Issue No. 10 November 2001

Regular Features• Editorial, IMNZ p 2• News in Brief pp 5 & 11• Music Review p 6• Dear Thea, Horoscopes p 7• SAE p 8• Religion p 9• Sport p 12• G-Net p 13• Soccer & Netball p 16

Special Features• GOYA Reunion pp1 & 3• St Nicholas pp1 & 10• AHEPA Housing Intiative p 4• The story of the Greek Flag p 13• OXI p 14• GOYANZ Dance p 15

www.goyanz.org.nz

Greek Church IsDestroyed In Wakeof Towers’ CollapseSt. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church,a tiny church that for decades stoodalone in the middle of a parking lotacross the street from the World TradeCentre, was swept away in the wave ofdestruction as the complex collapsed.“I was down there on Wednesday,” saysFather Romas, known as Father John among his congregants. “Myheart was broke in two. My church is gone — and to have so manypeople in the World Trade Centre that are dead.”

Before the end came, the four-story building was known as a survivor,its plain white-washed walls cloaked in the shadows of the steel-and-glass skyscrapers that rose as the neighborhood evolved from abustling immigrant enclave into a center of global finance. Propertyvalues soared, but despite developers’ continual efforts to get thechurch to sell out, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church steadfastlyresisted razing.

“The first thing I saw was the landing gear of the plane along theright side of the church,” says parishioner Bill Tarazonas, 50 yearsold, who was in the church that morning to let in an electrician. Hefled before the towers fell and walked to safety in Brooklyn. “I sawa pickup truck slashed in half like a tomato. On the top of the roofwas human remains. Bones... lying all over the place... I was numb...I guess St. Nicholas gave me the push, the courage, to get out ofthere. I started running and running.”

Lorraine Romas, the wife of Father Romas, says it has been difficultto account for all of the church’s roughly 90 congregants. But shebelieves none died in the attack. “I’m devastated that we lost ourlittle church,” she says. “I’m more determined than ever to get it inour power to get it up again.” Now, Father Romas and his congregantsare collecting contributions to aid the recovery effort and rebuild.Father Romas hopes to get a permit from the City of New York tosearch through the wreckage for the fourth- and sixth-century saintlyrelics that are the church’s treasures, housed on the building’s fourthfloor. “They certainly have sentimental and ecclesiastical value,” saysFather Romas’s wife. continued on page 10

GOYA 50th Reunion

Labour weekend 2001 will long be remembered for the get-together of the original immigrants to New Zealand who arrivedhere on the MV GOYA in three separate sailings in 1951. On

the Saturday afternoon a special commemorative function was held atthe Greek Community Centre where a slide-show presentation was helddepicting immigrants and scenes from the GOYA voyage to NewZealand. It was a good chance for many of the original voyagers toreflect and catch up with old friends and family. It was also a timelyreminder to the younger generation and descendents of the hardshipsand sacrifices that the GOYA immigrants had to endure.

After the war in Europe had ended in 1945, millions of displaced peoplefled from their homelands because of political unrest and poverty. Theserefugees were scattered across Europe and were becoming a burden tomany of the countries that had granted them access. In 1947 theInternational Refugee Organisation was established to meet theresettlement requirements of displaced persons in Europe to othercountries. In 1951 the MV GOYA was charted by the IRO to take atotal of 2000 displaced persons (including 900 Greeks), on 3 trips toNew Zealand. These voyages were in May, June and August of that year.The voyage took about one month to complete. Settlers arriving in NewZealand were herded to camps and worked in local industries. Most hadto work in jobs that were unfamiliar to them as well deal with problemslike language. Over time they were engrained into new Zealand societywhere they worked hard to make a better life for their children.

MV GOYA 1951

continued on page 3

By John Serepisos

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OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTSFrom the Metropolitan Office

• The Salvation Army and the Friends of Byzantine Arts presentEast Meets West - At Christmas Byzantine Church Chantingmusic - beautiful, rich, history-laden, the chants and melodiesof the Eastern church for hundreds of years. Salvation Armyband music - soul-stirring, rousing stuff to set your feet tappingand your heart afire, modern in contrast.

For the first time, the two traditions will come together in oneunique programme, East Meets West - At Christmas, at 7.30p.m. on the 1st of the December in the Salvation Army Hall,Constable Street, Newtown. Admission is free and refreshmentswill follow. Dr Panayiotis Bouras, Metropolitan Chancellor ofthe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese will perform the ByzantineSole Chanting music, while the South Wellington Salvation Armyband will provide the Salvation Army contribution, under SteveStein. Join us for a fascinating and uplifting evening, as the soundsand talents of two cultures intermingle with the shared aim ofcelebrating the forthcoming Christmas season.

Inquiries, please call either 972 6164 or visit www.imnz.org.nz

Τα Ματια Του Κοσµουis produced by GOYANZPO Box 6257 Wellington

Layout and design TBD www.tbd.co.nzThanks to Ultracopy www.ultracopy.co.nz

GOYANZ Youth

Radio Program

Tune in and listen to the latest Greek music.Every Sunday at 3.00pm - 4.00pm

on Access Radio, 783, AM

• I think it is important that GOYANZ acknowledges the supportof its main sponsors: Chris Lingonis of “The Cue Room” andPeter Rathod and Surish Dayal of “The Local”. GOYANZ andOlympic have received in excess of $50,000 in 2001. These fundshave been used to supplement our junior and senior soccer teams,our netball teams, the radio programme, Ta Matia tou Kosmounewsletter and other ancillary activities. Show your support for “TheCue Room” and “The Local” whenever you can. It goes withoutsaying that this type of financial assistance goes a long way in meetingGOYANZ objectives.

• On another subject, progress on the Priest’s house, next to themain church at Hania Street, is moving at an admirable rate.This venture is designed to house Father George in the 1st floor,and has a flat and small hall on the ground floor. A lot of the“kenotitas” funds have been committed to this project and theymust take full credit for making the Church more readily availableto the local Greek community. Hopefully in the not too distantfuture GOYANZ can also make progress in addressing a homefor its youth!! John Serepisos

Check us out on-line at

www.goyanz.org.nz

or

www.olympicafc.org.nz

November 4: Kostandina KarasavasNovember 11: Stelios Manousakis

Voula KosmadakisTom Skotidas

November 18: Peppy Tziakis

November 25: to be confirmedDecember 2: Kostandina KarasavasDecember 9: Peppy TziakisDecember 16: Stelios Manousakis

Voula KosmadakisTom Skotidas

December 23: Kids Show Greek SchoolChristmas Special

If anyone is interested in doing a radio show or if you have a dedication or request, pleasecall Stelios Manousakis on 021 393035

The issue of maintaing and teaching the Greek Languageto the Greeks abroad is one that we all have to tackle! Itis one of few things which bounds us together as Hellenes.

Looking back at the 28th October Celebrations, and the dwindlingnumber of kids attending the Greek school, we must take a good lookat ourselves and determine what we expect of the future Greek youth.

It would not be an understatement to say that only 10% - 20% ofGreek kids within the community are sent to Greek School atpresent. If we want our community to flourish, surely celebratingand promoting our language would be a great place to start.Organisations such as SAE as well as the Greek government haveclearly acknowledged this, and as a result a number of initiativesare in place worldwide to promote the language. Every year theGreek government spends million of dollars in salaries to pay forteachers from Greece that they have posted overseas to teach thelanguage, the least we can do is support it by sending the kidsthere. Stelios Manousakis

3

Date: Sunday 21 October 2001

Organising Committee: Jim & Stella Bares,Nick & Mariana Calavrias, Costa & GloriaStellin, Telly & Tasula Tsalis

Over 450 people turned up to the black tieevent held at the Duxton Hotel tocommemorate the GOYA sailings of 1951.Guests arriving to the Ball were greeted with areplica of the GOYA ship walk-on platform.After crossing the platform they were shown

to their tables where a traditionalGreek antipasto

a n dbread were laid out forguests to snack on. Also on hand, a

commemorativekey ring toeach person

to take awaywith them.

