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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 () 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