Athanasios Aronis April 29, 2008
O.K. I know what you thinking.
Sorry to disappoint, this is a story of my experience with the
Panerikoussa Society of America,
back even when it was known as the Brotherhood society the
Erikoussa and not to write a historical essay about the Society.
My initiation to the brotherhood was back in the early 70s when my
dad use to take me to the meetings in St. Spyridon church. Back then
I had no idea what was going on, the only thing that I knew
It was a time to meet all the Erikousiotes, the men of course the
woman where not aloud to join at the time. When I reached my 18th
birthday I became a member of the brotherhood, I attended some of
the meetings but when you are 18 the only thing that really interest
you is the members of the opposite sex and since the society had only
men as members that was it for me. Ok enough of the jokes.
In 1978 the teens of Erikoussa got together and formed a soccer team
which we named Erikoussa.
As members of the Society we asked the board to sponsor our team
with uniforms, we were refused because the Society had better things
to do with the money, as we were told.
That was the last time I attended a meeting of the Society until 5 years
ago when I was approached to build the web site panerikoussa.org.
We all make mistakes and looking back I fell in the same trap that
most of us fall when our issues or requests are not met, turn and run
way. Big mistake but like the old saying says, brains are wasted on the
young. If you under the age of 25 and you are reading this learn from
the mistakes that people before you made, get involved with your
Society, Church or any other organization of our Greek community, so
it can be here when you reach our age and your children can enjoy
their heritage. If you are older is not too late to make your voice count,
I know that there is not enough time, especially if you are in school,
work or both but now the Society is coed lol. Our Society has survived
for 57 because of the hard work and pride of its members and the
board of directors, is not easy work I found that out but nothing is
easy. The purpose of our society has evolved though out the years,
back in the 50s when it was formed its purpose was to help our island
and the new immigrants of Ereikousa in the U.S. Those day’s were
tough, Greece was recovering from WWII and a brutal civil war, now
thank God Greece is part of the E.U and the Ereikousiotes with their
hard work have become very prosperous but we still need
representation. A single person can’t do anything but we can achieve
a lot with our collective voice. The Society is not a single person, if
you don’t like the direction is headed only you can change it by
getting involved, turning a deaf ear or thinking that you can’t change
anything is wrong, I found that out too.
O.K. now I’m going to tackle the another issue, the Panerikoussa web
site.
The panerikoussa.org web site was formed under Polixeni Katechis
presidency, she approached me about 5 years ago to create the web
site, and to her credit she had the hindsight to know what a web site
can do to propel the Society in the 21st Century. As a new medium
for us I made mistakes running that particular site and people with
rusted mines attacked instead of giving constricted criticism.
The Pan Erikoussa Society was granted a nonprofit status by the
state of New York and the federal government of the US, by having
that status it does not mean that the freedom of opinion should be
suppressed, if that is the case then other nonprofit organizations such
as P.E.T.A, W.O.W, Green peace and others should not express the
opinions of their members, the federal government instead of
censoring they can give a nonprofit status to any organization that it
wants’ to suppress. That is not freedom that is fascism. I’m not
advocating people to yell fire in a crowded theatre or to have their
deference’s air in the web site but criticism of public figures is free
game. Right now the Society is without a web site. The ball is in your
court.
Your Experiences are welcome and they will be posted.
P.S The Panerikoussa Society’s Easter dance will be held at
Zoodochos Pege in the Bronx Saturday May 17 at 8:00pm see you all
there.
O.K. I know what you thinking.
Sorry to disappoint, this is a story of my experience with the
Panerikoussa Society of America,
back even when it was known as the Brotherhood society the
Erikoussa and not to write a historical essay about the Society.
My initiation to the brotherhood was back in the early 70s when my
dad use to take me to the meetings in St. Spyridon church. Back then
I had no idea what was going on, the only thing that I knew
It was a time to meet all the Erikousiotes, the men of course the
woman where not aloud to join at the time. When I reached my 18th
birthday I became a member of the brotherhood, I attended some of
the meetings but when you are 18 the only thing that really interest
you is the members of the opposite sex and since the society had only
men as members that was it for me. Ok enough of the jokes.
In 1978 the teens of Erikoussa got together and formed a soccer team
which we named Erikoussa.
As members of the Society we asked the board to sponsor our team
with uniforms, we were refused because the Society had better things
to do with the money, as we were told.
That was the last time I attended a meeting of the Society until 5 years
ago when I was approached to build the web site panerikoussa.org.
We all make mistakes and looking back I fell in the same trap that
most of us fall when our issues or requests are not met, turn and run
way. Big mistake but like the old saying says, brains are wasted on the
young. If you under the age of 25 and you are reading this learn from
the mistakes that people before you made, get involved with your
Society, Church or any other organization of our Greek community, so
it can be here when you reach our age and your children can enjoy
their heritage. If you are older is not too late to make your voice count,
I know that there is not enough time, especially if you are in school,
work or both but now the Society is coed lol. Our Society has survived
for 57 because of the hard work and pride of its members and the
board of directors, is not easy work I found that out but nothing is
easy. The purpose of our society has evolved though out the years,
back in the 50s when it was formed its purpose was to help our island
and the new immigrants of Ereikousa in the U.S. Those day’s were
tough, Greece was recovering from WWII and a brutal civil war, now
thank God Greece is part of the E.U and the Ereikousiotes with their
hard work have become very prosperous but we still need
representation. A single person can’t do anything but we can achieve
a lot with our collective voice. The Society is not a single person, if
you don’t like the direction is headed only you can change it by
getting involved, turning a deaf ear or thinking that you can’t change
anything is wrong, I found that out too.
O.K. now I’m going to tackle the another issue, the Panerikoussa web
site.
The panerikoussa.org web site was formed under Polixeni Katechis
presidency, she approached me about 5 years ago to create the web
site, and to her credit she had the hindsight to know what a web site
can do to propel the Society in the 21st Century. As a new medium
for us I made mistakes running that particular site and people with
rusted mines attacked instead of giving constricted criticism.
The Pan Erikoussa Society was granted a nonprofit status by the
state of New York and the federal government of the US, by having
that status it does not mean that the freedom of opinion should be
suppressed, if that is the case then other nonprofit organizations such
as P.E.T.A, W.O.W, Green peace and others should not express the
opinions of their members, the federal government instead of
censoring they can give a nonprofit status to any organization that it
wants’ to suppress. That is not freedom that is fascism. I’m not
advocating people to yell fire in a crowded theatre or to have their
deference’s air in the web site but criticism of public figures is free
game. Right now the Society is without a web site. The ball is in your
court.
Your Experiences are welcome and they will be posted.
P.S The Panerikoussa Society’s Easter dance will be held at
Zoodochos Pege in the Bronx Saturday May 17 at 8:00pm see you all
there.
