A.R.S. News & Events
‘We Are Very Nimble, Therefore Very Effective’
An Interview with ARS Eastern USA Chairperson Muriel Parseghian
By Khatchig Mouradian
Muriel Parseghian has been a member of the ARS Lowell Lusintak Chapter for over 25 years. She is currently serving her third stint as chairperson of the ARS Eastern USA. (One was in the early 1990s and the other was six years ago. She is now in the final two years of the current term.) “We have term limits, which is great because you cannot continue to serve at the high level that the position demands, and because, more importantly, it gives a wide range of individuals an opportunity to lead,” she says. “I have served on the Board with dozens of different members. And I learned and continue to learn from each and everyone one of them,” she adds.
I spoke to her on July 22 about the challenges facing the organization that she has served for a quarter of a century, and the work that is being done by the ARS Eastern USA.
Khatchig Mouradian—Anniversaries are a time for celebrating and recognizing past accomplishments. They are also an opportunity to evaluate the work done and, if need be, chart a new course. On the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the ARS, what are the challenges facing the organization and what suggestions do you have for adapting to the challenges and changes in today’s world?
Muriel Parseghian—The challenges are many but there are two major issues facing the organization here in the United States as we approach our 100th anniversary. One issue is external and the other is internal.
The first one has to do with American society. Most ARS members no longer live in neighborhoods or cities that have high concentrations of Armenians. We are dispersed throughout the Eastern U.S. Most members do not even see each other until their monthly meeting. That was not the case a decade ago. Furthermore, our members are women who for the most part have a job or careers, and are raising a family and are responsible for the welfare of their parents. They essentially have three jobs. The time and effort they can put into a volunteer organization is limited. Therefore, what they cannot do with quantity, they now need to compensate with quality. We need to learn to use our time and effort in a more intelligent manner.
The second issue facing our organization is not unique to the ARS. We have three generations of women active in the ARS. Each represents a different mindset, a different cultural perspective.
It is a challenge to make sure that all voices are heard and a consensus is built around those varying points of view.
K.M.—You cite two major challenges to the organization. How is it trying to adapt to these challenges?
M.P.—We use technology to communicate. The internet has been an invaluable partner to help us get the word out among our members. Within a few minutes we can get the word out to the majority of our members. Also, members have become specialists. In the past, everyone did a bit of everything. We have members now focusing on one or two projects, from the inception to its conclusion, thus eliminating the need for the larger group to be involved. We need to do a better job at adjusting to these new realities. But we have recognized the challenge and have begun to implement some solutions to the problem. We still have a long way to go.
As for the second challenge, the various mind-set within a chapter, we, the leadership, encourage chapters to flourish within their own environment. By that I mean that we do not have a cookie-cutter approach to how a chapter should function. They have to follow the rules and regulations of our organization and follow our Constitution, but within those parameters they are free to focus on the activities that their chapter membership sees as part of the ARS mission. There is some flexibility.
K.M.—What initiatives are being taken in preparation of the 100th anniversary by the ARS in general, and the ARS Eastern USA in particular?
M.P.—The ARS Central Executive has launched a major campaign to establish a $5 million endowment fund for the ARS. Additionally, a 100th anniversary of the history of the ARS is being written and will be published on the occasion.
Here in the Eastern USA, we have a very active committee, which is not only concentrating on raisings funds but also on celebrating 100 years of service to the Armenian community.
We have already had a number of successful fundraising efforts, including a silent auction in Detroit last fall, and the successful tour of Pierre Shammasian theater troupe in Washington, Watertown and New Jersey. But there are a number of other events currently in the planning stage that we will soon be announcing. All of our 33 chapters are committed to making this campaign a successful one.
We also have a number of prominent members of the community, ARS and non-ARS members, who have graciously agreed to serve on this region-wide committee, including long-time Armenian Weekly columnist Tom Vartabedian. We will soon be announcing some of these activities as we begin to implement them.
K.M.—Can you provide more details about the initiatives of the ARS Eastern USA in the context of the ARS Endowment Fund?
M.P.—The fundraising effort is being conducted on a number of levels. On the local level, chapters are directed to devote at least one significant event to fundraise for this effort. On the regional level, we have tentative plans for a golf outing in Florida or perhaps Virginia; a commemorative book, called “A Century of Memories,” which will chronicle the ARS in the Eastern USA and honor the memory of our past members and the fundraising will culminate in a gala dinner dance in 2010.
