Santa Barbara AHEPA Chapter 243

May 2006 Newsletter
ORDER OF AHEPA
SANTA BARBARA CHAPTER #243
“Promoting the Harmony of Greek Culture, Service, and Community”
Established October 17, 1929
“Keeping the Spirit Alive and In the Mix in 2006”
“ALWAYS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE”
http://www.ahepa20/~chapter243/

CHRISTOS ANESTI
The month of May is a wonderful month. It is a month of new life, of bright light, of enthusiasm for the future as is promised in the Resurrection of our Lord. It is time when the seeds planted in the early spring sprout and show their beautiful colors and fruit. Remember “May Flowers?”
Your Ahepa Chapter is joyfully experiencing this continuum of new life also. Last month we announced our “Sister City” project with a city in Greece.
This month we are proud to support a project of the Arts & Letters Department at UCSB: a film by Constantine Giannaris. “Hostage” which speaks to the issue of Greek-Albanian relations. This is co-presented with the James and Sarah Argyropoulos Endowment in Hellenic Studies at UCSB in association with the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles. This showing will take place on May 15 / 7:30 pm / Campbell Hall. $6,/ $5 students. Tickets can be purchased @ 805-893-3535.
The Greek Heritage Society presents ‘Echoes of the Agean and Caribbean” Sunday May 7th @ 7:pm at the Barnsdall gallery Theater in Los Angeles. $50. Please call(310) 216-9391 or (818) 386-1942 and experience wonderful music.
May 21, 2006, we will Celebrate” Ahepa Sunday”. It is also the “Sunday of the Samaritan woman.” The Ahepa and the Daughters of Penelope will co-host the coffee hour and the memorial service to remember our Brothers and Sisters who have passed. We plan to have a historical exhibit of our chapters where there will be old photos and other memorabilia that you will find of interest. Please join us in this special day.
In the spirit of Greek heritage, I hope you will read the March Newsletter which is posted on our web site listed at the top of this letter. That article was not posted in the March Epistle. I think you will find the article very inspiring. I include this small portion:
“. I speak of the Hellenic idea of values that are greater than the self. Because of these higher values the Greek people and therefore Greece itself have served as an inspirational icon for the world.
These values have been described as virtue, valor, heroism, self-sacrifice, and love of freedom. These descriptive terms help to comprehend the meaning of the sacrifice at Thermopylae, the holocaust of Missolonghi, the dance on the rock of Zalongho, and many others. These true stories remind us of what Greece through its people has given the world and of our heritage and roots. These historical stories are repeated many times throughout history and the chronicles of the War of Independence kept by Greek historians” “At the time when the Greeks, greatly outnumbered, but faithful to their heroic tradition of past great battles fought despairingly to delay Hitler’s Balkan conquest, thus delaying the German attack on Russia and turned the tide in the European theater of war….At the time when the whole world held its breath and watched….At the time when our allies wrote about Greece:
“No nation has excelled Greece in the valor of its defense against aggression…Greece set the world an example of courage and integrity…it must not and will not be forgotten when the time comes to restore a sane international order…”Galveston Daily News 1941"
ALITHENOS ANESTI

On March 10, 2006 PDG Dino Frango on behalf of our Chapter introduced the new Los Angeles Consul General, Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras to our Santa Barbara County Supervisors, City Council members, and various members of departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Accompanying him were members of our chapter. We discussed an idea put forth by Chris Compogiannis for a Sister-City relationship with a city in Greece which is similar to Santa Barbara which was enthusiastically received by the Mayor and the Consul General. The Consul General is contacting appropriate cities in Greece and will work with us to make a match.
We are also assisting the University Arts and Letters Department in the promotion of the Greek film "Hostage" which will be shown on May 15,/ 7:30 PM/ Campbell hall. The film maker Constantine Giannaris will be present. This is co-sponsored with th James and Sarah Argyropoulos Endowment in Hellenic studies @ UCSB in association with the Los Angeles office of the Consul General of Greece .Tickets and info call UCSB (805) 983-3535)