Daughters of Penelope

Penelope’s Pen – May, 2024   

Kali Anastasi! Best wishes from all our sisters to all members of our congregation for a blessed and joyous Easter celebration coming up in a few days. We wish to thank everyone who supported and benefited from our sale of tsourekia, koulourakia, and Easter lambades. Many thanks as well to those who contributed to our annual Red Tent for Homeless Women collection. Your support makes it possible for us to help the less fortunate in the wider Richmond community.

We are pleased to announce the initiation of two new sisters into Antiklea Chapter: Anastasia Seevers and Sophia Long. Sophia, along with her sister Zoe, represents three generations of one family who are current members, including Past-President Linda Caruthers and Sophia’s mother Tina Long. Congratulations and welcome to both of our new sisters!

We wish to express our appreciation to those sisters who came to prepare koulourakia on Thursday afternoon, April 11, as well as the smaller group who came on Saturday, April 13th. Extra special thanks go to Tom Kirk, who was in charge of mixing the batter for the koulourakia.

Any college age woman who has/had a mother or grandmother in the Daughters of Penelope is urged to submit a scholarship application for consideration by our chapter. The application is available on the Cathedral website. See also the District #3 website for information about the district scholarships. Be mindful of due dates!

Our next DOP book club selection is The Measure by Nikki Erlick. We will meet to discuss the book on June 19th at Greek Taverna. It is open to anyone who is interested, even if you are not a member of the Daughters and whether you read the book or not. Click here for additional details about this event.  Come and join us!

Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, May 16th, at 6:00 PM. President Stephanie Theofanos will confirm the details. The election of new officers will be on the agenda. Until then, have a wonderful Easter.

Until next time,
Penelope’s Scribe

Shelia Demetriadis

 

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Installation of Antiklea Chapter #68 2023-2024 officers by District Governor, Helen Dennie

 

Chapter Officers for 2022-2023

Stephanie Theofanos, President

Jackie Harmon, Vice President

Zoe Mouris,

Kathy Bazianos, Treasurer

To Be Announced, Recording Secretary

Board of Governors: Sondra Sealine, Chairman; Loretta Kirk, and Niki Karion

Daughters of Penelope

The Daughters of Penelope (DOP) was the realization of Alexandra Apostolides' dream.  Her desire was to create a woman's organization and because of her perseverance and the encouragement of her husband Dr. Emanuel Apostolides, a devoted AHEPAN, she formed EOS Chapter #1 with 25 charter members on November 16,1929 in San Francisco, California. The objectives of the Daughters of Penelope are to promote Hellenism, Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence.     


Who is Penelope?

In ancient Greek legend, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, King of Ithaca. Odysseus left her and their son, Telemachus when he went to the Trojan War. When the war ended, many mishaps and weary wanderings kept him from returning home. As time went on and he did not return, many suitors claimed her hand and her kingdom. For a long while she put them off with a plea that she must finish weaving a robe for Laertes, her father-in-law. However, every night she unraveled what she had woven by day, thus remaining faithful to the memory 0f Odysseus and steadfast to the sanctity of her home.

Finally, Odysseus appeared after an absence of twenty years to reclaim his wife, his throne, and his home. In the name of our Order, the Daughters of Penelope, the word Penelope symbolizes all the noble virtues, of kindness, tolerance, unselfishness, truth, goodness, beauty, self-improvement, purity, loyalty, and patience, which were evident in the character of Penelope. As her Daughters, we strive to exemplify and uphold these same values in today's world.

Antiklea Projects and Events:

Red Tent Project for Homeless Women

Koulourakia Baking

Holy Land Crafts Booth

Tsourekia, Koulourakia, and Psalms CD Sale

New Year’s Vasilopita Sale


Charities that DOP Supports: 

Daughters of Penelope Foundation, Inc. Scholarships
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Mobile, AL
Penelope House-Domestic Family Violence Center: Brockton, MA
Penelopean Foundation Day Care Center: Athens, Greece
University of Miami, Sylvester Cancer Research Center
Saint Basil Academy-Home for young children