Monthly Meetings
Let's get together at our monthly meetings!
Each one is a special event for us!
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
Wednesday 14th of FEBRUARY
Clay heart pins, heart cookies, heart decoration, heart pitas, touching and funny stories of the heart (we could all hear thanks to our new speaker/microphone set!!!), fresh coffee and smiles! Plus, Diana's hearty 💖 ruffle magic! It's been an enjoyable coffee morning! 💖🙏🏼
January 2024
Wednesday 17th of January
IWOG starts the New Year 2024 with smiles & cheer at the YMCA Cafe. Lots of laughs and catching up with our members. As the tradition goes we played Bingo and cut the Vasilopita!
December 2023
Wednesday 13th of December
Our Christmas meeting will take place on December 13 at the Perrotis Dining Hall at the American Farm School from 10-12 am. We will be giving a scholarship to a young woman from the High School.
IWOG also made a contribution to the archives of the American Farm School and the School librarian, Damiana Koutsoumicha, will speak to us about how they are digitizing the archives today.
There will also be a mini Bazaar of only IWOG members selling their goods.
November 2023
Wednesday 8th of November
🧭 Scouts of Thessaloniki Meeting Hall 🧭
The International Women’s Organization of Greece held elections on November 8th 2023. The results are as follows:
🌟 PRESIDENT – Christine Willis
🌟 VICE PRESIDENT – Maria Makri
🌟 Recording Secretary – Paula Smith Diamandis
🌟 Treasurer – Francoise Falise
🌟 Newsletter Editor & Correspondence Secretary – Christina Panagiotidou Scragg
In addition, we had a visit from a Social Kitchen “The Other Human” who provide free food for all. They cook on site for people and eat the cooked food together. In this way people can come together and break through any shame or embarrassment which might be an issue for anyone.
The idea of Society Kitchen "The Other Human" is an action of solidarity and a manifestation of love towards our fellowmen, with the hope to awaken consciousness and for there to be other similar actions from others and from groups. These actions are not philanthropic or charity.
Members of the group “The Other Human” spoke about their work in Thessaloniki and were presented with food coupons donated by IWOG to enable them to continue their valuable work.
For more information please click here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067091670809
🦃
October 2023
Wednesday 11th of October
🧭 Scouts of Thessaloniki Meeting Hall 🧭
The speaker Vittoria Tosoni, was born in Rome, Italy. She is a former flight attendant and she studied as a Counsellor and a Laughter Coach. She will talk about some of the benefits Laughter provides on our physical and emotional well-being and will lead our ladies into a short session. Looking forward to an enjoyable meeting!
🙏🏻Thanks to our members, we donated 300€ worth of checks to Zero Hunger Mission for their cause to feed the poor and homeless people of Thessaloniki.
🎃
September 2023
Wednesday 13th of September, 10am-12noon, at the Omilos the beach bar (Leof. Meg. Alexandrou 12, Thessaloniki 546 40).
We got together again for our September coffee by the beautiful sea at Omilos Beach Bar! Met old and new member-friends, chated about our summer and the new things to look forward to the months ahead!
🎁
May 2023 Meeting
Join us on Wednesday 10th of May, 10am-12noon, at the Boy Scouts Meeting Hall (Vasileos Georgiou A1) to hear from Shirley Lightfoot Milojevic, former president of IWOG in Paris, about her very interesting life. She spent her adult life living between Paris and Serbia, while traveling widely. She moved to Thessaloniki in 2021 and she is learning Greek to add to the 3 other languages she already speaks!
We will also be remembering our beloved, Vasso Chris, who passed away 10 years ago in May, and was a stalwart supporter of IWOG.
🧁
April 2023 Meeting
mINI EASTEr BAZAAR
Wednesday 5th April 2023
🧭 Perrotis Dining Hall, American Farm School of Thessaloniki 🧭
On the 5th of April at Perrotis College Dining Hall, AFS. Join us for a cup of coffee, Easter biscuits and cupcakes. Have a look at our members tables for handmade Easter candles, jewelry. Easter decorations, ceramics, etc.
“There are lots of wonderful items on special offer so come with 'deep pockets' so you won't miss out!”, as Diane says.
Pepi Beza Boutique Baking kindly offered to show us how to decorate Easter cupcakes and biscuits!
We will be able to sample their goodies, as they are bringing some to have with our coffee! And there will be some ready decorated to buy and take home!
