With the barbaric acts perpetrated by those in New York, and the Judases in Yerevan, Echmiadzin and Antelias counting their silver coins, while their agents in Nicosia drool in anticipation, like a buzzard watching the fresh carcass it is about to attack, we seem to have missed a most important anniversary this year -- the 15th of February 1924 was the day eight decades ago when the foundation stone was laid for the future Melkonian Establishments at the “Flowerhill” or “dzaghgeplour”.

 Digging through our archives we came across the main address by Mr. Mouchegh Seropian, the man who helped establish the Melkonian orphanage that later became the Melkonian Educational Institute and tried to put it on the right footing, according to the correspondence of that time.

 Reading through his speech one can see only too clearly what the REAL mission of the Melkonian has been and will continue to be, unlike other organisations that have outdated themselves and are falling into decay.

 “Let the buildings of the MELKONIAN ESTABLISHMENTS rise on these hills throughout the centuries in order to give to the nation, to the British Government and to humanity in general gentle Armenians and honest citizens.”

 We ARE these ‘gentle Armenians and honest citizens’ while others are neither gentle nor honest…

 A plaque should be placed at the entrance of the school with this simple-worded, yet immensely significant quotation.

 To set the record straight, the date of the 15th of February is none other than the school’s Fundation Day in 1924. So we should be celebrating its 80th anniversary of establishment and 78th anniversary of operation...