National Convention 2006
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT
2006
It has been two years, since His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios bestowed upon me the significant honor of re-appointing me as your National Philoptochos President. With that re-appointment came the continuation of an enormous responsibility and commitment. I thank His Eminence from the depths of my heart for having the confidence in me, to entrust to me, for a second two-year term, the care and evolution of this most wonderful organization named the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society.
It has truly been my privilege to serve as your President for four consecutive years. It is with an almost overwhelming sense of humility, accomplishment, gratitude and pride that I stand before you today to deliver my President’s report for the past two years.
There are certain words that come to my mind, as I reflect upon the journey that we have made together over these past two years. These words are vision, enthusiasm, faith, harmony, teamwork, unity, success, love, accomplishment, commitment, dedication, service, passion, creativity and innovation. These words represent the feelings, the emotions, the characteristics, the attributes, the traits, the endless work, the unceasing effort and the marvelous results that we have experienced during our journey together. I am inspired, moved and thrilled by the spectacular achievements that have taken place, the outstanding contributions that have been made, and the significant growth and evolution of our Philoptochos Society that have occurred during our journey together.
His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has stated that this is "the age of Philoptochos," the age of philanthropy, emphasizing that Philoptochos is an answer to the crises and problems facing our contemporary world. Philoptochos has the privilege of cultivating love. We, as the philanthropic heart of our Greek Orthodox Church, need to focus on love as action. The love of God is grounded in action. Mother Teresa states that "love cannot remain by itself - it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service."
We, the members of Philoptochos, are privileged to be the ambassadors expressing and sharing this love that is exemplified in our action of service, as our unceasing and selfless work devoted to our philanthropic Society continues. The scriptures state, "Faith, hope and love…, but the greatest of these is love." Love is part of the image of God, which is the same image and likeness of God that we strive to achieve in each day of our lives, as we walk in His light and in His ways, so that we prosper in all that we do, especially in our Philoptochos ministry. God loves beyond our dreams, without restraint, without limit. This is the kind of love that should echo radiantly in our hearts and minds. It is this love that will enable us to continue and to enhance our philanthropic work, to assist all humankind in their moment of need and beyond, as we ensure extraordinary outreach within our Greek Orthodox community, and the national and international communities, as well.
Let us be thankful in the Lord that our successes as a philanthropic entity have assisted most profoundly in addressing the needs of others. We applaud the selfless and untiring efforts of our entire Philoptochos Society for personally touching the countless number of people in our communities that have received the benefits of our noble mission of philanthropy, one that spans 75 years, one that has made a difference through dedicated service.
I would now like to review with you the goals and objectives that I shared with you, at the beginning of my second term, in my President’s report, for the then forthcoming two years of our Philoptochos journey.
First, I wanted to continue to "globalize" and to "modernize" our Philoptochos Society. I used these words to describe the ongoing evolution of Philoptochos, in terms of expanding our scope and our outreach, streamlining our operations to become both more effective and more efficient, and extending our membership to embrace the multi-generational and the multi-demographic span of women who comprise our parishes in the United States.
Second, I wanted to continue to achieve a better and a broader distribution of our geographic representation and participation on both the Executive Board and the National Board.
Third, I wanted to continue to encourage greater participation and more extensive collaboration in the Standing and Special Committees of the National Board. In addition, I wanted to continue to encourage greater accountability and output at both the individual contributor and committee levels.
Fourth, I wanted to continue to grow the emphasis on all forms of communication and to reinforce the complementary and reciprocal roles and responsibilities that each of us shares in ensuring the complete and accurate dissemination and distribution of information across our Philoptochos Society.
Fifth, I wanted to continue to adapt and to refine the structure of our Society to improve our alignment with the goals, objectives and structure of our Archdiocese and its ministries.
I believe that we have made significant, visible and demonstrable progress in achieving each of these goals and objectives over the past two years. I am delighted to be here today to share this progress with you.
"Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision is making a positive difference."
