It’s hard to believe that our ninth Junior Varsity Basketball season in our gym is over. Congratulations to all our players for their participation: their valiant effort and sportsmanship is to be commended. Thanks to all our coaches, as well, Nick Kontonis, Ari Stratakis, Mike Misthos, Tom Nuris, Darryl Chase, and Chris Kallas for their time, generosity and devotion. A special thanks goes to Tula Kallas-Chase. Her hard work running our snack bar is very much appreciated. Thanks, as well, to Mike Canellos for coordinating and overseeing the program.

ORATORICAL FESTIVAL 2005

Our Oratorical Festival 2005 was moved up by two weeks, both because Metropolitan Gerasimos will be celebrating his first Divine Liturgy, at the Cathedral on April 3, the original date of the Festival, and because we wanted to give our winner the opportunity to participate in the regional festival, which will take place on Sunday, April 10, at the Nativity of Christ Church in Ignacio and, hopefully, in the Metropolis-wide festival, which will take place at the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center on Saturday, May 14.

First and foremost, we congratulate all our participants. Many of them took part for the first time. We also congratulate our teachers for their guidance and oversight of the program, the judges, the parents, and the congregants, who listened as our children spoke on topics they chose relative to an experience in Sunday School or on the Scriptures or the lives of the saints of the Church. Competition was stiff, but when the votes were in, Katherine Curd was proclaimed winner of the Festival, for the Junior Division, followed by Stephanie Rotter, who placed second, Katie Yeilding, who placed third, and Athena Flynn, who received honorable mention. Congratulations to all of you for an outstanding job!

GOYA NEWS

As Alexandra Kallas, our GOYA president tells it:

“ On Sunday, February 27, our GOYA met to discuss our membership drive and our annual lock-in. I am excited to report that in attendance were over 20 members, whose enthusiasm was either the result of the donuts that Mike Canellos, our Youth Advisor, provided, or a sincere interest in GOYA (it was both). We decided that a Friday evening dinner and sleep over would be the ideal format for our new GOYA to acquaint itself and to plan an agenda. On Saturday morning, plans for Father Paul to share his spiritual guidance and participate in a morning breakfast were also discussed. Father Paul has accepted our invitation.

Since our meeting, Mike Canellos has been in contact with Father Paris of the Ascension Cathedral and plans are in the making for the teenagers of that parish to join our lock-in. Due to the length of this year’s basketball season and the Oakland festival, our tentative date for the lock-in is Friday, June 3rd. In our May issue of the Herald, we will provide additional information. A flyer and parental permission waiver will be available at the pangari. Parish adults who wish to chaperone or assist us in any way are invited to contact Mike Canellos at 415 864-8815.

SCHOLARSHIPS

We are pleased to announce that scholarship application forms are available at the pangari or by calling the Cathedral office at 415 864-8000. The Cathedral itself provides the following Scholarships: the John N. Pappas Scholarship for $1,000, the Christos Tsikitas Scholarship, for $500, and the Dr. Anthony Bagatelos Medical Scholarship. Currently, the Bagatelos Scholarship is for $500; however, the family has indicated it will augment the scholarship, to $1,000.

Recently, the Scholarship Fund received an additional contribution to the principal by Mark and Erika Mountanos, and so in 2006 we anticipate the Maria Panagoulias Scholarship will also be poised to award a scholarship.

Meanwhile, the Annunciation Cathedral Philoptochos is awarding three scholarships. Two are Philoptochos Scholarships, in the amount of $1,000 each, and one is the Argyres Scholarship, in the amount of $500. With six scholarships being offered in 2005, the community (church and Philoptochos) continues to express support for our young people by assisting in their educational pursuits.

JUDGE S. LEE VAVURIS LEGAL SCHOLARSHIP ESTABLISHED

There is yet another scholarship opporutnity, which will be available in 2006. This is for a law scholarship, in honor and in memory of a most highly respected justice of our legal system, the Honorable Lee Vavuris. A descendant of a Greek immigrant father and a Hellenophile mother, Judge Vavuris was graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law. Having established a law practice in San Francisco following graduation, he soon became a dedicated Judge of the California Superior Court. In his 88 years of life, Judge Vavuris helped thousands of people in accordance with the highest standards of humanity and of the legal profession. The purpose of the Vavuris Legal Scholarship is to assist others to carry on both Judge Vavuris’ name as “Judge S. Lee Vavuris Scholars” and his good work for the betterment of society, the community, and mankind. We are grateful to his widow, Mrs. Angela Vavuris, for establishing this scholarship, with an initial endowment of $25,000. The Cathedral will work in tandem with the Hellenic Law Society of Northern California, a professional society of attorneys and legal personnel, to identify candidates and coordinate presentations to recipients.

DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE SCHOLARSHIPS

The Daughters of Penelope offer three (3) scholarships of $1,000 each to female students entering college, also one $1,000 for re-entry (going back to college). The Angela Mouroufas Scholarship for $2,000 and the Ekaterine Tsakopoulos $2,000 for post graduate studies. The National Scholarships for $1,000 each. Call Chairwoman May Kireopoulos for information qualifications and application.

NOT TOO EARLY TO THINK ABOUT SUMMER CAMP

Young people of our community have three camp options. One is our own camp, which for the last few years has been held at the Cassini Ranch along the shores of the Russian River, the last week in July or the first week in August. A second is the camp held at the St. Nicholas Ranch and Retreat Center, in Dunlap, California. Finally, a third is the one held at the Ionian Village, on the shores of the Ionian Sea, in Greece.
During 2005 two summer sessions will be offered. One is for young people in grades 7 through 9. This will take place July 1st through July 19. The second is for young people in grades 10 through 12. This will take place July 25th through August 13th. For more information, visit the web site, www.IonianVillage.org. You may also call the Ionian Village office, at 646 519-6190.

THIS SEASON’S BASKETBALL PRACTICE

We are pleased to announce tha the Basketball gym practice schedule is as follows:

Schedules have been distributed and are available at the information counter.

BASKETBALL GAMES AT THE ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL

Please note the following times and venues when our teams will be
playing at the Cathedral during April and May. Plesae attend the
games and support our teams.

Best wishes to all our Annunciation Cathedral Teams!