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Ahepa District 20 - Chapter 505 - Ta Nea Newsletter - October 1999
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P.O. BOX 2682 DEL MAR, CA 92014 |
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NEXT MEETING SS. CONSTANTINE and HELEN GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH'S SENIOR CITIZEN CENTER PROGRAM PRESENTATION AND SPEAKER Michael T. Merica Topic: "Hellenes At War, Past, Present and Future" The presentation focuses on the history of warfare in Greece from the time of Homer to contemporary times. It is a time-line depicting the various weapons used and military tactics as they evolved through the centuries. All of this presentation is within a historical context. Do not miss this most interesting presentation. Brief Biography of Brother Mike Michael was born in Iran in 1961 to a Greek father and a Russian Mother. His grandfather, Theodore Merica founded and established a thriving Greek community in Teheran from 1930 to 1963, the year of his death. Mike's father and grandfather built the Greek Orthodox cathedral in Teheran "Evangelismos Tis Theotokou" for which they were both awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix by King Paul of Greece. Michael left Iran at the age of 10. He attended Athens College in Greece. In his junior and senior year he received military instruction. Also in his senior year he participated in the archaeological dig in Vergina, the site of the tomb of Phillip of Macedon. He completed three years with the Greek Special Forces (Lokatzides). Mike was discharged honorably with the rank of Captain. In 1981 he came to San Diego to study. There he met my wife Linda and in 1983 was married. They both graduated from USD in 1985. He became a U.S. citizen in 1984. Michael speaks, reads and writes seven languages and his passion is medieval history. He consider himself an amateur historian and a professional lover of his motherland, Greece. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Sometimes it takes a jolt, both literally and figuratively speaking, to get us moving into action on certain matters of importance. So it was this past weekend when Southern California experienced a significant earthquake. As if to remind me that disasters do not only strike far away from home, as in recent news. Fortunately, it was not centered in a major metropolitan area and damages to people and property were relatively minor. This does, however, underscore the need to act swiftly and offer aid to those in need when possible and to the extent possible. At our last meeting, the members present discussed and approved a donation to the Greek Earthquake Relief Fund of $1,000. Since the need came after our '99 - '00 spending plan was adopted, we must raise this money on our own. In the interest of time, a brother in our chapter has underwritten the full amount so that we may send a check to AHEPA Headquarters by the end of October - the target time-frame to collectively raise $100,000. One thousand dollars for a chapter our size is minimal; with roughly 80-90 members, that's an average donation of $10-15 per member. The members that were present and I are confident the entire chapter will support this relief effort and donate to the extent they are able. We only have to repay $900 of the $1,000, i.e. this brother's donation was $100. All funds in excess will be forwarded to headquarters as well. I would expect we should be able to raise over $1,000. Our neighboring chapters are contributing $1,000 each as well. Having seen the recent updates from headquarters on the fund drive, some of you may have already forwarded your donation directly to national, not realizing our chapter has pledged a respectable amount already. Please direct your individual donations through our chapter; we need to, first, fulfill our internal obligation and second, account to the fund drive as a chapter body. We originally thought about a San Diego tri-chapter dinner to raise funds, until we realized that at least three other events were already scheduled over the coming month. And since we did not intend to compete with these other events, we all decided to contribute as individual chapters. Now, in addition to the three chapter donations, you may see donation boxes at these upcoming events, and you and others may wish to contribute additionally, beyond our chapter pledge. You should also know that we expect national AHEPA to clearly inform us where this money will go - before we send it - and how it will be dispensed. Our national officers are in the process of evaluating the best relief effort method(s). We have suggested they consider established international relief organizations such as the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). Anyone wanting to offer additional suggestions should consider attending the workshop with Supreme President Dariotis this coming Saturday, October 23rd at a time and location (in So Cal) that will be announced this week. Art Pathe CHAPTER ANNOUNCEMENTS Best Wishes and CRONIA POLLA to the following Brothers who are celebrating birthdays:George Moraros 11/3 Mike Pekos 11/5 Peter Ellis 11/10 Jim Mellos, III 11/14 George Anagnostopoulos 11/22 Ari Theofilopoulos 11/23 John Grevas 11/29 Happy Anniversary!!! to the following Brothers and their lovely brides who are celebrating wedding anniversaries: Skipper & Elain Woodham 11/1 John & Liza Ronis 11/7 Charley & Gina Kakos 11/11 John & Arlene Generales 11/12 John & Christina Frangos 11/21 Mike & Kathryn Manos 11/21 Alex & Jeanette Rigopoulos 11/23 Meeting Agenda - The following is the meeting agenda for the next Social/General Chapter Meeting, being held at Ss. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church's Senior Citizen Center, Tuesday, November 2, 1999: m Program Presentationm Foundation By-Laws Reviewm Greek Independence Day 2000m Christmas Partym Rose Bowl Float Decorationsm Old Businessm New Businessm Good of the OrderGeneral Business Meetings - General Business Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month. The next meeting will be Thursday, November 18, 1999, at SS. Constantine and Helen Senior Citizen Center at 7:00 p.m. All Officers and appointed officers are expected to attend. Any interested members may attend. Come and see your administrative board at work planning and coordinating for better functions and best events for the membership. Costas Lyrintzis Memorial Scholarship Fund - Brothers, we of the Hellenic Community of San Diego must keep Costas' memory alive, and we can do this by instituting a memorial scholarship in Costas' name. Please send your tax deductible contributions, in any amount to: Order of AHEPA, c/o George Polos Chapter 505, P.O. Box 2682, Del Mar, CA 92014. We need TA NEA Advertisers! - This newsletter is budgeted to be funded and made possible by those that place advertisements into the publication. We have run some issues without Ads and we must not allow this to continue to happen! If we wish to continue this publication we must encourage more advertiser submissions.Ad space rates are: one full page (8 1/2" by 11") $125 per issue, half page (5 1/2" by 8 1/2") $75 per issue and $25 for business card ads per issue. Please contact Brother D. A. George to place your next ad. All necessary art work will be created for you and as always, readers, please patronize our advertisers. Thank you. Please Notify Us - Should you know of any Brother recovering from illness or surgery, or known to be hospitalized, please notify Brother Alex L. Rigopoulos at 233-7158 or 469-9239. Newsletter Entries - Please direct all newsletter announcements for "TA NEA" to the editor: Brother D. A. George, (619) 273-2868, FAX (619) 273-0416 by the 20th of each month. Of All Things Greek by Minas Savvas, Ph.D. O ver 200 prominent people from the arts and from the political spectrum (Prime Minister Simitis among them) had proposed Mikis Theodorakis for next year's Nobel Peace Prize. The composer who plans to retire from public life soon, was humbled and elated by the accolade, but one has to be skeptical about any possibility of the composer winning the prestigious award any time soon. After all, he fiercely opposed NATO's bombing of the Serbs; and the conservative politics that frequently intrude in the selection committee's choice would be bound to deny Theodorakis the prize. ln any case, the famous composer gracefully withdrew his name from competition five days later and nominated as the Greek and Turkish crews that came to the rescue of quake victims in both those countries (a candidacy first proposed by the Turkish press).C onstantinos S. Nicandros died at the age of 66 in Houston at the end of August, Though I had never heard of the man, I now learn that he had been the chief of Conoco, Inc., the international oil and gas firm. Nicandros was born in Port Said, Egypt, of Greek parents, attended the University of Paris, and later Harvard, and spoke seven languages. He was believed to be the first foreign-born chief executive of a major oil company.Ordinarily, successful businessmen (like unsuccessful ones) live and die and are forgotten; but if Nicandros is to be remembered, especially in the Houston area, it will be for his unceasing support of the arts. He served on the boards of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Symphony and the Houston Ballet Foundation. K ommeno, a village in Arta, was burned to the ground by German troops 56 years ago, after 317 of the village's residents were executed in cold blood. There was a solemn church service recently in memory of the fallen, and President Kostis Stephanopoulos showed up in Kommeno to lay a wreath on their mausoleum. I was impressed by the truth of a statement he made during his speech. "We must not forget all the sacrifices that the Greek people suffered on behalf of freedom. Kommeno is one such example. If we forget, the dead die a second time and history does not instruct and is not visible. Greece, we must agree, has not propounded her sacrifices and sufferings as much as she should have to the rest of the world. It is time to remember them, to remind our selves constantly, and to point to the rest of the free world how hard the Greeks fought and how much the Greeks endured for