Daughters of Penelope

Penelope’s Pen – January-February, 2024   

Happy New Year and Chronia Polla to all members of our Saints Constantine and Helen community! We hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and wish to extend our thanks to those who helped make it so. First, many thanks to Cathedral member Ben Safechuk of B Side Bakery for making our delicious Vasilopites this year, and to our Sister Kathy Bazianos for organizing the Vaslopita and koulourakia bake sale. In addition, we want to thank our Sister Donna Kontopanos for once again arranging a lovely Christmas brunch at the Meadowbrook Country Club. The attendees were fewer than we hoped for, but nevertheless enjoyed a great brunch, beautiful seasonal decorations, and each other's company. We hope others of our sisterhood as well as our AHEPA brothers will attend in the future.

Looking ahead, our next Book Club Meeting will take place on January 17th at 6:30 p.m. via zoom. Our January book club selection is Ann Patchett’s best-selling novel Tom Lake. Non-members are welcome to participate even if they have not read the book prior to the meeting. Please contact Kathryn Geranios or Zoe Mouris for the Zoom link.

 The daughters of Penelope are excited to organize Super Bowl Squares this year! All adult members of the Cathedral are welcome to participate. Stay tuned; more details to follow.

Sisters, please note that dues for 2024 should have been submitted by December 31st. However, it is not too late to submit them to treasurer Kathy Bazianos if you have not yet sent in your dues.

We need all our sisters to make note of our next regular meeting on January 14th after church. This meeting will include the initiation of new members as well as an iconography tour of the cathedral by Sister Kathryn Geranios.

Our February meeting will take place on Thursday, February 8th at 5:30 p.m., beginning with a potluck dinner followed by a regular meeting. We hope to see you at both the January and February meetings.

Until next time,

Penelope’s Scribe

Shelia Demetriadis

 

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Installation of Antiklea Chapter #68 2023-2024 officers by District Governor, Helen Dennie

 

Chapter Officers for 2022-2023

Stephanie Theofanos, President

Jackie Harmon, Vice President

Zoe Mouris,

Kathy Bazianos, Treasurer

To Be Announced, Recording Secretary

Board of Governors: Sondra Sealine, Chairman; Loretta Kirk, and Niki Karion


Daughters of Penelope

The Daughters of Penelope (DOP) was the realization of Alexandra Apostolides' dream.  Her desire was to create a woman's organization and because of her perseverance and the encouragement of her husband Dr. Emanuel Apostolides, a devoted AHEPAN, she formed EOS Chapter #1 with 25 charter members on November 16,1929 in San Francisco, California. The objectives of the Daughters of Penelope are to promote Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence.     


Who is Penelope?

In ancient Greek legend, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, King of Ithaca. Odysseus left her and their son, Telemachus when he went to the Trojan War. When the war ended, many mishaps and weary wanderings kept him from returning home. As time went on and he did not return, many suitors claimed her hand and her kingdom. For a long while she put them off with a plea that she must finish weaving a robe for Laertes, her father-in-law. However, every night she unraveled what she had woven by day, thus remaining faithful to the memory 0f Odysseus and steadfast to the sanctity of her home.

Finally, Odysseus appeared after an absence of twenty years to reclaim his wife, his throne, and his home. In the name of our Order, the Daughters of Penelope, the word Penelope symbolizes all the noble virtues, of kindness, tolerance, unselfishness, truth, goodness, beauty, self-improvement, purity, loyalty, and patience, which were evident in the character of Penelope. As her Daughters, we strive to exemplify and uphold these same values in today's world.

Antiklea Projects and Events:

Red Tent Project for Homeless Women

Koulourakia Baking

Holy Land Crafts Booth

Tsourekia, Koulourakia, and Psalms CD Sale

New Year’s Vasilopita Sale


Charities that DOP Supports: 

Daughters of Penelope Foundation, Inc. Scholarships
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Mobile, AL
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Brockton, MA
Penelopean Foundation Day Care Center: Athens, Greece
University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Research Center
Saint Basil Academy-Home for young children