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Hagop Piandarian Is Honored at AGBU Mid-Lenten Event

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  • Hagop Piandarian Is Honored at AGBU Mid-Lenten Event

    AGBU Press Office
    55 East 59th Street
    New York, NY 10022-1112
    Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
    Fax: 212.319.6507
    Email: [email protected]
    Website: www.agbu.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    Thursday, April 2, 2009

    Hagop Piandarian Is Honored at AGBU Mid-Lenten Event

    A luncheon program organized by the Women's Committee of the AGBU Alex
    Manoogian Center in Pasadena in observance of Mid-Lent was held in the
    center's gymnasium on Sunday, March 14, 2009. On the occasion, Hagop
    Piandarian was presented with AGBU Honorary Membership in recognition
    of his longtime service to the organization and devotion to the
    Armenian community.

    Ladies from the Women's Committee cheerfully greeted local members and
    friends of AGBU, who, along with their children, daughters-in-law,
    sons-in-law and grandchildren, had arrived to celebrate the daytime
    event.

    Berj Shahbazian, the newly appointed chairman of the AGBU Southern
    California District Committee (SCDC), and his wife, as well as the
    other SCDC committee members, had come to this now-traditional
    Mid-Lent luncheon of the Women's Committee, to honor Hagop Piandarian
    for his many years of devoted service. Also present were Very
    Rev. Fr. Dajad Yardemian; Bedros Piandarian of New York, the honoree's
    brother and longtime director of the accounting department of the AGBU
    Central Board of Directors, as well as other, honored invited guests
    and friends of the honoree, including Ara Najarian, Glendale Mayor,
    and his wife, as well as Rafi Manoukian, former mayor and member of
    Glendale City Council.

    Angele Karayan, the diligent chairlady of the Women's Committee,
    opened the luncheon program with her brief and meaningful welcoming
    remarks and then invited Very Rev. Fr. Dajad Yardemian, Vicar General
    of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, to
    explain the meaning of Mid-Lent in religious terms. In his brief yet
    informative message, the Very Rev. Father shed light on the importance
    of Mid-Lent in the days coinciding with the Easter fast, and then
    blessed the dinner tables.

    The artistic portion of the program ensued, with the playing of
    Tchaikovsky's "Scheherazade," Spendiarian's "Hijaz" and Komitas's
    "Gakavig" by the well-known flutist Salpi Kerkonian, accompanied by
    her mother, Sossi, on the harp and piano. With their sensitive and
    faithful renditions, mother and daughter warmed the hearts and souls
    of the attendees, engendering lengthy applause.

    The suitable honoring of Hagop Piandarian, one of the dedicated and
    longtime members of AGBU, was the main occasion for the gathering.
    Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he was educated at the Boghosian National
    School and then attended Lycée Française, graduating with high honors
    as an agricultural engineer. Haig Messerlian, Vice Chairman of the
    Southern California District Committee, gave a detailed presentation
    of the services and devotion of the honoree to AGBU and the Armenian
    Apostolic Church over these many years, starting from his birthplace
    and continuing to the present in California. Messerlian noted, "AGBU
    is well known for being a first-class, trustworthy organization with
    great assets, but its real wealth is derived from its members and
    leaders, among whose ranks is today's honoree." He went on to cite the
    pure, noble and inculpable qualities of the honoree's character and
    then, in an atmosphere of overall excitement, invited Hagop Piandarian
    to the stage to be presented with the "Honorary Member" plaque of the
    Central Board of Directors of AGBU by Karnig Karayan, one of the
    senior honorary members of AGBU, and Berj Shahbazian. Also invited to
    the stage were former District Committee chairmen Yenovk Balikian,
    Hovig Melidonian and Vahe Imasdounian, during whose terms of office
    the honoree served as member, then secretary, treasurer of the
    building committee of the Alex Manoogian Center, and longtime chairman
    of the executive committee of the Pasadena-Glendale Chapter.

    Hagop Piandarian, visibly moved, thanked the AGBU Central Board of
    Directors for bestowing this honor on him. Likewise, he expressed his
    appreciation to SCDC chairman Berj Shahbazian, Chairman of the
    Pasadena-Glendale Chapter Shahe Seuylemezian, and the Women's
    Committee for organizing such a wonderful program. "On the occasion of
    this ceremony, I share the honor bestowed upon me with all my
    co-workers in the organization, who, along with me, assisted in the
    initial efforts to form the Pasadena Chapter of Southern California
    AGBU, with uncompromising dedication," he said. Then he briefly
    touched on his lifetime of dedicated service to AGBU.

    This article is based mainly on the report filed by Samuel Ilanjian.

    Established in 1906, AGBU (www.agbu.org) is the world's largest
    non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City, AGBU
    preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
    educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving some
    400,000 Armenians on five continents.
    From: Baghdasarian
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