The AHEPAN - Spring 2009 - (Page 4)

Message FroM Nicholas a. Karacostas ahePa suPreMe PresideNt help us invigorate our Grassroots T he 87th Annual Supreme Convention was yet another successful gathering of Hellenes from around the world, and an event I will never forget. I am deeply humbled that the dedicated and hard-working convention delegates have afforded me the unique opportunity of a lifetime by electing me as your Supreme President. To me there is no higher honor. It is the culmination of more than 30 years of service in the AHEPA family dating back to my days as an active Son of Pericles. Since the convention, our Supreme Lodge has met on several occasions, mostly Nicholas A. Karacostas via conference calls, to plan what promises to be a very active administrative year. First and foremost, we will continue with many initiatives that took root with my predecessor, Past Supreme President Ike Gulas. This includes maximizing the use of the Internet, including social media networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to create awareness of the AHEPA family, increase our membership, and promulgate our mission. Additionally, we aspire to outreach to communities and revitalize our grassroots by hosting a series of four regional banquets across the United States in lieu of our traditional Biennial Salute Banquet. We will honor excellence in public service, commerce, and Hellenism in those communities. Our first one will be held in New York City on November 21, 2009. We will enthusiastically join with the White House’s “United We Serve” initiative by launching a public service campaign to combat hunger during the upcoming year. We invite the entire American Hellenic community to engage in public service whether it is through AHEPA’s campaign, another community service project, or on an individual level in your neighborhood. Together, we can make a difference in the community. Moreover, we continue to exercise our voice on issues affecting the American Hellenic community in Washington. I have already had meetings on Capitol Hill and with the Department of State, and I will continue to do so during the year. More importantly, we will be scheduling our “Capitol Hill Day” in early 2010, and we encourage your full participation to help elevate the visibility of our issues in Washington. Our Cyprus and Hellenic Affairs Committee will also be striving to strengthen our Congressional Contact Grassroots Network and your participation is encouraged. These are just a few of the programs and events we have planned. Opportunities to become engaged in the AHEPA family, whether it is through scholarship work, athletics, housing programs, or any other worthy project, will be plentiful and are fully encouraged. We need your helping hand. In closing, there is a love for AHEPA instilled in me since the day I came to the United States from Cyprus, off of a boat, as a three-year-old. The values of our noble mission were taught to me from Day One. Indeed, I am the product of the “American Dream” as fulfilled by the immigrant experience of my parents. And AHEPA was a vehicle through which that Dream became reality. The lifelong relationships I developed thanks to the AHEPA family have helped lead me to where I am in life. To me, this is the essence of AHEPA, and this is what I want it to mean to future generations, including my own children. Help me continue the tradition. the ahepan Spring 2009 www.ahepa.org http://www.ahepa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN - Spring 2009

The AHEPAN - Spring 2009
Table of Contents
AHEPA President's Message
Daughter's of Penelope President's Message
Sons and Maids Presidents' Messages
AHEPA Family News
AHEPA Family Leaves Its Heart in San Francisco
Housing
Athletics
AHEPA Family Chapter News

The AHEPAN - Spring 2009