AHEPA e-News!

The Junior Orders enjoying the nation’s capital.
HEPA Family Gathers for Leadership Conference in DC
The leadership of the four Orders that comprise the AHEPA family: AHEPA, Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles, and Maids of Athena gathered for its annual conference to plan for the administrative year, Sept. 25 and 26, in Washington, DC.
“My sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who traveled to Washington to help us plan for the year,” Supreme President John Galanis said. “We have many goals set that we must strive to achieve in all facets of our mission in addition to addressing membership recruitment and retainment, which are always priorities. I am confident that by working together we will achieve our goals.”
The AHEPA Board of Trustees also met and the AHEPA National Educational Foundation held a conference call.
SP Galanis and PM Tsipras


Supreme President Meets Prime Minister Tsipras
Supreme President John W. Galanis had a brief meet and greet with Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras at a reception held at the Consulate of Greece in New York, Sept. 29. Supreme President Galanis congratulated Prime Minister Tsipras on winning his second general election, Sept. 20.  Supreme Vice President Andy Zachariades and SOP National Advisor Jimmy Kokotas accompanied the supreme president to the event.
Supreme President Galanis is in New York City for a series of meetings, including one with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios.  He will also attend The Hellenic Initiative’s annual banquet with officers of the Supreme Lodge, Sept. 30.

WASHINGTON UPDATE
Hellenic Caucus Capitol Hill Summit on Greece
Starts Today
The Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues commences its inaugural “Stand with Greece” policy summit today at the U.S. Capitol. It concludes Oct. 1.
Hellenic Caucus Co-chairs U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and CarolynMaloney are hosts of the summit, which features a consortium of business, academic, and policy experts from around the country and Greece to explore how U.S. policies can best be utilized to provide technical and security support to our longtime friend and NATO ally.

 

TAKE ACTION!

Contact your members of Congress. Ask them to attend!

  • Click here to find your senators and representatives
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 129.

REBUILD SAINT NICHOLAS SHRINE CAMPAIGN
THANK YOU!
The administrative year has just started and we are already beginning to see donations being presented for AHEPA’s #RebuildStNicholas capital campaign.  For example, during a visitation to meet with metro-DC area chapters of District 3, at an installation dinner hosted by Molon Lave Chapter 542, Dulles, Va., Supreme President John Galanis received$3,500 in donations. Thank you!
 

ICYMI: Nearly $115,000 in donations to the campaign to help rebuild Saint Nicholas National Shrine at World Trade Center were announced by AHEPA family entities at the 93rd Grand Banquet held July 4 in San Francisco.

 
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.

Upcoming Events
 
October
3 – Supreme Vice President visits Denver, Colo. and Cheyenne, Wyo.
2-4 – District 5 Wildwood Weekend Reunion
8-11 – Supreme President visits Region 10 Workshop, Stuttgart, Germany
16-17 – Supreme President to attend Archon event, New York City
18 – Supreme President to visit Chapter 72, District 5, Trenton, N.J.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
17-21 – TBA National AHEPA Golf Tournament,  Reunion, Fla.December

5 – Supreme President visit Evzone AHEPA Chapter Initiation/Instillation – 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.

Greek American  
News Digest


Tsipras vows to improve conditions for investment in Greece at Clinton event –Ekathimerini – September 28 – Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras insisted on Sunday that his government will conduct the necessary reforms to make Greece more attractive to investors.  Speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting in New York, Tsipras told former US President Bill Clinton he believes he can deliver the changes that would make Greece a more attractive place to invest…read more
Tsipras Pledges to Lead Greece out of Crisis by 2019 – ABC News – September 25 – Greece’s newly re-elected prime minister pledged Friday to fast-track negotiations with international bailout creditors so the country can be in a position to get some much-needed debt relief.  Alexis Tsipras told his first Cabinet meeting that his aim is to have steered the country out of its crisis by 2019 when his four-year mandate ends.  “This is an absolutely achievable target, provided we dare carry out major reforms and changes,” Tsipras said, in a speech liberally punctuated with references to speed. “We must work to re-establish, as soon as possible, financial stability, and restore normality to the banking system.”…read more

 

  According to informed sources, Ban appeared satisfied with the course of settlement talks in Cyprus. Anastasiades told Ban it was imperative Turkey`s words to be translated into deeds.  A UN spokesperson said that Ban commended Anastasiades “for the visionary leadership he has demonstrated and the progress he has made together with the Turkish Cypriot leader” Mustafa Akıncı.
Book Review | Owing to the Greeks – NY Times – September 25 – It is rare that a contemporary political state of affairs perfectly corresponds with a classical literary one – when the contours of the two align so entirely that not only does the latter help explain the former, but the new situation, with all its messy contingencies, seems to follow the carefully wrought logic of its aesthetic predecessor with such precision as to appear like a manifestation, or symptom, of it. Yet this is the case (I would argue) with the economic imbroglio between Germany and Greece…read more
Volunteer Athens Clinic Serving Needy: No to “European Citizen” Award from European Parliament – Pappas Post – September 25 – Since 2008, the European Parliament has been honoring individuals and institutions throughout the union that facilitate cross-border cooperation or promote mutual understanding within the EU.  The prize, which has a huge symbolic value, is also intended to acknowledge the work of those who through their day-to-day activities promote European values.  The 2015 Awardee was the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Elliniko, a suburb of Athens that was founded and is operated by volunteers, serving the needs of all needy people of the area.  The clinic, however, rejected the award, in protest with what they called the contradictory nature of the selection… read more

Greek National Cycling Champion Arrives in Virginia for World Championships – Pappas Post – September 24 – With the support of the readers of The Pappas Post- diaspora and native Greeks from throughout the world, 2015 Greek National Champion Polychronis Tzortzakis has arrived in Virginia, where he will compete in the World Cycling Championships this weekend.  The Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign exceeded its goal of $10,000, raising in excess of $12,000, the balance of which will be used for other athletes to be determined by a committee of team leaders.  In addition to The Pappas Post’s creation and support of the campaign, two corporate sponsors became supporters, including Georges Enterprises, a Louisiana-based company headed by businessman John Georges which was the lead sponsor; and, Toronto-based Fleet Complete, headed by entrepreneur and amateur biker Tony Lourakis…read more