with Brother Steve Goodson who is the District Secretary and member of the Fayetteville Chapter. Kudos to Brother Bantsolas, who chaired the event. Talked to DOP District Governor Renee Mozingo, who was there with several of her sisters. On February 25th, we held the District Workshop and DOP Mid Year Conference hosted by the Peter Derzis Chapter #438 in Falls Church, Va. The Supreme President, Andy Zachariades, the Supreme Governor, and Tony Drakos, the Supreme Governor both attended the workshop and addressed the AHEPANs and the Daughters. The Supreme President, Andy Zacahriades stressed the importance of getting young people interested in joining AHEPA. He reminded us that interfacing with this group (25-35) is different than with older groups He asked us to renew our efforts to donate to the St. NIcholas Church and Shrine in NYC. AHEPA has pledged $1M to the restoration and has so far received $600,000 of donations. The Supreme President, Tony Drakos emphasized the need to increase membership. District #3 was one of only 5-6 chapters in the country to increase their membership in We increased membership by 47 members and are now stand at 1074 members. I addressed several items like the need to advertize what our chapters do for the community, need to get closer to the community. I talk about the District Convention in Charlotte, NC and the Supreme Convention in Orlando, Fl. I had the honor of presenting the Chapter of the Year award to the Peter Derzis Chapter #438 and to their Chapter President, John Papathanassiou for being the Chapter President of the Year. The Daughters had a good Mid Year Conference and set themselves up for the District Convention in June. We had great participation from the AHEPANS and the Daughter at this workshop. See the picture of all of us elsewhere in this publication. In March, I was invited along with other members of the Worthington Chapter #30 to the Daughters Alcene Chapter #27 chapter meeting at Basta Pasta restaurant. Had chance to address the Sisters of the DOP chapter and answer questions. The Worthington Chapter pledged to help the DOP Chapter with a fundraising event this year at the Annunciation Cathedral. I was invited to dinner by the Frederick Chapter #516 to discuss their planning for the 2018 District Convention. They have a small chapter (25) and wanted to get started on the planning process. It is interesting that they are considering asking an Event Planner to help them with the convention. In April, I marched in the Baltimore Greek Independence Day parade along with members of both the Worthington Chapter #30 and the Lord Baltimore Chapter #364.It was beautiful day and a well attended parade. Had Greek Orthodox churches from Baltimore Washington and Richmond march. On April 5th, I was invited by the Norfolk Chapter #122 to come to a dinner to honor Past Supreme President Gus James. The dinner was well attended by 40+ brothers who heard PSP Gus James give a summary of his history with the chapter, the church, and the Supreme Lodge. It was very interesting talk filled with humor and surprising insight into the local church and chapter organizations. What a class act PSP Gus James is! A true example of an AHEPAN and believer in Hellenic values. We had to cancel the third District workshop (April 29th) to be hosted by the Sir Walter Raleigh Chapter #10 because of lack of attendance. It seems at least one NC parish had their festival that weekend. Looking forward to attending the Washington area Metropolitan Scholarship awards to be held on May 21st at the Rockville MD Hilton. I encourage all chapters to send delegates to the 2017 District Convention hosted by the Charlotte Chapter #2 in Charlotte on June 9th & 10th. Convention Chairman and Chapter President George Kokalis and his committee have done a great job of organizing what promises to be a very productive convention. (continued on Page 3) Page 2

