The Homenetmen scouts conduct the flag ceremony during ARF’s 127th anniversary celebration in Glendale on Sunday
GLENDALE—The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western US Central Committee marked the party’s 127th anniversary during a celebration Sunday at Glendale High School’s John Wayne Auditorium, which was filled to capacity with community members who had gathered to hear an accounting of the party’s activities from its leaders and to mark the milestone with enthusiasm and fervor.
Present at the event were leaders of the four denominations of the Armenian Churches, community members, organizational leaders and representatives and ARF members and supporters.
The Homenetmen scouts and marching band during the ARF Day celebration
The program began with the Homenetmen Marching band ushering in a group of scouts who were carrying the flags of Armenia, Artsakh, the United States, State of California and the ARF. They were followed by another group of scouts who were waving the Armenian tri-color in an impressive flag ceremony that included the performance of the national anthems of Armenia, Artsakh, the U.S., as well as the official anthem of the ARF. This year, following the singing of the traditional anthems, a brief video introducing the Homenetmen and its 100 years of achievements were also included during the flag ceremony, which concluded with the performance of the “Haratch Nahadag,” the official anthem of the Homenetmen, which in 2018 will mark the centennial of its founding.
The Mistress of Cermonies, Dr. Souzy Ohanian, welcomed the attendees and presented a brief overview of the ARF as well as the evening’s program, which was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Armenia’s independence.
Patil Derderian presented remarks on behalf of the Armenian Youth Federation, which on that day, January 14, was marking the 85th anniversary of its establishment. ARF Western US Central Committee member Garo Ispendjian presented an overview of the ARF’s activities in the past year and delineated some of the key focal points for the party in 2018. The keynote speaker of the evening was ARF Bureau member Dr. Viken Yacoubian, who among other issues emphasized the need for the Diaspora to recalibrate itself to better serve the Armenian Nation.
The Ferrahian school chorus performs patriotic songs during the celebration
Throughout the program, video vignettes highlighted the activities of the AYF, the AYF Juniors and the Homenetmen. An “In Memoriam” video paid tribute to ARF members from the Western Region who had passed away in the last year.
The cultural portion of the program included a dance performance by the Hamazkayin Ani Dance Troupe, as well as musical performances by Karnig Sarkisian, Tro Krikorian and Edgar Hakpyan.
The celebration concluded with the performance of patriotic songs by the Ferrahian Armenian School Chorus, conducted by Araxia Varteressian. The group was joined by revolutionary singer Karnig Sarkisian for the performance of “Ariunot Trosh—Bloody Flag,” which enjoyed an enthusiastic standing ovation and participation from the audience.
Asbarez will have a more detailed coverage of the celebration in its upcoming editions.