AGBU Lebanon Marks Twin Anniversaries with Special Student Events

AGBU Lebanon District marked two significant anniversaries in April: the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 102nd anniversary of the founding of AGBU. The occasions were commemorated by two large interscholastic events that brought together hundreds of Lebanese students of Armenian descent.

To mark the 102nd anniversary of the founding of AGBU, a festival took place on April 15, 2008 on the "Antranig" athletic field of Demirjian Center in Lebanon under the patronage of the AGBU Lebanon District Committee and the Education Committee, and with the participation of 500 pupils from three local AGBU schools: Tarouhy-Hovaguimian, Levon G. Nazarian and Boghos K. Garmirian.

In his opening remarks, Hampig Mardirosssian, Secretary of the AGBU Lebanon District office, greeted those assembled and wished the organization continued success for its work. He invited Hratch Karamanoogian, Chairman of the AGBU Education Committee, to convey his educational message to the attendees. Participating pupils sang patriotic songs, gave recitations and performed dances on the occasion. Speaking on behalf of the principals was Rosette Alemian-Mahseredjian, principal of the Boghos K. Garmirian School, who mentioned how Boghos Nubar founded AGBU in Cairo in 1906, and how it quickly became, and continues to be, a positive presence in the life of Armenians everywhere.

On April 18, a drawing and recitation contest among seven Beirut-area Armenian schools took place at the Boghos K. Garmirian School on the occasion of the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the 102nd anniversary of the founding of AGBU. The event enjoyed the participation of Yeghishe Manoukian, Rupinian, Vahan Tekeyan, Levon G. Nazarian, Boghos K. Garmirian and Armenian Catholic Kevork Harboyian schools, as well as the Armenian Evangelical College.

Opening remarks were delivered by Hampig Mardirossian, who pointed out that the greatest challenge and triumph is to keep the Armenian language and culture alive in the younger generation. He spoke about how the architects of the Armenian Genocide wished to annihilate the Armenian people 93 years ago but "today we still exist. The month of April has ceased to be a month of mourning and has become a month of victory," he said.

Thereafter, each school participated in the recitation contest with two pupils (from the fifth and sixth grades). Each pupil was asked to recite a compulsory poem, followed by one of their own choosing. The compulsory poem for the fifth grade was Vahan Tekeyan's "Hayoo Hokin" (The Armenian Soul), while for the sixth grade it was Tekeyan's "Ahavor Pan Muh Ayndegh" (Something Terrible There). The jury was composed of Hampig Mardirossian, Aida Markarian and Toukhig Avedisian.

Fifth-grade winners were: first place - Yeghig Avedikian (Garmirian), second place - Houri Jamgotchian (Nazarian) and Arina Tepirdjian (Kevork Harboyian), and third - Shushan Keshishian (Arm. Evang. Coll.). Sixth-grade winners were: first place - Maral Torosian (Tekeyan) and Norair Arpadjian (Garmirian), second place - Lori Mesrobian (Rupinian), third place - Hovig Atamian (Yeghishe Manoukian) and Lara Kalenderian (Kevork Harboyian).

The results of the drawing competition were also announced on the same day. The theme for the fifth-grade drawing contest was spring and motherhood, while sixth graders were asked to translate the theme of April 24 as rebirth. The members of the jury were Maral Panossian and Lena Tchaghlassian. The contest took place at the same time as the poetry contest.

Fifth-grade winners were: first place - Vera Bozoyian (Kevork Harboyian), second place - Nayiri Darakdjian (Yeghishe Manoukian), third place - Sergio Adjemian (Tekeyan). Sixth-grade winners were: first place - Manoug Djenanian (Kevork Harboyian), second place - Sevag Hadjekian (Nazarian), third place - Khajag Barsoumian (Yeghishe Manoukian), and honorable mention - Avedis Melkonian (Garmirian) and Natalie Margossian (Yeghishe Manoukian).

Approximately 300 pupils participated in the drawing and recitation contests, and all pupils received small gifts as a token of appreciation for their work.

The gathering of the pupils ended with words of thanks from Hampig Mardirossian for the principals, staffs and pupils of the participating schools.