The pre-dinner formalities began with a speechfrom Nick Calavrias who talked at length aboutthe history of the GOYA and reflected on theinfluence of the immigrants on New Zealandsociety. The ambassador from Greece, ChristosKarapanos, also said a few words about theimportance of Greek culture in NZ and theoverall importance of Greece’s legacy to theworld. He was followed by a representative ofthe local Italian community who reminiscedabout his experiences of travellingwith the Greeks onthe GOYA andabout thebonds

h es t i l lhad withmany of theo r i g i n a limmigrants.

50th Jubilee M/V GOYA1951-2001 ReunionPresentation.

Date: Saturday, October 20th, 2001

Venue: Greek Hall, Hania St, Wellington

A while ago, my family were discussing theGoya reunion that was going to be held onLabour Weekend. My great grandfather

Ioannis Pantazis and mygreat uncle TheodorePantazis had arrived inNew Zealand on theGoya’s first sailing. Inour photo album we hada photo of the captain

of the Goya. I also saw some photos thatbelonged to other people who immigratedhere.

I thought about creating a datashow ofphotographs showing all the Greekstravelling on the Goya and settling in atPahiatua. I used a scanner, an Apple iBookComputer and the software called Kai’sPower Show.

It took me about a week to make. Firstly Ihad to scan 100 photographs and thenselected the ones that I was going to use. Iplaced the photos in to a sequence and thenusing Kai’s Power Show, I made a slideshow.

On the day over 500 people came to theinformal gathering on Saturday afternoon.As guests talked and ate and drank togetherI played my datashow on a large screen thathung from the ceiling. There was also liveentertainment from the Greek band andsinging.

Zoe Pantazis Lloyd

GOYA 50th Reunion Grand Ball

Anastasious Theodorou (87) was invited to cutthe GOYA cake, as the oldest survivingrepresentative of the original GOYA travellers.A three course dinner was served at thecompletion of the formalities. Entree wassmoked salmon followed by a choice of grilledgroper or beef fillet, and rounded out with adessert of baked ricotta cheesecake. Withstomachs full, and past memories revisited therevellers got onto the dance floor. A live bandplayed traditional music and a few oldfavourites, befitting the makeup of theaudience.

Congratulations to the organising committeewho spent several months tracking downGreeks from all over New Zealand, Australia,the USA, England and Greece. No one couldfault the events of the weekend, which will stayengrained in the memories of those attending.

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AHEPA HOUSING INITIATIVE

The Ahepa Housing committee has been formed as a combinedcommittee with representatives for from both Chapters Phidiasand Olympia. Its purpose is to manage a number of City

Council residential dwelling units which are made available to personswho are preferably but not necessarily from within the Greek OrthodoxCommunity.

The leasing arrangement with Wellington City Council came about asa result of the foresight and initiative of an Ahepa member who couldsee the opportunity for a community group to help foster a valuableservice for elderly or displaced Greek people within our region.

The dwelling units are well situated being close to the church, shops,transport and other essential services such as legal offices, medicalfacilities and banking services. The service first started with only onedwelling unit in late 1996. Eight of the twelve units are now managedby Ahepa and we hope to expand this number to cover all units in thebuilding as time and circumstances permit. One of Ahepas’ originaltenants still resides in the complex which must bear testament to thevalue of the service provided.

Ahepa also provides a support service to its tenants such as; a translationservice (if required), support and advice in matters relating to socialwelfare & legal issues and a point of contact who can speak theirlanguage, understand their ways & customs and be effective &

confidential in dealings on their behalf with outside organisations &institutions. It is also an opportunity for elderly people to have theirown micro-community, interact with others of similar age & backgroundliving in the immediate vicinity and develop a support group amongstthemselves to raise an alarm if one is not well or needs help.

The Ahepa Housing committee is just one practical manifestation ofhow a service organisation can provide tangible help and support withinour community. This can only be achieved with the sustained effort,continuing hard work and undying enthusiasm of people who areprepared to give a little of themselves to help others less fortunate. Ifyou consider yourself to be such a person Ahepa needs you. Your effortsand contribution will be gratefully received and faithfully applied.

For those interested in more information on AHEPA, they shouldcontact:

Brother Arthur Koroniadis PP Ph. 384-7674 athakay@paradise.net.nz

Brother George Lazaridis Ph. 238-401 george@george.co.nz

AHEPA/ WCC Housing Project at Elizabeth Street, Mt Victoria

AHEPA Xmas Taverna

Saturday 17th November at the Odysseus Hall, Miramar.

Tickets $20, book with any committee member

5

Irenaios I enthronedATHENS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2001

The new Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, Irenaios I, wasenthroned at a ceremony in Jordan on Tuesday, as part of a widercelebration following his enthronement in Jerusalem’s Church of theHoly Sepulcher last month. Irenaios arrived in Amman earlier yesterdayand had talks with King Abdullah II at the royal palace. Thousands ofpeople, including schoolchildren, attended yesterday’s ceremony inAmman.

IOC official pleased with progress of 2004Olympics media facilitiesAthens, 08/10/2001 (ANA)

Visiting IOC vice-president Kevan Gosper, in charge of press and mediaissues, on Sunday told reporters he was pleased with Athens’ progressin preparing media facilities for the 2004 Olympics. Gosper arrived inAthens for a two-day visit and inspected sites at Aghios Andreas andAmygdaleza in Attica, where two of four press centres for the Olympicswill be built.

He also toured the Helexpo building nearthe OAKA stadium in Athens, where theMain Press Centre (MPC) andInternational Broadcasting Centre (IBC)will be housed. Afterwards, Gosper wasbriefed on press and media issues by theAthens 2004 Olympics OrganizingCommittee (ATHOC) and later haddinner with ATHOC chairwomanGianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

In statements to the Athens NewsAgency (ANA), Gosper said that theprogress made “was much greater thanwhat I expected to see,” and that he was

very satisfied. “The people at ATHOC who are working on this ... havea clear understanding of what they want and what they must do tooffer the best possible services to the thousands of journalists that willarrive in Athens in 2004. This is very important, since the media sectoris the most difficult and most complex of the Olympic Games,” hesaid.

He said that negotiations with Helexpo had to be concluded so thatconstruction of the MPC and IBC could begin rapidly, whilecommenting favorably on the plans and models he had seen and notingthat the site was ideal because of its proximity to most of the sportsfacilities and the Olympic Village.

He dispelled doubts about the Aghios Andreas site, saying that it wasin a good location and just 45 minutes away from the MPC and IBC,which was well within IOC specifications. Commenting on securityissues, Gosper said that the Sept. 11 strikes in the United States hadchanged everything and that greater care and better organization wasneeded. The operations plan worked out by ATHOC was very good,he added, and quoted IOC president Jacques Rogge, who said that noone could guarantee 100 per cent safety.

