Victoria’s Lefkadian Brotherhood has revived its youth sub-committee this year, and Lefkadian Youth President Calista Mitsas has assured The Greek Herald they’re here to stay.
On Saturday, June 13, Lefkadian Youth held its first large-scale tavern night, complete with all the trimmings of a memorable event: music from all regions of Greece, raffle prizes donated by Greek Australian businesses, Greek dancing until the early hours of the morning, food, drinks, and, of course, digital cameras to capture moments Y2K-style.
Tavern attendee Nasia said the event gave her the “opportunity to share with people our culture and traditions while having a great time with everyone.”
While the Lefkadian Brotherhood has attempted to revive a youth group several times over the past 30 years, most recently in 2021, those efforts were not sustained. Calista has been a driving force behind the group’s latest revival and growing presence within the Greek Australian youth community.
“I just want people to feel like they have a community that is behind them, a community that makes them feel welcome and for them to feel confident in their Greek heritage as a whole,” Calista said about her aim for the group.
Earlier this year, when attending a youth event hosted by another club, Calista noticed many of the people around her were Lefkadian but lacked a dedicated youth group through which to connect. She approached the Lefkadian Brotherhood with her idea and, over the last few months, has worked alongside committee members Kostas Franes, Jana Papas, Cassandra Politis, Christina Vlahos, Ilias Vlahos, Christina Damigos and Nasia Karles to establish Lefkadian Youth.
Reflecting on her initial motivation for starting the group, Calista said: “A lot of groups can be really intimidating, [but with] a new group, everybody is new coming in. I wanted everyone to feel as comfortable as possible and for everyone to know they’re on the same wavelength.”
While Calista was not deeply immersed in Lefkadian culture before launching Lefkadian Youth, she has been determined to learn the many intricate elements that make Lefkadian culture unique, including its customs, dances, dialect and history.
Lefkadian Youth will continue working closely with the Brotherhood through monthly club lunches and other key events, while also branching out with youth-focused initiatives such as coffee catch-ups, dance classes, educational experiences centred on Lefkadian culture, and collaborations with other region-specific clubs.
“We want to keep engaging with the community, in particular other youth groups,” Calista said, emphasising the youth committee’s desire to work with other young Greek Australians.
The recent tavern night attracted 80 young people from across the Greek Australian community, a reflection of the group’s mission to create a welcoming space that includes youth from all Greek community clubs.
“That’s the beauty of the Greek community, we all like to collaborate and do things as one parea,” Calista said.
Lefkadian Youth acknowledges that many young Greek Australians may feel less connected to specific regions of Greece than previous generations. The committee sees the group as a space where Lefkadian culture can be celebrated while remaining inclusive and open to all.
“It’s becoming less about where you’re from and more about general community,” Calista said.