Vision has continued to be one of the most crucial components of leadership, and it is vision that has already led, and will continue to lead, to the ongoing success, growth and evolution of our Philoptochos Society. Without vision, our Society cannot move forward with the vibrancy, vitality and enthusiasm that are required for us to be successful. My vision has been to expand, to heighten and to extend our impact, as the philanthropic heart of our Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and our Greek Orthodox Church, to new dimensions and to a broader scope within our Greek Orthodox community and to reach out to others in our contemporary society and ever-changing world.
It is a shared vision, it is one that is filled with passion, it is one that is emotionally charged, and it is one that resounds across the entire Philoptochos Society, at the National, Metropolis and Chapter levels.
Our mission is to promote charitable, benevolent and philanthropic outreach, to preserve the sanctity of life and family, and to perpetuate and to promote our Orthodox faith and traditions. It is our responsibility and our duty to execute the principles and concepts of our mission statement, to enhance these concepts, to teach them, to practice them and to institutionalize them into the very fabric of our Philoptochos Society. Let us use our God-given gifts, our abilities, our compassion, our empathy, our faith and our love to further promote the mission of our Society.
We have fostered a renewed sense of unity, harmony, teamwork and cohesiveness across our entire Philoptochos Society. We have created an agenda, and we have initiated a series of programs, that are designed to maintain and to enhance the care, the development and the nurturing of our Philoptochos Society. We have enhanced several existing committees, and we have established several new committees, to build a more solid foundation on which the work of Philoptochos has continued to grow, to evolve and to prosper.
During the past two years, devastating tragedies have unraveled the lives of many millions of people around the world. These tragedies have truly been of enormous magnitude. Our Philoptochos members have been there, in the forefront of assistance, with not only a tremendous outpouring of empathy, but also with contributions of supplies, as well as financial assistance, in record-breaking proportions. I am eternally grateful that, through the efforts of our members, the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society has been able to offer significant assistance to those living in crisis situations.
"For you have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat."
I had the honor and the privilege to participate in the visit by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to Tarpon Springs, in January, 2006, for the Commemoration of the Centennial Epiphany Celebrations, where we had the opportunity to participate in a most significant experience, namely, our trip to New Orleans, where we toured the catastrophic devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster ever to strike the United States. This trip was in addition to a trip that I had made in September, 2005 to Baton Rouge, in which I accompanied His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios and His Grace Bishop Andonios on a visit to several of the agencies that were, at the time, the central focus for the relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Our work as Philoptochos continues in this area, as it remains a long and painstaking process to rebuild the lives of so many people who have been so devastated. I experienced the magnitude of the assistance needed on my trip to New Orleans, specifically in the 9th Ward, which was the area that was the most impoverished and the one that was hit the hardest. Based on the very grim situation that I viewed, we have reinstated our discussions with Habitat for Humanity, who has been working in the Gulf Coast since the tragedy occurred, by providing long-term solutions to the housing needs of families who have been displaced by these disasters.
We, as Philoptochos, are fortunate and grateful to have been able to assist the many victims of the hurricane-ravaged areas resulting from Hurricane Katrina. Our initial immediate response was to contribute $50,000 to IOCC from our IOCC National Commitment Fund, for their relief efforts, as part of a larger ecumenical relief effort.
In addition, I am profoundly grateful to inform you that the National Philoptochos has collected close to $143,000 for the National Philoptochos Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, of which $98,000 was forwarded to the Archdiocese Katrina Fund and was specifically earmarked to address the temporary housing expenses and the purchasing of necessary major appliances for the Orthodox families victimized by the hurricanes. As of June 4, 2006, over $35,000 has been used for temporary housing expenses for 11 families, and close to $47,000 has been used to purchase approximately 100 major appliances. The remaining funds of approximately $16,000 will be used for additional housing expenses and major appliances. Our profound gratitude is extended to Dee Nicolaou, President of the Metropolis of Atlanta Philoptochos Board and Chairman of the Metropolis of Atlanta Disaster Relief effort, who has been working tirelessly to assist the affected individuals and families, so that their needs are met. I would also like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of our Chapters for this outpouring of love, concern and generosity, which is a direct result of our commitment to the ideals of our Philoptochos Society. The remaining funds of approximately $45,000 in the National Philoptochos Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund have also been forwarded to the Archdiocese Katrina Fund, to assist in meeting the needs of those still affected by the tragedy.