Tide of migrants keeps swelling23 September 2001

The Greek Coast Guard is taking extra measures to fight the increasingtide of illegal immigrants after a boatload of 197 men, women andchildren, picked up yesterday by a fishing boat, swelled this year’s figuresto 3,493 immigrants apprehended. This compares with 3,664 over thewhole of last year. In addition, 87 human traffickers have been arrestedso far in 2001, against 124 for the whole of last year. Traffickers oftenabandon ship by jumping onto power boats, leaving their human cargoto find their own way to their destinations.

Yesterday’s arrivals of 191 men, four women and two children of variousnationalities were picked up, after being abandoned by their crew, nearthe island of Icaria by the passenger ferry Poseidon Express at dawn.Their 27-meter fishing boat had been spotted by a coast guard SuperPuma helicopter and coast guard vessels. They were taken to Vathi, onthe island of Samos, where they arrived late yesterday morning andhoused in a reception center. Coast guard officials told Kathimerinithat would-be immigrants gather in or around Turkey’s Aegean portssuch as Bodrum or Cesme looking for human trafficking gangs, whichoften include Greeks, to take them to Greece for prices ranging from$2,000 to $4,000 per head according to the difficulties involved, theweather and the number of immigrants.

According to sources, the traffickers now use yachts and usually headfor isolated, mainland beaches. Coast guard officials say it is impossibleto stop every one of the thousands of yachts sailing the Greek seaswithout specific information. Coast guard sources said the problemwas a political issue between Greece and Turkey and not simply a questionof the coast guard or the navy guarding borders.

6

GREEK MUSIC - NEW RELEASES

CD’s are: $20 for CD singles, $40 for Full CD’s and $60 for doubles.

To place an order or for further details callStelios Manousakis on 021 393 035.

Orders Close 1 December 2001.

Legteria PantazisEna Asteri st’asteria

Yiannis PloutarhosPosidoni live

Dimitris MitronanosStis Psihis to Parakato

TriantafillosAfiste Minima

Antonis RemosMia Nihta Mono

Anna VissiStill in Love with you

Giorgos DaskoulidisNtrepume pou akoma se zito

ANTIQUE - DIE FOR YOUSwedish-Greek pop group Antique have released their long awaited second CD entitled ‘Die for You’. The 13track CD continues along the same lines of their platinum first CD Opa Opa. The new CD contains 13tracks from the Swedish duo of Greek decent including 5 full Greek songs, with the remainder being Greek/English mixes and purely English Tracks. The title track ‘I Would Die for You’ is the song that won Greece atop three placing in the Europe-Wide Eurovision song contest.

Overall, this CD is impressive. It includes music which suits all tastes and that anyone can get into. TheGreek/English mix songs make it a perfect CD for those just starting their Greek music collection. Comparedwith their first release, this is a more polished piece of work from the duo, with a few songs (Ligo Ligo, Fila

Me, and I Would die for you) already featuring in Greek Music charts around the world, as well as mainstream charts in many European countries,particularly Sweden. Listen out for tracks from Antique on the GOYANZ radio show.

Track Listing: (1) I Would Die for You; (2) Follow Me; (3) Athina; (4) Ligo Ligo; (5) Agapi Einai Zali; (6) Tell Me; (7) Lonely Nights; (8) FilaMe; (9) Something About You; (10) Kalimera; (11) Why; (12) I Would Die for You Greek Version; (13) Tabla Dreams.

CD REVIEW

VangelisMythodea

Mihalis NtelisFotia

7

by Asterakia

Note: These predictions were devised in good humour. Ta matia tou kosmou does not take anyresponsibility for any fears, false hopes, offence or financial losses incurred in reliance upon them.

• Dear Thea, my son wants to move in with his arravoniastikiabefore they actually get married. As you can imagine as atraditional Greek parent I am against this but have run out ofideas to change his mind, do you have any? -Daphne

Dear Daphne,What will people say? Back in my village, the groom didn’t meetthe bride until the day of the wedding. But times are changingand people are dating and falling in love these days. Maybe youshould point out that she is not ready for domestic duties andneeds lessons on how to iron his shirt the way he likes it. Thatwill buy some time until he has snapped out of this modernthinking.

• Dear Thea, my cousin from Greece decided to come to NZ for aholiday and I let him stay with me. This was 6 months ago andlately he has become a real nuisance. He cleans out the fridgeand expects me to clean and make his bed for him. He evenwants me to set him up with a proxy with the Greek girl down theroad! What can I do to get him to go back to Greece? -Agathia

Dear AgathiaI had a cousin just like that once. He came in very handy at theshop. No-one could wrap a scoop of chips as quickly as hecould. How about threatening to call the authorities next timehe annoys you? That will wisen him up faster than you can say“Over-stayer”.

• Dear Thea, I am really interested in this guy but he doesn’t evenknow I exist. What do you do to make people notice you? -Ella

Dear EllaFind out who his cousins are and start hanging around them.They will soon invite you to get-togethers where you will be giventhe opportunity to become friendly with the mother. Before youknow it, you’ll be walking down the aisle.

• Dear Thea, my boyfriend keeps on calling me by his ex-girlfriend’sname, Kalliope. How can I get him to stop thinking about her?-Kainouria

Dear KainouriaMake a deal with him. Every time he says her name ban himfrom watching or playing a soccer game. The thought of missingan entire season will make him a lot more careful in the future.

• Dear Thea, I am a 37yr old male who has just come from Greeceand am looking for a 14-22 year old Greek female bride.Guidelines:

1. I don’t cook - She cooks, especially my favourite fasolia maikeftethies (beans with meatballs).

2. Wash my clothes and clean the house while I watch the soccer.

3. Be prepared to live with my mama on the farma.

4. Be able to cook my favourite Greek sweets without me asking.

5. Entertain my 29 aunties on my name-day while I talk politicswith the men.

I’m not asking for much! I am willing to give 4 goats and 2donkeys to her family.

Thea mou where can I find this beautiful Greek girl - LoveKostantinos

Dear Kostantino, palikari mouBest wishes with finding a girl like this. If however, any of ourreaders know of a suitable candidate please let us know.

