
BEDFORD, Mass.—The Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Middlesex County West “Musa Ler ” Chapter celebrated its third anniversary on Saturday during an annual dance. The event at St. Michael Church included appetizers, a “50-50” raffle, dancing and live music provided by local Armenian youth.
Mistress of Ceremonies, Vana Baghsarian, introduced the chapter’s junior chairman Narineh Gevorkian and senior chairman Araz Dulgarian. They each spoke on behalf of the chapter, highlighting the achievements in the past year, as well as plans for the future. Citing the chapter’s involvement in the local community and in regional events, Gevorkian said that the “achievements are what further create and develop the strong identity within our members and our community.” Dulgarian shared how the chapter is looking to get more involved with the local community, such as hosting an Armenian Genocide commemoration in April. She also touched upon the 2019 AYF Olympics in Chicago, where the chapter received the Most Improved Chapter Award. Garin Bedian, a representative from Central Executive, also shared his remarks, expressing the importance of small Armenian communities, such as the “Musa Ler” Chapter. Sona Gevorkian and Greg Minasian spoke on behalf of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) respectively. They each congratulated the chapter on their successes over the past three years and further explained the relationship between each of these organizations.

The highlight of the evening was the traditional and lively Armenian music provided by Datev Gevorkian on oud, Alek Surenian on dumbek, Tsoline Gevorkian on guitar and Beiyna Chaparian on vocals. Chaparian and Gevorkian also performed a stunning rendition of “Akhpers ou yes,” which they feel embodied the importance of Armenian heritage and culture. “We are celebrating the Armenian spirit by dancing, singing, playing instruments, and being in this band,” said Chaparian. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The evening closed with a final Haleh from the band and parting remarks from the hosts, with a look toward a promising year ahead.
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