NEW YORK – The New Renaissance Chapter #5 as part of the Manhattan AHEPA Family was reactivated on November 13 with the help of Supreme Secretary Paul Pavlakos and Past Supreme President Andreas Christou. The chapter currently has 10 members and was originally founded in 1930. In a statement released on November 27, AHEPA sent “congratulations to all our new members, especially the newly elected officers of President Emmanuel Kandilas, Vice President Danny Calos, Secretary Anthony Calos, and Treasurer Sergio Zefi.”
AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) is the largest Greek-American association in the world with chapters in the United States, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, and sister chapters in Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 1922 by visionary Greek Americans to protect Hellenes from prejudice originating from the KKK, and in its history, AHEPA joined with the NAACP and B’nai B’rith International to fight discrimination. The mission of the AHEPA Family is to promote the ancient Hellenic ideals of education, philanthropy, civic responsibility and family and individual excellence through community service and volunteerism.
AHEPA’s Delphi Chapter #25 was founded in 1923 in Manhattan. It was the first chapter in New York State and one of the first in the Northeast. The Delphi Chapter #25 was instrumental in welcoming the early Greek immigrants to the USA as they disembarked at Ellis Island and helping them with their assimilation into the American culture by assisting them with learning the English language, finding employment, and eventually becoming citizens of the United States.
The Delphi Chapter #25 has had many notable and prominent members in its history, including many Philhellenes who embraced AHEPA’s ideals and values. In 1924, Seraphim G. Canoutas joined Delphi Chapter #25. He was at the time the most notable historian and the primary source for the 1880 to 1920 wave of Greek immigrants.
The Sons of Pericles were started in 1926 by a group of Manchester, NH Ahepans. The founder was Dr. Alexander Cambadhis. He helped the fledging new youth group with their dealings with other organizations as well as with the Order of AHEPA. His goal and the goal of the Sons of Pericles is to promote Hellenism to the youth and to keep the fire of our Motherland burning for generations to come. Together with the aid of some members of the Order of AHEPA from the Manchester, NH chapter, these young men were the first members of the Order and are known collectively as the Mother Lodge of the Sons of Pericles.
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