ANNUNCIATION YOUTH PARTICIPATE IN ICG FESTIVITIES

Members of the Cathedral’s Dance Groups shown with other participants at the International Children’s Games, which were held July 14 in San Francisco.

On July 14, some of the dancers from Ekrixi and from Seizmos (those who were not away on vacation) had a once-in-a-lifetime experience by performing during the Closing Ceremonies of the International Children’s Games (ICG). The games were held in San Francisco during July.

The ICG were founded in 1968 by Slovenian professor Metod Klemenc to promote peace and friendship through sports. In the inaugural games, nine European cities met for a one-day competition and cultural exchange. From these humble beginnings, the ICG has grown into a global competition and cultural festival, with participation each year by more than 1,000 athletes from 50 countries. Today, the ICG is the largest multi-port international youth games organization, and is a recognized member of the International Olympics Committee. In 2009, the summer games will be held in Athens, Greece. The Cathedral’s dancers were part of the closing ceremonies, when the extinguished torch was handed over to a representative of the Greek games. Following their participation, the Cathedral youth met young people from all over the world (some of them are pictured in the photograph, above) and received Athens 2009 jackets from the Greek teams. This was a wonderful experience, for both our youth and their parents.

The Cathedral’s dance groups are planning a number of events over the next few months. The first is a “Festival Kick-Off Brunch,” which will take place on Sunday, September 21, following the Divine Liturgy. This will enable the parishioners of the Cathedral to watch our dance groups perform, prior to our Festival, the following weekend. Then, on December 6, the Feast of St. Nicholas, the dance groups will be hosting a Glendi, complete with dinner and dancing. Additional information concerning the Glendi is forthcoming. Look for special fliers, which will be distributed during the Festival.

As for dance practice, all groups will resume practice on Tuesday, August 12, as follows:

Eirini (ages 6 to 9): 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Ekrixi (ages 10 to 13): 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Seizmos (ages 14 to 20): 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

If you are interested in joining our dance program, now is the time to do so. Please come by on Tuesday, August 12. We would love to see you. Or, for more information, please contact Athena Stavrakaras, haniotisa@hotmail.com.

KUDOS TO OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS


Shown in the photo above, with Metropolitan Nikitas (center), Father Stephen (left) and Father Gregory (right) are: (left to right) Constantine Tsagaris, recipient of the Andreas and Niki Coundouris Scholarship, Angie Leventis, President of the Cathedral Ladies Philoptochos, Nicholas Balian, recipient of the John N. Pappas Scholarship, and Yannis Paulus, recipient off the Dr. Anthony Bagatelos Scholarship. Not shown are Stephanie A. Rotter and Petre Breazu.

The Annunciation Cathedral congratulates its 2008 Scholarship Recipients. They are: Yannis Paulus, a student at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Yannis received the Dr. Anthony Bagatelos Scholarship, in the amount of $2,000.; Constantine Tsagaris, a student at San Francisco Law School. Dean received the Andreas and Niki Coundouris Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000.; Nicholas Balian, a student at Academy of Art University. Nick received the John N. Pappas Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000.; Stephanie A. Rotter, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, College of Engineering. Stephanie received a Cathedral Ladies Philoptochos Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000.; and Petre Breazu, a student at the University of San Francisco, School of Education. Petre also received a Cathedral Ladies Philoptochos Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000. We congratulate our recipients for their spiritual and academic achievements and wish them well in reaching their career objectives. Axioi!

ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL’S SUMMER CAMP

The Annunciation Cathedral’s 9th Annual Summer Camp will take place August 1 through August 6, at the Casini Ranch Family Campground on the Russian River. Casini Ranch is located near Duncans Mills, off US 101, not far from Bodega Bay. Experiencing the beauty and excitement of California’s North Coast is unforgettable. The camp offers 120 acres of family fun and a mile of sandy waterfront. Hiking, bicycling, volleyball, softball, horseshoes, fishing, drifting along the river in a canoe, or just relaxing on the beach are among the activities campers and their families experience, not to mention arts and crafts, campfire and, of course, eating. Father Stephen and Mike Canellos will be spending the day with our campers on August 2. We are certain this year’s camp, under the direction of Patty Rally and the camping committee, will be as enjoyable and as rewarding as previous camps have been.

VESTMENTS, CHALICES, ETC.

During this summer’s Clergy-Laity, a set of chalices, a blessing cross, and clergy vestments were purchased for the Cathedral. These items are very useful, and will become an important part of the Cathedral’s store of religious objects. From time to time, faithful members of the Cathedral ask, “What may I donate? I’d like to donate something.” Just as, a few months ago, the new altar boy robes were donated. If you are interested in contributing one or more of these items, please call the Cathedral, at 415 864-8000, and speak with Father Stephen.

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August 2008 Herald
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral