Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC - SFU Chair of Hellenic Studies

THE SFU CHAIR IN HELLENIC STUDIES

A Chronicle: 1989 to 1996

How are we going to fare in a multicultural society such as ours, twenty or, say, fifty years from now?
What measures can we take to slow down or even reverse the process of total assimilation?
Can we really and do we really want to do something about it?

Just how are we going to preserve and even promote the Greek thought and Greek civilization?

Thoughts like these had steered Tasos Kazepides’ mind toward a rather ambitious goal: a Chair in Hellenic Studies at one of the Universities of the province. But a Chair with a difference: Endowed. Self sustained.

In 1986, Tasos, who up to 1996 was teaching Philosophy of Education at Simon Fraser University of Burnaby, BC, started talks with the Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC, a newly established Federation representing organized Hellenism in BC. The leadership of the BC Congress immediately recognized that the project would fit perfectly into its mandate and readily adopted it. Tasos then discussed the idea with the people he knew and worked with at SFU. They heartily agreed to help with the founding of the Chair at the University.

Initial budgeting showed that at least six hundred thousand dollars was necessary. To ensure adequate funding the budget was increased to one million. If only they were to get help from the BC Government through the Universities Matching Program the project would take off. Kazepides, Stubbs

The provincial Government, bought the idea: If half the capital was to be raised by the private sector, the Province of British Columbia would match it!
(Prof. Tasos Kazepides (left) and SFU President, Dr. John Stubbs.)

It took quite some time for every member-organization of the BC Congress to fully recognize the benefits of such a difficult undertaking. Then, a non-member society, the Chapter #179 of “The Daughters of Penelope”, the ladies’ auxiliary of AHEPAssociation in Vancouver, raised the seed capital: In March 1989, the proceeds of a fashion show, $ 25,000.00, were deposited in the special account of the University.

After that however, things slowed down considerably and the SFU account by early 1992, showed just $ 113,000.00. Something drastic was needed to boost the project. The idea of a lottery with sizable prizes came up. Credible partners were sought out. Finally, the Vancouver Art Gallery

agreed to participate. The publicity generated by our association with such a renowned and respected body provided the much needed jolt. We’ve never looked back! The big winners, Omiros Association

(The big winner of the joint lottery, a luxury waterfront apartment in downtown Vancouver, was the “Omeros” Association. Its then President, John Kefalas, is flanked by Nick Panos to the left and Chris Tsiandoulas.)

In June 1993, the account showed $ 175,000.00. By September the amount had climbed to $ 240,000.00. A Wine and Cheese fund-raiser in mid-November brought in additional funds. By the end of March 1994, the amount reached $ 305,000.00. Thank you! to the Pan-Thessalean society

Thank you! to the Pan-Thessalean society

(The “Olympos” Panthessalian Society’s representative, Demos Nicolas (right) presents Nick Panos with their very sizable contribution.)

On May 7, 1994 during yet another fundraising dinner, the total jumped to $ 411,000.00 with some $ 34,500.00 still expected to come in from additional pledges together with the proceeds of the 1994 Edition of the Hellenic Telephone Directory of BC. SFU then requested the BC Government, who by that time had given $ 260,000.00, to contribute all remaining matching funds as it considered the project virtually completed. Also on May 7, 1994, the Deputy Ambassador of Greece in Ottawa, Athanassios Valassides, presented then BC Congress President Nick Panos with a cheque from the Greek Government for over $11,000.00. Greece has thus contributed in total over $ 35,000.00. Thanking the Motherland for her support..

Thanking the Motherland for her support..

(A. Valassides presenting Greece’s cheque to N. Panos.)

A few months later, on March 15, 1995, the BC Congress held another very successful reception where Certificates of Appreciation were presented to each one of the hundreds of donors for the money they gave directly to SFU for the establishment of the Chair.

The Congress used the occasion to raise some additional money – again for the Chair. A tally of the offered donations, subsequently showed that the guests had made an additional contribution of more than $ 26,000.00.

The University, with the discreet, yet firm, participation of the BC Congress’s special committee (Bill Dritsas, Apostolos Fyssas, Takis Mathiopoulos, Nick Panos), started then looking for the right individual to take the helm and create a curriculum that was to give the appropriate tone and direction to the long awaited Chair that was finally christened “Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC Chair in Hellenic Studies”.

Prof. Andre Gerolymatos (picture) was chosen and, the rest of the saga, you can follow at the September 1996 and February 1997 electronic editions of "Periscope", our Newsletter.

It must be remembered that this entire initiative was undertaken by volunteers. Vision, dedication, faith, and hard work, in a word, leadership, can achieve amazing results. The Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC’s Provincial Board had shown strong leadership indeed during all these years. We do believe that by establishing this Endowed Chair, the BC Congress has fulfilled the most essential aspect of its mandate, namely the promotion of Hellenism and its ideals. And it did it with the benevolent assistance of very many donors, individuals, associations, businesses, and governments!

We want to thank ALL and everyone of those who offered their generous support throughout these years. Thank you for bringing our dream to such a wonderful conclusion. Do we feel proud? You bet we do!

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