"Age does not depend upon years, but upon temperament and health. Some people are born old, and some never grow old." I don't know if 19th century writer Tryon Edwards had the Sons and Maids in mind when he uttered that remark almost 150 years ago, but, 2004 marked the 78th year of existence of the Sons of Pericles and the 50th anniversary of the first Grand Lodge of the Maids of Athena. As the recent conventions have demonstrated, despite a reduction in membership from the glory days of the 1980s, the Sons and Maids are alive and kicking.

On July 21, 2004, the Sons and Maids, in conjunction with the Sons and Maids Youth Foundation, held their Biennial Youth Salute during the AHEPA's 82nd Annual National Convention in Miami. The Youth Salute, a ceremony that was started in 1982, was meant to act as a showcase, to honor those who have advanced the causes of Hellenism or the spirit of Hellenism. The first honoree was U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, with Sergeant Shriver (founder of the Special Olympics) (1984), Ike Pappas (1986), U.S. Congressman George W. Gekas (1988) and "Godfather" to the Sons of Pericles Chris Economides (1990) to follow. Due to lack of funding, the Youth Salutes were stopped. In 2001, the Youth Salute was re-introduced in Puerto Rico and Christos Cotsakos, then CEO of E*Trade was honored. Mr. Cotsakos shocked all in attendance with a donation of $100,000 to the Sons and Maids Youth Foundation, Inc.

The 2004 Youth Salute honored another Greek-American titan of business world, Angelo Tsakopoulos, Chairman and Founder of AKT Development, the largest owner and developer of land in Northern California. Beyond all of Mr. Tsakopoulos' business accolades, it was his philanthropic work that was highlighted by speakers Dino Mitsios (outgoing Supreme President of the Sons of Pericles), Dino Kostaridis (Past Supreme President of the Sons of Pericles), Elana "Beba" Gavrilis (Grand President of the Maids of Athena) and Karen Polyzos (Past Grand President of the Maids of Athena). Foremost amongst his charitable endeavors is the Tsakopoulos Collection of Hellenic Text, the largest collection of Hellenic text in the world, which he donated to his alma mater, California State University at Sacramento. Furthermore, Mr. Tsakopoulos has donated land for schools, has raised $50 million for the California State University system, has funded the building of art galleries, museums, hospitals and senior citizen facilities and has worked closely with the American Lung Association, the United Way and the Boy Scouts just to name a few organizations.

But perhaps Mr. Tsakopoulos' best attribute is his determination. Outgoing Sons of Pericles Supreme President Dino Mitsios perhaps summed it up best during the Youth Salute ceremony, when he poignantly observed, "The ancient Hellenic civilization was responsible for advancements in math, the sciences, philosophy, government and the arts. It's amazing to think that thousands of years after the fact, that the tenets of our government, chief among them democracy originated from our ancestors. Fast forward a few thousand years and its this spirit of entreupeneurism and forward thinking that led a young Angelo Tsakopoulos, what 24 years of age just arrived to the United States. One can only imagine Mr. Tsakopoulos, a recent emigre, undoubtedly not familiar with the language, customs and business practices of this country going out and starting a business. Recent immigrants to our great country are often quoted attributing all their hard work to the notion that they will improve the lives of their children and grandchildren. What's separates Angelo Tsakopoulos from all these immigrants was, with the spirit of his ancient Hellenic ancestors guiding him, he build the American dream not only for his 6 children and 6 grandchildren, but for HIMSELF, and through his countless charitable contributions, including, but certainly not limited to the Tsakopoulos Collection, the largest collection of Hellenic text in existence, he has insured that this spirit of Hellenism will pass down to future generations of Greek Americans and non-Greek Americans alike."

Mr. Tsakopoulos could not be in attendance, but John Gazanis, who works closely with Mr. Tsakopoulos, accepted on his behalf. Mr. Gazanis thanked the Junior Orders for the award and made a correlation between Mr. Tsakopoulos' philanthropy and his involvement in AHEPA. Mr. Tsakopoulos is a long-time AHEPAN, and Mr. Gazanis commented that Mr. Tsakopoulos has used the AHEPA's long standing tradition of charity and education as a barometer for his charitable work. For the organizers of the Youth Salute, the hope is that the accomplishments of Mr. Tsakoulos will set a benchmark for our young Greek youth to observe and emulate. Wouldn't it be terrific if 30 years from now, the Youth Salute honoree could be a former Son or Maid who was witness to this ceremony? It would be further proof that some things just never grow old.