The email below was sent to the parish council by St. George member Alex Kiriakides, please take the time to read and take action.
Dear Parish Council,
Thank you for making the effort to notify everyone in the Parish no later than this weekend regarding the projects and expenditures you are currently undertaking and the history giving you authorization to move head. I asked today if the contract has been signed and where you are in the process and as it turns out the answer received was a no answer. As a member of our community you would think an answer to that question would be easily available and transparent. Unfortunately, I am hearing from some of you that since I was on the Council for the past two years, I should have full knowledge of the actions and thus am 9th inning grandstanding. In fact, the reason I left the Council was due to the disappointment I experienced on how decisions are made. The ONLY reason I attended the March 17 meeting was to introduce the term limits notice. After hearing the pleas of the Renovation Committee asking again for consideration to include their ideas and concern that their voices were not heard, and hearing the immediate needs for the kitchen which has not been included, it seemed quite reasonable to make a motion to put on hold for a few days until their concerns could be reviewed. As you know that was not allowed. So here we are now.
After reviewing the General Assembly Meeting Agenda and email reminder for the March 11, 2018 and March 17, 2019 meetings, (both attached at the end of this email) it is arguable that neither were in compliance with the Uniform Parish Regulations adopted December 2017.
Article 31 Parish Assembly Section 2 states...
Notice of a Parish Assembly shall be mailed to all Parishioners in good standing at least ten (10) days prior to the Assembly and shall include the agenda. The agenda shall be prepared by the Priest and the Parish Council and shall include all items to be discussed at the Assembly.
Neither communication mentioned the Council would be presenting a motion and call to vote allowing the approval of $1million dollar projects.
Both of these meetings were poorly attended and our parish president made an effort in the Reminder Email that we must be engaged and attend. In an effort to ensure a larger number of members of our parish are aware of the capital needs and requests to remodel the Hall without spending $400k on a new bathroom addition, Article 31 Parish Assembly Section 7 provides guidance and reads as follows...
Special Parish Assemblies shall be held when the Priest and/or Parish Council deem it necessary. Subject to Section 1 above, a special Parish Assembly may be convened. In addition, and except as otherwise prohibited by these Regulations or required by law, if at least ten percent (10%) of the Parishioners in good standing of the Parish submit a written petition requesting a Parish Assembly, a special Parish Assembly shall be convened. Any such petition must be submitted to the Priest and the Parish Council stating the purpose for the meeting.
Thus, I am asking a few of our parishioners to assist in providing a petition to call an emergency General Assembly meeting for the purpose to provide alternative solutions to accomplish same goals with better results for less funds the Hall renovations, An agenda for the meeting would be forthcoming.
The number of names of members in good standing needed is unclear at this moment. Those who wish to participate in gathering signed copies please gather and save.
PETITION TO CALL SPECIAL MEETING BASED ON THE PURPOSE AS OUTLINED ABOVE. Read the entire text before signing.
Updates
March 30, 2019
Reaching this level of support has been a long and exhausting process but it proves that people truly want transparency here. I am tired of the stonewalling, yet seeing so many others demand real answers keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
March 30, 2019
9 Comments
My activity with the church has withered away through the years because I believe the focus of the church has strayed very far from what the mission should be. That said, I do have an opinion on this very important matter. The hall is in dire need of renovation. It is a major revenue stream for the community and should be updated in appearance & to meet all codes. The kitchen should be a major focus as it is the soul of the festival. The ladies that work tirelessly to make the festival so successful deserve a first-rate modernized facility. Bring the current restrooms up to code. $400K for a men's restroom is absurd, period. Nick Melehes
We only frequent the Greek church occasionally although I grew up in the church. We left bc we made a concerted effort with multiple meetings to improve the Sunday school situation for the children. No one ever showed up, which was disconcerting. However, I have always felt that money was used to beautify the church instead of concentrating it on the things that mattered-the parish and the youth. I hope I don’t ruffle any feathers, but this is how I’ve felt for years and one of the huge reasons why we left.
I am sure there are some good reasons why these renovations are proposed. However, when you just say "we are spending $400,000 on a bathroom" just seem extreme and not well thought out. Then I see it is for the men's bathroom and it is really confusing. I am sure there can be a different solution and everyone who donates and work for the Church needs their voices heard. Choices like this have a chance to alienate some of the pragmatic people in our community that work hard for their money and just don't want to see money spent hastily.
An additional men’s restroom is an unnecessary expenditure. Renovate and update kitchens health and safety concerns. The kitchen makes the church money, not the urinals.
I agree with Mr. Kiriakides. However my opinion is the entire project should be set aside in order to up- date/modify the original Capital Campaign document to meet today's "standards/needs" along with solving some other issues. Respectfully, Paul H
Time for a overhaul in our community from top to bottom!!!
We definitely need to improve the hall & kitchen without spending a ridiculous amount of money on adding bathroom.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
The email below was sent to the parish council by St. George member Alex Kiriakides, please take the time to read and take action.
