NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Two imaginative and committed individuals, Joseph Keane and James Zafiros have helped to propel their Westchester AHEPA (American Hellenic Education Progressive Association) chapter – of which they are president and vice president, respectively – into a dynamic success story.
The James Plevritis-Joseph C. Keane Evzone Chapter #405 of New Rochelle not only ranks fifth in the nation in size, but it is the largest chapter in New York state with more than 160 active members. Says Keane: “We believe in our credo of good men doing a lot of good things, who enjoy each other’s company.”
“We’re an event-driven chapter,” Zafiros confided. “For an AHEPA chapter to succeed today, it has to have a signature event.” For the Evzones, that event is conferring the honor of Chapter Legend annually at a special luncheon at the Westchester Country Club in Rye. “We borrowed this from the Academy Awards. Once a year, twelve members meet and decide who will receive the honor of Legend. The laurels go to the individual who made the greatest contribution to AHEPA and the community during the year.”
Zafiros, who spent 25 years at NBC TV as vice president for national advertising sales, appreciates the value of visibility. He insists on getting the story out there, of recognizing talent, and of forward thinking. “This is no longer Pappou’s club. We are the next generation. And AHEPA belongs to the future.” A 48-year AHEPA member, Zafiros is an Archon, married and the father of three, grandfather of six. He takes pride in his Hellenism and also in the diversity of the Westchester chapter. “Holy Trinity Church in New Rochelle is multi-Orthodox, including Syrian and Rumanian Orthodox, for instance, as well as Greeks. I describe our parish as the American Parish.”
Keane, president of the chapter for 25 years as well as the financial planner, an individualist and committed Ahepan, is an Irish-American who proudly embraces Hellenism. “My Greek wife is a college professor and speaks seven languages,” Keane says. “I never had to learn Greek because my wife translates everything for me.” Keane’s contribution has been so important that his name is now part of the Chapter’s official name. Keane spent 30 years with IBM as a marketing executive. Married in the Greek-Orthodox Church, on Sundays he goes to the Roman Catholic service first, and then to the “family church,” the Greek-Orthodox Church with his wife and three daughters.
Keane points out that AHEPA faces new challenges today. “Education, Hellenism, and community service need to be AHEPA’s core agenda. Most fraternal organizations are going to have problems growing today because of the many distractions life offers. We recently established a Sons of Pericles chapter, which is the younger order of the AHEPA. It is difficult finding activities for them, because they are already involved in so many. We have scheduled things like father/son outings.
“Our best success has been with the 30-40 age group. The big secret is communicating with people. Many people come to church and they don’t know anyone. So you have to introduce yourself. Most people are happy to get involved. Once a month we have a dinner meeting. We break bread and share interests. Bonding is what a fraternal organization is about.”
Keane says that to survive and thrive AHEPA must recognize change. “When I first came to the church, almost all the members had independent businesses. They were entrepreneurs. Jimmy [Zafiros] and I were among the few in Fortune 500 companies. That is no longer the case. The spectrum has changed completely. We have doctors, lawyers, educators, shipowners, a huge variety of professionals in our chapter.
“One of the best things we do is a Career Day for high school and college students. Ten members share their experiences and discuss current industry requirements. It is extremely well attended. Helping to shape the next generation is possibly one of the greatest societal contributions AHEPA can make.”
The Chapter conducts a full roster of activities, including: a June scholarship luncheon; an annual Super Bowl party; a Christmas Eve holiday reception following Christmas Eve services; AHEPA Sunday, when the brothers assemble in the narthex after mass and march in with flags, including a picture poster commemorating brothers who are deceased; Career Day; a June barbecue that has become a regional landmark event; monthly dinners; the Legends event, and, of course, a Greek night.
A significant effort that rallied and united the chapter was Ahepa’s full-page New York Times ad commemorating the 10-year remembrance of Ground Zero, honoring the Greek-Americans who were lost, and featuring the original St. Nicholas Church, highlighting the impasse regarding its rebuilding. Says Zafiros: “It is always difficult to pinpoint credit for resolving issues of this magnitude, but shortly after the ad appeared, the impasse was resolved.”
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