3 District Governor s Message (continued from Page 2) Get your reservations in and make your hotel reservations. Support the host chapter and take an Ad in the Convention AdBook. Remember our Supreme Convention will be held in Orlando, Fl on July 24th - 29th.Be a delegate and help make decisions for the AHEPA family. It has truly been a pleasure to have visited chapters and attend events. These visits allow me to see what other chapters are doing in the District and see how some chapters work very closely with their communities. I have been welcomed with open arms and with such gracious hospitality. I thank all of the chapters, their members and their churches for allowing me to be part of their community during this visits and events. Looking forward to seeing all of you in June at the District Convention! Fraternally yours, Bill Bond AHEPA District #3 Governor Daughters of Penelope - District Governor s Message Dear Sisters, Christos Anesti! On behalf of the District #3 Lodge, I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather that we have been having. We welcome Spring! There have been numerous events planned and completed by the chapters in our District. Hestia Chapter 416, of Fayetteville, NC co-hosted the annual Athenian Night in February. Their silent auction was a wonderful success with proceeds going to a local Women s Shelter. The DOP sisters have also been asked to provide/ set up table decorations for the Fayetteville version of Dancing with the Stars. Arion Chapter 298, of Silver Spring, MD donated $6,000 to Tranquility Woods, a local drug addiction treatment center. The donation will go specifically to helping our youth who sadly are addicted to heroin and opiates from overuse of prescription drugs. Venus Chapter 102, of Charlotte, NC, held their annual Queen of Hearts Tea and fashion show with an excellent showing of support from the community. Proceeds benefit Breast Cancer Research at their local Levine Cancer Institute. Helle Chapter 283, of Alexandria, VA, hosted the District s mid-year conference in February. This was a joint effort with our AHEPA Brothers from the Peter Derzis Chapter 438. Thank you to all who attended this important work session. We have paved the way to a very successful District Convention in June. Their 3rd Annual Tastes of the Mediterranean Fundraiser to support Fisher House and other DOP charities was a huge success. Antiklea Chapter 68, of Richmond, VA held their semi-annual Red Tent for Homeless Women charitable project by raising donations and much needed supplies. All items are provided to CARITAS for distribution as needed to their homeless female clients. Kirki Chapter 313, of Asheville, NC has been busy with providing packets of socks and nutritional snacks to the homeless in Asheville; they also have helped fund the purchase of some much needed items (continued on Page 4) Page 3

4 Daughters of Penelope - District Governor s Message (continued from Page 3) for youth who are in and out of foster care and also recently held a luncheon at Eliada Home that helps children in need succeed. They are also working on their Mother s Day Gourmet Basket Fundraiser held jointly with their local AHEPA chapter that hosts the Mother s Day Luncheon. Hermione Chapter 11, of Washington DC is having their Annual Bingo to benefit St. Jude s Children s Research Hospital and other DOP charities in April along with a raffle of donated baskets & handmade afghans. They also will celebrate two sisters who have milestone birthdays in March. Sister Stacey Karydakis, will be turning 103 years young and Sister Cleo Hangemanole, will be turning 100 years young! Xronia Polla, na ta ekatostisete!!! Please remember June 9-11, the dates of our Annual District Convention in Charlotte, NC. All the Brothers and Sisters are working hard to provide us with an enjoyable weekend. Information has been mailed/ ed out to the chapters and is also located on the District 3 AHEPA website at org. Our Grand Governor Liaison Katherine Karafotias will be in attendance, whichever you think sounds better. We hope to see many of you there! Congratulations to all for your continued dedication and hard work to keep Penelope s Dream Alive. In Theta Pi Renee Mozingo District #3 Governor TRIO-GRAM Editorial Policy The Trio-Gram is an official Newsletter Publication of Capital District 3, Order of AHEPA Fraternal Organization. All articles and commentaries which are submitted by AHEPA family members should directly reflect the AHEPA mission and business.the Trio-Gram serves to unite our membership and to promote and maintain a mutual and fraternal understanding amongst all AHEPA family members. Articles are published based on this policy as well as space limitations. ARTICLE SUMBISSIONS The deadline to submit articles and pictures for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2017 Issue is on October 31, All articles and photos must be submitted by to the Editor. Editor: Evan Almyrantis evan1762@yahoo.com Page 4

