This Week For Greeks! - Vol.3 Issue 19 - Wednesday, June 10, 2009

A Message from the Supreme President

Brothers, Sisters and Friends:

As my tenure as Supreme President approaches its end, I would like to take the next few weeks to thank the many people who have assisted and supported me during this amazing journey. This past weekend the Birmingham Sam Nakos Chapter 3 hosted the District 1 Convention. The chapters are the lifeblood of our organization and what makes AHEPA unique in Greek America. I would be remiss if I did not thank those members of Chapter 3 who supported me during my involvement in the national leadership of AHEPA. Many of those brothers were present this weekend but many who have passed on were not. I will not forget any of them and am forever grateful to them. I would also like to thank my many friends and family in the Birmingham community for their support.

Many honors and perogatives come with the title of Supreme President, one of which is the ability to bestow the AHEPA Lifetime Achievement Award. Whatever accolades and success which I have been blessed to encounter during my Presidency would not have been possible without the values and committment to service instilled in me by my parents, Aleck and Helen Gulas. My father, a lifelong Ahepan, is a testament to why AHEPA has enjoyed longevity as an organization. He has given selflessly to promote the values and ideals promulgated by the Order of AHEPA, and done so without asking for honors and awards. Like so many of our members he has worked steadily to advance our organization and as such, I have chosen to bestow the AHEPA Lifetime Achievement Award to him and announced it at the District 1 banquet Saturday evening.

As I stated above, my message over the next few weeks will be reserved for thanking individuals who have been so instrumental in making my Presidency possible. Thank you.

Fraternally,

Ike Gulas, Supreme President

News From AHEPA

Convention Preregistration & Hotel Cut-Off Deadline This Friday
WASHINGTON (AHEPA Convention) -- The AHEPA Supreme Convention is rapidly approaching. Headquarters at the direction of the Supreme President has extended the hotel cut off date and the preregistration date to June 12 (this Friday). Please make your reservations and prepay for your delegate packages this week. Go to www.ahepa.org/convention.

AHEPA to Honor Greece's Foreign Minister at Supreme Convention
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis WASHINGTON (AHEPA News) -- Entrepreneur George Marcus, Comedian Basile Also To Be Honored -- Actor Michael Papajohn To Headline as Master of Ceremonies -- Daughters of Penelope to Celebrate 80th Anniversary ... read more.

AHEPA Joins in Nationwide Release of "My Life in Ruins"
WASHINGTON (AHEPA News) -- AHEPA participated in the launch of the summer comedy, "My Life in Ruins" featuring Nia Vardalos, star of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." AHEPA Headquarters would like to thank everyone at FOX Searchlight Pictures and our leadership in over 25 cities across the country for making this event a community celebration of history and beauty of Greece. ... read more.

AHEPA Mourns Passing of Journalist Lambros Papantoniou
WASHINGTON (AHEPA News) -- Supreme President Ike Gulas issued the following statement on the passing of Journalist Lambros Papantoniou: "The AHEPA family was saddened to learn today that Journalist Lambros Papantoniou passed away at age 63. Lambros was a constant fixture in Washington, having been a diplomatic correspondent for several Greek and Greek-American media outlets for nearly 35 years." ... read more.

National Herald Now Free for AHEPA Members
WASHINGTON (AHEPA News) -- The National Herald, the nation's largest Greek-American Newspaper is available free in electronic format to AHEPA members. Though This Week For Greeks, you will be able to read the full version of each week's National Herald issue. ... read Issue 608.

Hot off the Press - The AHEPAN Winter 2009 Issue!
Can't wait for your copy to come in the mail? Burning to see if your picture made it into the feature article on a recent AHEPA event? Well, suffer no more!

You can download and view the issue online!.

AHEPA Supports the Hellenic American Veterans Memorial
CHICAGO (AHEPA News) -- The Hellenic American Veterans Memorial Monument Committee of The American Legion, Hellenic Post No. 343 requests your assistance in gathering Veterans names. Begin by registering Veterans in your family, in your Post, then Veterans in your community. Encourage family members and Veterans to spead the word. To find out more or to register Veterans, go to the official website: www.hellenicpost343.org.

Apply Today for your New AHEPA VISA Affinity Card!
AHEPA's New VISA Affinity Card WASHINGTON, D.C. (AHEPA Promotion) -- AHEPA is proud to announce, through our partnership with Bank of America, an offer you literally can't afford to pass by! The New AHEPA VISA Affinity Card offers you, not only the lowest APR available, but at a fixed rate that won't change after the card has been activated -- and a chance to help AHEPA at the same time! Please check out the offer online and appply for your new card today!