Our Adopt-a-Family Project was our Christmas, 2005 appeal, and it was very well received. This voluntary project addressed the immediate, short-term and long-term needs of primarily the Orthodox victims of the Gulf Coast tragedy. As of June 4, 2006, 101 families have been adopted, with an additional 34 families that have been promised contributions from Chapters. Thus far, over $115,000 in gift cards has been received from 65 Chapters throughout our Archdiocese, with verbal commitments from more Chapters in the amount of approximately $40,000. This astounding expression of love and compassion is truly noteworthy and is to be highly commended.
In October, 2005, a massive earthquake struck the area near the Pakistan-India border. As a result, between 1.6 and 2.2 million children were severely affected by this catastrophe. In light of this impact, UNICEF became the lead agency for coordinating the massive relief response. Through the benevolence of our Chapters, the National Philoptochos donated $25,000 from our UNICEF National Commitment Fund for this most worthy cause.
Our Philoptochos Society experienced another positive, constructive and noteworthy thrust into the future state of philanthropy and philanthropic giving, in response to another international natural disaster, namely, the Asian earthquake tsunami catastrophe in late 2004. I would like to offer our deepest gratitude and sincere appreciation to all of the Philoptochos Chapters who responded so quickly to the Christian call of philanthropy, with their generous donation to the National Philoptochos Asia Disaster Relief Fund. In that campaign, we raised over $114,000, which was distributed to three channels, which offered philanthropic relief, namely, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Asian Disaster Relief Fund, the IOCC and UNICEF. In addition to the National Philoptochos Asia Disaster Relief Fund, our Society asked that our Chapters participate in the IOCC "Gifts of the Heart" health kits project, which contained much needed basic toiletries. Over 11,500 kits were prepared and sent to the IOCC, and the project continued as an ongoing endeavor.
In September, 2004, we vigorously responded to the appeal from the Archdiocese to provide aid and support to the thousands of victims of the disastrous hurricanes that devastated much of the state of Florida, through the Archdiocese Florida Hurricane Fund. I am extremely happy to announce that, because of the extraordinary offering of love, compassion and concern for the individuals and families affected by these devastating disasters, a total of close to $54,000 was contributed to this fund, with $10,000 coming from the National Philoptochos National Emergency Fund, and approximately $44,000 coming from our phenomenal Chapters.
As we move forward and explore new endeavors and enhanced forms of philanthropic outreach for our Society, beyond the boundaries of our Greek Orthodox community, we have already incorporated new programs which have a further global reach and which will serve humankind in a greater and broader scope. Our Wheelchair Project is one such program. Thanks to the generosity of our Chapters, we, as a Society, have collected over $69,000. These funds have allowed us to be successful in producing a container of 280 wheelchairs and vocational training for the 280 individuals who have received these wheelchairs in the Republic of Georgia. We are grateful that we have assisted in giving the gift of mobility, where the dignity, the hope and the quality of life of these individuals could be restored. In addition, due to the benevolence of our Chapters, a second container of 280 wheelchairs was prepared and delivered to Thessaloniki, Greece, through the Wheelchair Foundation.
In the spirit of our mission statement, which encourages the perpetuation and the promotion of our Orthodox faith and traditions, I am pleased to share with you that we have supported the program entitled the National Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF). The National Orthodox Christian Fellowship has been established through the Department of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese. It is a group of people on a university or college campus who come together for fellowship, to learn more about the Orthodox faith and to maintain their bonds to the Church. The National OCF has been called "lifelines" for students, providing them with opportunities to stay connected with, and to grow in, the faith. The National OCF is partnering with the National Philoptochos to help our students stay connected to the Church by utilizing the "Connect Kit." This collection of essentials includes a New Testament, icons, Orthodox prayer books, books on the Orthodox faith, and other resources. The National Philoptochos has been instrumental in raising awareness of this resource, through promotion and sponsorship within our Chapters.
I am pleased to share with you that the Standing and Special Committees of the National Board have responded to my request for greater participation, collaboration and action. As a result, we have continued to implement extensive infrastructure enhancements and increased organizational efficiencies and programs that support our philanthropic mission.
We have revised and adopted the policies and procedures related to the specific sections of our Guidelines of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society booklet, which is comprised of the Personnel, Social Services and Finance Administration Sections.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of the National Board Standing and Special Committees Chairmen and committee members for all of the proactive work that has been done with their respective committees. Our committees have now set their goals, they have defined their objectives to achieve these goals, and they have begun to implement their action plans.
I would now like to highlight the work of several of our National Board Standing and Special Committees. These committees are: the Social Services Committee; the Project Bank, which is a sub-committee of the Project Review and Management Committee; the Public Relations Committee; and the Philoptochos Handbook Committee.
The Department of Social Services, along with our Social Services Committee, is truly the heart of our Society, and I am profoundly grateful for the work accomplished. Allow me to share a summary of the exemplary work that has been achieved.
One of the major objectives of the Department of Social Services of our National Office is to improve the services that are available to our clients. Significant strides have been made to establish a greater and more defined cooperation with other organizations and agencies. Since the needs of the individuals and the families who are served are constantly changing, the Department of Social Services has taken steps to ensure that both the functionality and the quality of its services continue to improve and to meet these needs. I am extremely proud of two very important resources that the Department of Social Services and the Social Services Committee have developed. A Social Services information packet, which is a resource guide for our Metropolis Boards and Chapters, has been completed, and it will be distributed to our delegates during our Convention; in addition, they have completed the successful launch of their official website, through the National Philoptochos website. Because of the success of the Social Services National Commitment Fund, and based on the recommendation of the Social Services Committee, and with the approval of the National Board, $10,000 will be distributed 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 and to identify their physical needs, based on Social Services guidelines.
The Project Bank sub-committee has implemented the new National Philoptochos Literacy Outreach program, which will promote literacy through a "hands-on" approach. This program will target both children and adults, and it will be tailored according to the capabilities of each Chapter. A very comprehensive document was mailed to our Chapters in November, 2005, including a detailed description of how to implement the program at the Chapter level. This program will promote motivation, success and enjoyment of reading and oral communication for grade school children; it will increase the self-esteem of students participating in the program; and it will offer meaningful volunteer opportunities for Philoptochos members and others within our church communities to strengthen the ties between generations, by providing opportunities for adult tutors and young children to bond, through additional instruction, support and encouragement. It will also be a means to heighten the awareness of Philoptochos within the community. It is my hope that all of our Chapters will participate in this worthwhile program, one that is very dear to my heart.
The Project Bank sub-committee has also distributed and collected the feedback from the outreach survey that was mailed to our Chapters. This survey has provided us with the means to preview the many and diverse outreach projects that Chapters have undertaken on the local level, which in turn may lead to projects that can be implemented as National programs. The survey also provided a means of determining what each Chapter’s total financial contributions are to philanthropic outreach, so that we may establish a financial figure that reflects our entire Society. All of the submissions of outreach projects have been compiled into a special Project Bank document that will be distributed later this week, during our Convention. It will be a wonderful source of ideas, or an "idea bank," for our Chapters to draw upon.
The Public Relations Committee has achieved enormous strides. The National Philoptochos newsletter has become a reality. The Philoptochos Voice is our newest tool of communication, which has been designed with you, the Philoptochos member, in mind. The Philoptochos Voice was conceived in order to provide you with a comprehensive source for sharing information and ideas about the phenomenal work and activities of the Philoptochos Society across all levels. The inaugural issue has been included in your Convention packets.
You will find all communications regarding special projects, press releases, special events and all other pertinent information that would be of interest to our members on our website, www.philoptochos.org. We are still in the process of compiling an e-mail list of our entire membership to include them on our list servers, for the immediate communication of this information. Please ensure that you have provided your e-mail address to the National Office. Our web site has recently been updated, to provide a more interactive and more user-friendly environment.
Our Philoptochos Handbook Committee has been working diligently to prepare a complete and comprehensive resource tool for the National Philoptochos Board members, Metropolis Philoptochos Presidents, Metropolis Boards, Philoptochos Chapter Presidents and Chapter members. Included in the Handbook will be information on the responsibilities of Philoptochos officers and board members, election procedures, meeting protocol, bylaws and other pertinent information. This resource tool will be available to our Chapters in September.
