Greetings to all patriotes,

My name is Andrew Pagonis, and I am President of the Skoura-Varvitsa Brotherhood, USA. The Skoura Varvitsa Brotherhood USA was formed in 1907, and is considered one of the oldest Greek-American organizations in the US. It is filled with a rich history and glorious past in part because our parents and grandparents worked hard for the success of the Brotherhood. They made it happen, with the hope that the younger and upcoming generations would continue the hard work and dedication which would help thrive the Brotherhood and make it grow throughout the years.

Our roots are from the same villages, Skoura and Varvitsa, which is also filled with a glorious past and history. One individual that stands out and changed the history of Modern Greece is none other than Kapetan Zaharias. Kapetan Zaharias was born in Varvitsa in 1759, and he laid the foundation for Greek Independence. The Turks had a saying about Zaharias, "ne geldek, ne gelchek" which means there never has been and there never will be another leader like Zaharias. Finally, in May 1998, the city of Sparta unveiled the statue of Zaharias. If it wasn't for Zaharias, Greece wouldn't exist today!

Another great hero who came from Varvitsa was Kapetan Petros Anagnostopoulos Varvitsiotis. Born in 1785, was also taught by Zaharias, and during the war of independence, he was in charge of the eastern Laconian forces. After the war, Kapetan Petros urged the villagers from Varvitsa to take up the land in Skoura. Thus the villagers had double residency, one in Varvitsa and the other in Skoura. In his later life, Kapetan Petros became a member of the Greek Parliament.

But that's not all, there were many other well-known and respected individuals who either came from or were connected to Skoura-Varvitsa both in North America and in Greece. One sees how the villages of Skoura and Varvitsa played a major role in Greek society and history, and why it is important for us to continue to help the Skoura Varvitsa Brotherhood because it is a part of us, it is a part of our families, it is who we are and where we come from. We may be a small organization, but we our proud of it, we our proud of the history behind it, and we can hold up our heads knowing that we have ties to Skoura and Varvitsa. In addition, we must never forget to teach ourselves and our children about the history of Skoura and Varvitsa, and to spread the word to everyone about the important role it played in Greek history.

Andrew Pagonis