Aries The stars are pointing to yet another celebration. No, it’s notanother Greek Baraki Night, nor is it a family gathering... It’s your workChristmas function at a flash restaurant... dust of the stilettos, shine thosemedallions and get ready to shake your groove thing. Break some plates,the boss will surely appreciate the addition to the evenings dining bill.Taurus Times they are a changing. The positioning of the planetssuggests a change in employment may be in the wind. Maybe you shouldn’tstick with your day job and actually reach for the stars. Who knows, youmay actually become the next Nana Mouskouri or Lefteris Pantazis.Gemini With the festive season fast approaching, all signs are alreadypointing towards a budget blowout. Put some money aside from now tostart paying those hefty bills to the Greek Mafia, after all, we don’t wantTony Sopranopoulos turning up at your door for Christmas lunch nowdo we?Cancer What is it with Cancerians and Fasolatha?.. This month all signsare that the Fasolatha Festival which originated in Melbourne is on itsway to Wellington. In fact it is being hosted at your house... quickly startgetting the other Cancerians together to organise what will definitely bethe highlight of your social calender. Caution, ensure there is plenty oftoilet paper in the bathroom.Leo Flowers, flowers everywhere. The only way to get rid of them is tostop sending them to yourself. Signs are that as Jupiter moves to itsclosest point with Pluto, this will set off an unlikely sequence of eventswhich will send Virgos and Librans into a tailspin admiring your beauty,they will be unable to resist walking past a florist without sending youflowers. This will be a bad month if you get hayfever.Virgo Robbie Williams is coming, and he is calling YOUR name. Thisis a sign that you must endeavour to get to the front of the crowd, even ifit means body surfing, betraying family, or putting your reputation atstake. Just go for it. You know that the song Eternity was written for you!Libra Television Stardom is heading your way, and NO, I don’t meanCrimewatch. Greek Big Brother is looking for YOU! Hop onto the nextOlympic Airlines flight to Athens and start knocking on the door ofANT1, your natural charm and charisma will surely win them over. Youare the next Ben or Sarah Maree - Believe it!! Pack some lip gloss!Scorpio Uranus and Jupiter are moving into position. When they are attheir closest point on the 15th of the month, this will be the perfect timeto pop that big question to your parents - “Can I Bring my Girl/Boyfriendover for dinner?” You will be surprised at the response. Be very cautiousas this small window of opportunity is only open between the hours of9am - 7pm on the 15th.Sagittarius Wedding bells are ringing... but don’t get too excited (orconcerned), they aren’t for you., rather they are for a distant cousin inKalamata. Practice your Kalamatiano (on Lambton Quay), Pack yourbags, and get an early nights sleep, you’ve got a trip to prepare for. Makesure that you bring back plenty of Kalamata olives for the whanau.Capricorn You will be invited to a gathering by a friend that is a Cancerian.Be very careful. This friend will lure you to their Fasolatha festival underfalse pretences. Avoid the gathering at all costs, your health may dependon it. Go to the Big Easy instead, if you are lucky you may get your songplayed by Paul!Aquarius Your parents are up to something. Could it be that they arebringing a ‘friend’ over for dinner that they would like you to meet?..Chances are that this ‘friend’ will own many goats and sheep. Suggest toyour parents that they take this ‘friend’ to the Fasolatha festival, this willsurely send the ‘friend’ packing back home. Nothing beats Mama’sFasolatha!Pisces As a water sign, and with summer approaching, it is time to hitthe beach in your polka dot bikini or stylish speedos. Set your sights onsomeone at the beach, splash some water on that person. You will findthat this will lead to a proposal of marriage and soon after more splashingon the honeymoon, splashing of another type of water will occur -christening water!!!

Κριος

Ταυρος

∆ιδυµοι

Καρκινος

Λεων

Παρθενος

Ζυγος

Σκορπιος

Τοξοτης

Αιγοκρευς

Υσροχοος

Ιχθως

dear_thea@hotmail.com

8

The Writer returnedfrom Greece on October 1st, after attendingSAE’s Presidium Meeting in Thessaloniki and Governmentmeetings in Athens, a summary of which follows:-

A Presidium Meeting

(a) The historical world camp and hospitality programmes with theprefectures were assessed to have been very successful despite theinitial problems for the Australian youth. Almost 4500 youngpersons from 57 countries participated including 435 from Oceania.

(b) The Elliniada, perhaps the most important single project for theintegration of World Hellenism, is now proceeding with the signingof an agreement to set up a non profit association that will beresponsible for the sporting and cultural events. The first Elliniadais scheduled for 2003.

(c) A milestone in SAE’s history and that of all Apodimoi was thesigning of the constitution for the Ethniko Tameio Omogenon.

(d) An agreement was entered into with the Macedonian Press Agencyfor an electronic newsletter for SAE and for a SAE Section in theDiaspora Magazine.

(e) University students will be invited to attend the Youth Forum’sConference in Thessaloniki this December to participate in specialseminars as volunteers for Hellenism.

(f) Oceania issues raised by the Writer were:

1) Progress with the availability of the Hellenic Credit Card &other fund raising measures.

2) The abolition of the Pistopiotiko Ithagenias. The HellenicParliament finally passed the legislation abolishing it on 27September, 2001 after an amendment moved by Deputy ForeignMinister Niotis.

3) Educational issues - (a) teachers for outlying areas ; (b)copyright difficulties for teaching materials; & (c) hospitalityprogrammes to include Modern Greek students.

4) Peace monument on Mt Olympus for 2004.

5) Oceania’s Cultural Conference.

6) The Trireme “Olympias” participation in the 2004 Olympics.

7) Fund raising proposals for SAE including a website, educationthrough the internet, an electronic card and loans.

8) Pan Hellenic Centre.

B. Meetings in Athens

(a) Ministry of National Defence to discuss the Hellenic Navy’sinvolvement in the Trireme’s participation in the 2004 Olympics.

(d) Meeting at the Foreign Ministry in relation to the PistopitikoIthagenias and the issues raised by the Writer at the Board Meeting.

(e) Meeting with Stella Priovolou, special secretary for the educationof Hellenes Abroad.

(f) Meeting with Demetra Egan to discuss the Athens Olympics.

C. SAE Conference

This will be held in Thessaloniki this December and preparations arefar advanced in order to avoid the problems that arose on the lastoccasion. Invitations have been couriered to member associations anthose that are not in receipt of same should contact the writer as soonas possible. There has been a further increase in the number of delegatesbrought about by the strong support of the Church and the renewedinterest of AHEPA America which will pay for all its delegates’ airfares.

Jottings

* A reminder that everyone is encouraged to write to their MP insupport of Cyprus, the return of the Parthenon Marbles. I urgeyou to do this immediately.

* SAE Oceania contributed the sum of $500 in a community appealto raise funds to assist prizewinning student Elena Himmaridisattend the London Central School of Speech and Drama. This,once again demonstrates the need for the establishment of an UnitedHellenic Appeal Fund.

In closing we should all be conscious of the need to establish PanHellenic Centres in our cities so that we may properly utilise communityassets whilst at the same time provide for the needs of Hellenism in the21st Century.

SAE STAYING IN TOUCHA NEWSLETTER FROM THE SAEOCEANIA CO ORDINATOR, Kosta Vertzayias

9

COMING UP FEAST DAYSSAINT NEKTARIOS - A MODERN DAY SAINT!

He was born in Selybria, Thrace, a town in present day Turkey, in 1846.At the age of 14, he went to work in Constantinople. While he worked,he learned to read and write. Six years later, he went to the Island ofChios and entered a monastery. Later, he went to serve under PatriarchSophronios, of Alexandria, Egypt. Patriarch Sophronios sent him tostudy theology at the University of Athens. After he finished his studies,Patriarch Sophronios appointed him priest and preacher in Cairo, Egypt.Soon thereafter, Nektarios was ordained Bishop, assigned in Cairo. Noteveryone liked him, so they made up lies about him to PatriarchSophronios. Sophronios refused to listen to him and took everythingaway from him. So he returned to Athens, where he was invited topreach at many churches and became Dean of a Theological School in1894.

He started a convent for nuns on the Island of Aegina. He named theconvent after the Holy Trinity. It is here at this convent that Nektarioswould make his greatest contribution to the Orthodox Church. In1910 he retired to the convent and spent his last years. People flockedto worship with him, to listen to his sermons, and to be healed fromdifferent illnesses. He died on November 9th, 1920. He was proclaimeda Saint in 1961. He is considered the patron saint for people who havecancer, heart trouble, arthritis, epilepsy and other sicknesses.

In New Zealand there is a church to his name, the one in Petone,Wellington.

HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW - THE FIRST CALLED

Andrew was the first to be called to follow Christ. He was fromBethsaida, where he worked alongside with his brother (Peter) as afisherman. He was a follower of St. John the Baptist.

