The American Druze Society maintained the timing of its annual conference. Here is the history of these conferences between 1981 and 1985 and their minutes:
1981 Conference in Washington:
The conference was held from June 30 to July 5, 1981. The Society president was Ray Hilal, and Katar Fayad was vice president. Board members were: Salwa Najjar, Dr. Nadim Kassem, Dr. David Najjar, Salim Asrawi, Dr. Raymond Hamdan, Dr. Abdullah Najjar, Mounir Zeineddine, Kamal Shuhaib, and Wajdi Jaber. The conference coordinator was Mounir Zeineddine.
The focus of the 1981 conference in Washington, D.C. was on encouraging young American Druze to participate in the activities of the American Druze Society. Mounir Zeineddine, the conference coordinator, sent an engaging message to the youth, and President Ray Hilal presented in his annual message to the American Druze community the importance of and opportunities for joining the American Druze Society. In his annual message, Ray Hilal emphasized "our great pride and the awareness of our youth" as they learn the principles of the Druze faith and become familiar with their history and heritage.
In 1981, the search for an executive director was completed when the Board of Directors appointed Kathy Jaber Stevenson to this position effective after the 1981 conference. Another important event that began in 1981 was the commencement of research for early historical documents of the American Druze Society by Henry Fleihan and Ajaj Andari.
1982 Conference in Traverse City, Michigan:
The annual conference was held in Michigan, and Emma Saleh was the conference chair. The Society president was Dr. Nadim Kassem and Randy Shaban was vice president. Board members were: Salwa Najjar, Fida Yekzan, Mike Fayad, Samia Fayad, Walid Harb, Wajdi Jaber, Dr. David Najjar, Emma Saleh, and Ray Hilal.
Dr. Nadim Kassem, the National President, continued his efforts to focus on the importance of religious awareness for the youth by announcing that CORA had written the first draft of materials addressing the religious and historical aspects of the Druze faith. The second goal of his administration was to establish a research committee to study and make recommendations regarding the purchase and establishment of centers or homes for our various communities. It is important to note here that the Southern California chapter established a "Housing Committee" chaired by Salim Asrawi, Casey Kasem, Raja Shaar, Ron Hamada, Shawki Abu Hassan, and Akram Masri. The Southern California chapter also appointed Mrs. Laila Masri as chair of the Women's Auxiliary Committee. NBC and David Brinkley highlighted Casey Kasem as the most prominent voice in the television network, and People magazine named him "the most listened-to voice in America."
In 1982, American Druze Society Executive Director Kathy Jaber Stevenson received National Board approval to make the necessary improvements to change "Our Heritage" from a newsletter into a magazine. In his annual address to members, Dr. Nadim Kassem announced that the American Druze Society had established a special decision-making committee to help Druze in need who suffered due to the war in Lebanon. An assistance committee was formed in every state where medicine, clothing, and funds were collected and sent to Lebanon for distribution to those in need.
The chair of the Student Loan Committee, Kamal Shuhaib, announced that two other Druze students were selected to receive college loans, bringing the total number of Druze students awarded loans by the American Druze Society to five.
Dr. Wahba Al-Sayegh and the Religious Affairs Committee completed writing the first part of "Faith of Tawhid," which was published by the American Druze Society. Another significant achievement in 1982 was the amendment of the American Druze Society's bylaws, and the election of officials and board members (nomination, submission of nominations, qualification, proxies, and date and time of election). The 1982 American Druze Society directory was dedicated to the legendary hero, the symbol of courage, dignity, justice, and the hero of independence – Sultan Pasha al-Atrash, the "Lion of the Druze."
1983 Conference in San Antonio, Texas:
The Society president was Dr. Nadim Kassem and Randy Shaban was vice president. Board members were: Salwa Najjar, Fida Yekzan, Evelyn Ibrahim, Mike Fayad, Samia Fayad, Walid Harb, Wajdi Jaber, Ralph Moudad, Dr. David Najjar, Emma Saleh, Mustafa Makarem, and Khaldoun Saleh. The conference coordinator was Ray Hilal.
The 1983 conference in San Antonio, Texas, was held successfully and was remarkable for the participation from all over the world. Mr. Halim Fayad, Governor of South Lebanon, was the keynote speaker at the dinner night. Ray Hilal, the conference coordinator, experimented with holding a conference in a place that does not have a large concentration of Druze. The conference was almost flawless and proved that it was possible.
On January 31, 1983, the National Board of Directors and chapter heads met with representatives from the National Security Council to discuss our concerns regarding our brothers in Lebanon. The Druze delegation was received by Assistant to the President Robert McFarlane and Mr. Geoffrey Kemp. Dr. Nadim Kassem presented the American Druze Society's position paper on the situation in Lebanon and expressed deep concern about the fate of the Druze in Lebanon.
