The Cretan Brotherhood Youth of Melbourne and Victoria held their Annual General Meeting on January 17 and for the first time in over 10 years, the Youth Committee elected a female President.
Rhea Gotsis will be leading the new 2021 Youth Committee after taking over from previous President, Vasilios Berbetakis. The new Vice President is Bill Theodorakis.
Rhea tells The Greek Herald that she feels very ’empowered’ to have taken up the executive position and hopes she can be a role model for others.
“I can now pose as a role model for the younger females of our club, which are as young as four years old,” Rhea says. “I want to show them that there is an opportunity out there that they didn’t realise existed, of being a leader within the club.”
Rhea herself has been part of the Brotherhood for ten years, taking part in Cretan dancing classes and culture, before she became involved in the Youth Committee as the PR Advisor, then Secretary and Vice President last year.
Now in her current position as President, Rhea says she has two main priorities for the Cretan Brotherhood youth this year.
“My first priority after a year apart in isolation, is that we want to make 2021 a year of reconnection. I truly believe that by prioritising the foundation of our club, the younger children, and reconnecting them through events, will pose a strong reflection on how our club works,” she explains.
“And this aligns with the second priority, which is branching out more into the Greek community. A common misconception is that you need to be Cretan to join the club. It’s nothing like that.
“We cater for all people, all ages, all nationalities and we want to branch further into the Greek community and educate them on our values and show them the friendships and bonds we’ve made as part of the club.”
A powerful initiative from a young Greek Australian with a bright future ahead of her.