🧁
There will be an IWOG DRAW/RAFFLE at the April Mini-Bazaar at our Easter Meeting. Further raffles will be at the May meeting and, of course, a larger one for the June Luncheon. Remember that these rely entirely on donated items from members and friends of IWOG in order that 100% of the proceeds can go to the charities IWOG sponsors. If you have a NEW unwanted item in your home that would make a suitable prize for the June Luncheon please bring it to the April or May meeting. If you want to check the suitability of a potential gift you are welcome to make a quick call to ask me! 6945 50 75 88. However, always needed are both grand prizes for our main prizes and small trinkets for our consolation prizes.
Thank you.
Diane
MARCH 2023 MeetingS
a morning at IRIDA WOMEN’S CENTER
International Women's Day
Wednesday 8th March 2023
"Irida Women's Center is a Greek-founded non-profit established in 2016 and operating in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece. We work with the most socially and economically vulnerable women to ensure they are empowered and supported to pursue opportunities for personal and professional growth and determine the course of their lives.
At the heart of the city, we provide a safe community space made by women, for women. In our unique center, women find a space to learn, and make informed and responsible decisions for their lives, achieving personal and professional growth.
On this year's International Women's Day, we are excited to welcome the IWOG members to the center and celebrate this special Day together. The Day will be filled with tea, delicious snacks, light lunch prepared by the women, and music.“
For more information on Irida Women's Center please check here.
Dear IWOG friends,
We were so sorry to inform you that our fun evening out scheduled for Wednesday February 15 would be postponed as our singer got COVID.
However, the good news is that we have reschedule this event for Wednesday March 1 at 8:00pm. It will be in a different location called Bazaari Cafe, Φιλικής Εταιρείας 43, 2310231364.
This means that we will meet twice in March, on the 1st in the evening and on the 8th in the morning at IRIDA, the Women's Refugee Center.
The IWOG Board
February 2023 Meeting
February Evening of song!
⭐ Anna Kalincheva ⭐
Wednesday 15th of February 8pm
This month we were going to meet on the 15th at the Idees Piano Bar, (Lordou Vironos 6, Plateia Navarinou), at 8:00pm. to celebrate Valentine’s by accompanying Anna Kalincheva in love songs old and new. Unfortunately we had to cancel the event due to Covid. New dates are going to be announced soon! In the meantime, please have a look at the brilliant work of En Dynami and like their Facebook page.
JANUARY 2023 Meeting
BINGO & NEW YEAR VASILOPITA
Wednesday 18th of January 2023 | 10:00-12:00
🧭 Basement Coffee Shop of YMCA Thessaloniki 🧭
Our first meeting for the new year will be held in the basement coffee shop of YMCA Thessaloniki (ΧΑΝΘ).
Come and enjoy our first meeting of the New Year! We are cutting our VASILOPITA! The lucky lady who finds the FLOURI gets the 2023 GOURI!
And we are playing BINGO! 2€ each card, instead of raffle tickets.
Don't forget to renew your membership for 2023! The annual dues remain at 35 €.
2023 Gouri: Peace Lily
A sensitive flower representing purity and beauty. The symbol of "kallos" in Greek.
A call for awareness and a mirror to the soul for the manifestation of inner peace.
Its blossom is made of gold and black plated hematite gemstones. Rich in iron these stones are considered to help with balance and grounding. Strengthening our connection to the earth, they allow for a sense of safety and belonging.
A unique, hand crafted silver charm for a creative and hopeful year 2023!
All funds will be donated to non profit organizations that help children in need.
December 2022 Meeting
MINI BAZAAR
Wednesday 14th of November 2022 | 10:00-12:00
🧭 Perrotis College Dining Hall at the American Farm School 🧭
Join us for our last meeting of 2022! We will be holding a Mini Christmas Bazaar for those of you and your friends who couldn’t come on the 27th of November. Come for a coffee and chat with your friends and enjoy the festive atmosphere! Mingle and buy presents and Christmas decorations crafted by our own IWOG members!
And in the spirit of Christmas, let’s all contribute to bring a little joy to those less fortunate than ourselves. Please bring dry goods and cooked food items, (cakes, cookies, etc.), to be collected by the Friends of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki.
NOVEMBER 2022 Meeting
At the Alegro cafe, on the top floor of the New Megaro Mousikis (M2). This months speaker was Gisella Chavez. We also had the oportunity to discuss our upcomming Christmas Bazaar!
Gisella has had an unusual childhood, thanks to her father’s work with the United Nations. She grew up in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual family where she was exposed to several languages since her birth. Having moved very often from country to country growing up, she often regrets never having had a place to truly call home. After finishing high school in the US, she got a diploma from the Superior School of Visual Arts in Geneva, Switzerland in sculpture. She then got married and had three children.