The American Druze Public Affairs Committee (ADPAC) was recently founded, chaired by Mounir Zeineddine and Dr. Raymond Hamdan, and it issued press releases to defend the position of the Druze in Lebanon and educate the American public. From a humanitarian perspective, the American Druze Society's Relief Committee, chaired by Sami Merhi, was able to transfer $50,000 to Druze charities and hospitals in Lebanon. 1,780 pounds of medicine and pharmaceutical supplies were also air-shipped.
1984 Conference in Orlando, Florida:
The 38th Annual Conference of the American Druze Society was held from July 3 to July 7, 1984. The president was Sami Merhi and the vice president was Dr. David Najjar. Board members were: Tammy Fleihan, Evelyn Ibrahim, Dr. Mona Abu Hassan, Shaheen Fares, Bobby Jaber, Mustafa Makarem, Mark Najjar, Nabih Nasr al-Din, Emma Saleh, Dr. Nadim Kassem, and Nadim Abu Saeed. The conference coordinator was Dr. David Najjar.
The 38th annual conference was very enjoyable and was attended by youth. The number of registrants reached 650 people.
The American Druze Society's efforts continued to support and defend our people in their attempts to maintain their existence. President Merhi reported that "the American Druze Society's Relief Committee was able to raise $220,000 in addition to shipping over 3,000 pounds of medical supplies and tons of blankets and clothing." The Relief Committee recognized the efforts made by Mustafa Makarem, Dr. Anis Obeid, Halim Zahr, Jack Abu Hassan, Sam Abu Hassan, Adel Andari, Haseeb Abdullatif, Tawfiq Shami, Raja Aridi, Ramzi Qadi, and all local state coordinators. On behalf of the American Druze Society, President Sami Merhi conducted several television interviews and appeared on C-SPAN, CBS, NBC, ABC, and local channels and newspapers. "In November 1984, the American Druze Society founded Newsline in Washington, D.C. to provide daily news to its members across the country. Mr. Afif Khader from the Permanent Office of Druze Institutes in Lebanon presented the news, and Mr. Ramez Saab directed and broadcast the news bulletins."
In March 1984, Mr. Merhi traveled to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon, where he met with the leaders of those countries to brief them on the American Druze Society's activities and our efforts to help our Lebanese brothers. In Lebanon, Dr. Nadim Kassem presented the American Druze Society Board's recommendations to His Eminence Sheikh Mohammed Abu Shaqra to appoint additional representatives to perform religious rites in various geographical locations. They were: Walid Farhat - Connecticut, Riad Abi Faqr - New York, Dr. Ghaleb Maher - Massachusetts, Aref Hatoum - Florida, and Sami Merhi - New Jersey.
After nearly four years of hard work and high professionalism, Kathy Jaber Stevenson submitted her resignation as Executive Director of the American Druze Society and editor of the newsletter on March 1, 1984.
1985 Conference in Los Angeles, California:
The 39th annual conference of the American Druze Society was held in Los Angeles, California from June 27 to July 1, 1985. The president was Sami Merhi and Dr. David Najjar was vice president. Board members were: Tammy Fleihan, Evelyn Ibrahim, Dr. Mona Abu Hassan, Shaheen Fares, Bobby Jaber, Mustafa Makarem, Mark Najjar, Nabih Nasr al-Din, Emma Saleh, Dr. Nadim Kassem, and Nadim Abu Saeed. The conference coordinator was Dr. David Najjar.
It was noted that public transportation in Los Angeles is one of the biggest challenges in organizing the conference. Reception ceremonies began on Thursday at the Cera Hotel, which was the main center for the conference. Over the four days, general sessions, breakout discussions, presentations, and entertainment events were held in a variety of locations, including the Convention Center, the Cera Hotel, and the Society Sheraton Hotel in Alhambra. The Kids Los Angeles Hospital was toured on Friday, having been designed to provide care for sick children.
The Subcommittee on Economic Affairs, chaired by John Ibrahim and Wajdi Jaber, the American Druze Society's Relief Committee chaired by Sami Merhi, and the Cultural Affairs Committee chaired by Salwa Najjar issued a detailed report on the activities of these committees and the Society's activities over the 1984 fiscal year. The American Druze Society received official recognition as a non-profit organization through the Federal Election Commission (FEC) granting the American Druze Society 501(c)(4) tax recognition.
Regarding "Al-Duruz" magazine, editor John Ibrahim increased the size of the magazine from 48 pages previously to 68 pages in this issue, and it began appearing six times a year instead of five. Dr. Nadim Kassem completed the third edition of "Faith of Tawhid," and the main axes of this edition were the principles of Tawhid and the most important acts of worship, traditions, and religious laws.
These are the most prominent events and activities that took place during the 1981-1985 period for the American Druze Society. This period was characterized by continuous efforts to support the Druze in Lebanon and enhance religious and cultural awareness among Druze youth in the United States.