5 Capital District #3 Workshop & DOP Mid Year Conference On February, , Peter Derzis Chapter #438 and DOP Helle Chapter #283, hosted the District s Workshop and Mid Year Conference in Falls Church, VA. This event was attended by the Supreme President, Andy Zachariades and the Supreme Governor, Tony Drakos. Both members of the Supreme Lodge talked about issues associated with membership and getting AHEPA closer to the community. There was a lively Q&A session after their remarks. Bill Bond, District #3 Governor, reviewed the District Initiatives of interfacing with the community, increasing membership, additional contributions for St. Nicholas Church & Shrine/NYC, the K9 for Warriors Project, and the 2017 District Convention in Charlotte, NC. The Daughters held their committee meetings and planned for their 2017 District Convention. We thank our hosts for the great facilities, breakfast, & lunch. See everyone at the 86th Annual AHEPA District 3 Convention in Charlotte, NC! 86th Annual Capital District 3 Convention June 9, June 11, 2016 Hosted By: Marathon Chapter 2 Charlotte, NC DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Charlotte- SouthPark 6300 Morrison Blvd. Charlotte, NC Page 5

6 Humanity Now: Direct Refugee Relief In Greece, tens of thousands of Middle Eastern refugees are currently stranded in camps, abandoned buildings, and on the streets. Four Wilmington, NC women traveled to Greece in January to distribute purchased items to the migrants and refugees. Carol Atwood, Jennifer Maraveyias (wife of AHEPAn Brother Nick Maraveyias from Cape Fear, Chapter 408), Stephanie Meyers and Dana Sachs distributed more than $35,000 in aid collected from Wilmington-area residents and District 3 AHEPA chapters. Jennifer Maraveyias kept all of the donors updated by ing their daily activities. Below is one of the s. After arriving in Athens Friday evening we unpacked, regrouped, and walked to a wonderful traditional Greek tavern for wonderful Greek food. The next morning the snow from the night before continued to fall as we headed out for the day. We stopped at a shop along the route for yogurt and coffee. A message to volunteers had gone out the night before that there was a battered woman with a baby on the streets. No one was sure if she was a refugee, a Greek, or a Roma-it did not matter. We had filled a bag with clothes and searched the streets on our way to the bus stop. We never found her. On the way through Syntagma Square we got to see the changing of the guard at the presidential mansion. The first organization we were scheduled to work with is The Schoolbox Project, an organization that provides trauma-informed education and support to children and families in refugee camps. They are set up at the abandoned Elliniko airport. I was not prepared for the site I saw as the bus dropped us off at Arrivals. Sitting in the middle of the crumbled parking area were three shipping containers painted with flowers and hand prints. Inside these unheated containers and in the small courtyard they formed, we would share our day with children living among the over 1000 refugees at this camp. Not only were we surrounded by the children, there was also a dozen other volunteers from all over the world-one young man from the Dominican Republic had a guitar-he sang and played music as the children finger knitted headbands, played pickup sticks, built with legos, shook the tambourine, made crape paper flowers, kicked the soccer ball, jumped rope, and sat on a lap. This joy that we were able to be a part of would be short lived. The day before, the Greek Ministry had told The Schoolbox Project that they would no longer be allowed to operate at the camp. The directors wrote an appeal to be able to stay at last through the week in order to have time to say good bye to the children and help them understand why one more time people who cared and loved them would not longer be in their life. They had nor received a reply so we will plan to continue to operate. We quickly regroup at the hotel and head to a meeting at Orange House. This is a shelter for the most vulnerable refugees-abused women and unaccompanied children. No men are housed there, but services such as showers and clean clothing are provided to others in the community who are in need. Volunteers teach Greek, English, German, and Spanish lessons and provide supplies for the preparation of bread to be shared within the community. Volunteers also help refugees reunite with family members in other countries, obtaining necessary paperwork/ interviews, and becoming