The Year of the Family was observed throughout 2005 by the entire Greek Orthodox Church in America, placing great emphasis on the family. The national campaign included programs, activities and resources for all levels of the Church in America that encouraged the advancement and enhancement of healthy, happy and dynamic Orthodox families and called for the full incorporation of interfaith marriage into the life of every parish.
Our National Philoptochos Family and Society Standing Committee participated in a meaningful way, to assist in the success of this initiative of the Church of America.
In November, 2005, our the Philoptochos Chapters participated in the Family Outreach Sunday program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Outreach and Evangelism. This noteworthy program was wholeheartedly endorsed and supported by the National Philoptochos, as a means to encourage inactive family members and Orthodox friends to participate in a special day of Orthodox fellowship.
His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos was an extraordinary leader and a towering pillar, who led the Greek Orthodox faithful in America for almost 4 decades, by the example of his faith, his vigor, his devotion and his ministry. We have honored his legacy and his lifetime of sacrifice for our beloved Church with a donation to the Archbishop Iakovos Chair of Orthodox Theology in the amount of close to $30,000. This Chair is an endowed chair at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, which is granted to a senior tenured faculty member in any of the several fields of theology. This Chair was established in 1986 to promote Orthodox theology, the scholarly projection of Holy Cross, as well as the ecumenical witness of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Our new commitments for the year 2005, resulting from the resolutions of the previous National Philoptochos Biennial Conventions, have been well supported by our Chapters. I am most pleased to report that over $40,000 has been raised for the Retired Clergy Benevolence Fund, close to $31,000 has been raised for the National Sisterhood of Presbyteres Benevolent Fund and close to $28,000 has been raised for our General Medical Fund.
Our tenth Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon, Bless the Children, which took place on December 3, 2005, in Dallas, Texas, was a very productive, heartwarming and memorable event. It was a true labor of love by the Metropolis of Denver Philoptochos, and it resulted in a most spectacular event for all to enjoy. We had the privilege and the honor of distributing $125,000 to five very worthy hospitals in the Metropolis of Denver and $35,000 to the Children’s Medical Clinic in Ethiopia. The grand success of this event was created by the hard work, the many sacrifices, the active participation and the overwhelming generosity of the Chairmen, committee members, Chapters, and the countless volunteers, locally as well as nationally, who supported this worthy cause, so that children’s lives may be filled with hope and promise for a long, wonderful and healthy life. I am delighted to announce that the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos will host the 2007 Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon.
With this CMF Luncheon, National Philoptochos expanded the Children’s Medical Fund to include the establishment of a children’s medical clinic in Ethiopia, where responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis is of the highest priority. We, as the National Board, voted to fund a $60,000 project to develop this children’s medical clinic and its adjoining school in Ethiopia, to be constructed by the IOCC, in cooperation with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. We funded the clinic portion of this project through the success of our Children’s Medical Fund Luncheon, and we have now also met our remaining commitment of $25,000 for the adjoining school, through the generous donations of private individuals, as well as members of our National Board.
In order to ensure the continued evolution of Philoptochos, and to meet the growing demands of contemporary America, we need to focus on the introduction of new and actively participating members to our Society, by extending our membership to embrace the multi-generational and the multi-demographic span of women who comprise our parishes in the United States. This is a responsibility and a challenge that I pose to everyone at all levels of the organization, the Chapters, the Metropolis Boards, as well as the National Board. Each and every one of us needs to take this responsibility and challenge very seriously and to incorporate and to implement new ideas, innovative projects and an open-minded thought process, so that we may encourage a membership that will be enthusiastic, vibrant and creative.
I have continued to make a concerted effort to visit as many Philoptochos Chapters as possible, across the nation, during these past two years. In addition, I have attended the Metropolis Philoptochos Conferences of Boston, New Jersey, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Denver and Detroit. I have found these visitations to be an excellent vehicle for delivering my message personally and directly to the members of our Society.
Our second two-year journey has now culminated with our 2006 National Philoptochos Biennial Convention. As we gather together as a united assembly to learn, to experience and to become stimulated, inspired and challenged, in order for us to better serve our philanthropic ministry, I am confident that our Philoptochos Convention will be a most rewarding and memorable experience for each and every delegate.