Her original passion for languages and child development paved her way toward teaching and has eventually led her to a Master’s degree in researching how very young children learn languages in pre-school. Additionally, her interest in other cultures and ways of thinking, often steered her toward teaching through ICC (Intercultural Communicative Competence) practises, with learners of all ages – including pre-schoolers.
In this IWOG meeting, Gisella shared her thoughts on how she and her sister, despite having shared genes and many life events, have gone through very different language acquisition experiences.
October 2022 Meeting
Vasiliki Gountsidou:
Cyberbullying and Exclusion in the digital era
Wednesday 12th of October 2022, 10:00-12:00
🧭 Hotel Panorama 🧭
In our second meeting after summer we will have Vasiliki Gountsidou as our speaker who will be talking to us about Cyberbullying and Exclusion in the Digital Era. She graduated from Anatolia College and then studied Physics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She was a Member of the Faculty of the Solid Section of the Physics Department, until she retired. In 2008 she was nominated by the Ministry of Research and Technology as a member of the Management Committee (MC) of the European program “Cyberbullying: coping with negative and enhancing positive uses of new technologies, in relationships in educational settings” and since 2016 of the MC of the European program, “Reducing Old-Age Social Exclusion: Collaborations in Research and Policy (ROSEnet)”. In cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki she organizes schools for parents in order to train them how to deal with cyberbullying, working place-bullying and digital exclusion of old people.
In cooperation with the deans of Highschools of Thessaloniki she organizes seminars to train educators how to confront cyberbullying. Our October Meeting speaker is Vasiliki Gountsidou Vasiliki will talk to us about Exclusion in the digital era. Cyberspace has its own special characteristics. If somebody surfs without having the basic knowledge, or without being extremely careful, he may become a victim of cyberbullying. In general terms people who have less awareness, skills and less of the socio-economic resources required for accessing and using information and communication technologies (ICTs) and, more specifically, digital services can be easily excluded. In this sense, especially during covid, exclusion and ICT can be seen from different perspectives. First, as a result of exclusion, mainly benefits of using digital services. Second, in terms of cause, intrinsic characteristics of digital services may constitute in themselves a barrier to those using on-line infrastructure and accessing on-line services. On the other hand digital services may also be a way to overcome social exclusion from traditional services. Paying attention to the exclusion of people from ICT-based services is important, as we are living in a world under comprehensive digitalisation which is producing major social changes in contemporary societies.
Books about cyberbullying:
Cyberbullying through the new media, Findings from an international network, edited by Peter K. Smith and Georges Steffgen, Psychology Press, 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA and by Psychology Press 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
“Grandma Sophia and cyberbullying” “H γιαγιά Σοφία, ο Χαραλαμπούλης, το διαδίκτυο και το cyberbullying”, εκδόσεις Ανάτυπο.
“H Σίλια και ο Τάκης ο Ρομποτάκης στο σχολείο του μέλλοντος”
sEPTEMBER 2022 Meeting
September
Coffee Morning
Wednesday 14th of September 2022, 10:00-12:00
Let's catch up with our friends and new members after our summer recess! Come and join us for a lovely coffee at the Allegro Coffee Bar on the top floor of the new Megaron (Music Hall M2) of Thessaloniki on Wednesday 14th of September at 10:00am. Don't miss the opportunity to meet your friends once more and get to know our new members after your summer holidays. There is free parking in the basement.
Public Transport: All buses that go to/from Kalamaria, such as Buses #3K, #5, #6.
Bus stop name: "Megaro Mousikis - 25is Martiou".
(for more info on bus routes please check here)
Please bring your donations for the Breath of Hope:
School materials for children such as notebooks, pens, pencils, schoolbags etc.
Food supplies: Oil, merenda, cocoa, coffee, fruit juices, crisp bread, mashed potato mix, flour, sugar, semolina, vinegar, lemon juice, tinned sardines
Other: sanitary towels, kitchen paper, toilet paper, dishwashing soap, liquid hand soap, washing powder
Any other donations will be gratefully received!
May 2022 Meeting
Lake George Reflection (c. 1921-1922) by Georgia O’Keeffe
Amalia Spiliakou:
10 American Painters
Wednesday 11th of April 2022, 10:00am
PLACE: Hotel Panorama
Why not invite a friend or two to come with you! We shall have both a raffle table and, if there is enough space, a novelty table full of 'JUST-4-U' items. Bring some spare cash so you can splash out a little and spoil yourselves knowing that what you spend will be a 100% philanthropic donation.
Our speaker and IWOG member Amalia Spiliakou was born in Thessaloniki and studied Art History at Northern Illinois University. She was the Host Country Coordinator at Pinewood International School from 1996 until her recent retirement. Amalia will be sharing her insights on 10 American painters.
Coffee, and snacks 5€
"Fantastic meeting. Many thanks to all. We accomplished the most important thing which is to connect our members to each other. I loved Amalias talk and the venue was perfect. See you next week at Kalochori."
Christine Willis - President
May 11, 2022
April 2022 Meeting
Mini Easter Bazaar
& Special Guest:
Alex Zografov Recital
Wednesday 13th of April 2022, 10:00am
PLACE: Perrotis College Residence Hall, (first building on the right)
at the American Farm School
At our April meeting, we will have a mini bazaar with cakes, decorations and seasonal objects made by our members. All proceeds will go towards IWOGS charitable efforts, so it's worth it!
We will also be proud to present Alex Zografov, husband of IWOG member Jennifer Zografov who will give a talk and piano performance. If anyone has a transportation problem getting to AFS please let us know so we can make arrangements accordingly.
Coffee, and snacks 5€. Please be on time, there will be lots going on!
Alex kirov Zografov
Alex is a brilliant virtuoso concert pianist, composer, arranger, musical director, and producer. His music and his talent have covered a broad scope of styles from fusion, pop-rock, jazz, and classical, to musical theater and movie scores.
He has worked in Los Angeles with some of the greatest names in the music industry, such as Don Ellis, Nana Mouskouri, Frank Zappa, Joe Cocker, George Benson, and yet a whole galaxy of celebrities.
He is a prolific composer with a myriad of compositions for choir, symphony orchestra, and solo instruments. He was the Musical Director for the North American touring productions of musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He has directed classics like "West Side Story", "Footloose", "Le Miserables", "Chicago", "Grease", "Evita", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Beauty and the Beast". In Los Angeles at the Seth Riggs Vocal Academy, Maestro Zografov worked with Michael and Janet Jackson.
As Musical Director for Diastasis Cultural Association in Cyprus, he introduced the contemporary musical genre on the island of Cyprus with amazing results. During his musical leadership, they performed at the Palace de Paris in France, at Wembley Stadium in England, and in the USA to full stadiums. He was the Musical Director for the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Cyprus, and presented a Command Performance--personally congratulated by Queen Elizabeth II.
March 2022 Live Meeting
Our March Meeting Speaker will be Persa Augoustides - Savopoulou.
She will give us a talk on a topic of importance to all parents, grandparents and their friends, namely rare inherited disorders which are not as rare as perceived! Persa is an Emeritus Professor of the Medical Facility of Aristotle University, Thessaloniki and Founder and Chairperson of KRIKOS ZOIS (Life-Link) a vital support group providing insights and optimistic inspiration to help people understand their predicament, bringing shared hope and friendship within and beyond the group.
Persa started KRIKOS ZOIS (Life link) which was founded in 2007 with the support of 29 families and currently has over 220 members from all over Greece.
www.krikoszois.gr | facebook.com/krikoszois
She will explain what drove her to create the charity and shine a colourful light on why February 28th 2022 is a date to remember.
Pita cutting
At our March Meeting we will be cutting our Vasilopita.
Who will win the 2022 Lucky Charm??
2022 Membership
If you have not already done so, Its time to renew your membership for 2022.
The annual dues are 35€. You can pay at the meeting or you can make a deposit via e-banking to IWOG’s account at Piraeus Bank:
G R 3 4 0 1 7 2 2 3 3 0 0 0 5 2 3 3 0 5 4 8 1 2 0 6 2
or contact our Treasurer Caroline Edwards at 6939505133.
**Please add your name and tax number (ΑΦΜ) to the deposit**
things needed
The Sisters of Mercy need women's sanitary products. If you remember, please bring just one small packet to the March meeting and collectively we would solve their immediate needs! Also some adult nappies would also be appreciated.
ANATOLIA COLLEGE SUPPORTS CHILDREN IN UKRAINE IN COLLABORATION WITH "THE SMILE OF THE CHILD"
You can bring your donations to our meeting. All collected items will be transfered by the IWOG board.
← Some pictures from our March Meeting
February virtual meeting
Due to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, our Coffee Meeting was a Virtual one. It took place on Wednesday 9th February 10am - 12pm. Members had the oportunity to meet the new Board and also brainstorm about how to move forward in the future.