Helene Semanderes
gave the keynote
address at the
Women’s Banquet.
Continued from
page 13
to Rene (Saviolis)
Stamatis and her
husband Dr. Pete
Stamatis for collecting and creating the Akron
display of pictures
and trophies. Also on display was the Soap Box Derby
car that won the 68th All American Soap Box Derby.
The 2005 Soap Box winner/racer was our own Akron
Cretan, Stephanie Inglezakis. The eight-foot map of
Crete and “pin labels” allowed members to identify
their village/city by family name. This map helped
to unite families and friends from the same areas in
Crete. Erasmia Novotny’s efforts to organize the firstever Archive Room display was an enormous and
worthy task. Cretans from around the United States
contributed an array of items, including magazines,
posters, pictures, convention pins, linens and blankets. These items are now in safe storage and will be
used for future Convention Archive Room displays.
The Women’s Awards Banquet was well attended
Monday evening. The mayor of Cuyahoga Falls, Don
L. Robart, welcomed the attendees and presented a
proclamation in honor of the convention. President
John Manos, Women’s Executive Director Maria
Stratoudakis and Third Vice President and Membership Chair Nick Verikakis, expressed their gratitude
and congratulations for the work and efforts to bring
chapters closer and to promote the rich culture and
heritage that our organization values. They also presented awards to chapter representatives from the
Brooklyn Brotherhood of New York and the Daughters of Crete from Denver, who experienced the highest increase in membership over the last two years.
That evening, keynote speaker Helene Semanderes emphasized that in order to understand the PAA
woman, one has to go back in history and examine the
role of the woman of Crete. The 5000 years of history
have played a key role in molding the character of the
woman of the PAA. Today, she has a responsibility to
answer her call of duty, to get the family involved in
PAA events at the local and national level as well as to
encourage the new generation to visit Crete in order
14
KPHTH | SEPTEMBER 2013
to perpetuate our Cretan identity and traditions.
That same night, the first ever Cultural Cretan Music
Concert was directed by Culture and Education Chair Bob
Markakis. Sixteen songs, duets, solos and dialogue defined the birth of a Cretan. Many songs and poems were
presented, included Cretan holiday carols, the Mourning
Song, Erotokritos, song about the bride, the Bride’s Dowry, the Bride’s and