The member societies of the organization are:
United Chios Society - Baltimore,
Maryland
The Ladies Panchian Society
“Chios” - Baltimore, Maryland
Chios Homer Association - Boston, Massachusetts
Chios Society of Agia Markella - Detroit, Michigan
Chios Society of Agia Markella –
Florida
Chios Society Agia Markella Chapter #2 - Warren,
Ohio
Chios Society Chapter #7 -
Cleveland, Ohio
Chios Society of Dallas, Texas
Chios Society "Proodos" - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Chian Association of Canada - Montreal, Canada
Chios Society of Greater Washington DC
Chios Society of New Jersey
Dafnonas Chios Society - New York, New York
Homer Association of Toronto -
Toronto, Canada
The Order of St. Markella of
Chios - New Orleans, Louisiana
Panchiakon Society of Pelineon -
Chicago, Illinois
Panchiaki Korais Society Chapter #1 - New
York
Society Koraes
Chapter #16 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tholopotamousion Association -
Montreal, Canada
Thymiana Chios Society - New York, New York
United Chios Society Homer Chapter # 4 - Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, West Virginia
CHIOS SOCIETIES OF THE
AMERICAS AND CANADA
The Chios
Societies of America & Canada was organized in December 1939, with a
Supreme Lodge opening in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in January of the following
year. The fourteen chapters of the federation were located in Pittsburgh (“Agia
Markella"), Aliquippa (“Agia Markella"), Monessen (“Omonoia"),
McKeesport (“Proodos"), Bethlehem (“Agia Markella"), New York City
(Panchiaki “Koraes" Society), Cleveland ("Chios"), Warren
("Agia Markella”), Steubenville (“Omeros"), Campbell (“Agios
Nicolaos"), Yorkville ("Chios”), Gary Indiana ("Kanaris"),
Detroit, Michigan ("Agia Markella") and Baltimore, Maryland,
(“Andreas Sygros"). Andrew Potous served as First Supreme President and
Gust Mesologites as First Supreme Vice-President. The first national gathering
was held May 22, 1939 at the Mayfair Hotel in Pittsburgh but it was not until
November of that year that a dance was offered for conventioneers in
Steubenville, Ohio.
Currently The United Chios Societies of America consists
of chapters in New York (21), Baltimore (2) and Cleveland, Warren,
Steubenville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, with representative chapters in Chicago
and New Orleans coming into the federation in 1985. There are also prospective
chapters in Montreal, where a major social gathering occurred in 1977, and in
Toronto, Canada. Throughout their 65 years the Chian conventions have reflected
social, political and cultural attitudes reflective of their times.
The first two conventions embrace a pristine period,
conventioneers having survived the rigors of The Great Depression. The Second
World War shrouded conventioneers in despair over news concerning battles in
the European and Pacific theatres, and war rationing and homage to the War's
casualties caused the suspension of conventions in 1944 and 1945. The 1946 Cleveland
convention was held, like the celebrated Baltimore convention the following
year, in the glowing aftermath of Allied Forces triumph. Financially leaner
years forced conventions to become biennial events as of 1953, a tradition
which continued until the Warren convention in 1963, when it was decided that
conventions should resume an annual course. The turbulence of the middle
sixties and early seventies, with tragedies following in succession from the
time of President Kennedy's assassination in November of 1963, through the sad
close of the Vietnam War in January 1973, also had a profound effect on Chian
national gatherings.
The first UCSA convention on Chian soil was held in 1969,
at the island's Xenia Hotel, with delegate meetings at the Korais Library;
Attorney Christ Stratakis served as the general chairman. UCSA conventioneers
returned to Chios in 1972 and 1978, the latter event held at the newly
constructed Chandris Hotel.
In 1984, at the 31st National Convention, a new surge of
interest and activity prompted the resumption of annual conventions which are
currently scheduled through 2004.
At the same convention the UCSA name was changed into the
present name of Chios Societies of America and Canada (CSA&C). Even though
the name has changed we still refer to the societies as the UCSA. In 1991, with
the initiative of the Chian Federation, the concept of the International
Convention was born.
The CSA&C has had 65 years history filled with the
worthy accomplishments of its Chapters and our island. Beginning in the mid 80’s, there have been a
series of projects leading to a larger and more ambitious one.
It started with the Korais library project (providing microfiche
equipment in 1991), then the Chian Societies raised enough funds to purchase
state-of-the-art equipment for the Skilitsio Hospital Eye Clinic of Chios.
The current project is the most ambitious to date: the upgrading of the Skilitsio Hospital equipment and facilities. The tireless effort of the Chians of America and Canada has produced the benefits that our brothers and sisters in Chios can know receive from the Skilitsio Hospital. Over and above the gifts to Chios, the most significant accomplishment has been the preservation of our heritage and identity. This organization has made us proud of the fact we are Chians and will always continue to do so.
More recent conventions have tended to have in their
gatherings the enthusiasm of the pristine period, reaffirming the Chian ethos,
but utilizing to the maximum the technological innovations and amenities at
their disposal. The result has been some very professionally managed social
functions of late. Two of the very finest conventions were those held in
Philadelphia in 1965, where at least a thousand persons gathered for an opulent
dinner, and the first held in Chios in 1969, over which the then Supreme
President Gus Glyptis presided. All
general Chairmen have performed admirably.
John E. Frangos
Past President