Commemorative joint photograph of the HELMEPA Junior 22nd Board of Representatives
Adult society remember that the sea is gold like a treasure and therefore love it and don’t spoil it!!
On Friday, December 11 the 22nd Board of Representatives of the voluntary environmental education Program “HELMEPA Junior” convened in Athens. Members of the Board are 12 children, 5 to 12 years old, from the 12 Regions of the country. They represent the 6, 760 children-members of HELMEPA Junior of the 2014-2015 school year.
Children, parents, volunteer teachers supervising HELMEPA Junior groups as well as the educational activities responsible functionaries of the Regions, all invited by HELMEPA, took part in two separate events, at the building of Costamare Shipping Co, member of the Association.
HELMEPA Junior children-representatives from the 12 regions of Greece with the former Board’s Members just before they convene for their meeting
The students exchanged experiences, elaborated on proposals and elected Olympia Zisis (11) from Thessaloniki as Chairperson of their Board, Isil Mehmetali (11) from Rodopi, the Region of Thrace as Vice-Chairperson and Athina Bozaitis (5) from the island of Zakinthos as Secretary.
The host, Mr Achilles Constantakopoulos (left) with Dimitris Mentogiannis from Attica
On behalf of both the late Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos and Costamare, his son Achilles welcomed the teachers and parents and stressed the importance of the awareness of the younger generations for the protection of our environment. Representing HELMEPA’s Board, the General Secretary Mr D. Lemonidis and the Special Secretary Ms E. Daifas congratulated the teachers for their contribution and the parents for the high degree of voluntarism of their children. Ms A. Kouvertaris, representing Hellenic Lloyd’s, associate member of HELMEPA, praised the environmental programs of the Association which the non profit making institution Lloyd’s Register Foundation of the United Kingdom, continues to support. The Secretary General of CYMEPA, Dr. M. Ierides, made reference to the similar children’s program “CYMEPA Junior”, they are running in Cyprus and thanked all in HELMEPA for their hospitality. The 12 volunteer teachers and the one from Parekklisia Elementary School in Cyprus presented the multiple activities of the Program their students materialized and expressed their appreciation to HELMEPA for the initiatives the Association takes.
The Deputy Treasurer of HELMEPA’s Board, Mr Michalis Dalacouras with Nikolaos Gkikas from the city of Levadia
Next, the children-members of the Board of Representatives entered the room, to the warm applaud of the participants and the Chairperson read the message they are sending to the adult society:
“I will do everything to keep the environment clean. But we, the children not knowing much, expect you to give us proper examples. And remember that the sea is gold like a treasure and therefore love it and don’t spoil it.”
Ms E. Perikleous, Environmental Education Consultant of Cyprus, Mr M. Ieridis, Secretary General of CYMEPA, Ms I. Daifas, Special Secretary of HELMEPA’s Board and Ms M. Nikolaou, Teacher from Cyprus
To commemorate the day, HELMEPA handed to children, teachers and parents certificates and gifts whereas the Members of the Board and the staff of the Association had the opportunity to exchange views with them during lunch, which Costamare kindly offered.
The event came to a close with the visit to the Eugenides Planitarium HELMEPA had organized where the guests watched the digital production “The Living Planet”.
For more information: HELMEPA Environmental Awareness Section – Tel.: (+30)210 93.43.088, Fax: (+30)210 93.53.847 – Email: environment@helmepa.gr
The Member of HELMEPA’s Board, Mr D. Manos (middle) with Panagiotis Fantaoutsakis from Messinia
