VIP's
VIP FAQ's
"WHAT IS THE V.I.P. CLUB?--It is a ministry for "senior" parishioners to generate fellowship through group activities. "V.I.P." means "very interesting people".
WHEN DID THE V.I.P. CLUB START?--It began in 1999, and our first president was Gus Laskos. Since then, we have had several presidents, including George Moutsopoulos (deceased), Athena Hazlaris, Jim Coidakis, Nancy Theocharidis, and Fran Votsis.
WHO ARE THE PRESENT OFFICERS?--Mary McAllister, president; Athena Hazlaris, vice-president; Carol Bouzas, recording-secretary; Betty Loudaros, corresponding secretary; Eleni Despoti, treasurer; Jim & Marina Coidakis, Program Coordinators. We have a "Sunshine Chair-Lady", Jennie Miller, who sends greeting cards to those members needing "get-well" or "sympathy", and Sophia & Frank Guzzo are our Event Coordinators in charge of setting up the hall for meetings, buying the monthly birthday cake, and providing "gifts" for the monthly drawing.
HOW CAN I JOIN?--You must be at least 50 years old, the same requirement for one of a married couple, and be a member of St. Demetrios Church.
WHEN CAN I JOIN?--You can speak to any officer of the club at any time, or attend the next in-house meeting, and pay the annual dues of $12 ($1 per month), due every January. You will receive a membership card from the treasurer.
WHY SHOULD I JOIN?--You will be notified of in-house meetings by mail, and the club will often defray some expense of attending events. You will be spending time together with other members to enjoy the events, the meetings, the lunches, etc. If you are not a member, you can attend events as a "guest", but you will have to pay full-price. One requirement for events is to sign up before the "cut-off" date, so the restaurant or other site will know how many of us to expect. Payment is usually made when signing up, but not necessary as long as payment is made the day of the event. It is preferable to sign up as soon as possible, even if you're not sure of attending, but cancellation should be made by the cut-off date.
WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU DO?--Every other month we will have a meeting in the church hall, followed by some form of entertainment (speakers, games, musical performers, etc.), and lunch (pot-luck from our many talented cooks, or food from outside sources). Some of our events have been visits to local museums, Holy Cross Antiochian church, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse complex, and bus trips to Tarpon Springs, St. Augustine, and the Orthodox monasteries in the Ocala area. Events are always combined with lunch at nearby restaurants. We have an annual Christmas luncheon, last year at the Palmetto Club, with appetizers, musical entertainment by our own Andrew Anthony, table favors, and a visit from Santa Claus. We also collected new toys for local charities. We always welcome new ideas for events, as long as cost and location is within reason.
WHEN DOES THE CLUB MEET?--The regular meeting is the first Tuesday of the month, at 11am. Outside events may be different day or time, if necessary.
Event and Meeting Updates are available on the St Demetrios Calendar Page. Click the Community Calendar tab at the top and select English Calendar
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