THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BROTHER NICK LOGOTHETIS

In trying to pay homage to the life and times of Brother Nick, I felt that in order to do justice to the difficult task, was to relate his life to what I saw from my perspective, for most of our enduring friendship not only shaped our later years but it was of crucial importance in understanding what kind of person Nick turned out to be in his life. To that end, I shall start by bringing to life our intertwined characters and how they related to the Mount Royal Chapter, in the long duration of our friendship.

It was September 1945, we had moved in Athens in the Spring and it was my first day in school. The War had just ended, and although I remember some of it, it was of no consequence other than to say that times were hard. One can imagine what the first day in school would be like, in making new friends and embarking in the task of shaping our future.
Among the friends that I made the first day, most of them now forgotten, little did I know that with one of them our friendship would endure and last more than 60 years. The first two years were of no particular importance other than I met his sister Voula who was one or two grades ahead of us. I do not remember meeting his brother George nor the rest of his family at the time. I did meet his late father, his late mother and George later on but as fate would have it not in Greece but in Montreal.

It is worth noting that more than fifty years later and in another Country, Canada, I was to be the recipient of a wonderful experience in meeting another classmate in the person of George Vathilakis. By accident, we were discussing our past and he related that he had gone to public school with Brother Nick. I was thrilled to hear that particular news, for George and I must have been in the same grade one in school with our beloved Nick.

I must interject here that I left the school in 1949 at the end of grade two, to start grade three in a new school. I do not remember the reason, but it could have been one of territory. Needless to say that I lost contact with Nick at that time. The next few years were of no particular importance for contact with Nick was all but lost. However as fate would have it, our family emigrated to Montreal Canada in the end of October 1952. We lived close, about two blocks away from the Greek Community which at the time was The Holly Trinity Church.

In the Spring of 1953 we moved in the east part of Montreal City, but we never the less kept in touch with the Greek Community, as well as partaking in some of the activities. It was a beautiful April day in 1953 and I was walking, after Church, in the South part of Sherbrooke Street, when I heard what seemed to be a familiar voice calling my name from across the Street. It was unbelievable but true the voice belonged to Nick. As strange as it may sound, right there and then we resumed our friendship, a World away as if nothing had occurred during the last six years. Although I pride myself of not forgetting a face, I learned then that my friend had an extraordinary gift of not forgetting names either.
The Fifties were our teen age years and like all teenagers we were enjoying life to the fullest. We met regularly to go out but we also joined the Junior Order of AHEPA “The Sons of Pericles”. We were friends and now became “Brothers”. We can boast that in Nicks presidency not only we would undertake events such as dances to raise money but we were the most successful “Sons of Pericles” ever in the history of the Mount Royal Chapter. We had more money than the Senior Order of AHEPA in our treasury but there was one particular problem. Brother Adamakos who at the time was the President of The Mount Royal Chapter of AHEPA, would not let us spend any of our own money unless the transaction was approved by him. In other words he had to counter sign our cheques.

We had made ourselves Jackets with our emblem, we had a bowling league and various activities going on that would make the present Chapter envious. We also learned some very useful things such as parliamentary procedure, and how to behave in a debate by not interrupting a speaker, even one we did not agree with. I must interject here that one of the first Installations we attended as “SONS” was the installation of Brother George Adamakos as President of the Mount Royal Chapter. It was so impressive that I have to say that not only I had seen nothing like it at the time, but I have seen nothing like it since. Although I have seen many Installations since, including my own, nothing compares to the pageantry of the Installation of Brother George Adamakos. The era culminated by the “SUPREME CONVENTION” of 1960 in Montreal, which we attended as members of the “SONS”.

During our time in the Sons, Brother Nick developed a kind of a baby sitter role, which believe it or not, was recognized by the parents of the Other Junior Order, “The Maids of Athena”. Our parents’ generation hardly took too kindly the notion that their daughters would dare by themselves attend a “Sons and Maids” function let alone in another City. However, when they were told that Brother Nick would attend the same function as he generally did, the parents felt comfortable enough to let their daughters go. You see Nick had developed a sort “Mother Hen” reputation. In the sixties, some of us drifted apart for most were trying to establish their careers others got married some, but not all went to become AHEPANS but the “SONS” deteriorated and they never regained their glory until at least a generation later. It is worth noting that at the same time and after the “SUPREME CONVENTION” The Mount Royal Chapter itself was deteriorating. In fact it had done nothing until 1970. That does not mean that they were completely inactive, rather that they were not undertaking any fund raising activities. I must also note that the CHAPTER was rich in talent including what we call gifted speakers, such as the Brother George Mavrostomos and a great parliamentarian in Brother Liaskos. I digress here only to point out that I got married to my lovely wife, Sister Catherine of “The Daughters of Penelope” and the “Coumparo” at our wedding was Brother Nick, who knew both of us. Some eleven years later when my Daughter Venetia-Maria was born, Nick became her “Nouno”. We both felt that our friendship was now cemented.

With respect to “AHEPA” and the Mount-Royal Chapter in particular, Nick became Chapter Secretary in 1970 and we decided that it was time to resurrect our Chapter and have fund raising events again. To that end we enlisted the help of the late Brother Alex Panopalis (President of the Chapter, and as well as the late Brother John Hadjipetros (Vice-President of the Chapter) which we convinced to become the Chairman of the first Chapter Dance in over ten years. Of course Nick and I agreed to do most of the work. We deliberately insisted on Brother John to be the Chairman in order to show that what the chapter needed was unselfish and productive members to become alive again. It is worth noting that the Daughters Chapter was at the time in need of help to grow, as it eventually did.

