A Note From The Webmaster:

Mr. George A. Misthos, current treasurer of the Men’s League, found this article which was written in 1985 and clearly states the original aims of the Men’s League. We still abide by these aims but the contributions of the Men’s League to the community have increased dramatically in the twenty years since this was written.

Future articles will contain the actual donations made by the Men’s League to our church but since this is one of the earliest articles about the Men’s League I felt that it should be included for historical reasons.

Thank you George.

History of the Men’s League of St. Nicholas

Submitted By George A. Misthos

In 1955 Father Constantine Volaitis met with a group of men who had been very active in the organization of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, Flushing. He suggested to them that they keep this group together by forming a Men’s League so they could continue their good works for the Church and for the Greek Orthodox Community of Flushing. The group was quick to agree, they met, adopted a constitution, and in their first membership drive announced the following aims of the Men’s League.

  1. To provide a common meeting ground to encourage friendships and acquaintances.
  2. To encourage and support the endeavors of our community.
  3. To provide contacts and opportunities for our community to enter new fields.
  4. To provide opportunities to foster better understanding of families and ourselves and thus help reduce tensions in our community.
  5. To make our church and community more effective though a more vivid and real vision of God.
  6. To explore the fundamentals of our religious life on a man’s level.
  7. To keep alive and transmit the rich heritage of the Hellenic Spirit.
  8. To provide an environment for recreation and social contact among our community.
Over the years these aims have been reflected in the many activities of the league and it’s members on behalf of the Church and the Community. From it’s very beginning the League has sponsored programs for the young people of our community such as JR. GOYA and GOYA basketball, baseball, Saturday morning youth program and the various Scouting groups. This sponsorship of our youth is still one of the primary activities of the League.

Each year for more than twenty-five years, the League has given a scholarship award to a deserving graduating high school senior who is planning to go on to college. In the beginning this award was $100. It was later increased to $400 and it is now $500.

Men’s League members have assisted and continue to assist the Board of Trustees of the community by serving as ushers ant the church liturgies and by serving on various committees such as the Demographic Survey and the several of the Building Fund Raising Committees.

The Men’s League has been quick to pledge twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) to the current fund drive for the Consecration and completion of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Earlier donations to the church and the community include, purchase and installation of pews for the chapel, purchase of missals to be placed in the church, the reconditioning to the gymnasium floor, a special cash donation of twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), the alarm system for the church and school, stained glass windows for the church and chapel and the equipment of the kitchen in the school basement.

In addition, the League has purchased athletic apparatus and supplies needed for the athletic program it sponsors for our young people and has also paid rental fees for the use of outside gymnasium facilities and entry fees to the various athletic leagues in which our youth compete. Needless to say the Men’s League continues to cover these costs.

Social activities include our annual Christmas Party, our annual Lottery Cocktail Party, and from time to time Dinner Dances, Barn Dances, Masquerade Parties, Valentine’s Day Dances and New Year’s Ever Parties. The bowling league should not be over looked, while nominally an athletic activity it would seem to qualify as a social one.

This then is a brief picture of the Men’s League of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of Flushing. Some of the things it has done and things it is doing. We have been a strong positive force in the community and we will continue to be as long as we have the type of dedicated, hard-working members that we have had in the past.

All men in the community are urged to join the League and help it to keep up the good work.

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