LEMNIAN BROTHERHOOD OF SOUTH AFRICA
The First Lemnian who settled in Cape Town in 1898 was Mr. N.Pravlis.
Mr. K. Vrasnas, Mr. Kidas and Mr. S. Zafiropoulos settled in Johannesburg in 1900.
The following pioneers settled in South Africa before 1926:
Mr. T. Katakouzinos, Mr. Manolas, Mr. A. Fundudis, Mr. A. Kouvarellis, Mr. K. Fundudis, Mr. G. Garofallou ,Mr. S. Halamandaris, Mr. D. Katsouris, Mr. O. Kakiadis,
Mr. D. Katrakilis & Mr. D. Kakiadis.
After 1926, the above pioneers, invited many relatives and friends to immigrate to S Africa and thus the number of Lemnians grew to approximately 300 families in the 60's & the 70's.
In January 1943, the following 31 Lemnians founded the “Lemnian Brotherhood of South Africa” based in Johannesburg: O. Kakiadis, A. Fundudis, Ch. Koutetis, G. Carastavrakis, G. Stamatis, G. Garofallou, D. Katrakilis, K. Fundudis, D. Kimninos,
G. Halamandaris, M. Halamandaris, D. vergos, A. Kouvarellis, N. Halamandaris, D. Kakiadis, E. Komninos, E. Eleftheriou, Ch. Papamichael, C. Batalides, S. Zafiropoulos,
D. Keramidas, N. Pravlis, Ch. Vranas, D. Katsouris, A. Vranas, H. Tselingas, A. Kartsounis,
I. Paraskevas, T. Katakouzinos, I. Klonaris, C. Vranas.
The main aims of the Brotherhood, according to its constitution, are:
To provide moral and financial support to needy or ill Lemnians or to those who are suffering in any way.
To donate to philanthropic societies in Lemnos and in South Africa.
To assist Hellenic education in South Africa by having a treasury for bursaries, and also to assist educational institutions in Lemnos.
To have interest and paticipate in the preservation of Greek Orthdox churches in Lemnos and South Africa.
To promote the growth of the Brotherhood and to cultivate good will and contact among fellow Lemnians.
To have a good relationship with the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek Emissaries, the Hellenic Community of Johannesburg and other like Communities who are members of the Federation of Hellenic Communities and Associations of South Africa.
The Brotherhood is holding or participating annually to the following functions:
A ball or a social dance.
The celebration of the Patron Saint of Lemnos St. Sozon on the 7th of September.
The celebration of the liberation of Lemnos from the Turks on the 8th of October.
The Greek national days Celebrations of 25th march and 28th of October,together with all the other members of the Federation of Hellenic Communities and Associations of South Africa.
The Chairman of the Committees of the lemnians Brotherhood of South Africa since 1943 are the following:
1943 – 1947 T.Katakouzinos, 1947 -1951 A. Vranas, 1951 -1955 A. Fundudis,
1955 – 1959 O. Kakiadis, 1959 -1963 D. Katsouris, 1963 – 1965 D. Katrakilis,
1965 -1969 G. Carastavrakis, 1969 -1971 G. Bouloutis, 1971 -1976 S. Mildovanos,
1976 -1978 A. Scordis, 1978 -1980 I. Sikiotis, 1980 -1982 H. Tsangalias,
1982 -1985 S Moldovanos, 1985 -1987 G. Salamousas, 1987 -1991 C. Gerondoudis,
1991 -1997 H. Zafiropoulos, 1997 -2002 C Gerondoudis.
Summary of the Brotherhood's Achievements :
The Brotherhood made funds for the erection of a separate building, next to the state Hospital of Lemnos, which had been used as the quarters of the Hospital staff (1944)
The Lemnian Brotherhood of South Africa was the largest contributor towards the construction and furnishing of the Old Age Home of Myrana, Lemnos
(1978 -1991).
A classroom was built and paid by the Brotherhood at the SAHETI Hellenic school in Johannesburg, which is named : “Lemnian Brotherhood of South Africa”
(1987 -1988).
The first computer to be used by the teachers and pupils of the high School in Myrina Lemnos was donate by the Brothehood (1988)
The Brotherhood purchased an office in the buiding complex of the Hellenic Community of Germiston, where its records are maintained and the monthly meeting of the Committee are held (1992)
A special refrigerated chamber, complete, was donated by the Brotherhood to the State Hospital of Lemnos (1993). The Hospital did not have facilities before 19193 to preserve the dead and the relatives who lived in far away places could not attend the funerals. The chamber has a capacity of six corpses.
The Brotherhood made funds available to the holly Metropolis of Lemnos, for a large antenna to be erected and thus increase the range of the radio signal of its transmissions in Greek. The aim of the Metropolitan was to improve the quality of the signal so that the transmissions will be heard clearly by the Greek inhabitants of the islands of Imvros and Tenedos and the coast of Asia Minor in the North Aegean sea (1997).
For quite a number of years, an amount of one million Drachmas was sent at Christmas time to Lemnos, which was distributed to the truly needy of the island.
Scholarships/ bursaries were granted by the Brotherhood to Greek students (1988 -1999).
A bronze bust of Admiral P. Kountouriotis was donated and erected by the Brotherhood at the harbour of Myrina, Lemnos (1999).
The Brotherhood has provided financial support for the preservation of the Chair of Modern Greek at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg (1989 -1999).
A classroom was built and paid by the Brotherhood at the Hellenic School in Linden, which is one of the schools of the Hellenic Community of Johannesburg. It is named :”Classroom of the Lemnian Brotherhood of South Africa” ( March 2001).
The brotherhood has provided and still provides financial support towards the preservation of the Greek Orthodox Churches in Lemnos and in South Africa, the Greek Old Age Home in Johannesburg, the Hellenic Orthodox Ladies Association in Johannesburg and is a member of the Federation of Hellenic Communities and Associations of South Africa (since 1975).