THE ORDER OF AHEPA WAS FOUNDED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA ON JULY 26 1922. THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVE OF THE AHEPA WAS TO EDUCATE AND MOLD THE GREEK IMMIGRANT INTO THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE BY TEACHING HIM THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND ENABLING HIM TO BECOME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, TO ASSIST IN THIS THE CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAW5 OF THE ORDER DICTATE THAT ALL AHEPA BUSINESS AND MEETINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. SPEAKING OF GREEK IS NOT DISCOURAGED, BUT IS NOT TO BE USED IN CONDUCTING OFFICIAL AHEPA BUSINESS, THIS WAS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER THE LEARNING OF ENGLISH. EARLY CHAPTERS ESTABLISHED EVENING ENGLISH CLASSES. IN THESE CLASSES THE "STUDENT" NOT ONLY LEARNED TO SPEAK, READ AND WRITE ENGLISH, BUT WAS ALSO IMBUED IN THE LEARNING OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE BILL OF RIGHTS, AND AMERICAN HISTORY. THIS OF COURSE PREPARED HIM FOR THE TAKING OF THE CITIZENSHIP EXAMINATION.

AFTER THIS EDUCATIONAL PROCESS WAS WELL UNDERWAY THE ORGANIZATION BRANCHED OUT BY PARTICIPATING IN MANY PHILANTHROPIC PROJECTS - BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. ALTHOUGH THE AHEPA PROMOTED AMERICANIZATION 11 CHAMPIONED AND CONTINUES TO CHAMPION THE PRESERVATION OF THE HELLENIC (GREEK) HERITAGE. THE ORDER HAS ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH IN PROMOTING ORTHODOXY IN THE UNITED STATES.

OUR OWN MONTICELLO CHAPTER No. 448 IN CHARLOTTESVILLE WAS ORGANIZED ON THE 6th OF MARCH 1973 AND WAS CHARTERED BY THE NATIONAL HQ ON THE 10th OF OCTOBER 1974. SINCE THAT TINE IT HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN FUNDING A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS ON CHURCH PROPERTY, SUCH AS THE NEW AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE CHURCH PICNIC AREA, A NEW FREEZER FOR THE KITCHEN, AND THE RE-ROOFING AND RECONFIOURATION OF THE KITCHEN STORAGE AREA, IT GAVE A STIPEND OF $500 TO A FORMER MEMBER NOW A STUDENT AT THE SEMINARY. DONATED $900 TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF SOFTWARE FOR THE CHURCH COMPUTER SYSTEM. PARTICIPATED, IN CONJUCTION WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF PENELOPE, IN A COMMUNITY "CIVIC AFFAIRS" MONEY RAISING PROJECT. DONATED TO ST. BASIL ACADEMY. AND THE 1997 ANNUAL CHRI STMAS DANCE WAS A HUGE MONEY RASING AND SOCIAL SUCCESS.

AT THE BEGINNING OF 1997 THE CHAPTER HAD 17 PAID-UP MEMBERS. SINCE THEN THE CHAPTER HAS PROGRESSED, UNDER THE STEWARDSHIP OF PRESIDENT JACK KELARAKIS, TO A TOTAL OF 29 ACTIVE MEMBERS AS OF MAY 1, 1998. A GOAL OF 40 HAS BEEN SET AND 15 EXPECTED TO BE REACHED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE,