Dear members and friends of the Ithacan Philanthropic Society, I welcome you to our updated website.

As promised a little while ago the society is committed to provide a current and vibrant web presence and to provide an interactive free flow of information.

The new site has a provision to register your email address and to register your preference to receive IPS data in digital format in the future.

We will be utilising greater interfaces with members in the future and we encourage you and your families to register your personal email addresses with us.

Please go to the Home page of our site to register your email address in the eBulletin subscription box.

In addition the Ithacan Municipal Council is also looking to have direct contact with people of Ithacan origin. They have asked that those interested please contact them directly via their web site link www.ithaki.gr

I would also ask that all members look at their respective family membership status. We require all parents of children attending our events to be paid up members. We cannot rely on grandparent membership to entitle children to our events nor to receive prizes including Christmas presents at the annual Christmas tree event.   This also applies to Bursary recipients. Please help us to help you by registering your personal memberships with the Society. Membership link is http://ithaca.org.au/membership

Please also join up your friends and extended family members as social members if they are not of Ithacan origin

http://ithaca.org.au/membership

FAMILY REUNION

This summer in Greece I was privileged to host a Family Reunion for the Varvarigos "Karlos" clan from Exoghi.

It is nearly 100 years since our family finally migrated permanently from Ithaca to live in Australia.

To have nearly 40 Brothers, Cousins, nephews and nieces together in the Village and to be able to share the great sacrifice and Odyssean journey of their Grandparents was a privilege and experience none of us will forget.

Even the Kostopoulos family from Melbourne, through Tony Kostos, joined us and brought four extras form Perth to add to the numbers and the merriment at dinners and beaches all around the island. (We did our best to boost the flagging economy..)

The family tour of the village, visiting family grave plots, old house sites and a walking tour of the village to the top of Mount Neion to the church of Pernarakia and the views of northern Ithaca and Cephalonia, was a highlight.

The final evening event was a family dinner in the shadow of our grandfathers clock which adorns the Sotiris Church tower in Stavros Village and which was erected in 1961 by "Nono Yianni" so his old girlfriend located in Stavros village would hear the clock chime and remember their love affair in the early 1900’s - so many years before. It's now known by the locals as the "erotic" clock.

LOVE IN TWO ROMANTIC ISLANDS

On top of the Family Reunion I was also privileged to attend the reception of the marriage between Arthur Sikiotis to Kirstin Cookes from Melbourne.

Kirstin is the daughter of one of my oldest friends from school days at Wesley College - Andrew Cookes and his wife Marilyn. Arthur is the son of Nick Sikiotis known to many, and is the current owner of the “Romantsa” just outside Stavros.

Kirstin first visited Ithaca in 2001 when she and her family accompanied Rena and I for a one month holiday staying in Frikes. Little did we know that some years later in Bali that she would meet her future Ithacan husband!!!

We wish the happy couple a long and happy marriage and we welcome Andrew and his family as an official member of the Ithacan community. Andrew and Marilyn are about to join the Society as Social members.

SPECIAL THANK YOU - Levendis Family

I would like to thank the Levendis family from Sydney, and the Levendis jewelry business for their generous donation of one of their limited Black Diamond range Ithaca watches.

This amazing watch was auctioned at our last Annual Ball by my good friend John Holdsworth and the Society raised $3600 which was then increased by the Society to $4000 and donated to the Box Hill Hospital. The auction bidding was furious and the result superb. I hope we can continue to be supported this way in the future to support our Philanthropic agenda.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ITHACAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The hard working and ever creative IHS has again come up with a fabulous tribute to the late Ireni Pappas. All those in attendance had an amazing walk through the life and achievements of this most remarkable and lovely and unforgettable person. The recognition of Ithacan Women Series is a great success and captures forever these remarkable life stories for future generations.

WW2 WAR VETERANS

I wish to request the support of the members to advise me as to which families have active serving members of the Australian Military during the Second World War. These are the members which were entitled to fight in battle rather than those who served in the support services. Please email me your advice if you have members who served, for what period and in which theatre of battle.

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SPECIAL THANKS

To Dennis Cominos, Anna Vlass and Costa Kaimakamis as very special thank you for their efforts and support in building the new website for the society. We now have a dynamic interactive and informative site which I hope will be a key part of keeping us all informed of new and exciting events going forward.

I look forward to seeing members and friends at our next events and please review our updated list.

Best wishes
Nicholas D. Varigos
President
Ithacan Philanthropic Society