We are One Family
I am honored to be the chairman of an amazing Board of Directors. My sincere gratitude goes to all board members, to all past presidents, and to every member who worked behind the scenes in this great organization. Ninety-Two years of continuous support in safeguarding our precious, irreplaceable, and rich culture and willing to sacrifice more for the generations to come. We have come a long way together and we must stay together as one family.
I am proud of all our clubs in 20 states who honored our ancestors by preserving our culture, bracing the American values, and passing them on to the new generation throughout these years.
I plead to all the leaders at the local clubs to do their best efforts for the promotion and preservation of our shared heritage by enriching the knowledge of their members about the historical truth of our ancestors’ contributions to the modern civilization. If a generation grows without the knowledge of its history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Southern Federation is not just a marvelous organization – it is a vision for the new generation to shape a sustainable future for our heritage. Our Federation believes that culture and education are two inseparable parameters; this year $107,000 was given for scholarships to maintain higher education. Our Federation plays an important role in transmitting the culture from one generation to another generation. It is due to the role of education that the thousands of years old culture could be transmitted to the present time to a great extent.
Heritage is not a luxury -- it is a precious asset, and it is our duty to preserve it and keep the legacy alive. There will be no sustainable future for our clubs without the engagement of our new generation. We must engage them in field trips to their homeland, enjoying the beauty of Lebanon, teaching them the language, participating in cooking, and strength the family values. Heritage unites us regardless of our background, political affiliation, or religion, we are one family.