self sufficient so they assimilate into the community. They have done an amazing job. We helped found them in their beginning stage and where able to provide funds this trip to help with rent and will buy them a refrigerator. They thank you! We have one more stop tonight. We have learned of a squat in an abandoned hotel where volunteers help prepare meals. We want to stop by and see about doing this. Carol and I sign up to help at lunch the next day and we will all help on Monday. It has been a long day so we find a Syrian restaurant in the neighborhood and enjoy a wonderful meal before taking the metro back to the hotel. Thank you and love, Jen Page 6 (L-R): Stephanie Meyrs, Dana Sachs, Carol Atwood, and Jennifer Maraveyias at the Elliniko Airport

7 2017 Athenian Night (L-R): Chapter President Lee Warren, Treasurer Joe DaRosa, Cochairman John Bantsolas and Ted Matrakas Fayetteville - Chapter 9 Greetings Brothers. From Fayetteville, NC, we wish you a Happy Easter. In December our chapter donated $1,200 to assist three other nonprofit organizations: the local Salvation Army, the CARE Clinic, and St. Basil s Academy. This was in addition to $7000 in scholarships awarded every year to local students. On Saturday, February 18, our chapter hosted its annual Athenian Night Fundraiser for our scholarship program. Over 300 guests were treated to delicious hors d oeuvres, a great meal of lamb pops and shrimp, various desserts, open bar, dancing to the sounds of the Golden Flame orchestra, a Greek Dance Exhibition by our own Hellenic Dance Troupe, and a brief belly dancing demonstration. Among our distinguished guests were Past Supreme Governor Jim Stasios and his wife Maria, District 3 Governor Bill Bond and his wife Arete, Past District Governor Dimitrios Govotsos, District 3 Secretary Steve Goodson and his wife Dina, and our Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson and his wife Kim. Other local dignitaries included State Senator & Mrs. Wesley Meredith, State Representative & Mrs. John Szoka, 3 Superior Court Judges and 6 District Court Judges. Tuesday, May 16, will be the 94th anniversary of our chapter s founding and along with our 2017 Athenian Night: Feb. 18 was also the birthday for Mrs. Helen Dais Daughters of Penelope Hestia 416 chapter we (center), wife of longtime AHEPAN George Dais (2nd from left) will host our annual Family Night. At this event we will award $7000 in scholarships to local students going on to college from both our local Greek community and the Fayetteville community at large. If you will be in the Fayetteville area you are welcome to join us for this most enjoyable event. Our chapter also plans to send a delegation to the District 3 convention in Charlotte June 9-10 and to the Supreme Convention to be held in Orlando, FL, in July. Fraternally, J. Lee Warren, Chapter President Fayetteville North Carolina Page 7

8 Sir Walter Raleigh, Chapter 10 Raleigh North Carolina Greek School Program during the March 25th Greek Independence Day Luncheon Our chapter brought 2016 to a close during our Christmas party at the Village Grill restaurant in Raleigh. We celebrated the season in fellowship and look forward to a fulfilling We were quite busy in March. Members and their spouses enjoyed an interesting tour of the N.C. Museum of Art. Several of our members worked with Habitat for Humanity in building a home for a family in Garner. We hosted the March 25th Greek Independence Day Luncheon and program, where our Greek pride was heightened as we listened to our members speak about this historical event, enjoyed poems that were recited by our Greek school students, and by watching our young dance troupe perform. It was a lovely afternoon. As the year progresses, we look forward to doing more within our community. Wishing our fellow Chapters a Blessed Easter Season! Page 8

