It is with the greatest pride that I continue my teaching career in this adopted land. I consider teaching boys and girls a sacred trust, to be carried out to the best of my ability. My sacred duty is to help make good and progressive American citizens out of the pupils entrusted to me. They must be law-abiding and obedient to the laws of this dignified country in which they live. At the same time I am required to mold them into fine characters worthy of being called Greeks. But how am I to do these things?

These small children did not have the privilege of having been born in our fatherland; they have not seen the beautiful setting sun of Greece, nor have they inhaled its spicy mountain air. They have not watched the blue ocean waves nor have they seen our unbelievably blue sky. Therefore, how can they be expected to show their love and sacrifice themselves for a country which is unfamiliar to them?

What is it that will enable them to understand our love for Greece? How will they learn of her historical high lights and her glorious past? How will they be made to realize a love for our fatherland? How will they be imbued with a desire to see the places we so often talk about? How will they know of our great heroes and of their patriotic sacrifices? What is the medium by which these things can be accomplished?

That medium is the school. The school is the greatest influence in a society. It teaches young innocent beings to respect sacred and man-made laws. It instills respect for parents, teachers, and older and more mature individuals in general. During the former black period of Turkish subjugation, the school and the church succeeded in keeping the Greek language and religion alive, despite the terrible penalties imposed upon the teachers and priests if they were discovered by the Turks. The school fanned the dying embers of patriotism and Greek culture. The Greeks did not drop the torch of light carried so gallantly by their forefathers.

Knowing these truths and earnestly believing in them, some fine, progressive and patriotic individuals expended all their efforts to make the building of this school possible. They have erected a fine school building in this adopted land; and today we are celebrating its anniversary. They accomplished a great work! Yes a very great work; and if I could portray just a few of the practically insurmountable difficulties they were confronted with, you would understand why I use the word, great.

These men, today, say 'Here is a school; we beseech you to support it morally and physically, materially and spiritually.' To aid the School materially is not very difficult since it only involves the opening of a pocketbook. The School needs spiritual support more than money.

If you desire to have the School survive, you the parents, must appoint yourselves its guardians. You must be ever-watchful sentries, standing at the side of the teachers; and must teach your children to respect and obey their teachers.

The child must consider every word uttered by the teacher to be a respected and wise one. I wish to emphasize that statement. Only when a child possesses a definite respect for the words of his teacher, will he really make the effort to learn what his teacher is trying to explain to him. Only then will he live up to the ideals and standards which the teacher is trying to impart. Then will he or she say, "I am a Greek, and because of my love for Greece she will live and become great again".

Therefore, the parents, teachers, priests, and the friends of Greek education, must unite their forces in order to keep our youth from straying from their native language and religion.

I sincerely hope that you take an interest in this patriotic cause, and I promise to do my very best to make this School worthy of your support. I appeal to you in behalf of our mother country, Greece, and the Greek community of Chicago. Thank you.