The first of many Chapter Dances was to be held at the hall of Saint-Michaels so that we could donate part of the proceeds for the completion of the hall. Brother Nick and I in order to help the event, we visited all the Brother AHEPANS to ask for contributions of liquor, and anything else they could provide for the dance. I must say that we were successful in gathering donations. That was only part of our help for it meant that Brother Nick and I had to use our restaurant skills in order to stay at the bar and serve all night. There was one principle that we established which was that every one paid for the tickets irrespective if he was enjoying or actually working for the Dance.

We were prophetic in the sense that this was the first dance of “The Chapter” and they continued un-abated for a number of years. It culminated during my Presidency, with a “Chapter Ball” Chaired by Brother Tasso Varvarikos (Vice President) in 1976 at the Bonaventure Hotel. The event was attended by many luminaries including the Supreme President of AHEPA, Brother Chirgiotis. He spoke last as would be the protocol, but by then it was after midnight and most of the people did not wish to hear another speech. It was then that we decided that No speaker would be given more than five minutes to address any future Chapter event.

Although we made great strides towards consolidating and improving the Chapter the seventies turned out to be very challenging for all the executives. There were times that we were struggling to have a quorum in order that the meeting could be held. The bulletins were prepared by the Executive, mostly by Nick and myself using the good graces of the late Brother John Hadjipetros at his store. There we would use what to day would be an antiquated printing press or as it was commonly known as Gestetner. Needless to say that the operation would leave us looking like shoe shiners from the excess ink in our hands.

However we did survived the challenges and with great effort our actions made the Chapter stronger. It was the time when we instituted the Mount Royal Chapter, Scholarship, the Death Benefit and the so called AHEPA Home Fund. Brother Nick and I decided to ask the members to put aside the profits from the fund raising events in a bank account designated as The Home Fund. At the same time we asked one of the brothers to turn over the

$5,000 that he kept in his name on behalf of the Chapter. We felt that the Chapter was now strong enough to run things the way it should be. The cost of that action was that he never attended any Chapter function after that.

One of the architects of the account was Brother Demetrios Yantsoulis, who at the time was an Executive with the Hellenic Trust. The Chapter prospered and in a few years had over $40,000 dollars in the Home Fund account, thus the interest was designated for the Chapter Scholarship. To day that sum may sound rather insignificant but at the time it was a considerable sacrifice and even hard work to achieve it. During these building years, we decided that no member would gain personally from the Chapter Assets or activities.
The most ardent proponents of this policy, was Brother Nick and myself. You see there was no shortage of members who wished to donate the ready money of the Chapter to their various pet projects as worthy as they may be. Nick and I felt that if the project was worthy, the Chapter should undertake a fund raising event and the members advocating it, should undertake to carry it out. With that in mind, Brother Nick myself, and other members did have successful fund raising events $3,000 for the Cyprus Earthquake, including a donation of $10,000 to the Greek Community, to pay off the building of the Community Center. All in my Presidency, and without touching what to us was sacred at the time, the money in the Home Fund.

While building the Chapter both in membership and tangible assets we recognized that procedure in our meetings was very important, and as well grooming members for future offices in the Chapter. We were lucky at least at the beginning to elect Presidents of the Chapter that had served as Secretaries, and Vice Presidents before becoming Presidents. We also recognized that in order for AHEPA to truly succeed, we had to involve and strengthened the Daughters of Penelope thus the so called “AHEPA FAMILY” was born in Montreal. We were at the forefront of this idea and Brother Nick and I at the beginning were adamant that this had to be done. To day it is taken for granted, but at the time we were dealing with the generation that saw the Sisters as decorations in the Kitchen.

We succeeded beyond our wildest dreams to the point where the Sisters were strong enough to threaten to undertake events on their own, and disregard the AHEPANS. Although they had a point, Brother Nick and I saw our efforts to be threatened by flawed reasoning and not giving anyconsideration for the future. Both Nick and I met with the executive of the Sisters (As Sister Olga can attest), and after addressing their complaints we convince them that going it alone would not be the best course to follow.

As a new era began with the affairs of the Chapter, Nick and I saw our efforts succeed. New and talented members were joining the Chapter, and they brought with them new and various positive experiences. One regret that Nick and I shared was that the procedures at the meetings have suffered somewhat. At the expense of making the meetings more interesting for the members the informal meetings have taken root. It is very difficult to have formal meetings at the various venues where they are now held.
The last time Brother Nick and I served in the same executive, was at the District Level. He as District Governor and I as his District Secretary. We both had a passion and love for AHEPA which we expressed at the Chapter Level. There was a difference, however, Brother Nick lived for his passion and love. He did not take too kindly when he felt that AHEPA was used for personal gain. He saw some things as black and white and there was no compromise in his beliefs. We are the beneficiaries of that passion and the Chapter and all who serve it should be very proud.
In case I have given you the notion that Brother Nick and I always agreed on all things, I am afraid I must have mislead you. In fact Nick and I disagreed on many issues and on various occasions. However what the salient value of our friendship was that we were able to move on to the next subject. Our disagreements were always conducted with the outmost civility and an appreciation of each other’s views.

In ending I can say with authority that I was lucky to count Nick as a Brother and best of all my friends. He was a man of great loyalty, boundless generosity, and above all a decent human being. Rest well my friend.

By: Stephen Stelliou
October 4, 2009