National Board Meeting - April 2007
National Board Meeting
April 20/21, 2007
Chicago, Illinois
Christos Anesti !
Your Grace Bishop Andonios, Presbytera Mary Scoulas, Honorary Past National Board Presidents Beatrice Marks and Dina Skouras Oldknow, esteemed members of the National Board,
It is wonderful to see you once again, and I welcome you to this great city of Chicago.
May we please have a moment of silence in prayer, remembering the victims of Virginia Tech who have lost their precious lives because of a tragic act. May we pray for the tender repose of their souls, and may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ grant eternal memory to those who perished. We, the members of the Philoptochos Society, extend our deepest condolences and may our Risen Lord bestow strength to the families who have lost their loved ones.
We have most recently celebrated Pascha, the true Festival of Festivals, the Feast of complete joy, hope, reawakening and eternal life, experiencing tremendous joy and love, as we cry out "Christ is Risen," because, in this simple yet profound refrain, we announce that, for all humankind, the great and sacred gift of eternal life is bestowed upon us. It is this greatest gift to humanity that must be cherished and nurtured, as we live a joyful life, one that enjoys all creation, which is highlighted by people showing respect for one another and for all of humanity. The faithful Christian, and all human beings, must himself, and themselves, feel the opportunity to experience and to cherish life and to recognize this right in all others, as well.
Our good works as a philanthropic entity demonstrate to all people the way of love and giving, of justice and respect for life and for the dignity of each individual that we assist. In the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, which is read on Holy Wednesday evening, the passages truly inspired me, as they defined the true essence of philanthropy. The passages are as follows: "and if I distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, yet do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, is kind; love does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
The Paschal season offers us the magnificent opportunity of inner renewal, a springtime of the soul, a spiritual spring which blossoms with the fruits of the Holy Spirit… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness. It offers us the opportunity for the renewal of our Christian identity as people of compassion and empathy.
We have successfully worked together, as a united group of individuals, to define new objectives, to meet new challenges and to reach new and higher dimensions of accomplishment for our Philoptochos Society, as we truly experience the power of philanthropy. This power of philanthropy represents an unprecedented and significant spiritual power, because to be philanthropic is to love all humankind, which is what truly defines the essence of living a Christian life.
We have evolved in a progressive and flexible fashion, so that we may continue to be responsive to the ever-changing demands of our contemporary society. We have achieved so much already, yet so much still remains for us to do, for it is our obligation as Orthodox Christians to glorify His name by our continuous efforts towards philanthropy, reflected in our acts of love, kindness and commitment to the well being of others.
There is a wonderful book titled Everyday Greatness by Stephen R. Covey. It is a book that describes everyday greatness as a "primary greatness," which is something that has to do with character and contribution, as distinguished from "secondary greatness," which associates itself to notoriety, wealth, fame, prestige or position. Everyday greatness deals with the character of an individual, portrayed more by the goodness that radiates from the human soul; it is based on sincere motives and genuine talents, and its accomplishments are based on small and simple deeds, not grandiose achievements. "Everyday Greatness describes people who, despite the negative noise in the world, still somehow find the ways to step up and to do their part to make a positive contribution each and every day of their lives." This is what depicts the true essence of the Philoptochos member. Each of us as Philoptochos members wants to make a difference, a contribution; we want to be a part of something meaningful, because it is in the giving of ourselves to others that we find our greatest sense of meaning, using the principle of charity. Charity in its purest form includes the giving of our hearts, our minds and our talents in ways that enrich the lives of all people – regardless of whether they are poor or rich. Charity is selflessness. Let us think outside of ourselves, as we exhibit acts of charity, however small they may be, through a simple act of kindness, the offering of hope, or lighting another’s darkened path; opportunities for charity that extend beyond giving money are around us each and every day. Let us embrace these principles, as we go forward on all levels of our Philoptochos Society, to see the possibilities of tomorrow within the realities of today, and, as such, to be motivated to take the challenge to stretch beyond our current capacity to further the philanthropic nature of our organization.
During our deliberations over the next two days, we will complete the process that we began at our last meeting in St. Augustine, that being the work of our Standing and Special Committees. This process included the review of our mission statements, the setting of goals, the defining of objectives to achieve these goals, and the beginning of the implementation of the action plans to achieve these goals. We will hear from our committees regarding their work, and, as a National Board, we will adopt their recommendations. "Leadership holds special sacramental significance, because it includes the opportunity and responsibility to serve and to be the channel for communion, love and grace."
The work of our committees is one of the driving forces which defines our Society, promotes leadership and provides direction for the implementation of our vision throughout our entire Philoptochos Society. I would like to congratulate all of the committee chairmen and their committee members for all of the proactive work that has been achieved within your committees. You have accepted the responsibility, and you have taken the initiative to promote the vision of Philoptochos by your work for each committee. Proactive people are able to foster change, and I am grateful that the work being accomplished is dramatic and impactful, from the perspective that the influence that it will have on our organization will be noteworthy.
