| Page 1 No. 095 |
Church Choir Note: The first Choir of the Annunciation Church was formed in 1934 and has continued functioning to the present day. Many members have sung in the choir for almost fifty years.In the early church, the music was entirely vocal. The priests and the choirs sang all parts of the service without accompaniment, although now many Greek churches in America have organs. The fundamentals of music were adopted during the pre-Christian era from the Near East by the Greeks, who then developed the theories of scales, acoustics and esthetics in the forms that are still in use. The greatest contribution to music from ancient Greece, however, was choral singing. Through the centuries, melodies and liturgical chants were established by the Church Fathers. Present day Eastern Orthodox Church music has been influenced by European composers, but the renditions of the modern Greek Orthodox Church choirs, singing either a cappella or with organ accompaniment, are beautiful and meaningful parts of the Divine Liturgy. They are the heritage of the entire history of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Father John Vournakis organized the first Dayton choir at the Robert Boulevard church. Father Vournakis came to Dayton on January 1st, 1933 and left in 1937. In this picture the only boy, in the middle, is Nicholas George. Religious services are held regularly on Sunday morning; the choir director leads the choir in chanting liturgical music and responses during the Divine Liturgy. The choir also sings at other church services throughout the year. The choir is open to both teenagers and adults who want to participate actively in church services. |
 |
| Page 2 No. 097 |
Church Choir Note: In the early years of the Dayton Annunciation Community, there was an urgent need for a choir and there was an immediate response from the membership. The first choral groups sang a cappella; in later years, however, an organ was purchased and the liturgical hymns are now sung to organ accompaniment. Angeline Make, sister of Mike Make, was the first organist, and the first choir director was an American lady. The first Greek Choir Director was Daphne Zonars, daughter of James and Calliroy Thomas. This is another picture of the church choir in the 1940’s, inside the old church on Robert Blvd. The choir is with Father Meletios Kestekides and his deacons. Father Kestekides had the longest tenure (1939-1950) of any priest during the years on Robert Blvd. The Annunciation Parish Choir is a member of the MEFGOX (Diocese Seven Federation of Greek Orthodox Choirs). They have participated many times at choir conventions all over the country |
 |
| Page 3 No. 118 |
Church Interior, Before Being Painted - January 1955 Note: The architect and designer of the new church was Alexander K. Eugene, Bros., Inc., of Chicago. Construction began in 1948 but due to the scarcity of materials, the cornerstone ceremonies were not held until June 27, 1949. During Easter week of 1951, the first church service was held although the interior was not yet complete. After the service, the doors were again closed permitting construction workers to complete their work on the church. Shown here is the interior before final painting.This picture shows the wedding of George Karakitsos and Mary Zavakos, on February 27, 1949. |
 |
| Page 4 No. 124 |
Frank Karras and Tom Karras Preparing Boxes for Greece for The War Relief Association - 1942 Note: The late 1930’s saw considerable unrest in Europe and the gradual build-up of the clouds of war. The impact of this situation was felt in Dayton as its young men prepared to enter military service. The infamous attack on Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, precipitated our entry into World War II. We find in reviewing the proceedings of the Philoptochos Soteria Chapter that much activity was directed toward providing assistance in the war effort. At the November 7, 1940 meeting the Chapter voted $400 for the Greek War Relief Program. Further, in 1942 the Chapter pledged additional support to the National Greek War Relief. Frank Karras and Tom Karras were not related. See also No. 360 for Tom Karras |
 |
| Page 5 No. 158 |
Mayor of Athens With Jodie Gianopulos in this Picture Wearing a Traditional Greek Costume - 1953 Note: Jodie Gianopulos is the daughter of Sam and Helen Caras, who came to this country in 1913 from Krokeai, Greece. She was a GOYA advisor for 13 years. She also served on the Parish Council and sings in the church choir. She is a member of Philoptochos and GAPA and past president of GAPA. Her parents owned the Coney Island Restaurant and Sam’s Lunch Room. |
 |
| Page 6 No. 159 |
Mayor of Athens Visiting Dayton - 1953 Note: The life of a community depends not only on its religious activities but also on its social and community activities at large; the Greek community has been very much involved in such activities. In 1953, the Mayor of Athens was an official guest of the NCR Corporation of Dayton. The Greek Community was asked to participate in the welcoming ceremonies at the airport and to be represented at the official banquet in his honor. That evening, the Mayor had the opportunity to attend one of the regular AHEPA meetings and to meet the men of the community. |
 |
| Page 7 No. 167 |
Greek Independence Day-Play at YMCA - 1930’s Note: March 25th, Greek Independence Day, is the Greek national holiday, which played a vital part in fostering the early immigrants' sense of heritage and tradition. |
 |