freedom." Amen!H ow do you think the idea of the wedding cake originated? Well, Arlene Stewart in a Bride's Book of Wedding Traditions, tells us something I did not know. Wedding cakes, she says, began in ancient Greece as hard biscuits that were crumbled atop the bride's head by the guests, symbolizing fertility. The Romans expanded this by eating the crumbs; and then, much later, in 17th century France, a chef used icing to hold a stack of the biscuits together, thus creating the even more modern custom of the tiered cake."C onstantinople, My Love" is a movie, now being filmed, about a Greek girl who falls in love with a Turk. It is a romantic thriller, and the story-line is based on a novel by the same name, authored by Nendim Gyurcel who has been working with the Greek and Turkish actors as a consultant. Two hundred and seventy one items (friezes, vases, busts, whole statues) stolen in 1990 from the Archeological Museum in Corinth by four as yet unapprehended thugs were finally recovered in Florida. As did the rest of the world, I read the news of this unprecedented theft and its recovery with joy. Fourteen large containers with a substantive portion of the Greek legacy were retrieved (only a few were cracked or damaged). But then I also read about how the four thieves entered the museum, after wounding the only guard on that evening of April 12, 1990 - an aged man who did not even have a chance to deter them. I came to wonder: Wasn't there a security system? Couldn't they have more than one guard in such a place with so many precious, inestimable artifacts? How could these thieves have taken such a long time loading up a truck with such a large volume of vases and statues without anyone noticing? Has Greece done more since 1990 to deter similar thefts from happening?I did not know about George Pelecanos until I heard him a few months ago in an interview on National Public Radio, speaking proudly of his Greek father who "ran a diner as if it was a place of love." Pelecanos is a mystery writer and, from what I gather, a very good one. His latest novel is called The Sweet Forever, and most of the reviews of it have been extremely positive. The Times of London, for example, described the novel as "a clever, well written classic." A detective named George Stephanos is a protagonist in Pelecanos' other novels. I, for one, plan to read a couple of his works before the year is over.S tan, a proud Greek-American who unfortunately spoke no Greek, visited Greece with Dwayne, an American friend. After some of the traditional tours around the country, the two friends visited a Greek nightclub one night. A comedian was on stage and after each joke, the whole place would explode with laughter. Dwayne noticed that Stan was laughing along with the rest of the Greek revelers. Puzzled, he turns to his friend and asks why is he laughing when he cannot understand Greek. "But, Dwayne," exclaims Stan, "these are my people.""H ead On," the Greek-Australian film directed by Ana Kokkinos, the promising Greek-Australian director, finally came to Los Angeles; and the critics have been praising the honesty of its subject and the courage of its realistic portrayals. Adapted from Christos Tsiolkas' novel "Loaded," the movie is about a Greek-Australian homosexual teenager (played convincingly by Alex Dimitriades) trying to cope under the pressures and the traditional values of his family and his claustrophobic Greek-Australian community. Cast mainly with Greek-Australians, the film stars Andrea Mandalis, as Alex's younger sister, Tony Nikolakopoulos, as his hardworking but conservative father, and Paul Capsis, as Johnny, Alex's drag-queen friend. Kokkinos, incidentally, made her name known beyond the borders of Australia with another film, "Only the Brave," which is similarly a coming-of-age odyssey involving a Greek-Australian lesbian. "We are not as much in charge of our lives as we think. We are transient," exclaimed the commentator of a radio station in Athens, a day after the earthquake. Then, between the commentary and interviews regarding the mortality-inspiring disaster, he played an American rock song entitled "We Are Dust in the Wind."W e are still first. In 1998, the Athens vice squad arrested some 1900 women prostitutes. Of these, 846 were Greek women, 462 were Albanian, some 195 were from the former Soviet republics, 86 were Romanian, 30 Bulgarian, and the rest were from Turkey, the Philippines, Thailand, etc. Most of the foreign prostitutes, incidentally, have been victims of pandering, often-violent gangs who bring women to Greece with false promises of jobs as dancers, waitresses, or maids.D ionysis Tsironis, a die-hard member of KKE (the Greek Communist Party) and a high-ranking official of the organization in his region, died recently in Pyrghos. Communist party leaders from Athens and from neighboring areas came to attend the funeral. As party official Haralambos Kakarakis was ready to deliver the eulogy, the priest stepped forward to warn the speaker that he could not use the words "communist" or "comrade" (sintrofos) in his speech. When the speaker, ignoring the admonition, did refer to