The AHEPAN_AHEPA_75th_Anniversary_Commemorative_Edition - 6

SUPREME PRESIDENT
*********************
A Look at The Past;
A Glimpse of the Future
by Spiro Macris
This special issue of THE AHEPAN,
commemorating the 75th anniver ary of
the AHEPA, is one which I believe we
will all read with intense interest and
appreciation, and one which we will
treasure for many years to come. Thi
issue presents an historical review of
the AHEPA through its 75 years of
existence, and touches on the multifaceted
nature of the organization.
This multifaceted nature i , of
course, Ahepa's strength, for there is
something in the organization to
appeal to all Greek
Americans. There are
those who would say that
this is also AHEPA's
weakness - that it cannot
focus on any one thing
and deal with it in a
definitive and concentrated
manner. There is
some validity to this
charge, but an inability to focus can
be as much a product of an unwieldy
structure as it is a lack of will to perform.
Along
with many articles that look
at the pa t, there are three articles that
look at the future: Dr. Charles Moskos
on " The Future of Hellenism in
America, " His Eminence Archbishop
Spyridon on " The Future of the Greek
Orthodox Church in America, " and
my own article on " The Future of
AHEPA in America, and Beyond. "
I'm sure you will find these articles
fascinating reading.
Canada
It was my pleasure
to visit
Montreal, Ottawa
and Toronto in
April. I saw wonderful
members of
the AHEPA family
in each community.
I saw talent, youth,
left to Right: Canadian President Anthony Mavromaras, President Spiro
Macris, Greek Ambassador to Canada loannis Thomouglou and Greek
Ambassador to Zaire Athanasios Valassidis.
energy, vision, experience, wisdom
and maturity - all ingredients necessary
for building a stronger and better
AHEPA in Canada. In order to assist
in this process, I will take two actions:
1. I will ask the Board of Directors
to approve the payment of Canadian
dues in Canadian dollars. I would
hope that the Canadians would then
begin a supplementary dues program
for Canadian purpose only, for
example, the publication of a
Canadian AHEPA magazine.
2. With the advice of the Canadian
President, Tony Mavromaras, I shall
appoint a Canadian Cyprus and
Hellenic Affairs Committee which
will seek to educate the Parliament
and the Canadian Government in
matters relating to Greece, Cyprus
and the Patriarchate.
Annual Trip to Greece
In early May, the AHEPA once
again undertook its annual twoweek
journey to Greece, Cyprus and
the Patriarchate. The cope and
depth of this trip has never been
truly appreciated by the GreekAmerican
community at large.
Perhaps the fault lies with the
AHEPA for not publicizing it adequately.
Because of the nature of
this special anniversary issue, a full
article on the trip will appear in the
next issue of the magazine. Let it
be said, however, that this trip
occurring year after year as it does,
is an achievement which no other
organization can come close to
matching.
It is at the same time a fact-finding
trip, an opportunity to raise the profile
of AHEPA in Greece and Cyprus,
a means of showing steadfast support
for the Patriarchate, and finally a
journey which nourishes the Hellenic
root of tho e who participate in it.
A Final Word
This will be my last message in
THE AH EPAN magazine as
President of the AHEPA. I thank
all of you for having given me the
opportunity to serve you. It has
been both a trying and a rewarding
experience, and I can only hope and
pray that my efforts have made a
difference in helping to build a better
and stronger AHEPA.
The AHEPAN_AHEPA_75th_Anniversary_Commemorative_Edition

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN_AHEPA_75th_Anniversary_Commemorative_Edition
