By Aram Arkun
Mirror-Spectator Staff
MONTREAL – The Tekeyan Cultural Association of the US and Canada (TCA) held its 34th convention October 9 to 11. It was attended by some 30 delegates from seven chapters.
The weekend began with a manti dinner at the Tekeyan Armenian Cultural Center in the Montreal suburb of Ville Saint-Laurent. On October 10, the delegates met in the Tekeyan Center to begin their formal work. After words of greeting from the head of the local TCA host chapter, Arto Berdge Manoukian, the delegates were registered, and a secretary was selected. Nominating committee and resolutions committees were formed.
TCA Central Board chairman Dr. Haroutiun Arzoumanian presented a concise report on the developments in the most important issue of the year following the last convention (July 2014 to September 2015), the crisis which led to the closing of the TCA Arshag Dickranian School of Los Angeles at the end of last June. Declining enrollment combined with financial difficulties led to frequent, often weekly, CB meetings. In the end, the school property had to be sold in order to pay off the school’s debts and to plan alternative educational projects.
Michael S. Norehad, a founding partner of Game Plan Financial Advisors, and manager of TCA’s investment funds, attended the convention from Cleveland, Ohio, in order to report on the present status of TCA investments, as well as to provide recommendations for the future. TCA Central Board Treasurer Maro Bedrosian introduced Norehad, and explained that he had managed the TCA portfolio since 2004, providing good financial returns and maintaining fluid communications with the organization. Norehad answered questions from the delegates after his presentation.