![]() I hope you are enjoying the warm summer weather and vacation season. With the national convention only a month away, I wanted to send you a few last reminders as we prepare for our annual event. Memberships A strong membership base has been a key factor in the Brotherhood’s success, and while are current membership numbers are lower than last year’s, there is still time! I encourage you to pay your membership dues as soon as possible, either by mail or through our website. We depend on you for your continued support and with your help we can accomplish even more together. Please submit your dues to your local chapter or through our website (https://pan- icarian.com/membership/) as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact Supreme Treasurer Evangelos Fragos at: [email protected] or by phone (910)233-2572. In addition, earlier this month, the Supreme Lodge recently emailed and mailed the “Convention Delegate” and “Chapter Officer” forms to each of the Chapter Presidents. Please ensure that these forms are completed for your Chapter, and returned to our National Secretary Katerina Mavrophilipos, by August 1, 2019. It is important to return these forms as soon as possible, to ensure all necessary Chapter and Delegate information is available by the start of the convention. National Convention – Detroit Michigan This year’s convention promises to be a memorable one, with high participation anticipated throughout the weekend activities. While the convention hotel is currently sold out, I encourage you to check the convention website (https://www.icarianconvention2019.com) and facebook page for details on an overflow hotel and additional rooms that can potentially become available as we draw closer to the convention weekend. In the event you have to cancel an existing reservation, the Convention Committee asked that you contact them first so they can provide the accommodation to individuals on a waiting list. In addition, the convention website / social media pages will help provide details on the weekend, planned activities, and discounted ticket sales. The national convention is an event that my family and I have made a tradition each year. It is a time where we can see extended family and friends, have fun, and solidify our heritage for generations to come. I hope you are able to attend and make this an annual tradition for you and your family as well. Icaria Summer Volunteer Project Earlier this month, our annual summer volunteer project was performed in Icaria, with nearly forty volunteers descending onto the beach of Agia Kiriaki for a shoreline cleanup. I’m happy to report that the effort was a great success, with over twenty bins of garbage and debris being removed from the shores of this beautiful beach. This event is an important tradition that brings us together to give back to the island that we all love. I’d like to thank the many volunteers who made this a success, the Pan-Icarian Youth for their participation, Teddy Poulos for his leadership on this effort, and our local Icarian coordinators Irene Mavrogeorgie and Faros Sylogo for helping us identify this project. I’m sure this annual event will continue to grow, and I look forward to participating in it with you all next year. George Horiates, Elected as Supreme President of AHEPA During this year’s 97th Supreme Convention of the American Hellenic Progressive Association “AHEPA”, our fellow Icarian Brother and Past Supreme President George Horiates was elected as Supreme President. PSP Horiates has been a long time and active member of the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood, who has served as president of Philadelphia’s Chapter Atheras, Foundation Chairman, and Supreme President of the Brotherhood. The Pan-Icarian Brotherhood would like to congratulate PSP Horiates on this achievement and wish him great success in his presidency. Having an Icarian Brother serving as head to such a large Greek organization is an honor we all are proud of, and is the result of George’s dedication and commitment to the promotion and preservation of Hellenism. In closing, the National Convention is an intricate part of our great organization, where we narrow our focus to set goals for the upcoming year and future endeavors of the Brotherhood. I encourage you to attend the meetings, participate as a delegate, and share your thoughts and vision for the future. If you’d like to have any topics discussed please contact your District Governor or myself, so we can include it as a discussion topic or on the convention agenda. Thank you again for your continued support and dedication to the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood of America “Icaros”. I look forward to seeing you all in Detroit! Fraternally Yours, Damianos T. Skaros Supreme President Pan-Icarian Brotherhood of America “Icaros” |