9 Worthington, Chapter 30 Baltimore Maryland Brothers of Worthington Chapter 30 and Lord Baltimore Chapter 364 along with DG Bill Bond march in the Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade During the first quarter of 2017, two themes characterized the work of Worthington Chapter 30: (1) philanthropy on a personal, individualized basis and (2) collaboration. We began the year on the first of January by providing a nameday celebration for a beloved, longtime Brother who now lives in a nursing home. In doing so, we requested and received the involvement of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation. Our dear Brother was deeply moved and heartened by the outpouring of love and support that he received during our visit. We hosted the annual Vasilopita event at the Annunciation Cathedral on January 9. Our Brothers from Lord Baltimore Chapter 364 joined us, and Father Dean Moralis blessed the vasilopita, after which we all enjoyed the fellowship of a dinner that we provided in the parish hall. In subsequently thanking AHEPA, Father Dean remarked, may God bless you and all of your good works. On January 15, we provided another Greek meal to the residents of Baltimore Station, which is a residential facility and supportive organization that primarily serves homeless veterans who are recovering from addiction. On February 19, we served a pancake breakfast after the liturgy at the Annunciation Cathedral, to raise money for our charity fund. We are using the proceeds to assist a needy person who has fallen on hard times after developing a very severe medical condition. In years past, that same person had often taken the initiative to help us with our fund-raising efforts for philanthropic activities. It is important to note that several of the ladies from the Daughters Of Penelope voluntarily worked with us at the February 19th fund-raising event, for which we are very grateful. To reciprocate, we will help D.O.P. with their fund-raiser on October 8. Speaking of the Daughters of Penelope, their chapter president, Irene Michallas, was kind enough to invite to us to their meeting on March 4. In that meeting, we were all in agreement about the importance of working on more joint activities and projects. On April 2, our chapter marched together with Lord Baltimore Chapter 364 in the Maryland Greek Independence Day Parade. Please see the attached photo. Our May fund-raiser is designated for the Senior Center of the Annunciation Cathedral. Page 9

10 Richmond, VA Chapter 83 Richmond Virginia (L-R): Brothers Mike Fotopolous, John Bletsos, John Halages, Paul Christofakis, Gus Catherines, Scott Gerard, Tom Kapsidelis, Mike Hall and Greg Silvestri The Richmond AHEPA Chapter #83 has come out of the gate in 2017 at a fast and furious pace! We are an evolving AHEPA, where our membership has embraced a more active approach. Our focus is to be a prominent organization in our community and to pursue a greater commitment to the welfare and needs of our church and congregation. All of the funds that are raised by the AHEPA go to our scholarship program, as well as other philanthropic causes. The Ahepa #83 meets every 2nd Thursday of each month. Prior to the meeting, we share a fellowship dinner with our sisters (Daughters of Penelope), and discuss joint ventures and other possible activities. We ended this last season hosting a dinner for several CARITAS (Congregations Around Richmond To Assure Shelter) families, who are among the homeless in the Richmond area. This year, the AHEPA membership successfully honored its donation obligation to the rebuilding of Saint Nicholas Shrine in New York City. In addition, a 1000 dollar donation was made to the rebuilding of the Ionian Village in Greece, which was severely damaged from tornadoes. We also donated 1000 dollars to help fund the expenses for one of our students to attend the Ionian Village, later this year. We are pleased to announce that our membership is presently growing. A concerted effort has been made to grow the AHEPA # 83 membership, where we are transferring 2 members and have voted in 2 new members. New applicants are also underway at this time. In February, the AHEPA hosted our annual Champagne Luncheon and served 150 guests with a delicious sliced roast beef dinner. This event is free and a glass of champagne is provided to all. As both a fundraiser and luncheon, it was a great success! On April 22nd, the AHEPA #83 will be hosting its annual Shred-It Day to dispose of old tax and sensitive documents. This event is simple to coordinate and manage and has proven to be very successful fundraiser. (L-R): Brothers John Bletsos, Greg Silvestri and Jim Katsaros On May 21st, the AHEPA will be hosting the Sts. Constantine and Helen GOC annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon. (continued on Page 11) Page 10

