AHEPA e-News! - Vol. 09 Issue 43 - Wednesday, October 28, 2015


AHEPA Marks Oxi Day; FDR's Words Remembered
Supreme President John W. Galanis issued the following statement on the 75th anniversary of "Oxi Day" when Greece issued a defiant "No" to fascism as represented by the Axis powers, opting instead to say "Yes" to freedom on October 28, 1940. The Greeks successfully fought the Italian army, pushing the invaders back into Albania after one week. It would prove to be a costly military campaign for the Axis powers.
 
"On this day, 75 years ago, the citizens of Greece took a courageous stand against tyranny and fascism and fought heroically to defend their autonomy," said Galanis. 

Supreme President Interviewed by
The National Herald
An interview with Supreme President John W. Galanis appeared in the Oct. 24-30 edition of The National Herald. Galanis shared his thoughts about what AHEPA means to him and its importance to the community. He also reflected upon his recent trip to Europe where he met with AHEPA chapters there.   Galanis also shared some of his thoughts in a meeting with The National Herald  Publisher-Editor Antonis  H. Diamataris.
WASHINGTON UPDATE

Hellenic Caucus Membership at 131. Help It Grow.













ACTION ITEM: Help Us Grow the Hellenic Caucus!
AHEPA asks that you help us to grow the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.  The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.  It is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
  
Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 131.
REBUILD SAINT NICHOLAS SHRINE CAMPAIGN


 
THANK YOU!
Ahepans tour the Saint Nicholas construction site.

AHEPA is gearing up to meet its Saint Nicholas Capital Campaign fund raising goal. The administrative year has just started and we are already beginning to see donations being presented for AHEPA's #RebuildStNicholas capital campaign.

We are excited about a few upcoming donation announcements that will be made during the next four to six weeks! We cannot wait to share them with you!

Our #RebuildStNicholas campaign webpage has been updated to reflect the many generous donations we received over the summer.
 

TAKE ACTION

Has your district or chapter organized a fundraiser for the campaign to #RebuildStNicholas?  Take action and support AHEPA's campaign today!   Please tweet about your fundraising activity by using #RebuildStNicholas to share your work with the broader community!
 

PROJECT UPDATE

Thanks to a live webcam, you can watch progress being made with a first-hand look at the site where Saint Nicholas National Shrine will be build.
The Ahepan

NEW! The fall issue of The Ahepan is out! Share it with family and friends by forwarding along this electronic version.  Recap the Supreme Convention and catch the latest on how AHEPA chapters give back to the community.

Click on the magazine icon to check it out!

Upcoming Events

November
6 - Northeast Regional Banquet, Boston, Mass.
9- Supreme President visit Houston Area Chapters
14 - Supreme President visits Atlanta for Leadership Conference in
       Region 1
14 - The 7th Annual Yankee District 7 Hellenic History Tournament,    
       Orange, Conn.

December
5 - Supreme President visit Evzone AHEPA Chapter Initiation/Installation, West Chester, N.Y.
12 - Supreme President visits St. Basil's Academy for Christmas Party
13 - Supreme President visits Archangel Michael event in Port Washington, N.Y.

January
6, 2016 - Epiphany Celebrations, Tarpon Springs, Fla.

March
13-19 - Joint Reunion Golf Event, Orlando, FL
Greek American  
News Digest


Greece agrees to host 50,000 refugees as part of new EU plan  Ekathimerini (Oct. 26)  Greece committed on Sunday to opening enough reception centers to house 30,000 refugees by the end of the year, with the United Nations to provide another 20,000 places, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.  "We will increase reception capacities to 100,000 places in Greece and in the western Balkans," he said following a meeting of 11 European leaders in Brussels.  "I commend the Greek prime minister for this commitment to increase reception capacity in Greece to 30,000 places by the end of this year, with the UNHCR to help provide at least 20,000 more places in Greece."... read more   
 
 
Hoping to Save a Way of Life by Rooting Out Greeks Who Farm on Paper  New York Times (Oct. 23) In a stone cottage beside his pomegranate fields here in northern Greece, Christos Gontias, 46, is chain smoking and trying to give an interview. But his cellphone is ringing so incessantly, often with requests from news outlets and farmers joining his most recent call for a nationwide protest, that he rarely has time to finish his thought.  He readily admits that he likes all the attention. But there is far more to it than that, he says. He believes his way of life is on the line... read more
 
 
 
Cyprus monastery renovation unites communities 
Associated Press (Oct. 24)  Work to restore a monastery on the divided island of Cyprus has brought Turkish Cypriots together with Greek Cypriots, and Muslims with Christians.  Lore stretching back to the dawn of Christianity says this monastery sits directly over a fresh-water spring created by one of Jesus' first disciples, St. Andrew, while he was waiting for winds to pick up so he could continue his ship-borne travels.  The spring water, lore says, even helped restore the sight of the captain's blind son. In gratitude, the captain built a small church on this rocky outcrop near this tip of Cyprus' northeastern Karpas Peninsula and dedicated to the saint... read more   
 
 
Miss America visits Greek festival at her home parish in Macon  The Telegraph  (Oct. 25) Miss America Betty Cantrell, of Warner Robins, was in Macon on Sunday at the Central Georgia Greek Festival held at her home parish, the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on First Street. Cantrell, 21, who was baptized and confirmed at the parish, received a warm welcome from her congregation and members of the public attending the festival... read more   
 


Grave of 'Griffin Warrior' at Pylos Could Be a Gateway to Civilizations  NY Times (Oct. 26) Archaeologists digging at Pylos, an ancient city on the southwest coast of Greece , have discovered the rich grave of a warrior who was buried at the dawn of European civilization.  He lies with a yardlong bronze sword and a remarkable collection of gold rings, precious jewels and beautifully carved seals. Archaeologists expressed astonishment at the richness of the find and its potential for shedding light on the emergence of the Mycenaean civilization, the lost world of Agamemnon, Nestor, Odysseus and other heroes described in the epics of Homer.  "Probably not since the 1950s have we found such a rich tomb," said James C. Wright, the director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Seeing the tomb "was a real highlight of my archaeological career," said Thomas M. Brogan, the director of the Institute for Aegean Prehistory Study Center for East Crete, noting that "you can count on one hand the number of tombs as wealthy as this one."... read more

Talking Trash with Mike Dukakis  
Boston Magazine (Oct. 27)
We heard the former governor has taken to picking up garbage on his daily stroll to work. So we  tagged along and ended up getting schooled on life, the T, and the Boston of his youth. ... read more
 




 
 
 
This is an electronic news service of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
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