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Washington, D.C. - More than 500 Maaloufs from 67 US cities and 15 states, plus Maaloufs from Lebanon, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Jordan, Australia, Canada, Brazil, India, Honduras and Guatemala gathered in the United States capital for the largest international reunion of the Maalouf family to date at the 24 th annual convention of Maloof International held from July 31 to August 2, 1992 co-chaired by Walid Maalouf of Virginia and Dr. Khalil Malouf of Maryland. The three-day conference was opened on Friday the 31 st with the singing of the national anthems of the United States and Lebanon. At the luncheon the District of Colombia councilman William P. Lightfoot, Esq. Presented the family with a ceremonial resolution citing the contributions of the Maaloufs to the district on humanitarian, cultural and business levels.

On Friday evening a panel discussion about the Ghassani Legacy was organized at the Library of Congress, which was followed by a reception on the top floor of the Madison Building overlooking the nation's capital. The panelists were Dr. George N. Atiyeh, head of the Near East section of the Library of Congress who spoke of the literary figures of the Maalouf family. Dr. Irfan Shahid, Professor at Georgetown University who spoke of the Ghassanids in history, Dr, Khalil Malouf who read a poem sent to the conventioneers by Riad Issa Maalouf of Zahle and George Maalouf the translator of the Maalouf family book to English. Attending the reception with the family the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Lebanese Embassy in Washington His Excellency Massoud Maalouf and former Minister General Edgard Maalouf who came from Switzerland to participate.

Day two began with cultural presentations by the world-renowned woodworker, Sam Maloof of California and Dr. Jorge Malouf of Guatemala who spoke of the Maaloufs in Central America. District of Columbia Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly designated Ms. Stephanie Green to convey her warm welcome to the Maaloufs at the Saturday luncheon. Dr, George Malouf, Sr. of Hyattsville, Maryland who spoke of the universality of the Maaloufs. The peak of the convention activities was the grand banquet at which Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, the Most Reverend William Curlin represented His Eminence James Cardinal Hickey and offered the invocation. His Beatitude Maximos V Hakim, Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Alexandria and Jerusalem who was the keynote speaker at the convention and delivered a message of peace and freedom in our homeland Lebanon and of the unity of the Maalouf family.

As is the convention tradition, two Maaloufs were recognized for their lifetime achievements. Chairman Walid Maalouf presented the 1992 awards to Dr. George Malouf, Sr. of Maryland and Sam Maloof of California. Also attending the banquet was a large number of the Lebanese American community of the greater Washington, DC area.

On Sunday the convention was concluded with a High Mass celebrated by His Beatitude Maximos V Hakim, Cor-Bishop Seely Beggiani, Archimandrite George Haddad, Archimandrite Joseph Frankavilla and Father Joseph Maalouf at Saint Peter and Paul on Capitol Hill. This was followed by a farewell reception where Mr. Walid Maalouf thanked all those who participated and in particular His Beatitude Patriarch Hakim and other dignitaries.