11 Richmond, VA, Chapter 83 (Continued from page 10) It is our biggest event of the year and the AHEPA will present $4000 dollars in scholarships ($1000 each) to 4 of our well deserving students. Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral is turning 100 years old!! As part of the festivities and celebrations, the AHEPA and Daughters of Penelope will be hosting the Centennial Cathedral Picnic later this year. Finally, the AHEPA #83 wants to know how we are doing. The church membership was asked to participate in a short on-line anonymous survey. The results should display the unknown thoughts and/or concerns that may make AHEPA a better organization. You might take a moment and visit the link: vagocathedral.org/index.php/organizations-1/ahepa-1 Robert E. Lee, Chapter 122 Norfolk Virginia AHEPA Brothers and DG Bill Bond (front row center) in attendance during the April General Meeting honoring PSP Gus James II To start the New Year, the Chapter held its January General Monthly meeting. After partaking a fabulous dinner, the meeting was opened with the singing of the Greek Kalanta by our NATO Greek Officers. The vasilopita cake was cut and all the brothers had a piece for good luck. The guest speaker for the evening was the City of Norfolk s Director of Development, Mr. Chuck Rigney. His presentation covered the current and upcoming economic developments in the city of Norfolk. During the February General Meeting, our Guest Speaker was our very own brother, Mr. Tassos Paphites. Tassos has been an AHEPAn for over 26 years as was his dad for many years. In 1986 he became a franchisee of the Taco Bell Corporation and established BurgerBusters Inc. As CEO, he oversees all aspects of BurgerBusters Inc. which includes Marketing, Operations, Development, and Facilities. The company currently operates 113 franchises in five states and has approximately 3,000 employees. In 2010 Tassos became a franchisee of Steak N Shake and established Steaks of VA, LLC. He opened his first Steak N Shake restaurant in Fredericksburg, VA in December 2010 and he owns the rights to the state of Virginia. He currently has eight Steak N Shake restaurants open with several more under construction. Tassos is focused on his work, family and philanthropy. (continued on Page 12) Page 11

12 Robert E. Lee, Chapter 122 (Continued from page 11) On February 5, 2017, the members, their family and friends attended the Annual Superbowl Party at the lodge. We watched the New England Patriots win a remarkable 5th Super Bowl in dramatic fashion over the Atlanta Falcons. The evening was a huge success, as friendships were strengthened and much delicious food was eaten (too much, perhaps). During the April General Meeting, we had the honor to welcome District Governor Bill Bond to our Chapter. DG Bond was attending to present and congratulate Past Supreme President Gus James II as the recipient of the Robert E. Lee Lifetime Acheivement Award. PSP Gus James has not only been a dynamic and effective leader with AHEPA but has also given a lifetime to his church, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral. He served as Parish Council President on numerous occations and is an Archon of the Archdiocese. An Archon is an honoree by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his outstanding service to the Church, and a well-known distinguished, and well-respected leader of the Orthodox Christian community. He has also played a major part in the Annunciation s Greek Festival making it one of the largest and successful ethnic festivals on the east coast. Robert E. Lee, Chapter 122 is honored to support the Annunciaton Cathedral in it s many endeavors by sponsoring the OXI Day Celebration, March 25th Feast Day and Greek Independence Day, by donating the palms for Palm Sunday and assisting to run the Greek Festival. The Chapter also supports the Greek contingency of Greek Officers who are in NATO by sponsoring the Greek Float that takes part in the Norfolk NATO Festival, the only Parade in the United States honoring NATO! Durham, NC, Chapter 277 Durham North Carolina Chapter 277 DURHAM NC - continues to promote the E [Education] in AHEPA : chapter 277 members hand over check, covering the purchase of textbooks for St. Barbara s Church Greek School, to school s co-director Helen Paliouras. From L to R AHEPA brothers Costas Constantinou, Dan Przybyl, John Varelas and Charles Roupas. Page 12

13 Lord Baltimore, Chapter 364 Baltimore Maryland In December, Lord Baltimore Chapter #364 celebrated its annual Christmas Party at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) in Baltimore. This event has become very popular with the Greek Community of Baltimore. Each year the chapter brings Christmas joy to the patients, families and dedicated staff at KKI. Through the donations of our generous sponsors and the support of the Goyans, Santa Claus was there and the Oriole Bird. Also, The Greek dance group from The Annunciation performed several traditional Greek Dances to the music of DJ, Alex Karas. End of Year Administrative Tasks for Chapters We are coming to a close to another AHEPA year. Below are some administraive tasks that each Chapter should address: May 2017 During this month, chapters need to have their delegates to the District Convention reserve their hotel rooms and pay their registration fee. It is also the time to write a recommendation about an officer in your chapter who deserves: Chapter President of the Year, Secretary of the Year, Treasurer of the Year, and most importantly AHEPAN of the Year. If the members feel that their chapter deserves the award for Chapter of the Year they should submit their application. Many times, members of your chapter do not get the recognition in the District that they deserve because no one took the time to complete the application. As a District over the last several years we have done a very bad job of submitting applications for these awards and that denies a member of your chapter an award that they deserve. This is the month that chapters should select their delegates to the Supreme Convention in Orlando, Fl. - July 24-30th. See the AHEPA website for all the details. June 2017 Election of Chapter Officers and submission of the Chapter Officers Reporting form to the District Secretary and to headquarters. We need this information to keep the District Directory up to date and relevant. July 2017 Supreme Convention - Orlando, Fl. - July 24-30th Page 13

14 Cape Fear, Chapter 408 Wilmington North Carolina Brother Michael Papadeas, of Kure Beach and Burlington, NC, made a donation of nine books to the University of North Carolina Wilmington Randall Library on November 29, He had previously donated 102 books to the library. Notable in the present donation is a volume of the Helios New Encyclopedic Dictionary (Lexicon), Volume 7, with a Prologue and Epilogue by Ioanis D. Passas. It presents in scholarly detail the history of the Hellenic people from pre-historic times to the Greek Civil War ending in the 1950 s. The Lexicon is written in Katharevousa. Brother Michael is the author of Coming to America A Memoir ; Collected Poems; Twelve Poems On War and Death; John D. Xanthos The People s Advocate ; and Mani A Visit To My Ancestral Homeland. District Governor Bill Bond packs food for the hungry at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Hall Greece. Jennifer and her fellow volunteers went to Greece in early January to assist the refugees living in deplorable conditions in both the Athens area and in northern Greece. The chapter and the community donated over $6,000 to be used as aid for the refugees. (Photos 6 & 7) Supreme Governor Tony Drakos has lunch with members of Cape Fear Chapter 408 in Wilmington, NC District Governor Bill Bond visited Wilmington on December 2 and 3 and participated in the STOP HUNGER NOW food packing event sponsored by the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church community and the AHEPA chapter. Also in December, the chapter sponsored its annual Christmas dinner for the tenants of AHEPA 408 Apartments, and had its annual chapter Christmas dinner for members and spouses at Giorgio s Restaurant. The chapter supported Jennifer Maraveyias, wife of brother Nick Maraveyias, and the volunteer group Humanity Now consisting of Carol Atwood, Stephanie Meyers and Dana Sachs in their mission to The chapter together with the St. Nicholas Greek School held its annual St. Valentine s Dance in February. The event was a rousing success with nearly 200 people in attendance. Jennifer Maraveyias and Fellow Volunteers Carol Atwood, Stephanie Myers and Dana Sachs Shop for Kitchen Equipment for Squat Kitchen in Athens Page 14