HEROS OF OUR FAITHHe became a missionary; he went to many places. He preached theword of god to the eastern lands. He went through Asia Minor, Thrace,Macedonia, he reached along the river Dunaj(Danube), went along thecoast of the Black Sea, through Crimea, the Black Sea region and alongthe River Dniepr he climbed to the place, where now stands the city ofKiev. Through the prayers of the apostle, the Lord worked miracles.From the labors of the holy Apostle Andrew there emerged ChristianChurches, for which he established bishops and clergy. The final cityto which the First-Called Apostle came, and where it was allotted himto accept a martyr’s end, was the city of Patras, Greece.

In Patras, the infirm were made whole, and the blind received theirsight. Through the prayers of the Apostle, the illustrious citizen Sosiosrecovered from serious illness, by the placing on of apostolic hands washealed Maximilla, wife of the governor of Patras (Aegeatos). Aegeatoswas a pagan, he ordered Andrew to crucify him on an X shaped cross,upside down. To prolong his suffering, Aegeatos gave orders not tonail down the hands and feet of the saint, but to tie them to the cross.From up on the cross for two days, the apostle taught the citizens whogathered about. Fearing a riot of the people, Aegeatos gave orders tostop the execution. The holy Apostle began to pray that the Lordwould grant him death on the cross. Just as the soldiers tried to takehold of the Apostle, they lost control of their hands. The crucifiedApostle, having given glory to God, uttered “Lord Jesus Christ, receivethou my spirit”. Then a blazing ray of divine light illumined the crossand the martyr crucified upon it. Maximilla, wife of the governor hadthe body taken down from the cross and buried him with honor. Wecelebrate his feast day on November 30th.

Two centuries later, under the emperor Constantine the Great, his relicswere transferred to Constantinople and placed in the church of theHoly Apostles, alongside relics of other saints. In New Zealand thereis a church to his name, the one in Miramar, Wellington.

‘THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY’NOVEMBER 2001

1 November, Thursday: St Cosmas and Damianos, The Unmercenaries,Holy Liturgy, 9.00am.

4 November, Sunday: Holy Liturgy, 9.00am; (Sunday School 10.00am;Upstairs in the Greek Community Centre)

8 November, Thursday: St Michael & Gabriel, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am

9 November, Friday: St Nectarios, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am

11 November, Sunday: St Minas, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am; (Sunday School10.00am; Upstairs in the Greek Community Centre)

12 November, Monday: St John the Merciful, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am

13 November, Tuesday: Sts John Chrysostomos and Philip the ApostleHoly Liturgy, 9.00am

16 November, Friday: St Matthew the Apostke, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am

18 November, Sunday:Holy Liturgy, 9.00am; (Sunday School 10.00am;Upstairs in the Greek Community Centre)

21 November, Wednesday: The Presentation of the Theotokos into theTemple Holy Liturgy, 9.00am

25 November. Sunday:St Katherine, Holy Liturgy, 9.00am; (SundaySchool 10.00am; Upstairs in the Greek Community Centre)

THE GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY OF WELLINGTON AND SUBURBSPROGRAMME FOR THE CHURCH, HANIA STREET, MT VICTORIA, WELLINGTON CITY

Office Hours for the Priest: Father George Serras Monday to Friday4.00 - 6.00pm

Priests Phone Number: Home: (04) 802 5456 ; Mobile: (025)248 9524 Church Telephone: (04) 385 1076

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On the outside, St. Nicholas never was much to look at. The structure,built as a residence and then converted into a tavern, was purchasedby St. Nicholas Church in 1922 for $25,000. Back then, theneighborhood was dominated by Greek, Syrian and other immigrantswho settled there after landing at nearby Ellis Island. Many operatedsmall produce businesses or worked alongside the thriving waterfront.At least three churches stood within as many blocks. Over the years,as the shipping business declined and the financial services industryexploded, the neighborhood changed into a commercial centre. Onechurch became a bar called Moran’s, and another moved into a rentedstorefront space. Many congregants moved to New York City’s outerboroughs or the suburbs. But St. Nicholas stayed put. Adrift in themiddle of an asphalt parking lot, the structure bore littleornamentation other than a few signs, including some advertisingparking rates and others that said, “Please no graffiti. This is achurch.” Just 22 feet wide, 56 feet deep and rising to a height ofonly 35 feet, the building was easy to miss among its mightyneighbours. Posted beside the church’s entrance was a wide-anglephotograph of the church against the backdrop of the Twin Towers.

Inside, however, St. Nicholas was richly decorated with sky-blueceilings, ornate moldings, gilded chandeliers, and icons, includingSt. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, merchants and bakers whois revered for feeding the hungry and clothing needy children. In theWest, he is known as Santa Claus.

In the past decade, even as St. Nicholas seemed to shrink amid itssurroundings, its congregation has grown as the children andgrandchildren of members have returned with their own families.At a recent Sunday service, the ground floor and balcony pews wereoverflowing with dapperly dressed elders and squealing babies as thepriest chanted in Greek. Others, including workers in the financialdistrict, visited on Wednesdays, when the church opened to the public.In addition to the saintly relics, Father Romas also hopes to recoverthe icons, chalices and crosses, including any fragments from a stainedglass icon of a guardian angel said to have been designed by LouisComfort Tiffany and installed during a renovation a decade ago.The building was insured for at least $1 million, says James Maniatis,the church’s octogenarian president.

Members also plan on appealing to the Greek Orthodox communityaround the world. They’ve done it before: About 10 years ago, facedwith a crumbling building, congregants embarked on a fund-raisingcampaign, initially sending letters to hundreds of Greek Americanswith the name “Nicholas.” The effort netted about $300,000 forrenovations.

continued from page 1Greek Church Is Destroyed In Wake of Towers’ Collapse HOLY ARCHDIOCESE OF NZ

PROGRAMME OF HOLY LITURGIES FOR THE MONTHS OFNOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF THE CHURCHES OF SAINTANDREWS MIRAMAR, ST NECTARIOS PETONE AND THEBIRTH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST PALMERSTON NORTH

Thursday 8 November 2001 - St. Nektarios Celebrations - ArchieraticalGreat Vespers - 7.00 p.m. - ST. NEKTARIOS CHURCH

Friday 9 November 2001 - St. Nektarios Day - Divine Liturgy - 9.00a.m. - ST. NEKTARIOS CHURCH

Sunday 11 November 2001 - St. Nektarios Festival - Divine Liturgy -9.00 a.m. - ST. NEKTARIOS CHURCH

Friday 16 November 2001 - St. Mathew - Divine Liturgy - 9.0 a.m. -ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 18 November 2001 - 9th Luke - Divine Liturgy - 9.30 a.m. -ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Wednesday 21 November 2001 - The Presentation of Our Lady -Divine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 25 November 2001 - 10th Luke - Divine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m.- ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Thursday 29 November 2001 - St. Andrews Celebrations -Archieratical Great Vespers - 7.00 p.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Friday 30 November 2001 - St. Andrews Celebrations - ArchieraticalDivine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 2 December 2001 - St. Andrews Festival - Archieratical DivineLiturgy - 9.00 a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Thursday 6 December 2001 - Saint Nikolaos - Divine Liturgy - 9.00a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 9 December 2001 - 11th Luke - Divine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m. -ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Wednesday 12 December 2001 - St. Spyridon - Divine Liturgy - 9.00a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 16 December 2001 - 12th Luke - Divine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m.- ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 16 December 2001 - Our Archbishops Name Day Festivities- Archieratical Great Vespers - 7.00 p.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Monday 17 December 2001 - Our Archbishops Name Day Festivities- Archieratical Divine Liturgy - 9.00 a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 23 December 2001 - Before Christmas - Divine Liturgy -9.30 a.m. - ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Monday 24 December 2001 - Before Christmas - The Great Hours,Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of St. Vasillios - 8.00 a.m. - ST.ANDREWS CHURCH

Tuesday 25 December 2001 - Christmas Day - Divine Liturgy - 9.00a.m. - ST. NEKTARIOS CHURCH

Wednesday 26 December 2001 - The Gathering of Our Lady - DivineLiturgy - 9.00 a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

Sunday 30 December 2001 - After Christmas - Divine Liturgy - 9.00a.m. - ST. ANDREWS CHURCH

OFFICE OPENING HOURS: Monday & Tuesday 4-5.30 p.m. For timesneeding the Priest other than the above please ring 972 6164

ST. ANDREWS CHURCH - 365 Broadway MiramarST. NECTARIOS CHURCH - 23 Bay Street PetoneST. JOHN THE BAPTIST - 30 Rochester Street Palmerston North

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Greece’s GDP rises 5.5 pct in first half

Greece’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), harmonized under theEuropean System of Accounts, rose at a 5.5-percent pace in the firsthalf of the year, the National Statistics Service (ESYE) announcedyesterday. “Despite the global slowdown, Greece’s economy is showingremarkable stamina, and is growing at rapid rates,” Finance MinisterYiannos Papantoniou said after revealing the figures at a news conference.

Growth slowed down considerably in the second quarter, to 4.9 percent,from 6.1 percent in the first quarter. Growth in the second quarter of2000 was 4.8 percent. GDP grew 4.3 percent in 2000 to 32.058 trilliondrachmas, the greatest growth since the 1970s and the second highestrate in the European Union behind Ireland.. Second-quarter GDP was8.357 trillion drachmas (24.5 billion euros), up 0.7 percent from theprevious three-month period. Greece trimmed its 2001 growth estimateto 4.6 percent in July, revising earlier targets of 5 percent in the face ofa global slowdown. Papantoniou, however, has predicted that growthwill pick up in coming years, exceeding 5 percent in 2004. NSS saidinvestment spending in the second quarter rose 11.6 percent year-on-year, up from 11.3 percent in the second quarter of 2000, contributingto an increase in aggregate demand. Second-quarter exports grew 8.7percent year-on-year to 1.923 trillion drachmas, with imports rising7.3 percent to 2.731 trillion, showing a rising share of domestic productsin final demand.

Greek UN envoy says Greek people condemnterrorist attacksUNITED NATIONS, 08/10/2001

Greece’s permanent representative at the United Nations Ilias Gounaris,addressing a UN General Assembly plenary session examining measuresto crack down on terrorism on Friday, said the Greek people unanimouslycondemn the terrorist attacks, which aim at starting a new kind of warwhich is unacceptable worldwide.

Gounaris also reiterated a statement by Greek Foreign Minister GeorgePapandreou that “the hideous terrorist attack against the Americanpeople was in reality an attack against the free society of democracy

and humanity in its entirety.” He went on to say that “there is no doubtthat the international character and the wide scale of the attacksconstitute a crime against humanity. The loss of human lives, regardlessof nationality and race, necessitates immediate and effective action tohave those responsible and their supporters brought before justice andtoprevent the possibility of similar crimes being repeated in the future.”

Referring to Greece, Gounaris said the country has signed and ratifiedall international treaties and agreements on stamping out terrorism and,apart from existing Greek legislation, it is promoting a bill for ratificationconcerning the handling of organized crime and terrorist acts.

Rogge praises Olympic securityWednesday, 26 September, 2001

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge hasclaimed that security arrangements for the Olympics will only needminor changes. Rogge said the plans would require little alterationbecause Olympic security has had a high priority for many years. Rogge,speaking on a visit to 2004 hosts Athens, said he did not expect amajor overhaul of the plans for either the 2002 Winter Games, in Salt

Lake City, or Athens.“As we know, sinceMunich, the Gamesare a potential targetfor terrorists,” Roggesaid, referring to theterrorist killings ofIsraeli competitors atthe 1972 Olympics.“There will be top

security for the people who want to attend the sports events.” He addedthat he did not think that fear of attacks would frighten off spectators.

Earlier officials from the Athens 2004 Organising Committee(ATHOC) said that security arrangements would be reviewed followingthe attacks. And both the Greek government and the organisers calledfor international assistance. “Olympic security is not a Greek issue, it’san international event,” said Deputy Sports Minister George Floridis.

Wellington Olympic Wins Best Website Award

The GOYANZ-Olympic website has picked up the Sports Media Awardfor Best Soccer Website at their annual dinner held in Auckland onFriday the 14th of September. Described as “world class” by thejudges, it is an example to other clubs on “how to set up a highlyinformative sports and community website that isn’t just about the firstteam”. www.olympicafc.org.nz

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Champions League: Panathinaikos 2, Schalke 0Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Panathinaikos booked their place in the second stage of the ChampionsLeague with a 2-0 win over Schalke 04 on Wednesday as clinical finishingfrom forwards Emmanuel Olisadebe and Michalis Konstantinou ensuredthe Greeks finished top of Group C. Neither side played with muchfluency as the visitors’ stubborn midfield earned them possession butfew chances. An error from home goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis nearlygifted Schalke a 14th minute lead as he parried the ball to Ebbe Sandbut he rescued the situation with a point-blank stop from the Dane.

The hosts snatched the lead out of nowhere on the half hour as a pinpointGiorgos Karagounis free kick found the head of Emmanuel Olisadebewho rammed it home. An individual effort from Michalis Konstantinouafter the hour sealed the win as he stole the ball in midfield before riflinga low shot past Oliver Reck. With one game remaining Panathinaikos has12 points and although Arsenal could match that total the Greeks wouldstay top because of the away goal they scored at Highbury.

2004 Olympic Soccer Site Undecided05-Oct-2001

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - International soccer federation officialsinspecting Athens’ preparations for the 2004 Olympics were told onFriday there was no decision yet on the location for the finals. Butorganizers promised to solve the issue by next month. Although thatproblem is not yet considered serious, organizers suffered another setbackwhen a lawsuit was filed with Greece’s highest administrative court toprevent the construction of a media village. In the lawsuit, former javelinchampion Sofia Sakorafa alleged an agreement to build one of fivemedia villages was signed illegally, claiming the town of Maroussi hasnot finished expropriating the land. Athens has been plagued by delaysand IOC officials are worried about the government’s failure to beginconstruction of a number of key sports venues.

The government has blamed many of the setbacks on lawsuits filed bylocal residents, environmental groups and contractors who failed towin bids. During a visit to Athens, FIFA Vice President Issa Hayatouand technical director Michel Bacchini were assured that a stadium tohost the soccer finals will be found by November. In Greece for a three-day visit, they will also survey venues in the port cities of Patras andThessaloniki. Preliminary soccer games will be played throughoutGreece. “The unknown issue ... is the stadium in Athens where we aregoing to hold the football tournament and of course the final,’’ saidSpyros Capralos, an executive director of the 2004 organizingcommittee. Finals in Athens were originally to be held in a stadium inNea Philadelphia, southwest of Athens. But the facility lacks parkingand access roads. It was also damaged by a powerful earthquake inSept, 1999. Organizers are now looking at Karaeskaki stadium,Olympiakos Piraeus’ old field, which needs refurbishment and someconstruction, but lacks a private sponsor to carry out the work. “Whatremains to be seen is whether this private project will go on,” Capralossaid. “We think this could be a good solution and we promised FIFAthat by November we will know the status of this project and theconstruction timetable.’’

Pitch invasion, fan brawl costs Greek clubs18-Oct-2001

One game behind closed doors was the verdict of the Athletic Judge,Thanassis Tsoulos for the teams of Olympiakos, PAOK and Panionios.The charges were brought up against the three teams as a result ofviolent fan behavior, with the consequences being a one match ban forsupporters during a home match some time during this season. In thePAOK v Olympiakos derby, the home fans were accused of throwingobjects onto the field, including fireworks and chairs, as well as a stonethrowing episode with the police. The Olympiakos fans were accusedof destruction of stadium property after the end of the game.

During the court proceedings, both teams accused the police ofimproper conduct, but that was not enough to change the outcome ofthe fines. Besides the 1 game ban, PAOK will have to pay a fine of 5million drachmas, while Olympiakos will have to pay 3 million drachmas.As for Panionios, the ban stems from the invasion of their fans ontothe pitch during the game with OFI following the ejection of Panioniosplayer, Efthimiadis. It is not clear however, when these fines will go intoeffect. KAP states that the fines go into effect in the next round of thechampionship, as long as there is a 4 day window between the verdictand the game. The Athletic Law however states that they go into effect2 rounds after the verdict. This issue was disputed several times duringthe last season, but nothing was resolved. It is a fact that any team thatappealed their fines, also had the fine delayed. The issue will be takenon by the Organizing Committee of EPAE, however they might haveto wait until the teams file appeals. This might result in the fines notbeing enforced this weekend 20-21/10), when Olympiakos hostsIonikos and PAOK hosts Panionios

Under 21 European championshipOctober 2001

England claimed top spot in Group Nine at Greece’s expense with a 2-1 victory over their closest rivals in front of nearly 30,000 fans atBlackburn Rovers FC’s Ewood Park stadium on 5 October. Greece willnot have far to travel for the away leg of their play-off match afterbeing drawn against nearby Turkey, the runaway winners of Group Four.

Results of previous matches:

Germany 2 Greece 1 Greece 3 Finland 1

Albania 0 Greece 1 Greece 2 Germany 0

Greece 2 Albania 0 Greece 2 England 1

Finland 3 Greece 3 England 2 Greece 1

Final standings:

P W D L F A Pts

1. England 8 5 2 1 18 8 17

2. Greece 8 5 1 1 14 6 16

3. Germany 8 5 1 2 18 7 16

4. Finland 8 1 1 6 7 20 4

5. Albania 8 1 1 6 3 19 4

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Greekcity(www.greekcity.com.au)Self-proclaimed Australia’spremiere Greek website, Greekcityis designed to function as a social,

cultural and business resource for the local and global Greek community.Consisting of a number of interrelated and interconnected websites,Greekcity features Australia’s foremost Greek Australian service andproduct providers. One of the most impressive benefits of Greekcity isits comprehensive Greek Directory, featuring a listing of Businesses,Cafes, Gig Guide, History, Jokes, Links, Music, Night clubs, Radio,and Travel. Although noticeably local in its feel (i.e. Melbourne-Sydney),it does offer a tangible benefit to the travelling Greek kiwi.

Greekcity also offers the reader the latest on international Greek news(check out the latest story on the 120 missing Greek-Americans missingafter the WTC disaster), and a useful section on community events inthe major Greek hubs of Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, and Adelaide.What impressed me the most, however, is that Greekcity goes beyondmost “average” websites, offering the Hellenic youth the opportunityto publish and contribute their own content and to express their feelingsthroough their Greek Forum and their Opinion Polls. Check it out andsee for yourself.

Hellas.com.au (www.hellas.com.au)Although the home page lacks any sort of welcome communication,Hellas.com.au does offer the reader a well-rounded directory and libraryof Greek culture and happenings. The website main benefit stems fromits drop-down menu of four main categories:

History - features a very interesting review of the Greek-AustralianCensus and relevant Greek immigration statistics from 1918. Best suitedfor students, academics, and older readers.

Community - here you’ll find a useful directory of prominent Greek-Australians in sport and journalism alongside introductions to the GreekConsulate and Orthodox Church.

Entertainment - everything you need to satisfy that cultural hunger-bars, clubs, concerts & events, TV, and radio. An invaluable source foryoung Greeks.

News - features a particularly informative Monthly News Review withlinks to Neos Kosmos and Radio HXO.

All in all, Hellas.com.au offers the slightly older reader a strong culturaland historical reference point while offering the Hellenic Youth areasonable alternative to Greekcity.com.au.

The Story Behind the Greek FlagThe Designs and Patterns of the Flag

The number of the lines is based on the number of the syllables(9) in the Greek phrase: “Eleftheria i Thanatos” (Freedom orDeath). “Eleftheria i Thanatos” (Freedom or Death) was the mottoduring the years of the Hellenic (Greek) Revolution against theOttoman Empire in the 19nth century (There are also claims thatthe number of lines reflects the number of letters in the greekword for Freedom which equals 9). This word stirred the heart ofthe oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and inspired themto fight and gain their freedom after 400 years of slavery.

The line pattern was chosen because of their similarity with thewavy sea that surounds the shores of Greece.The interchange ofblue and white colors makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day tolook like the Aegean Pelagos (Aegean Sea). Only the quaint islandsare missing!

The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side ofthe flagand occupies one fourth of the total area demonstrates the respectand the devotion the Greek people have for the Greek OrthodoxChurch and signifies the important role of Christianity in theformation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark yearsof the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped theenslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Greeklanguage, the Byzantine religion and generally the Greek ethnicidentity, by the institution of the Crypha Scholia (hidden schools).

The Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated secretlythroughout Greece and were committed in transmitting to theGreeks the wonders of their ancestors and the rest oftheir culturalheritage. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion amongGreeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is justified.

The Colors of the Flag

Blue and White! These two colors symbolize the blue of the GreekSea and the Whiteness of the restless Greeks waves! According tothe mythic legends, the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite emergedfrom these waves. In addition, it reflects the blue of the Greek Skyand the White of the few clouds that travel in it. There are somewho suggest that the blue and white was symbolizes the similarcolor of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors during the GreekWar of Independence.

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“OXI” - Greece National Day Celebrations

On Sunday the 28th of October, the Greek community gathered atthe community’s main church in Hania Street to celebrate the famous“OXI” rebut of 1940. After a commemorative wreath laying bycommunity groups, there was a presentation by the children of theGreek schools. The programme consisted of traditional Greek poems,songs and sketches representing the spirit of “OXI’! A light lunch wasserved to everyone during the recitals. Congratulations to everyoneinvolved - the community as a whole must take pride in theaccomplishments of their childrens progress in the Greek school. Todaysscholars will be tomorrows community pillars.

“OXI”!

During the Second World War, the Italian fascist regime of Mussoliniattempted to walk his armies through Greece in order to transportthem to the Middle East operations and involve Greece as part of thisstrategy. Greece’s government at the time uttered the famous “OXI”(No!) to this excuse that was used to occupy Greece. What followedwas an attack by Italy on Greece, wherein Greece’s armed forces repelledthe invaders. Mussolini called on Hitler to enlist the services of theGerman war machine to aid their invasion. Germany responded bysending troops and tanks from the just opened Eastern Front to conquerGreece and Crete. Italian forces piggy-backed on Germany’s victory tooccupy Greece for the remainder of the war. The spirit of “OXI” wasan example to the allies to fight fascism on all fronts. The Greekcampaign was costly to the Germans as they were sidetracked from theRussian invasion of 1941. This consequently lead to Germany sufferingdebilitating loses on the Eastern Front and hence the beginning of theend for fascism and nazism in Europe.

Children in traditional costumes recite poems

The Greek and New Zealand flags are backed up by the the Greek school children

“‘Traditional Greek folksongs”

Father George about to “kenonisi”

Laying of the wreaths

A small sailor delivers her lines

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GOYANZ-OLYMPIC END OFYEAR DANCE & PRIZE GIVINGHeld at the Odyseuss Hall in Miramar on the 9th of September, over 190 players and supportersturned up to celebrate a season of mixed fortune and results. Presentations began with playerawards to Olympic’s first ever women’s soccer team. The girls had a great opening season and werein force to support the club at the dance. After a typically lush Greek dinner, GOYANZ presidentJohn Serepisos, welcomed everyone and began the rest of the awards ceremony which began withthe Netball awards. The highlight here being the Wellington Netball Association’s award to theOlympic teams’ for “most promising new club” award. The soccer awards were next up. Only oneteam won its championship this year, Wellington Division 3. The entire team paraded up toreceive their trophies for a job well done. The rest of the awards were to a mixture of past starsand exciting new talent. Harry Kotsapas (past star) received player of the year for the Mastersteam while Kyriakos Hatzilamprou (young star) received Most Improved for the 1st team. Afterthe prize ceremony everyone enjoyed the rest of the evening with a mixture of Greek and Englishmusic and dancing. Roll on 2002 and hopefully a better season. OLE!!

And the winners are.....

NetballOlympic 1Most Improved: Penelope KandiliotisMost Valuable: Celia Christie

Olympic 2Most Improved: Dana AnastasiadisMost Valuable: Odyesseia Photiadis

Olympic 3Most Improved: Elle StavrinosMost Valuable: Katie Halikias

SoccerChampions Wgtn Div 3Paris Razos Tim LeitchPaul Baker Darrin ThomsonAndrew Melville Brett CallanderGeorge Campbell Terry FraserAdam Burns Warwick MckeeNeil Macrae Julian LewisChris Best Daniel Carmichael

Federation PremierPlayer of the Year: Jeff SoleMost Improved: Kerri Hatzilamprou

Federation ReservePlayers Player: Michael BoleyMost Improved: Mickey Halikias

Wellington Division 1Players Player: Paul KotrotsosMost Valuable: Adrian Clarke

Wellington Division 3Most Valuable: Tim LeitchBest Player: Paul Baker

Wellington Division 5Players Player: Tasos BarbarousosMost Valuable: Nick Liolis

Masters 1Player of the Year: George KotrotsosPlayers Player: Harry Kotsapos

Olympic Womens 3Player of Season: Anna WilliamsMost Improved: Amy Smith

Special AwardsBest Young Player: Ian PatersonGolden Boot: Nick Liolis

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

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16www.olympicafc.org.nz

Napier U19 Tournament ResultsOn Labour weekend the Olympic Under 19 representative team travelledto Napier the Annual U19 New Zealand Tournament. Olympic sent ayoung team with an average age of 17 and were going to come up againstsome of the biggest clubs in NZ. They exceeded expectations by finishingsecond in their group behind 3 Kings. 3 Kings went on to lose to Manawatuin the final. Overall a successful tournament for the Olympic team withgreat potential shown for next season. Thanks to Brendan McIntyre, PeterHalikias, Paul Kuggelijn, John Servos, Nonda Hatzilamprou and ShaneHeathcote for all their efforts during the trip.

Results:

Saturday 20 October Sunday 21 OctoberOlympic 2 Karori 2 Olympic 1 Fencibiles 1Olympic 1 Wanganui 0 Olympic 0 Three Kings 2

Olympic 1 NthShore Utd 1

Soccer Season Summary

Fed PremierA season of ups and downs with no real consistency to make an impacton the championship. Problems with conceding weak goals and nottaking chances presented were the Achilles heel for the Olympic 1stteam. Coach Brendan MacIntyre has been retained for 2002 and hewill be aiming to gel together tighter team unity and build on the successof the U19s and 2nd team.

Fed ReserveFinished 4th on the table which reflect a season of mixed fortune forthe team. However probably just a lack of experience saw some gamesturn into losses when wins were on the cards. The team also sufferedfrom losing regular goal scorer Liam Kerrisk to injury and neveradequately replaced him and the team suffered. Overall the boys canlook back with pride for a good effort. Lots of this team will be firstteam regulars in 2002.

Wgtn 1Season broken into 3 parts: part 1, bad start struggling to get playersand play consistently; part 2, mid-season revival with past 1st teamplayers Chris Christie, Paul Kotrotsos and Basil Mitrakis helping theteam; part 3, end-of-season slump where injuries and unavailability’saffect team performance. Finishing 6th is an even reflection of the yearwas a good result considering that 47 players were used in only 18games. Could be in for another tough one next year.

Wgtn Div 3Season Summary: Consistent throughout and won all the big games.Paris Razos retained an unchanged squad from last year and this teamexperience was built on during the year. Having top goal scorer ChrisBest on form throughout the year helped as well as miserly defence.Should be more of the same next season.

Wgtn Div 5Not enough players to sustain the team and thus ended up defaultingseveral games. Ended 7th not too bad considering all the games missed.If this team wishes to retain its position next year will have to bolsterits playing ranks.

Wgtn Div 9Another good season from the “Doctors” team finishing 3rd. Fairlysocial approach to the game has led this team to be the most disciplinedin the club. Should stick together for a few more years and hopefullycreep up through the grades.

Masters 1After a slow start to the year the Masters team improved dramaticallyto come a close second to Nth Wgtn this year. Stalwarts Harry Kotsapas,Nick Halikias, Stathe Apsotolakis, George Bertos and co. gave it theirall and came back after some humiliating defeats to beat all the topteams. Some sublime (as well as ridiculous) football played and overallthings can only get better for next year.

Netball Season Reviewedby Voula Kosmadakis

So, the netball season has drawn to a close for the Wellington OlympicNetball Club with all 32 girlies, all from Greek Decent, having a greattime, nursing a variety of injuries and forming new friendships.

Special thanks needs to be acknowledged to Vera Georgiou for theconstant running around and helping with the organisation of the season

and games, Gloria Stellin forher compassion,understanding and most ofall patience, and toChrisanthi Kamberogiannisfor showing great leadershipand coaching, her out-theresense of humour and forbeing the loudest on thesidelines cheering each teamon!

The greatest honour bestowed upon Wellington Olympic Netball wasat the end of the season when we won the Majorie Fendon (don’t knowwho she is exactly, but thanks Marj!) trophy which is currently displayedat the Kamberogiannis household (entry fee applies). This awardoutlined the dedication of the three Olympic teams , club achievement,the most promising club, good organisation, prompt (this one I question)correct uniforms (thanks to our sponsors!!!) and all round goodsportswomen. It must also be noted that this was the FIRST awardever won in the history of Wellington Olympic Netball in the 25 yearsthe club has been active, and it happened to be under the great leadershipof Gloria and Chrisanthi!

The most successful team out of the three teams, suprisingly enough,were the older players who were constantly facing injuries. So a bigSEHARITERIA to all you and WELL DONE! We hope to see moreprospective netball players next year where we aim to compete in amore competitive level.

So from here we will hang up our netball skirts for yet another seasonand get them washed and ready to go for the next where we hope toenrol more than three teams. So, start your training, you have beengiven warning and there will be no dekuoloyears!