MONTREAL — The 82nd General Assembly of the Armenian Democratic Liberal Organization’s Eastern District Committee of United States and Canada was convened on November 14 in the Tekeyan Cultural Association’s Center here.
The nine chapters within the jurisdiction of this structure, with their authorized 42 delegates, which formed a quorum, participated to this convention of the region’s supreme body. The delegates had come from Toronto’s Yessayi Yaghoubian, Chicago’s Onnig Norhad, New Britain’s Chapter, Detroit’s Arshag Tchobanian, Boston’s Dr. Dzovigian, Philadelphia’s Diradour Dikijian, Montreal’s Papazian/Tomassian, Cleveland’s and New York/New Jersey’s Armenagan/Housepian chapters.
Hagop Avedikian, chairman of the Armenagan Ramgavar Azadagan Party of Armenia, who had been invited to take part in the convention, was unable to make the trip because of lastminute difficulties in obtaining a Canadian visa. Also participating in the convention as a guest was Baydzig Kalaydjian, editor of Beirut’s Zartonk daily.
The convention of the supreme body began with the singing of the ADL anthem and the verification of delegates, according to the dispositions of the by-laws. After welcoming remarks by Dr. Hrair Der Kevorkian, chairman of the host Papazian/Tomassian Chapter, Dr. Arshavir Gundjian, former chairman of the ADL Central Committee, and Arsen Nubar Mamourian, longtime editor of Abaka weekly, were unanimously elected chairman and secretary, respectively, of the convention. Likewise, the electoral committee was appointed, consisting of Hagop Vartivarian, Markar Diradourian and Aznive Salibian.
District Committee Co-chairman Yervant Azadian presented the biennial report of the outgoing District Committee. He asserted that despite various difficulties, as well as financial and other obstacles, the District Committee was able to hold the organization’s banner high through the efforts of all the chapters under its jurisdiction, from Canada to New York and Detroit, proudly continue its work and make its presence felt in numerous communities and with their devoted membership. It is very easy for those avoiding responsibility to be critical because they simply do nothing. The District Committee has come together in person on very few occasions; it has carried out its entire activity by means of conference calls. During the past two years, the Armenian Assembly of America in Washington, DC, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, the Armenian General Benevolent Union in New York, and the Armenian Congress in Canada have greatly supported the organization’s activities.
Azadian stressed the importance of the uninterrupted and high-quality publication of the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, despite many difficulties, as well as the need for the continued functioning of the party’s three centers: Boston’s Baikar Association, Montreal’s Tekeyan Center and New Jersey’s Tekeyan Center.
