September 2023 District Governor Bulletin

What a great start to the year we have had so far! Please take a look below at the highlighted events. I also rolled out a game to play throughout the year until the District Convention.

Georgette Boulegeris Testimonial Dinner, Bridgewater NJ

We had such a great time at the testimonial. Evellyn Tsiadis was our hostess, and she was great! We heard from speakers from the community, chapter, District, Supreme lodges, Grand lodges, and special guests. I think the best gift of the night went to the Grand Lodge of the Maids of Athena who presented Georgette with a Georgette bobblehead. All the centerpieces were books that were donated to the Agape House as well. There was music and dancing all night. If you missed it, you missed a great time.

District Governors Leadership Conference, Washington DC

I was so excited to be able to go to Washington, DC this year to attend the Leadership Conference. It took place at The Ven Hotel on Embassy Row. Friday night, we all got together at Zorba’s restaurant to meet up and greet each other. I was able to speak to some wonderful sisters and enjoy the company of the Maids and Sons as well as our DOP sisters. On Saturday, we started our workshop listening to the Grand Lodge and their vision for this year. Sister Katerina Mertikas, Professional Artist, spoke to us as our 2023 Leadership Conference Speaker and Spirit of Penelope Award Honoree. We got to see her unbelievably beautiful artwork! We participated in some round table discussions. We ended the evening with a lovely Italian buffet dinner together in the lobby (because it was raining, and our original location was rooftop and unavailable). It was great meeting District Governors from all over.

First visitation to Xanthus sisters, Wilmington DE

The lodge and I traveled to Delaware to visit our sisters and bring news from the Grand Lodge and District Lodge. We met at Mazzellas Italian Restaurant where we shared food, wine, and laughter after our meeting with them. It was nice to hear about all their upcoming events including getting dates 06/21/2024-06/22/2024 for the District Convention. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Sisters!

District 5 Workshop, Cherry Hill NJ

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Nike chapter for hosting the District 5 Workshop 2023 this year. This year we started with guest speakers. Our Grand Zone Governor Marianne Boutsioulis zoomed in to say Hi to all of us! Sister Tonie Ann Coumanis Torrans spoke to us while zooming in from Mobile, AL about our permanent obligation, Penelope House. She spoke about how it first got started and how the Daughters of Penelope help the foundation. It was very nice to hear all the great things that this organization who bears our name does and is a model for Domestic shelters around the country. Our next speaker was Jeanette Simmons who was a volunteer from our District mandatory 2-year project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. She spoke from the heart and told a personal story of how she came into the organization. She also told us how we can help and had lots of takeaways for us as well. I think by the end of the presentation there was not a dry eye in the house. We had other presentations to go over the changes from the Supreme Convention, messages from our District Marshall on all the National projects, District Secretary and District Treasurer going over the forms and websites to find assistance, and District Lt Governor speaking about Growth and Expansion. We had a presentation from the District Advisor and the PGP of the Maids. We got to meet the Maids that came from Cherry Hill and Paramus. We had a mass initiation where the lodge performed the initiation using the new book of procedures. We were finally able to pin Dina Fanikos, PDG with our District’s Penelope of the Year Pin which she won at the District Convention in June. Our Grand Secretary, Antoinette Marousis-Zachariades spoke to us on behalf of the Grand President, Marianthi Treppiedi and brought her message of helping the Meals on Wheels this year. It was well attended as we had over 50 sisters attend and some attended on zoom. I highlighted my goals for this year and introduced a game for the district to play.

Altes Sisters participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk

While some of us were at the District Workshop, some Altes sisters participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk in Mercer County to help raise funds for our District Project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Our sisters raised over $10 thousand dollars for the foundation. Great Job Sisters!

District 5 Bingo!

Bringing Vegas back to District 5, I introduced a game for the district to play. This will be a blackout bingo game (get as many blocks marked off). Each gameboard is the same. What I learned from my time in the daughters is that the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. I have made so many friends and awesome friendships from all over the world. I would like everyone to experience that sisterhood in the Daughters of Penelope so the more you do with sisters together, the more fun you have! At each event on the board, there will be someone to sign off on it. (Most likely me!) However, some board items will need to be signed by the chapter president. There will be a prize given at the District Convention to the person with the most squares marked off. Good Luck Ladies! If you have any questions about the game, please reach out to me directly. I did give out board games at the Workshop and I do have some leftover, however you can download a picture of the form as well.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pin

Our sisterhood of the traveling pin has struck again and was presented to Jacquelyn Marousis-Bush at our District Workshop 2023. If you forgot what that was, it started last year in September when our then Grand President Georgette had given me the Leadership Pin in which I needed to find a worthy sister that displays leadership qualities. I passed the pin on at our District Workshop to Athena Rochonchou who passed it later to Melissa Martakis. Melissa passed it on to Athena Borzeka who had presented it to Jacquelyn.

Events Coming up!

10/05- Altes annual gift auction, Hamilton NJ

10/14- Alexander fashion show, Randolph NJ

10/19- Altes Visitation, Hamilton NJ

10/24- Nike Visitation, Cherry Hill NJ

10/25- Chryssida visitation, Union NJ

10/29- Alexander visitation, Randolph NJ

11/02- Agape visitation, Wykoff NJ

11/11- 5th District AHEPA Family Cancer Research Foundation 35th anniversary Celebration Edison, NJ

What a great start to our year! Have an event that you would like to share with the District! Let me know.

Yours in Theta Pi,

Kelly Papacristos District Governor