An open letter from the President; Dear Members and Friends, As the school year draws to an end and the summer approaches, one chapter of our societys history comes to a close and another historic one begins. For many years, our society has marched forward and progressed through times both trying and jubilant; when the founding members of the Dafnonas Chios Society assembled for the first time nearly fifty years ago, few, if any, believed that our society would have progressed to where it is today. We are one of the most highly respected and esteemed societies in the New York Metropolitan area, we have a home base in one of the finest neighborhoods in New York City, and have donated thousands of dollars to people in need and organizations who do the same. Nearly thirty years ago, we established a youth organization which followed in the footsteps of our society and helped countless people through many difficult times. We have fed and clothed people who were less fortunate, and brought smiles to the faces of many children. It is with great pride that we tell others that we have roots in the village of Dafnonas, Chios. This year, however, marks a turning point in the history of the Dafnonas Chios Society. Only once in our societys history have we had a female member on our Executive Board, Mrs. Fotini Dilis. Integrating our society has been a goal of many presidents and executive boards, and on Sunday, June 1st, 2014, we attained this goal. An unprecedented four female members were elected to the Executive Board for the 2014-16 term. The complete results of the election were as follows: President: Steven D Sideratos Vice President: Stamatios (Tommy) J Mamounas Treasurer: Mary Haviaras Secretary: George Doulos Executive Board: Irene Neamonitis, Markella Sideridis and Stella Tsimbikos As high as the new boards expectations are, none of this would have been possible without the people who helped us attain the status we now have. From our first president in 1967, Mr. Aristotle Mirones, to our latest president, Mr. Michalis Papamichalakis, every leader of our society has put his stamp in our history book. The accomplishments of these past executive boards have set the groundwork for what we hope to take to the next level in the future. The goals of our society have always been twofold - a combination of philanthropy along with the retention of the culture and history of Greece, most notably, that of the village of Dafnonas on the island of Chios. We must strive to continue these for both ourselves, and even more so, for our children and grandchildren. In the words of Nineteenth century American Albert Pike, What we have done for ourselves dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. Our society has prospered because of our philanthropic nature, and can attain more if we continue along this route. On behalf of the Executive Board, I would like to wish all our members and friends a happy and healthy summer. May God bless you, watch over your families and keep you well, and we hope to see all of you when our term resumes in September. Steven D Sideratos, President
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 01:34:34 +0000
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