Saint George Orthodox Military Association - (SGOMA) Announcements
Welcome to the St. George Orthodox Military Association's Announcement Page. This page will be used for any important or relevant Announcements from the SGOMA, it's Chapters, the Chaplain Corps, or for our Orthodox Hierarchs.
May 20th, 2011
November 11th, 2010 - Veteran's Day
Veterans Day - 2010!
STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USA
“Their memory remains with us from generation unto generation!”
On this Veterans’ Day 2010, the Council of Bishops, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, express profound gratitude to Ukrainian American Veterans and all those veterans, whose service in the military preserved the foundation of freedom, justice and equality, upon which this country was founded and remains anchored.
Mindful of our Lord’s words, “greater love than this has no man, than to give up his life for His friend” [John 15:13] we prayerfully commend to the loving eternal care of Him Who is our Resurrection, Life and Repose – Christ our true God, the noble souls of those sons and daughters “who feared not the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day” [Psalm 90/91], but sacrificed their lives in the defense of others during the various wars and conflicts, which this God-protected country was compelled to wage.
May their service and sacrifices of love inspire us and generations of Americans of divers heritages to always act as God’s responsible agents of freedom, justice and equality and be courageous in the defense of the God-given rights of others.
May the Lord God accept the service of those living Veterans on His heavenly altar!
May the memory of those who have fallen asleep remain and be cherished from generation unto generation!
+Constantine, Metropolitan
+Antony, Archbishop
+Daniel, Bishop
June 20th, 2010 - Happy Father's Day! SGOMA would like to thank all the Dad's out there who are serving, or who have served, and your families for your dedication and sacrafices that you have made in order to protect this country!
April 4th, 2010 - On behalf of all the staff of the St. George Orthodox Military Association, we would like to wish you and your loved ones a very happy, peaceful and loved filled Pascha! Christ is Risen!
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April 4th, 2010:
This Easter: A Homework Assignment from SGOMA
This Easter - a wonderful time of faith and family, redemption and rebirth - can also be a great chance to reach out to friends, coworkers, fellow parishioners and relatives who may not be as tuned in as you are to the presence of the Saint George Orthodox Military Association (SGOMA).
The family gatherings taking place this Paschal Season, will, in literally hundreds of thousands of Orthodox homes, represent a vital bridge and meeting place between those more actively engaged in the Orthodox Military life (like you) and those who are sometimes less aware of the issues, or, maybe, not quite as actively involved in the Orthodox Military Cause.
With these thoughts in mind, consider taking a moment this Pascal Season to find a way to talk to your relatives about the latest news on Orthodox Military issues and the efforts by Saint George Orthodox Military Association to reach out to our Orthodox Service Members, provide them with a place to network, find out relative information, share their thoughts, partake in one of our Outreach programs, and make contact with our Orthodox Chaplains. Explore the SGOMA website - http://www.orthodoxmilitary.org- or the SGOMA page on Facebook for discussion items.
Malcolm Gladwell (author of the Tipping Point) really makes a compelling point that we can apply to strengthening our community life as Orthodox Military Members wherever we may live. He stresses that "word-of-mouth" is the key to movements, and that this type of personal communication is largely driven by three types of individuals: 1) Connectors, 2) Mavens, and 3) Salesmen. These types exist in every environment including, of course, our own families and the broader Orthodox community.
1) Connectors are the people who, through a combination of curiosity, self-confidence, sociability, and energy, link us up with the world. They have, in Gladwell's words, a special gift, a knack, for making friends and acquaintances and, very importantly, of spanning many different worlds.
In the Orthodox Military context, Connectors typically move with little effort between ethnic, religious-oriented, and more mainstream societal environments, acting as a middle-man and mediator among friends and relatives in both worlds. Simply put, they know a lot of other people.
2) Mavens are information specialists who we rely upon to connect us with new information. They harvest knowledge and are adept at sharing it with others. Mavens are, he explains, vital to generating the word-of-mouth that sparks social movements by virtue of their knowledge, social skills, and ability to communicate.
In the Orthodox Military context, Mavens are the friends or relatives who follow Orthodox Military-related developments (like on www.orthodoxmilitary.org or Facebook) and who other Orthodox regularly turn to for the latest information and insights on Orthodox affairs.
3) Salesmen are, according to Gladwell, charismatic people with persuasive skills. They tend to have an indefinable trait that goes beyond what they say, which makes others open to their ideas and suggestions.
In the Orthodox Military context, Salesmen are those who act as "shepherds," using their personality and persuasive abilities to bring Orthodox Military closer to their common roots, their community, and their cause. (Every Orthodox family typically has at least one, and usually many more. In fact, you may be the shepherd of your clan!)
So, armed with Gladwell's theories and inspired by your own devotion to the Orthodox Military Cause, consider taking on this "Homework Assignment" for Pascha:
Take a few minutes during this Paschal Season to reach out to friends, coworkers, fellow parishioner and relatives, talk about Orthodox Military issues, and urge them to get plugged in to the Cause.
You might suggest that they:
1) Visit the SGOMA’s website, at www.orthodoxmilitary.org, and read more about the Association.
2) Join the SGOMA Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Las-Cruces-NM/St-Georges-Orthodox-Military-Association/345507690005 or simply search the phrase: “Orthodox Military” in the Facebook Search box.
3) Join the SGOMA as an official member. Membership information and form can be found on our website at: http://orthodoxmilitary.org/Membership.html, or they can email the SGOMA to request more information by writing to: StGeorgeOMA@gmail.com
Don't stop here. There's a lot more to be done. Be Creative; think of other innovative ways to advance the Orthodox Military Cause through social networking, personal contacts, or cooperation with the organizations of your choice.
SGOMA wishes you and your family a very Happy Pascha! Christ is Risen! Hristos Voskrese! Christos Anesti
Saint George pray for our Troops!