Providence “Varantian” AYF alumni gather to share memories

On Sunday, October 19, following church services, a roundtable discussion was held to record the history and special stories of a group of AYF Providence alumni.

From the beginning, Providence has always focused on the AYF Olympics. While much of the discussion centered on those memories, other aspects of the organization were also discussed, including AYF conventions, chapter meetings and Camp Haiastan.

Ken Topalian, a coach of the Providence AYF Olympics team, organized the meeting; however, Topalian remained ill at home, so Steve Elmasian, another coach, served as moderator. Alexan Topalian, a former chapter president, recorded this historical event.

Varoujan Karentz spoke fondly of memories of Karekin Nejdeh, the founder of the AYF in America, relaying how Nejdeh had stayed at their family home whenever he came to town. Diana Varadian, Karentz’s niece, added to his story, recalling special memories shared by her mother, Anahid.

When the AYF Olympics started, athletes originally stayed in homes in the host city. Times have certainly changed, as the hotels are now sold out months in advance to accommodate all participants.

The church library was full, with everyone eager to share. For close to two hours, stories and memories were recounted by Karentz, who is 97 years old, as well as Archie Markarian, Harry Kushigian, Richard Varadian, Michael Varadian, Shooshy DerManuelian Aghjayan, Mark Haroian and Stepan Kanarian. Sylvia Simonian also stopped by, but was unable to stay for the entire gathering. Others were invited but had prior obligations.

A video was filmed to archive the gathering, which will be edited and shared with current Providence AYF Juniors and Seniors. We felt the time was right to capture these stories. The day exceeded our expectations. There were far more stories to share than time allowed, and everyone was eager to contribute. There could have easily been two more hours of conversation and sharing!

Constant and consistent praise was given to community members who helped lay the foundation for the organization, including Melkon “Mal” Varadian, John “Jay” Varadian, Haig “Hikey” Varadian, Eddie “Eddy Ap” Aprahamian, Margaret “Madge” Stepanian, Peter ”Doc” Bedrosian, Paul Haroian Sr., Antranig “Anto” Avakian and Kacheg “Jimmy”/“Furcha” Topalian.

In those earlier days, members would walk to the church on Friday nights for meetings. Summer practices were held daily at Roger Williams Park, later moving to Hope High School. The emphasis was on competing to the best of one’s ability, stressing that thirds and fourths could put the team over the top. Athletes were sometimes asked to compete in events outside their comfort zones, as the team always came before the individual. Elmasian noted that these principles remain intact after nine decades.

Mark Haroian expressed particular pride in his father, Paul Sr., and all those who prioritized the AYF community. The basketball and softball teams at the church were made up of the same groups of kids, and leadership in coaching and commitment was consistently passed down.

Many alumni reflected on how the AYF shaped their lives. After the event, Stepan Kanarian said, “The room was full of kings and queens and their family members.” Outside of the AYF, many guests went on to serve as leaders in their professional lives and on boards of Armenian and non-Armenian organizations.

Shooshy Aghjayan, a charter AYF Junior member, recalled going away to the Olympics for the first time and her parents’ initial concerns until they learned Mal Varadian would accompany her. Maro Dionisopoulos shared a similar story about attending her first Olympics in Philadelphia many years ago. She recalled being sworn in as the first Junior in the church’s upstairs hall on stage. She said that since Mal was such an influence in getting the Juniors started, she believed he must have been the person who administered their oaths.

Haroian shared this gem with us: “Armand Kibarian and I were sworn in as 10-year-old Juniors by Sylvia and Margret just before taking the field to compete in the Olympics.” Not much has changed. Today, any Junior who wants to compete can join right in the field before the games begin.

Important contributions from our alumni:

• “Doc” Bedrosian was the person who introduced swimming to the weekend’s activities in 1957.
• Kacheg Topalian, with the help of dressmakers Lucy and Marian Tavanian, helped secure the massive Armenian flag displayed behind the band at the dance hall.
• It was the women who insisted that the games continue during the war years. Maro “Mary” Varadian Kachadoorian, chapter president, led that charge.
• Stepan Kanarian shared a story of how Kacheg Topalian stopped on the side of the road and picked up a “black cannon ball,” known as a smudge/construction pot with a flame on it. It was used at road worksites on a ride back from Springfield, but Topalian turned it into the first AYF Olympics torch.
• Mal Varadian was recognized as part of the founding group of AYF Juniors, alongside Sosy Krikorian Kadian (New Jersey), K. Merton Bozoian (Brockton) and Richard Sarajian (New Jersey) — visionaries, always looking to the future. 
• Haig Varadian was the driving force behind the creation of the Governing Body.
• Karentz remembered a trip to Detroit in a four-passenger car with eight people on board. 

