Ahepans representing Boston’s Athens Chapter 24 joined Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr, members of AHEPA Past Supreme President George Demeter’s family, the National Association of Parliamentarians, and Consulate General of Greece in Boston Symeon Tegos, to commemorate the outstanding contributions of George Demeter during the Massachusetts State Senate session.

Senator Tarr described Demeter’s “dedication to the protection of the rights of individuals by ensuring an orderly process by which all organizations and deliberative bodies can make decisions” as vital.

George Demeter, who served as Supreme President from 1923-24, is known as the first Greek American elected to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1932. He also authored Demeter’s Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure, a manual with parliamentary rules and procedures to prepare anyone seeking to become a certified parliamentarian.

According to Boston newspaper accounts, the inclusion of Greek traditions in the annual Boston Marathon such as crowning the winners with a laurel wreath and presenting them a bronze medal from Athens was started, in part, by Demeter.