Federation of NY: The Georgopoulos Side Gives The Audit Findings to the Press

We are waiting to get the USB stick with the audit findings in our hands… The two sides held meetings yesterday (two blocks apart!) and picked members for several Committees – including the parade committee. Does this mean they are ready for a re-unification meeting? Not yet… Each side is stuck in their positions and confident they will be justified by the Court… G.Georgopoulos and N.Bardis stated they were not running for office in the elections.  Will Kalamaras & Co. follow? Helleniscope proposes a November 30 or December 8 date for a joint assembly.

By Nick Stamatakis

I decided to attend the general assembly of the Georgopoulos side last night at the Pontian Association of “Komninoi” (the Kalamaras side decided to have a closed meeting – otherwise, I would try to go to both).  About 45 people attended the meeting, and it was painful to think that the two sides were convening just two blocks apart, yet the distance between them seemed to be more like two oceans… What exactly separates them? Where is the big problem? (You can read a complete report and see a video by linking here).

As G.Georgopoulos presented a printout of the “Audit findings,” stating that it would be given to the media, it became clear that both sides finally agreed – and had the proof in their hands – that Petros Galaltoulas was directly responsible for at least 70% of the illegalities at the Federation during the past 15-20 years.   Galatoulas has been holding all offices consecutively these years and was always – in his sickly “charisma” – moving the strings behind the scenes.  After his passing, what are we looking for? Are we looking to recover any money? Nobody believes that…

Are we perhaps looking to blame certain persons, to “name the thieves”? The Kalamaras side calls the Georgopoulos side “the thieves”. I have also accused them repeatedly of their shady business – which may be a form of “guilt by association”, association to Galatoulas.  The problem is that their “association crimes” do not rise to the level of “prosecution” by law.  I can assure you that assigning blame in the Court of Law for such small “financial crimes” will not be easy and will take a long time.  But it will undoubtedly lead to the destruction of the Federation.

On the other side, it will be very easy for the  Court to verify the abandonment by both sides of their fiduciary responsibility as officeholders of a non-profit organization. I am curious to see what the Court will decide – although I am still optimistic that the Court process can be avoided even at this late hour…

Last night Giorgos Georgopoulos started the meeting by addressing the latest developments in Court and by refusing that their side is “illegal” and “anti-constitutional” just because they had their elections on the sidewalk of “Stathakion”.  Do we have to remind everyone that the major issue we had with these elections was the lack of a complete accounting report? Did we forget that we all had been chasing Galatoulas for two years to submit the report of the 2019 Parade?

However, after the two sides cooperated for this year’s Parade, after they agreed to install the Independent Audit Committee (which presented its initial findings in late June), after they had an almost successful agreement in mid-July (drafted but not signed by D.Kalamaras), after they reached again an agreement mediated by the Audit Committee in early October and agreed to a Nov. 17 joint assembly, what is the meaning now of calling each other “illegal”? Do they think that any Judge – or the community – will take this “trash-talking” seriously?

The task for both sides would be to find the power to get out of their “shell” and see the world from the other side’s point of view. And try to project their vision for the future, for the Federation, and for the Greek community.  This vision has to propel to the leadership the younger generation, the 35 and 40 and 45 yr olds, many of who were there last night.  I could tell from their words and their faces that they were very eager for action. The older generation should form an advisory panel and stay by their side to support them with their experience.  If they followed this train of thought for just a minute, if each side thought about our community’s future, they would realize it is a shame not to agree on a joint meeting.  Helleniscope proposes for this joint meeting two dates: November 30 or December 8. What would happen at this joint meeting?

1. The committees that both sides formed yesterday will merge.  The Parade Committee should start working immediately as time is of the essence. The “Membership Committee” will start inviting all associations to present their credentials. The Constitution Committee can also start working. The Election Committee will start planning for the June elections. I was told that the Kalamaras side also formed a Disciplinary Committee, which I think is a good idea.  This Committee should be given the audit findings and use them appropriately to “weed out” anything and anyone that went astray…
2. After the separate committees are merged, the two sides will have a choice. First, they can decide to dissolve right then and there. The second option will be to sign in the presence of their lawyers (the lawyers can attend remotely) a stipulation adjourning the case until the end of June.

The two sides have agreed on both 1 and 2 (above) already under the mediation of the Audit Committee.  I do not think it will be a “leap of faith” or anything spectacular to do it now…

Last night both Georgopoulos and Bardis stated publicly that they have no intention at all to run for any office in the next elections.  The community expects the same from the Kalamaras side, where Dimitris Kalamaras (and others) still argue that “they were on the right and, therefore, they cannot be forced to abandon their right to run for office.”  Well, let me tell you this: Even if we assume that you are not liable for abandoning your fiduciary duties (the whole community believes that ALL of you had knowledge of the illegalities and did nothing in response), even if your hands are clean (which we all believe), you are now part of the Federation’s blemished past. The Federation – and any organization – cannot start building a new future using old bricks.

The choice is simple: Will you let the younger generation build the future for the Federation and the community? Or will you be an obstacle? Do you realize how disappointed everyone is in you for electing separate committees at locations two blocks apart but failing to have a joint meeting? Do you realize how childish you look?

November 18, 2022, n.stamatakis@aol.com   www.helleniscope.com

DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.