Other chapters like Boston, Detroit and New Jersey have much larger communities than Providence. Yet, we still knock on doors and recruit kids like they did back in the day. It’s a little tougher now, with so many other things going on in young people’s lives, but it remains part of the program.

The Providence “Varantians” hold 41 titles and seven retired cups over the 91-year history of the Olympics, as well as 17 softball titles in the 41 years the event has taken place. 

We still scratch and claw for every possible point. Our motto is “Every Point Matters,” coined by another coach, Bob Tutunjian, whose son and daughters were members of our team. The importance of the motto was most evident in 2021, the COVID year, when our community was asked to step up with just four months’ notice to host the games. Despite challenges and short notice, we did it in fine Providence fashion. The results came down to the last relay of the day that year, when Boston, Detroit and Providence were all within reach of first place. Providence and Boston tied for first, the first time it had ever happened. Six members earned one point each, and every point mattered.

Harry Kushigian spoke of the genesis of “Hey Jon” as the Providence chapter song. The Gomidas band from Philadelphia would always play this for the Providence crowd, and the rest is history. There is nothing like taking to the floor when “Hey Jon” is played at the Grand Ball on Sunday night, as everyone dances and sings.

As usual, he was right. This organization offers young Juniors the opportunity to learn and lead from an early age. They have advisors, and the Providence ARF has formed a youth committee to provide support when needed, but the youngsters largely run their own show. They may not realize it now, but they are learning lessons that can’t be found in a book.

They follow parliamentary procedure and gather every Friday night in the Peter “Doc” Bedrosian Youth Room at the church, just as they did 70 years ago. The organization’s current focus remains on the Juniors. As Mal Varadian always said, “Show me a strong Junior chapter and the future is all set.”

Kanarian spoke about Maro Garabedian Dionisopoulos and Margaret Stepanian practicing the shot put in their room and tossing it through the wall at the Holiday Inn back in 1969 in Providence. Stepanian had been “asked” to be the fourth person in the pool relays. Even if she didn’t think she could do it, she did, and the chapter took fourth place. Again, every point mattered.

John Varadian once said, “For any organization to reach 100 years, they have to be doing something right.” The 92nd AYF-YOARF Olympics will be held in New Jersey next year, followed by Chicago the year after. Even after all these years, the number of athletes and attendees keeps increasing. Close to 900 people attended the softball tournament in Boston this year, with 13 teams traveling from as far away as Los Angeles.

Back in 1972, Michael Varadian, just 21, took on the assignment of chartering a plane to Los Angeles for the AYF Olympics so that New Englanders could attend. His dad, Mal, was all in, encouraging his son to get the job done. His mom, Zabelle, having seen the $30,000 bill in Michael’s name, thought otherwise — it would not be proper to put down her comments in written form. 

Mike needed to get 165 passengers to fill the plane, and with three weeks to go, only 70 had signed up. But well after the deadline, 215 registered, so he had to contact another airline to add 50 extra seats. It should be noted that Moses “Joe Naji” Najarian had backed that trip, should Mike not be able to get the numbers. The community came together with a fundraiser held at Sullivan Steak House on North Main Street to help defray some of the costs.

Recently, at the Friday night Junior meetups, the following took place:

• Raffi Rachdouni, former Providence AYF chair, taught the Juniors “Hey Jon.”
• Nareg Mkrtschjan, former chapter president and chairman of the Central Executive, taught the kids the song “Sardarabad,” along with its history.

The Youth Room now proudly displays three new banners: two listing all the years the Providence AYF won the Olympics and one listing the softball titles, recently updated to mark the chapter’s fourth consecutive tournament win.

To the best of our knowledge, we are the only chapter that hosts a pep rally with dinner, complete with all the fixings prepared by Senior members. This year, close to 100 guests attended.

For the past handful of years, thanks to an idea from Ken Topalian, the Saturday night team dinner at the Olympics has become a cornerstone of the long weekend. We gather at a nearby restaurant and make memories, with everyone invited to share a few words about their AYF experience. It’s a bonding opportunity for teammates, from the rookies to those competing for the last time, as we prepare for the final events the following day.

The chapter has also held its annual VBall (Varantian Ball, Victory Ball) since the late 1930s. It remains a beloved midwinter tradition, eagerly attended by alumni, members and families.

Two Friday nights ago, the Providence AYF Seniors took the Juniors to the Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at, of all places, Roger Williams Park.

On behalf of the current coaches — Paulie Haroian, Paul Kassabian, Nareg Mkrtschjan, Ken Topalian and myself — there is a reason why we all do this. We feel blessed to work with members who give all they have, who are willing to learn, who listen, show respect and do whatever is asked of them.

The formula remains the same: practice hard, do your best and cheer on your teammates, be a good member and remember that when you take to the fields of play, you are representing this great place called Providence — do so with pride.