AHEPA 2009 Upcoming Events Calendar

JUNE
    12-14 District 14 Convention - Sioux Falls, SD
    12-14 District 20 Convention - Anaheim, CA
    18-20 District 16 Convention - New Orleans, LA
    19-21 District 11 Convention - Canton, OH
    19-21 District 15 Convention - Kansas City, MO
    19-21 District 21 Convention - Santa Clara, CA
    29-30 AHEPA Supreme Convention - San Francisco, CA

JULY
    01-05 AHEPA Supreme Convention - San Francisco, CA
    01     Convention Tennis Competitive Social (8:30 AM) - San Francisco, CA
    01     Convention Golf Tournament (Noon) - San Francisco, CA
    02     Convention Athletic Luncheon (Noon) - San Francisco, CA
    03     Convention Tennis Competitive Social (8:30 AM) - San Francisco, CA
    03     Convention Golf Tournament (Noon) - San Francisco, CA
    13     Mid-Central Regional Golf Tourn. - Akron, OH
    22     Mile High Regional Golf Tourn. - Englewood, CO

Greek American Weekly News Digest

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis walks into a Cabinet meeting yesterday. He did not indicate whether there will be a reshuffle, which many commentators think will happen in September when Parliament resumes full activity.

PM Looks for a Way Back After Election Defeat
ATHENS (Kathimerini) -- June 10, 2009 -- In his first Cabinet meeting since Sunday's defeat to PASOK in the European Parliament elections, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis yesterday told his ministers that they have to work harder to win back voters but did not give any indication of when he might carry out a reshuffle. ... read more.

Greek American Named TIME 100 Most Influential People
HARVARD (Global Greek World) -- May 8, 2009 -- Recently named by Time Magazine as one of the World's 100 most influential people, Dr Nicholas Christakis is one of our Global Greeks! A Greek American physician and sociologist at Harvard University, Nicholas Christakis in his latest study suggests that Happiness is Contagious. ... read more.

Nia Vardalos and Alexis Georgoulis about "My Life In Ruins"
HOLLYWOOD (Greek Reporter) -- May 28, 2009 -- We met the duo at the Press Day that Fox Searchlight had organized for their new movie, "My Life In Ruins." We talked about being a tourist in Greece and the many restrictions that prohibit movie productions to go to Greece and film in the country's monument's, something that should change if Greece wants "more free publicity'. ... read more.

RELATED: VOA Coverage of AHEPA's Role in the Movie Release (in Greek)

A Room with a View Awaits the Marbles
The New Acropolis Museum in Athens is seen in this undated handout photo provided to the media on May 26. ATHENS (Kathimerini) -- May 30, 2009 -- Architect Bernard Tschumi says artifacts should be together in the same place, and there's no better place than the New Acropolis Museum -- Bernard Tschumi can finally afford a smile as he looks around at his new creation, the New Acropolis Museum, after an eight-year campaign to get it designed and built. ... read more.

Other Greek American News Headlines

Kathimerini - June 10, 2009
New Round of FYROM Talks
New York Times - June 2, 2009
S.E.C. Names George S. Canellos to Head of New York Office
Greek News - May 28, 2009
In Memoriam - Lambros Papantoniou

Greek of the Week!

Dr. Takey Crist
This week AHEPA would like to pay special tribute to a brother who recently made a significant contribution to the preservation of Hellenic culture. Earlier this year, Brother Takey Crist (Dr. Takey Crist) of Jacksonville, NC, a longtime member of Cape Fear Chapter 408, donated a large collection of Cypriot artifacts and rare books to support the Greek studies program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Brother Crist is a UNC alumnus and a successful obstetrician, gynecologist and the founder of the Crist Clinic for Women. He is also the founder of the Cyprus Museum in Jacksonville. Inspired by his love for his paternal land and his desire to maintain the heritage of Cyprus alive, Dr. Crist began buying up and building his collection, which soon became too large to house in a private residence.

The Crist Collection at UNC consists of approximately 150 rare books on Cypriot and eastern Mediterranean history and 40 artifacts consisting of mostly pottery and sculptures from the Early Bronze Age to the Classical period representing roughly 2000 years of Cypriot history.

For his leadership in our Order and for helping to preserve Hellenic culture, please join AHEPA in honoring Dr. Takey Crist as this week's Greek of the Week!

Who's Your Greek of the Week?
There are many heroes in our community who often sadly go unrecognized. You can help. Nominate someone to be AHEPA's Greek of the Week! Simply email a short, detailed nomination, along with a digital photo of them to webmaster@ahepa.org.

Unfrocked and Unashamed