Tsironis as "comrade," the priest interrupted and refused to allow the eulogy to continue. Protests and shouting followed, and those in the funeral lodged a formal complaint with the bishop, charging that the cleric (Nikolaos Kamoutsos) acted disrespectfully and provoked old hatreds.A t the finals of the U.S. annual Spelling Bee (the 72nd), most of the wards were Greek. After STAUROLATRY (the religious worship of the cross) and POIMENICS (study relating to shepherding) came the word OPSIMATH (one who begins serious learning late in life) and, the final, winning word was LOGORRHEA (idle, excessive and meaningless chatter) of which there is so much these days.M ihalis Cacoyannis, the famous director of Zorba the Greek, was honored in Montreal recently for his contributions to the cinema in the 20th century. It was at the Montreal International Film Festival, after a showing of his newest film, The Cherry Orchard, based on Chekhov's play, that he was given the "Special Grand Prix of the Americas." The Cherry Orchard is a Greek-French Cypriot production, starring Charlotte Rampling as Lubov, Alan Bates as Gayev and Owen Till as Lopahin.A bove its report on the quake in Greece, the Turkish Millyet headlined in Greek lettering (PERASTIKA SINTROFE), "Get Well Soon, Neighbor." The Greek mass media was impressed to the point of commenting on the sympathetic gesture. Eleftherotypia's response was "The Richter Connects Us;" and, in smaller letters, it explained: "In order to understand the meaning of this, headline, there is no need to speak Turkish." The newspaper Hurriyet, on the other hand, suggested something more interesting. It recommended that the Greek and Turkish rescue teams (EMAK and AKUT) be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. "They laid the foundations of a much-needed friendship."(Re-printed by permission of THE GREEKAMERICAN) Echoes of Oct. 28, 1940 For some 178 years now, since the people of the Hellenic Peninsula took up arms, against overwhelming odds for their freedom on March 25, 1821 this historic day has been celebrated as the National Day of the Independence of Greece. Yet today, since 59 Years ago, we are blessed with two National holidays, March 25 and Oct. 28. March 25 is well known to every body. But what about Oct. 28? Why is this day so important to us and the world, that we celebrate it with such splendor? The answer is contained in a little Greek word of three letters: "OXI," which means "NO." As the German wermacht was rolling over the fields of Poland and the Low Lands and slavery was casting its ugly shadow over the free countries of Europe, the world was anxiously looking for someone who might have the spirit and will and stamina to resist. As France was disintegrating externally and internally under the pressure of the Nazi hordes, as the Netherlands were being laid waste under the most vicious bombardment in history, nobody could ever imagine that a handful of Greeks would dam to talk back to Hitler's axis partner. But dare they did, and forward they moved until they had the "invincible" fascists hanging on the ropes. Then in came the Germans and saved their partners from ignominious defeat. But the damage had already been done. The historians and military analysts and experts tell us today that the Nazi time-table of attack was so upset, that the Russians found the opportunity to organize and turn the tide at Stalingrad. So a little three letter word uttered by a Greek Prime Minister deprived the Nazis and Fascists of their dream of world conquest. But the meaning of this refusal to surrender assumes more and more significance as the years go by. Because it has proved to the world that it was no accident or a decision taken to arouse the admiration of the world, but a calculated and deliberate answer of a people whose spirit has always been to live free. And as it was no accident then, it was no accident later, in the 1950's, that Greece was the only nation on earth to score a direct and resounding victory over godless Communism on the battlefield. Thus the refusal to surrender is repeated every moment with every bullet fired, not to invade and conquer weaker neighbors, as Turkey has done to Cyprus, but to preserve hard won freedom. It is this undying spirit and devout love for freedom that the people of the United States have recognized with the pledge that Greece shall remain free as long as the United States is free; and that's for many centuries to come. In celebrating this October event of 59 years ago, let us be inspired by its achievement, impressed by its magnitude and let us redouble our guard because, the boisterous and boastful enemy of then has been supplanted by another old enemy just as boisterous and just as arrogant, but twice as sneaky. AHEPA Issues Appeal to Hellenes, Phil-Hellenes for Earthquake Relief WASHINGTON -- Supreme President George J. Dariotis, after a visit to Athens and the earthquake stricken areas in its northern suburbs, has issued a call to the AHEPA Family to raise $100,000 within one month for aid to the earthquake victims. Dariotis also encouraged all Hellenes and Phil-Hellenes to contribute to