By the At-Large Team
If you can’t make it to the in-person 4th of July event in Athens, no worries! Our reps-at-large, Daniel and Gina, invite you to join in their next virtual “volta” on July 4, 2023 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Voltas are on-line meet-ups (via Zoom) where especially our members who live beyond the Athens and Thessaloniki metro areas can discuss issues, connect, and learn more about each other. The 4th of July volta will kick off with participants sharing their individual “paths to Greece,” and then take a turn towards whatever topics come up.
Our reps-at-large also plan to “stroll by” the DAGR in-person 4th of July event in Athens. You can RSVP for the volta here .
The first of the new bi-monthly, on-line gatherings took place on May 16th. One attendee, Erin, summed it up like this: “Overall, I really enjoyed getting to meet fellow Americans with such varied and interesting backgrounds. It’s nice to know that there are American Democrats spread throughout Greece. It certainly made me feel less alone, as I live in a part of Greece that is a bit isolated from any other Americans.”
“Erin’s summary expresses exactly how I feel,” said Gina. “DAGR members like Erin and me who live in remoter parts of Greece, generally don’t have many opportunities to interact in-person with other US citizens. These online gatherings aim to provide a fun and truly interesting way to help fill that gap.”
Daniel and Gina both agreed the first event was a great start. However, they wanted to find a catchier name for the meet-ups – and Daniel suggested calling them “Volta!” As Gina explained, “I think Volta! is a great choice because the Greek expression ‘pame volta’ doesn’t just mean to go for a walk, stroll, or drive. It implies socializing with friends at the end of the day with lively conversation that flows where it may.”
But of course, a volta includes talking about current affairs and the issues close to our members’ hearts. As Erin shared, “There is certainly a lot to discuss regarding the American political climate.”
Daniel and Gina are looking forward to the 4th of July volta – and future ones, too. They have ideas for building-up this new DAGR event series, including hosting some regionally focused ones. “We’re hoping that our members will look forward to ’virtual volt-a-ing’ with us,” says Gina, “and, of course, we definitely would like feedback and suggestions on things like what days/times are most convenient for members and topics they’d like to discuss.”
Watch your email inbox and DAGR social media posts for announcements about the time/date of the September and November voltas (and make plans to give one a try!)