ACYOA looks to build more chapters

A record number of new parishes were established this year, said Greg Andonian, ACYOA Central Council Chair. In the past few years the organization has doubled the number of chapters.

Cities with new chapters were recently created include: Chicago, Evanston, White Plains, Fair Lawn, Manhattan, and Boca Raton. Just last week a chapter was started in Tenafly, NJ.

“We’re just continuing to grow. The momentum is going and going. It is critical that we continue the mission and finish the job,” Andoian said, noting that at least 20 parishes do not have official ACYOA chapters. “You should all here be committed to making sure none of these parishes are listed again next year as not having ACYOA chapters. It is possible. I’m 100 percent sure we can add every single one of these parishes.”

An official chapter requires putting together an elected body of four officers. The forming of a chapter is easy, Andoian said, and is followed by pouring in love and dedication of the youth and adult leadership.

“Somebody’s dropping the ball here. There’s no way some of those parishes do not have ACYOA chapters. Clergy and parish council chairs, we have to take this to heart, because there’s no way this is acceptable,” Diocesan Council Chairman Oscar Tatosian said of the list of parishes without chapters. “This is child neglect. We’re neglecting them.”

Andoian encouraged parish leaders to contact him or ACYOA Executive Secretary Nancy Basmajian, who can be reached via e-mail, for more information on establishing an official chapter.

He noted that many parishes say they have no youth or cannot attract young people, and he encouraged delegates at such parishes to double their efforts.

“If there is an ounce of skepticism, drop it and instead pick up all the faith, hope, and love you have inside of you and project that outwards,” he said. “Each one of you must become examples to the rest of your community and insure that every one of you are making sure that your youth have an organization through which we can give them opportunities to grow and get involved in programs to bring them closer to church.”

He noted acting today to bring the youth into the church is a way of creating the future. “The youth is the absolute, most important thing for the survival of the church,” he said. “If we do not have youth involved in your church, where are we going to go as a church?”

“If there is no youth in a parish, it means the parish is dying and it is very serious,” the Primate said in echoing Andoian’s remarks. “If you need help from the ACYOA or from the Diocese, call us. The ball is in your court, and this is very serious.”

He told delegates that the ACYOA’s programming was very strong. This year ACYOA has had record attendance at its regional conferences and its National Leadership Conference. It’s Armenia Service Program (ASP) trip to Armenia was filled this year and some applicants had to be sent away. The ACYOA is also organizing a special educational pilgrimage to the Holy Land this summer which looks as though it will take a number of young people.

“You should be proud of your youth. You should be very supportive of them,” he said, adding that the ACYOA was recently bolstered by a $25,000 endowment fund donation from Helen Mardigian.

More information on ACYOA can be found on its website: www.acyoa.org.

Posted by Jake at May 5, 2007 09:24 AM