the relief effort. The AHEPA delegation of Dariotis, Canadian President James Giannoulis and Past Supreme President and Chairman of AHEPA International Dr. Spiro J. Macris visited the district of Menidi, which along with the district of Ano Liosia, suffered the greatest damage. The delegation met with a number of officials of the town of Acharnes, which was among the worst hit in the entire area. Among those officials were Dimitrios Papanikas, mayor of Acharnes; Dimitrios Katsandris, chairman of the City Council; Litsa Rigos, member of the City Council and Nick Georgakopoulos, city engineer. "The amount of human suffering exacted by the devastating earthquake calls for action on the part of all Hellenes and Phil-Hellenes," said Dariotis. "It is our moral imperative and obligation to do our outmost to alleviate the crisis imposed by this terrible natural disaster. According to Dariotis, the many tent camps set up to house the estimated 75,000 to 100,000 homeless were stark in appearance and provided only the bare amenities. At the time of the delegation's visit, food was being distributed from a truck from governmental agencies and children were being organized and led in games by volunteer boy and girl scouts. Goal to raise $100,000 Dariotis and Giannoulis have called for an immediate concentration of AHEPA's energies in this effort and a temporary suspension of all other fundraising efforts. Following the earthquake of 1986, Supreme President John Plumides and Supreme Vice President of Canada Peter Anas delivered a check of some $38,000 to the Greek government. In 1999, a minimum of $100,000 must be raised through the coordinated efforts of the Supreme Lodge and District Governors, said Dariotis. "We will mobilize our network of Chapters immediately to reach our god," said Darioiis. "in addition, the Daughters of Penelope, Sons of Pericles and Maids of Athena are all joining in this philanthropic endeavor. Different government officials made a number of suggestions as to what to do with the monies raised. Some suggestions included buying tents and contributing directly to the Government Earthquake Fund or to the Greek Red Cross. According to Dariotis, AHEPA is in the process of contacting a number of manufactured housing and mobile home companies; however, no final decision has been made as yet on how the funds will be used to aid the victims of the earthquake. How you can contribute Contributions can be sent to: Ahepa Headquarters, 1909 Q St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20009. Please make checks payable to: Ahepa Charitable Fund and earmark donation for Athens Earthquake Relief. Donations may be made through credit cards (Visa and MasterCard only) by contacting AHEPA Headquarters, 202-232-6300 or by visiting the AHEPA website: www.ahepa.org. Donations are tax-deductible. The funds will be strictly administered and all contributions from individuals, AHEPA members or non-AHEPA Family members, will be posted on the AHEPA website, according to Dariotis. The Hellenic Cultural Society In conjunction with the Faculty Club of the University of California, San Diego, UCSD Presents: MUSIC of the ANCIENT GREEKSplayed by Gayle Stuwe Neuman and Philip Neuman Saturday, October 30, 1999 University of California at San Diego, UCSD Faculty Club, La Jolla $25.00 per person, payable to Hellenic Cultural Society. Mail Checks to: H FWNH THS FILIAS (The Voice Of Philia) DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE PHILIA, CHAPTER #380 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Sisters, Our next meeting will be held at Ss Constantine & Helen's Senior Citizen Center on Tuesday, November 2, 1999 at 7:00 pm. Please make every effort to attend this meeting as you will find it both interesting and enjoyable. We are planning a trip to Pechanga Casino in Temecula as well as a combined social event with the ladies of the San Diego Daughter's chapter. See you at he next meeting! Joanna Pathe Cabbage Rice -- Lahanorizo Olive Oil 1/2 cup Onion 2 medium, coarsely chopped Chili Pepper 1/2 teaspoon Rice 1 1/2 cups, long grain Water 2 1/2 - 3 cups, or chicken stock Cabbage 2 1/2 cups blanched and chopped Salt Dill 1/2 cup chopped, fresh (optional) Yogurt 1 cup In a deep, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chili pepper and the rice. Stir for a few seconds to coat with oil. In the meantime, heat the water or stock with the cabbage in a separate saucepan. When starts to boil, pour it over the rice and reduce the heat. Season with salt, mix well with a wooden spoon, and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but still moist. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped dill and with a spoon of yogurt on each plate.
CALEDAR OF COMING EVENTS October 28, 1999 - OXI Day Celebration (Pan-Arcadian) St. Spyridon Hall. October 30, 1999 - Music of the Ancient Greeks Dinner (UCSD and Hellenic Cultural Society) UCSD Faculty Club November 5, 1999 - Hellenic Fairways Golf Tournament (St. Spyridon) Coronado Golf Course November 13, 1999 - Tavli Tournament ($40 Entry Fee) St. Spyridon Hall. |
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