Our most sincere appreciation and gratitude are extended to our Convention Chairmen Maria Stavropoulos, Katherine Kotsis and Eleni Zaferes. With their boundless enthusiasm and buoyant spirit, they have succeeded in preparing an exciting agenda of programs and activities for you that will be innovative, informative, inspirational and entertaining. This agenda of programs and activities has been designed to address the many questions, topics and challenges that you experience on an ongoing basis at the Chapter and Metropolis levels. We are extremely grateful to Maria, Katherine and Eleni for their endless energy and tireless efforts to bring us a noteworthy Convention. Also, a special thanks is extended to Lisa Solon and to Presbytera Stella Sfikas, as our Host Committee Chairmen, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we experience that wonderful southern hospitality.
We also extend a profound thank you to all of the Chairmen and committee members of our Convention, as well as to the members of the Metropolis of Detroit Philoptochos, who have worked unceasingly for the success of our Convention.
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, and, above all, their friendship. 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 have shared in a very special opportunity to have participated in the creation of a Philoptochos that is a prominent, significant, unique, and 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.
God has blessed us with a wonderful gift, His Grace Bishop Andonios. We offer our love and special thanks to him, as the 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 our devoted staff of the National Office, Helen Lavorata, our Director, Stella Xikis, our accountant, Diamond Prassakos, our social worker, and Kay Brakatselos and Katina Katsanevas, for all of their hard work, their support and their constant desire to help in every way that they can. Without your dedication, commitment and conscientious efforts, these accomplishments also would not have been possible. I thank you for being such an important part of our wonderful journey.
As we enter an era that will secure the continued success of Philoptochos, and as we create an agenda for the future, we must always remember and honor the legacy of Philoptochos, a legacy that has been established through seven and a half decades; one that is most significant; one that encompasses a tradition of excellence in dedicated service with a strong commitment to our mission; and one that we honor during this 2006 Convention. While we remain true to the sacred center of our mission, as it was established at the inception of Philoptochos, we must reflect on our enormous successes, and we must capitalize on our strengths and abilities, as we steadily demonstrate the benefit of moving towards the future Philoptochos. It is imperative that we think beyond the present and into the future, to explore new directions with creativity, enthusiasm and determination based on the cohesiveness that is centered on our shared vision and our shared values. Let us realize our fullest potential, and let us strive towards this future, as we promote progress and the advancement of our Philoptochos Society to serve humankind in a greater and broader scope. Let us honor the importance of volunteerism more fully, let us expect more of it, and let us demand more of ourselves and others in volunteer roles.
Synergy is the essence of principle- centered leadership. Synergy catalyzes, unifies and unleashes the greatest powers within people. It is synergy that has allowed the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society to become the dynamic, creative and inspirational force for worldwide philanthropy that it now represents. We have demonstrated the reality of the synergistic principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual components. Synergy is the combined action of different agents; for us, these agents are the various levels of our organization, namely, the National, Metropolis and Chapter levels, producing significantly greater results with our combined efforts than can be accomplished individually.
It is because of our synergy, our combined effort, the constant support and the selfless and untiring efforts of the Executive and National Boards, the Metropolis Presidents and Board members, and the Chapter Presidents and members, that our achievements have resulted in a banner period of outreach and commitment to the ideals of philanthropy. As a consequence of this work, the National Philoptochos was able to donate a total of well over $4.8 million to our National Commitments and special projects, since my administration began in September, 2002. I extend my profound and heartfelt gratitude to all of you, for you are truly the heart and soul of our Philoptochos Society. You are the reason that, through seven and a half decades, Philoptochos has successfully continued to achieve excellence in its mission of philanthropy and in its ability to encompass a tradition of dedicated service, devotion and commitment. As Archbishop Athenagoras wrote in His encyclical of June, 1936, "Philoptochos has accomplished miracles." His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios has referred to Philoptochos as the "army of women." This army is really one great body, comprised of many voices with one single heart. It is this army that is a powerful force that continues to accomplish miracles today, just as it has throughout its 75 year history.
My final charge to you is described in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people, and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics, and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived.
This is to have succeeded."