Dear Parish Council,
Thank you for making the effort to notify everyone in the Parish no later than this weekend regarding the projects and expenditures you are currently undertaking and the history giving you authorization to move head. I asked today if the contract has been signed and where you are in the process and as it turns out the answer received was a no answer. As a member of our community you would think an answer to that question would be easily available and transparent. Unfortunately, I am hearing from some of you that since I was on the Council for the past two years, I should have full knowledge of the actions and thus am 9th inning grandstanding. In fact, the reason I left the Council was due to the disappointment I experienced on how decisions are made. The ONLY reason I attended the March 17 meeting was to introduce the term limits notice. After hearing the pleas of the Renovation Committee asking again for consideration to include their ideas and concern that their voices were not heard, and hearing the immediate needs for the kitchen which has not been included, it seemed quite reasonable to make a motion to put on hold for a few days until their concerns could be reviewed. As you know that was not allowed. So here we are now.
After reviewing the General Assembly Meeting Agenda and email reminder for the March 11, 2018 and March 17, 2019 meetings, (both attached at the end of this email) it is arguable that neither were in compliance with the Uniform Parish Regulations adopted December 2017.
Article 31 Parish Assembly Section 2 states...
Notice of a Parish Assembly shall be mailed to all Parishioners in good standing at least ten (10) days prior to the Assembly and shall include the agenda. The agenda shall be prepared by the Priest and the Parish Council and shall include all items to be discussed at the Assembly.
Neither communication mentioned the Council would be presenting a motion and call to vote allowing the approval of $1million dollar projects.
Both of these meetings were poorly attended and our parish president made an effort in the Reminder Email that we must be engaged and attend. In an effort to ensure a larger number of members of our parish are aware of the capital needs and requests to remodel the Hall without spending $400k on a new bathroom addition, Article 31 Parish Assembly Section 7 provides guidance and reads as follows...
Special Parish Assemblies shall be held when the Priest and/or Parish Council deem it necessary. Subject to Section 1 above, a special Parish Assembly may be convened. In addition, and except as otherwise prohibited by these Regulations or required by law, if at least ten percent (10%) of the Parishioners in good standing of the Parish submit a written petition requesting a Parish Assembly, a special Parish Assembly shall be convened. Any such petition must be submitted to the Priest and the Parish Council stating the purpose for the meeting.
Thus, I am asking a few of our parishioners to assist in providing a petition to call an emergency General Assembly meeting for the purpose to provide alternative solutions to accomplish same goals with better results for less funds the Hall renovations, An agenda for the meeting would be forthcoming.
The number of names of members in good standing needed is unclear at this moment. Those who wish to participate in gathering signed copies please gather and save.
PETITION TO CALL SPECIAL MEETING BASED ON THE PURPOSE AS OUTLINED ABOVE. Read the entire text before signing.
Updates
March 30, 2019
Reaching this level of support has been a long and exhausting process but it proves that people truly want transparency here. I am tired of the stonewalling, yet seeing so many others demand real answers keeps me moving forward.
Reached 100 supporters
March 30, 2019
9 Comments
We need to invest in youth and not on material things. They are the future of our Church and the Hellenic- American Community.
My activity with the church has withered away through the years because I believe the focus of the church has strayed very far from what the mission should be. That said, I do have an opinion on this very important matter. The hall is in dire need of renovation. It is a major revenue stream for the community and should be updated in appearance & to meet all codes. The kitchen should be a major focus as it is the soul of the festival. The ladies that work tirelessly to make the festival so successful deserve a first-rate modernized facility. Bring the current restrooms up to code. $400K for a men's restroom is absurd, period. Nick Melehes
We only frequent the Greek church occasionally although I grew up in the church. We left bc we made a concerted effort with multiple meetings to improve the Sunday school situation for the children. No one ever showed up, which was disconcerting. However, I have always felt that money was used to beautify the church instead of concentrating it on the things that mattered-the parish and the youth. I hope I don’t ruffle any feathers, but this is how I’ve felt for years and one of the huge reasons why we left.
I am sure there are some good reasons why these renovations are proposed. However, when you just say "we are spending $400,000 on a bathroom" just seem extreme and not well thought out. Then I see it is for the men's bathroom and it is really confusing. I am sure there can be a different solution and everyone who donates and work for the Church needs their voices heard. Choices like this have a chance to alienate some of the pragmatic people in our community that work hard for their money and just don't want to see money spent hastily.
An additional men’s restroom is an unnecessary expenditure. Renovate and update kitchens health and safety concerns. The kitchen makes the church money, not the urinals.
I agree with Mr. Kiriakides. However my opinion is the entire project should be set aside in order to up- date/modify the original Capital Campaign document to meet today's "standards/needs" along with solving some other issues. Respectfully, Paul H
Time for a overhaul in our community from top to bottom!!!
We definitely need to improve the hall & kitchen without spending a ridiculous amount of money on adding bathroom.
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 250 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to occasional emails about petitions. Unsubscribe anytime.
Share this petition
Share this petition to help it reach more people.
Your share link
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
We need to invest in youth and not on material things. They are the future of our Church and the Hellenic- American Community.