This meeting’s agenda will also include discussion of the guidelines for the National Philoptochos Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Founders Fund, as well as the adoption of the guidelines for the $10,000 Social Services distribution to each Metropolis. The National Philoptochos Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Founders Fund was established to address the needs of our aging population. It was brought forward as a resolution and was adopted at our 2006 Convention, and it is to be supported by the Chapters of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society through an annual discretionary contribution. This resolution was brought forth, because the National Board, in honor of our 75th Anniversary, sought to commemorate the lasting contributions and memories of the founding members, through the creation of a National Commitment to support existing continuing care facilities serving the aging Greek Orthodox population in the United States and to support the establishment of similar facilities in the future. The initial funding for the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Founders Fund came from the remaining funds from the 2004 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention that took place in New York and other sources totaling $75,000.
It was because of the success of the Social Services National Commitment Fund, and based on the recommendation of the Social Services Committee, that the National Board approved a $10,000 distribution to each Metropolis, for a total of $90,000, to establish a fund for the immediate physical needs of the elderly, with the provision that the Metropolis Presidents work with individual Chapter Presidents to identify the elderly in need within their Metropolis.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate Committee under the leadership of Chair Faye Peponis, will present to us a very informative dvd on Turkey and will also present to us an update on our upcoming pilgrimage to the Ecumenical Patriarchate which will occur October 5- 11, 2007. It is my hope that we will all participate in this unforgettable spiritual and educational experience, which will begin with a momentous occasion, a private audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. So please be supportive with a positive response to this significant event that we as a National Board will be participating in.
We are anticipating a very exciting fall season, with our National Philoptochos Eleventh Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon scheduled to occur on Saturday, November 10, 2007, at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, California, in the wonderful Metropolis of San Francisco. It is through the leadership of our Luncheon General Chair Valerie Roumeliotis, president of the San Francisco Metropolis Philoptochos Board, along with her co-chairs Patty Chacopoulos, Kathy Gabriel, Marina Kookootsedes, and Jeannie Ranglas, that the Metropolis of San Francisco will host an event that is sure to be marvelous and special. It is a true labor of love that has brought together a community, this beautiful Metropolis, through whose combined effort, dedication to service and love for children, a truly spectacular event will be created for all to enjoy. "Children are a gift from the Lord." Let us pray that, through the Children’s Medical Fund, their lives will be filled with hope and promise for a wonderful and healthy life. We extend our sincere gratitude to Valerie, to her co-chairs Patty, Kathy, Marina and Jeannie and to all the remarkable women of the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos for all of their monumental efforts in presenting an event that will be noteworthy, because it is for the children.
Our next National Board meeting will be on Friday, November 9, in Newport Beach from 9-3 prior to our luncheon.
We are extremely honored to have His Grace Bishop Demetrios, the Chancellor of the Metropolis of Chicago, as one of our guest speakers at our meeting, and Paula Kappos, the founder of Zoe for Life, as another of our guest speakers. His Grace will address the group regarding his establishment of the Bishop’s Task Force on Aids, the first formal Orthodox Christian response to this pandemic in the western hemisphere. Paula Kappos will speak on the exceptional and most timely work of Zoe for Life, an organization that provides outreach and support for the emotional and spiritual needs of women during crisis pregnancies and thereafter.
May I please take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos Board, under the leadership of president Lori Voutiritsas for their overwhelming warmth and gracious hospitality as they welcome the National Board to Chicago. We so excitedly look forward to this evenings wonderful festivities.
I would like to express my love and my great appreciation to the members of my Executive Board for their ongoing dedication and commitment to Philoptochos and for their constant assistance, support, and guidance. I sincerely appreciate their strength, their leadership, and their genuine dedication and commitment to our Philoptochos Society. I thank you all from the depths of my heart, as we share in a very special opportunity to continue to create a Philoptochos that is a prominent, significant, unique and a driving force of philanthropic outreach across our entire nation. I would also like to express my profound gratitude to the National Board for their devotion to, and active participation in, the enhancement of our Society’s charitable and philanthropic endeavors. Without your support, commitment and dedication, these accomplishments also would not have been possible.
We offer our love and special thanks to His Grace Bishop Andonios, our spiritual advisor to our Philoptochos Society. His Grace is a person who has an abundance of love, compassion, spirituality, humility and wisdom. We are most grateful for the support and guidance that he provides.
On behalf of the entire Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the staff of our National Office, Helen Lavorata, Kay Brakatselos, Katina Katsanevas, Stella Xikis and Diamond Prassakos, for all of their hard work, their support and their constant desire to help in every way that they can. Without their dedication, commitment and conscientious efforts, these accomplishments also would not have been possible.
Once again, I thank you for attending our meeting. Let us move forward with confidence and with hope, and, in doing so, let us welcome both the challenges and the opportunities that we may encounter.
May the divine grace, light and love of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ fill your hearts with peace, grace and joy.
Thank you.