The AHEPAN - March 2011 - (Page 4)

messAge From niCHolAs A. KArACostAs AHepA supreme presiDent hitting our Stride at the pinnacle of the year The New Year is well underway and AHEPA remains as busy and engaged in the issues affecting the Greek American community as ever. In our communities, our Regional Banquet series resumes this spring. By the time this magazine is published banquets will be held in Los Angeles, February 12, and Dallas, March 5; and the Montreal AHEPA Family will host yet another successful Valentines Day Charitable Ball for Shriners Hospital. I maintain it is important to recognize excellence in the grassroots that is so often overlooked or unheralded. I am confident these banquets will be successful in accomplishing Nicholas A. Karacostas this task. I sincerely thank the local committees for their hard work and dedication to our mission. Spring is also an important time for our educational programs. The March 31 deadline to apply for AHEPA National Educational Foundation scholarship and the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program is fast approaching; and AHEPAcademy’s extended deadline is April 1. Please don’t miss the boat. Moreover, AHEPA is proud to support military families by teaming up with ThanksUSA to promote scholarship opportunities for children and spouses of active-duty personnel. ThanksUSA’s application process begins April 1. March is a great month to become involved in our civic programs. Namely, our annual Capitol Hill Day will be March 30 in Washington. This is truly a rewarding experience. It is crucial for our members of Congress to hear from the Greek American community on our issues, especially with more than 100 new members in office. Please check your emails for updates about this event. In addition, we strongly encourage our chapters to help with the administration of our newly created AHEPA PAC by contributing a $100 administration fee to AHEPA. Let me be clear. This contribution helps to defray the costs of administering and managing the PAC. It will not, and legally cannot, go to the PAC for the purposes of making contributions to federal candidates. We sincerely thank all those chapters that have contributed to this initiative. Also this spring AHEPA will realize a landmark event. In April, I look forward to making a historical first visit to Israel as part of our annual AHEPA Family Excursion to Greece, Cyprus, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is my hope that we can build upon a successful visit to Athens and Thessaloniki by Jewish American organizations in February as Greek-Israeli relations continue to progress. In that same spirit of taking the lead, AHEPA continues to speak out to condemn egregious acts of violations of religious freedom or toxic rhetoric no matter the source, and conversely, lend support to worthy issue campaigns and initiatives that resonate with our mission. All of AHEPA’s statements were welcomed and praise. Moreover, the 2011 Supreme Convention at Miami Beach is only four months away. The convention promises to be a fun-filled week of events at one of our favorite venues—The Fontainebleau Hotel. Although it is important to have the maximum amount of delegate participation, the AHEPA family welcomes everyone to attend the convention. Finally, I hope you will notice that The Ahepan has undergone a slight change in format. We’ve gone to a shorter 16-page format, but we will increase the frequency of its publication to six times a year instead of four. Our aim is to deliver more frequent, timely news about AHEPA, and place special emphasis on “Chapter News.” After all, the chapters are the backbone of our great Order, and the work they perform in our communities on a daily basis is to be showcased. I hope you will agree. 4 the ahepan March 2011 www.ahepa.org http://www.ahepa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN - March 2011

The AHEPAN - March 2011
Contents
Supreme President’s Message
AHEPA Family News
The Periclean
Meet Us in Miami!
2011 AHEPA Convention Registration Form
Housing
AHEPA Family Chapter News

The AHEPAN - March 2011