Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association to Offer Free Introductory Workshops Portsmouth, NH -- Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association is pleased to announce that it will offer a series of free introductory workshops and lectures on Hellenic genealogy for persons interested in researching Greek ancestry. This series, led by founder Mary Papoutsy, will address the needs of beginners and focus on obtaining information about immigrant ancestors, those relatives who first immigrated to the United States. Participants will learn how to fill out a family tree, how to read and interpret Greek handwriting (for those with a working knowledge of Greek), how to develop alternate transliterations of the English surnames of Greek persons, learn about Greek naming patterns and the selection of English given names for Greek baptismal names, and how to locate key information about one's immigrant ancestor in order to launch an investigation in Greece. Following the presentation and hands-on activities, there will be a question-and-answer period. The workshops will run approximately 3 hours each, with the first session in Dover, New Hampshire at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (93 Locust St., 603-742-7667) on Saturday, September 21, 2002, from 9:00 am to noon. The next presentation will be at Newburyport, Massachusetts at the Newburyport Public Library on Saturday, September 28, 2002, from 2-5 PM. Reservations are required; interested parties may contact the library directly—Janet Loske, Director of Adult Programming—to reserve a place at this first workshop, limited to 15 participants (Newburyport Public Library, 94 State St., Newburyport, MA 01950 978-465-4428 X226). Other scheduled workshops/lectures are at Fort Myers, Florida, sponsored by the Hellenic Club, at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, on Saturday, January 25, 2003 from 2-5 PM (contact: Mel Zogopoulos Schunemann, 239-656-1341, or Angelo and Ann Constan, 239-540-1819); West Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, February 4, 2003 from 2-5 PM at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church Cultural Center, sponsored by the Seniors of St. Catherine organization ($3 workshop only, $5 including lunch served beforehand, contact church secretary, Linda Sullivan, for reservations and additional details at 561-833-6387, or Helen Stamos, Chair of Seniors of St. Catherine, at 561-627-7385). Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association was founded in 2000 by Mary Papoutsy to promote the importance of Greek ancestry and history. Citing a strong and growing popularity nationwide in researching family roots, Papoutsy states, "There is a great need for systematic documentation of the lives and contributions to society of Greek ancestors and the Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association will strive to provide an organizational framework for assistance in this area." In addition to offering lectures and workshops, the group will also conduct research and amass data about the lives of early immigrants. Hellenic Historical and Genealogical Association, whose membership is free and open to all interested persons, is a member organization of the National Genealogical Society. To request copies of free brochures and pamphlets, or to enroll as a member, contact HHGA at PO Box 710, Rye Beach, NH 03871 (Tel. 603-431-7030) or email HellasGenealogy@aol.com Mary Papoutsy and her husband, Christos, are well-known Greek-American philanthropists. Active members of the Greek Orthodox Church at local, diocesan, and national levels, the Papoutsy couple and their charitable foundations have sponsored many worthy projects for civic and ecclesiastical communities in the U.S. and abroad. Among their most recent endeavors are the establishment of an endowed chair in business ethics, based upon the Classics, at Southern New Hampshire University, the founding of the John C. Rouman Classical Lecture Series at the University of New Hampshire, named for a prominent Greek-American Classicist who teaches at the university, and the popularly acclaimed 25-piece Hellenic and Near Eastern Musical Society Orchestra which has performed throughout the country. A recipient of many awards and honors, including academic recognition, Mrs. Papoutsy is a former professional educator. She has taught at the secondary- and collegiate-levels in Maine and New Jersey and was on the faculty of the University of Maine. A Classicist by training, Mrs. Papoutsy brings her investigative skills from advanced degree work in Ancient Greek and Latin, particularly in prosopography, to the world of Hellenic genealogy.