The Campbelltown Art Gallery on Sunday hosted an initiation ceremony for local members of the Greek community.
They joined the Alexander chapter of the Australasian Hellenic Education Progressive Association (AHEPA, the largest Greek association in the world.
A full initiation ceremony was conducted in the art gallery’s private function room to induct the nine new members from the Macarthur region.
They included founder of local organisation Macarthur Greeks Inc John Tsekas, of Leumeah, who was also elected to the committee as secretary for the next 12 months.
Lambros Papadopoulos, of Park Central, was elected president of the Alexander chapter for the next 12 months.
“We wanted AHEPA to come out here and work with us to achieve our mutual goals,’’ Mr Tsekas said afterwards.
The ceremony was attended by the full committee of the Alexander chapter, as well as many existing members, who travelled from many parts of Sydney.
AHEPA is a non-political and non-sectarian body and was founded 94 years ago in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Today, there are over 1,000 chapters or local units in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Greece and Cyprus.
In Australia, AHEPA was first established in 1934 in Werris Creek.
From this humble beginning, AHEPA has spread throughout Australia with chapters operating in all States and the ACT as well as New Zealand.
It was introduced in Queensland in 1936, Victoria in 1942, Western Australia in 1957, ACT in 1972, South Australia in 1973, Tasmania in 1978 and New Zealand in 1992.
The Daughters of Penelope, (Ladies Chapters), were first introduced in Brisbane in 1953, Melbourne 1954, Perth 1959 and South Australia and ACT in 1974.
In total, 35 Chapters and 8 Lodges were formed with the majority still very actively involved in many charitable and social activities.
Members raise funds for charitable works, organisations and welfare appeals, with an emphasis on medical research, the needy and the sick, and the care and welfare of the aged and disadvantaged of our society.
For more information on AHEPA visit their website here; for the Macarthur Greeks click here to visit their website.
• Disclosure: The author was one of the nine locals who took the AHEPA oath of membership.
