Knights of Vartan 100th Anniversary Celebration in Worcester

The Knights of Vartan is a national fraternal organization with 25 local lodges in the United States. The Brotherhood is dedicated to the preservation of the Republic of Armenia and the perpetuation of the cultural and historical traditions of the Armenian people by promoting various social, charitable, and educational functions.

The 30th annual banquet and convention of the Knights of Vartan in Worcester, 1948 — The 30th annual banquet and convention of the Knights of Vartan
in Worcester, 1948

This year both the national Knights of Vartan organization and the local Worcester Chapter, Arshavir Lodge No. 2, are celebrating their 100th anniversaries, the former having been organized into a chapter on May 29, 1916 in Philadelphia, Pa., and the latter on Aug. 28, 1916 in Worcester, Mass.

To commemorate these milestones, Arshavir Lodge is sponsoring an exhibit at the Worcester Public Library for the month of September, tracing the history of their origins and a pictorial overview of major events with photographs and documents. Ten display cases on the Main Floor of the Library will feature the exhibit. In addition, the Opening Ceremony in the Saxe Room on Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. features a City Proclamation from Mayor Joseph Petty, a performance by the Greater Worcester Armenian Chorale (including two selections about the Knights of Vartan), and the showing of “Artsakh: Another Armenian Eden,” a film about an ancient Armenian land also known as Nagorno- Karabagh. A reception with refreshments follows the program.

The exhibit and Opening Ceremony are free and open to the public. For additional information, call (508) 963-2076.