Anything for Hai-Tahd: From Picking up the Trash to Running the Cause of a Nation

BY PATTYL APOSHIAN-KASPARIAN
How broken is Washington? Thanks to the enormous bureaucracy, congressional paralysis, systemic corruption with lobbyists spending billions of dollars every year and disintegrating media–we are left to our own resources at best.
But when our resources include true grassroots, there’s nothing that can stop us from pursuing our Cause.
With 30 days left to the ANC WR Banquet and Conference weekend (after Thanksgiving Day), all hands are on deck.
Two past and two current banquet chairwomen, ANC WR Board Members, Central Committee representative, Editor of Asbarez, Publisher of The California Courier, banquet committee members, interns and employees stuffed more than 1,500 invitations in less than two hours while in meeting mode.  Now, that’s grassroots!
Sitting on the floor labeling invitations, I was overwhelmed with the passion surrounding me.  With a smile and childish tone, I started teasing the professionals stuffing, sealing and labeling banquet invitations with the same zeal and energy as a five year old mailing out birthday invitations.
“Can you believe the things we do for the ANC?” I joked.  “Couldn’t we hire this out?”
I was reminded of an article I read years ago where Jack Lindquist, a Disney executive and legend said, “At Disney, Everyone Picks up Trash! Of course, there are wonderful cast members assigned to emptying trash receptacles and handling sweeper pans. But no cast member, whether a Jungle Cruise skipper or an executive vice president should walk by a leftover napkin, a park map, or an empty water bottle and not pick it up.”
I can’t think of any other organization strong enough and passionate enough to collect the best of the best around its cause and take ownership of any project—from scheduling the extraordinary speakers for the conference to editing the Year in Review Video for the banquet to stuffing envelopes.
If this doesn’t serve as a strong testament to the power of the Armenian National Committee, see for yourself. Reserve your seat now for the conference and annual banquet.
Be a part of the ANC WR Grassroots Weekend and spend your Thanksgiving weekend with your ANCA family.