Of course, many of our benefactors and supporters who have generously donated to previous fundraising efforts have already indicated they will participate. We are also relying on the thousand of scholarship winners and Youth Educational Program students who benefited from the programs the ARS offered and are now in a position to financially acknowledge their gratitude.
K.M.—There are currently many organizations in the Armenian-American community that providing humanitarian, educational, social and medical assistance to Armenia and Armenian communities in need of such assistance. Do you think these organizations need to cooperate or coordinate their work, especially in Armenia? Any suggestions regarding this issue?
M.P.—My answer may be a bit controversial, but it is no. I do not think these organizations have an obligation to their membership, to their benefactors or to the Armenian people to coordinate and cooperate. They need to be effective and productive—that is their major obligation. If they cannot do that, then their mission will fail and the viability of such an organization will be limited.
Having said that, sometimes it is more effective if they do coordinate. But that would have to be on a project-by-project basis. I am sure there is duplication of effort, but that reality is not limited to the humanitarian efforts in Armenia. Here in Massachusetts, we have dozens of non-profit who provide the same service but they all approach their mission from a different angle. The same thing can be said of what is happening in Armenia.
K.M.—Talk about the challenge of recruiting young members. How can we make involvement in organizations like the ARS appealing to the youth?
M.P.—We have some built-in advantages.They are called mothers, grandmothers, aunts and mother-in-laws. We are a very welcoming organization. Most of our meetings are conducted in English, and the appeal of volunteerism mixed with an all-women organization has a strong appeal to our younger members. Where we are not so successful is having them take on leadership positions.
K.M.—Talk about the main accomplishments of the ARS Eastern USA in the past decade.
M.P.—By far it is the amount of funds we have raised and distributed here in the United States and in Armenia, Artsakh and Javakhk. Just this past year, the ARS and its 33 chapters donated over $250,000 to schools for education, humanitarian relief and cultural programs. This is repeated year after year. The vast network that we have is highly efficient in raising and distributing funds.
Let me give you two examples of recent years:
Last July as we were finishing our Regional Convention, the conflict in Lebanon broke out. As you know, the Armenian community in that country had to provide medical aid and shelter to their countrymen who were fleeing their bombed out homes. After the plea for assistance came, within a matter of hours we had raised $5,000 through our chapters and were able to transfer the funds immediately. Within a few weeks, our total had reached $30,000.
The other example is when Hurricane Katrina took place. I received a phone call from a representative of the Armenian church in Louisiana. Although the majority of the Armenian residents of New Orleans were safe, staying with friends and relatives, they had no access to their funds. As the U.S. government was working out the details of the assistance, we were able—through the efforts of our chapters—to send these families some funds to sustain themselves until the official bureaucracy came to their assistance.
We are very nimble, therefore very effective.
K.M.—How were you introduced to the ARS?
M.P.—I came to the ARS the same way a lot of others have, through my mother and the AYF. The ARS has hundreds of AYF alumnae in its ranks, many in leadership positions. What I like about the ARS is that it is goal oriented. We decide what we want to achieve, layout the plan, execute it and then evaluate the impact. Granted, our plans may not be as lofty as some other organizations, but a lot of small steps lead to a few giant leaps.
Also, I love the fact that the ARS is a grassroots, volunteer, predominantly woman’s organization that crosses generational, economic, social and educational boundaries. It is a very large and welcoming tent. I always feel as if I am learning and teaching at the same time.
K.M.—How should people who are reading this interview proceed if they want to get involved in one way or another with the work the ARS is doing? Who should they contact about membership or to give donations?
M.P.—The best way is to contact our office by phone, at (617) 926-3801, or by e-mail to: arseastus@aol.com or office@arseastusa.org.
We have a full-time executive secretary, Vartouhie Chiloyan, who can answer any question. We can then have their local chapter contact them if they are interested in joining or participating in local activities.
We welcome all donations of course. We receive both general donations and those earmarked for particular projects. We are a 501(c), non-profit registered organization in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
And I and the other Board members are always available to discuss the ARS programs.
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