15 Molon Lave, Chapter 542 A HEPA Donates $1,000 to Ashburn Colored School and Museum - The Sterling ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) presented a check for $1,000 to the students at Loudoun School for the Gifted (LSG) to help with the rehabilitation of the Ashburn Colored School (ACS) and the creation of the adjacent Museum of Education. Loudoun County Virginia The Ashburn Colored School project received attention in October after the building was vandalized and the community rallied around it to repair the damage. The local chapter of AHEPA became aware of the student s endeavors to save the ACS and reached out to support them. Over the next few months, $1,000 was raised by the organization and on January 9, 2017, they presented a check to Deep Sran, the founder of LSG, and his students. AHEPA is honored and proud to support a cause that s so closely tied to the roots of our organization, said Dean Economou, Chapter President. We re very happy to see a successful student based initiative like this create such a high level of awareness in the community. We are very grateful to AHEPA for their generous donation to support our efforts to restore the Ashburn Colored School, said LSG founder, Dr. Deep Sran. The donation will help us restore the schoolhouse and its interior furnishings, and will enable us to open this historic building to the Ashburn and Loudoun communities. With AHEPA s help, we can transform this forgotten space into an important teaching resource. Inaugural Scholarship Program - After only 3 years as an AHEPA Chapter, we are proud to announce the inaugural Nick Jougras Memorial Scholarship Program for qualifying students. There are 3 awards to help students. For juniors, the Leadership award is available for one student who is chosen to attend AHEPAcademy. For seniors, the Leonidas and Thermopylae awards will be awarded to 2 seniors to use for college related expenses. Visit www. ahepa542.org/scholarships to learn more. This program compliments the 4 tiers of AHEPA based scholarships in the DC Metro area. We re very excited to launch this important program to benefit the qualifying youth of the newly named Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church. It s this spirit of community that AHEPA was built on and something we take to heart as a Chapter, said Vasili Fotopoulos, Chapter Scholarship Committee Chair. The deadline is April 18, 2017 to submit applications. Digital Chapter - If being known as the digital chapter wasn t enough, Chapter 542 recently launched its own website and it s full of action packed content! From a homepage that s captivating to a comprehensive Scholarship page that includes every AHEPA education program, it covers all the bases. Add to that a fully integrated interactive calendar, online meeting / event sign ups, digital surveys to gather member feedback, and yes, even an online store to make donations and purchase merchandise, this website hits all the marks! There are even have Facebook and google+ pages! With a membership ranging in age from the early 20 s to the 90 s, the need to create a central digital communication platform was essential. We are very happy to have a tool like this to help us quickly communicate with our members and prospects. A big benefit of this platform allows us to announce event / meeting changes on the fly making us much more efficient, said Pete Margaros, Chapter Secretary. Visit the Chapter website at to learn more and take a tour. Page 15 Chapter 542 Brothers: Member Paul Orphanides, BOG President Vasili Fotopoulos, Secretary Pete Margaros

16 TRIO GRAM Capital District No. 3 Newsletter 7220 Granby St. Norfolk, VA NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID NORFOLK, VA PERMIT NO. 2 District Governor William H. Bond 211 Butler Road Reisterstown, MD H: C: bondgrp@comcast.net ORDER OF AHEPA DISTRICT #3 OFFICERS District Lt Governor Nick Forakis Devonbrook Rd Baldwin, MD W: C: nick.forakis@ahepa364.org District Secretary Steve Goodson 316 Valley Road Fayetteville, NC H: C: lstevegoodson@aol.com District Treasurer George Papaspyrou 3067 Tudor Hall Road Riva, MD C: papaspyrou64@gmail.com District Marshall Peter Kalogerinis 2352 Rolling Hill Road Fayetteville, NC H: W: pkalogerinis@gmail.com District Warden Angelo S. Toutsi 500 Branch Road Vienna, VA H: C: antovi@verizon.net District Athletic Advisor TBD DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE DISTRICT #3 OFFICERS District Governor Renee Mozingo Lamore Drive Disputanta, VA (C) renee.mozingo@gmail.com District Lt. Governor District Marshall Lynn Francis 8518 Ordinary Way Annandale, VA Ph: (703) elfran2@verizon.net District Secretary Sondra Sealine Aragon Dr. Mechanicsville, VA Ph: (804) sondrataichi@gmail.com District Treasurer Loretta Kirk 404 Aubrey Rd. Richmond, VA Ph: (804) lkyrk@yahoo.com District MOA Advisor Yiotta Hasapis-Hasty 356 Edinburgh Dr. Fayetteville, NC Ph: (910) yhasty1@yahoo.com District DOP Advisor Katherine L. Matrakas 2013 Pagebrook Road Silver Spring, MD Ph: (301) klukia14@gmail.com