Lemnos Gallipoli 2014 AGM - A successful year and more ahead

Our president, Lee Tarlamis MP addressing our Memorial Project launch at Parliament House.

Last week the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee held its Annual General Meeting.
The review of the past year recounted the various successes that we have achieved. Some of these are:

• Major grants confirmed with Federal, State and Local government and other organizations and individual supporting our memorial state project
• Planning application for our memorial site is underway
• Assistance with the Victorian Premiers Anzac Students Prize Winners Tour of Lemnos in March 2014 - and this will now be an annual event
• Lemnos Friends of Anzac formed in 2013
• Assistance with WA MP's tour of Lemnos and NZ Nurses tour group organisers (April-May 2014).
• Publicity continues with many media reports in Neos Kosmos, Ta Nea, Victorian regional newspapers, 26,000 hits on our weblog and Facebook page
• Confirmed activities on Lemnos for 2015 -  Gallipoli 2015 with 600 onboard will be at Lemnos for one night on 20 April; the HMAS Anzac and Young Endeavour will be moored in Moudros Bay from 19-23 April 2015;   the new Australian Ambassador to Greece wants official events to occur during the ships visit;  the nurses ship visit will be for 2 nights in the first few days of Sept 2015;  the Commonwealth War Graves has renewed grave stones at Mudros and Portianos War Cemetaries

At our AGM, our new Executive Committee was elected.
Our re-elected President, Lee Tarlamis MP has issued the following statement:
"I would like to thank all those who attended the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee Annual General Meeting last night. I am honored to have been re-elected as the President and I would like to congratulate other members who were elected: Marlene Varvaras (Vice-President), Jim Claven (Secretary), Terry Paule (Treasurer) and Committee Members Steve Kyritsis, Nikolaos Kydas, Christina Despoteris, Chris Podaridis and Terry Kanellos. 
I would like to thank the outgoing members of the committee as well as all those who have worked with or assisted us throughout the year. Over the past year we have achieved so much and developed many new partnerships as we have strived to create awareness about Lemnos' connection to the Anzac story, acknowledge the critical role of the Australian nurses as well as educating people about the enduring links between Lemnos, Greece and Australia. 
We are making real progress in restoring Lemnos' rightful place in history. As we approach the Centenary of ANZAC next year you will hear a lot more about our activities and events as well as our progress with the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Memorial. 
In the mean time please visit lemnosgallipolicc.blogspot.com.au to find out more. Thanks again to everyone who has supported us."
The next twelve months will bring to fruition a range of our projects - especially the erection of our major new commemorative memorial in Melbourne, a major commemorative publication and a range of events to be held on Lemnos and in Australia.

Jim Claven
Secretary
Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee