Homenetmen Victory Banquet Celebrates Navasartian Games
asbarez
Friday, July 6th, 2012
This year’s honorees with the Prelate and Homenetmen leadership
UNIVERSAL CITY – More than 500 Homenetmen members, supporters, and
guests filled the Universal Hilton Hotel’s banquet hall on Sunday,
July 1 for the Victory Banquet celebrating the vast accomplishments of
the athletes participating in the 37th Navasartian Games.
Guests included Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian;
Consul General Grigor Hovhannesyan; Homenetmen Central Executive
members Hagop Tufenkjian and Viken Tavitian; ACF Central Committee
member Koko Topalian; ARS Regional Executive Board members; Adrin
Nazarian, candidate of the California State Assembly; and numerous
Homenetmen members, including Honorary Presidents and Exemplary
Homenetmen Members from years past. The event also had the strong
support of jewelers, whose attendance displayed their solidarity with
this year’s Honorary President, who also serves as the President of
the Armenian Jewelers Association.
After a one-hour cocktail reception during which the crowd mingled,
guests occupied their seats for the start of the evening’s official
program. Banquet Organizing Committee Chairperson Shant Haytayan, who
MCed the program, welcomed guests and thereafter invited Lara
Gharibian to sing the American national anthem, followed by Homenetmen
scout Ivonna Krikorian, who sang the Armenian national anthem and the
Homenetmen anthem.
Archbishop Mardirossian delivered his blessings, extending well wishes
for the Navasartian Games and congratulations to the Honorary
President, Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine Gevorkian, and the 2012
Exemplary Homenetmen Member Maro Kechichian. The Prelate also read a
letter of blessings by His Holiness Catholicos Aram I sent on the
occasion of the 37th Navasartian Games.
During dinner, guests viewed two video presentations, one of which
covered the history of the Navasartian Games and the other presented a
biographical sketch of the Honorary President.
Following dinner, Congressman Brad Sherman delivered remarks and
presented a symbolic American flag, which has flown at the White
House, as well as its certificate of authenticity that was accepted by
Homenetmen Regional Executive Chairperson Garnik Abrahamian.
On behalf of the Homenetmen Regional Executive, Vicken Dakessian took
to the podium and delivered a message to guests, stating `Looking
around and within the boundaries of this banquet hall, I can’t but
admire all your individual and collective talent, intellect, personal
achievements and financial powers, thus tonight I am going to
challenge all of us to work together as one to exert all thinkable and
imaginable means to advance the Navasartian Games to boundless
frontiers. Let us all be a source of strength and a great example to
each other.’
Thereafter, Dakessian outlined the qualities of an Exemplary
Homenetmen Member and, soon after, invited this year’s honoree, Maro
Kechichian, to the stage. Kechichian thanked the Homenetmen Regional
Executive for bestowing her with the honor and expressed her
contentment with belonging to an organization such as Homenetmen,
where she has learned much to become a confident, bold, and patriotic
individual. She went on to praise the collective forces that lie at
the essence of the organization, which feeds it strength and leaves no
room for personal gains. Following her heartfelt speech, Kechichian
received a memorable plaque from the Homenetmen Regional Executive.
Soon after, in a much anticipated moment in the evening, the official
transfer of the tricolor ribbon took place from one honorary president
to the current one. As such, the 35th Honorary President George
Jamgochian transferred the ribbon to Mr. & Mrs. Gagik and Madine
Gevorkian. Mr. Gevorkian delivered a warm and touching speech
affirming what an asset Homenetmen is as an organization to the
Armenian people, confidently expressing his pride to be an Armenian
and belonging to a people from which such an organization was
established and continues to grow, inspire, and discipline the younger
generation. Gevorkian gave special mention to the fact that the
realization of what a fundamental role Homenetmen plays for the
Armenia youth is what became the decisive factor for him to accept the
role of Honorary President.
He concluded by encouraging guests to continue their show of support
by attending the Navasartian Games and closing ceremony, all the while
affirming his backing of the organization. Thereafter, he was
presented with memorabilia from Regional Executive Chairperson
Abrahamian.
Officials including Los Angeles City Councilmember Dennis Zine and Los
Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel also appeared before guests with
encouraging words, as did Michael Landver, a long-time friend of
Honorary President Gevorkian.
After the end of the evening’s official program, guests enjoyed music
from DJ Vazken and celebrated late into the evening with enthusiastic
spirit.