BOSTON (A.W.)—In 2010, during the Pan-Homenetmen jamboree in Armenia and for the first time in Homenetmen history, nine members were awarded the Ararat Rank—the highest rank given by the scouting organization. Almost a century after its creation, Homenetmen continues to serve Armenian communities worldwide. For some, the realities that necessitated its formation still stand: While today’s scouts are not orphans who have narrowly escaped the claws of death, the fear of assimilation continues to haunt many in the diaspora—and that’s where Homenetmen, clad in its beige uniform, stands to greet the youth.
Aline Baghdassarian was one of the nine members to receive the Ararat Rank. Currently a board-certified pediatrician in Wilmington, Del., Baghdassarian is the Eastern U.S. regional scout leader—a responsibility she shares with Aram Kayserian.
To receive the Ararat Rank, Baghdassarian submitted a dissertation showing her proficiency in Homenetmen’s general and regional bylaws, and the Ottoman Constitution.
Homenetmen, and especially Homenetmen scouting, played an integral role in Baghdassarian’s development as a leader. Its influences are palpable, she said, even in her professional life as a pediatrician. “Through the experiences, the adventures, and the group life, I learned—in a safe environment—so many skills and behaviors that it would take one [too] many years to maybe appreciate and acquire.”
“Homenetmen scouting prepared me, early on, to become a leader,” she added.
Like Baghdassarian, a scout is expected to benefit society in general, and the Armenian nation in particular. “Ultimately, service to the nation is Homenetmen’s goal,” said Bedig Der Vartanian, chairman of the Executive Committee of Homenetmen Eastern U.S.
“Homenetmen is at once a center, a meeting place, and a place to feel Armenian. Since Diaspora Armenians lack a governing body that works toward preserving the Armenian identity, it remains for organizations such as Homenetmen to take on that task,” he explained.
Today Homenetmen has 1,176 members on the East Coast, 476 of which are scouts. There are 10 chapters. The smallest is in Albany, N.Y., with 25 members; the largest in Boston, with around 300 members, 120-150 of whom are scouts. The activity level “depends on the scout leaders, the volunteers, and how dedicated they are. For example, for years we didn’t have a New York chapter. Suddenly, for about a year now, scouting activities have begun there. The reason was scout leader Hovsep Minassian, an Argentinian Armenian who moved to New York and dedicated his free time to reviving the chapter,” said Der Vartanian.
It was in 1918 that a group of dedicated athletes and activists in Istanbul came together to form the Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, better known as Homenetmen (its Armenian acronym). The idea was floated in 1912-13 by Shavarsh Krisian, the founder and editor of the Armenian language “Marmnamarz,” the oldest sports magazine in the Ottoman Empire. Krisian firmly believed that a healthy mind could only flourish in a healthy body. Although Krisian perished in the Armenian Genocide, his vision was realized by others dedicated to the same cause.
Soon after Homenetmen was formed, its organizers began to gather the orphans of the Armenian Genocide and bring them together under the umbrella of the sports union. Always carried on volunteer shoulders, Homenetmen chapters were organized in the various countries where genocide survivors settled—from Syria and Lebanon to the far-away shores of Australia, Argentina, Canada, and the U.S. Its popularity was due to its efforts to keep the youth together, mindful of their past and proud of their identity.
“Part of Homenetmen’s goal is to encourage kids to be good and moral Armenians, and future leaders. In disciplining the scouts, Homenetmen teaches kids to respect their parents, elders, and leaders. Homenetmen aims to raise exemplary Armenians and citizens,” said Der Vartanian.
Today, Homenetmen has its scouting and athletic branches. According to Der Vartanian, one of the challenges facing the organization is holding on to its college-bound members. “The youth, those who would be ready to lead the younger generations, end up leaving. Often their leave is temporary, until they finish college and embark on a career path. So we lose our members who are between the ages of 18 and 26.” This is a challenge that chapters in the Middle East have recently come to face as well, he said.
During their meetings, scouts learn and play sports and games; do scouting-related work; and listen to short presentations on various topics. Talking about Homenetmen activities on the East Coast, Der Vartanian said, “I would be lying if I said that all of these things were achieved in those two hours. But we get the youth together and try to build bonds, to create a happy atmosphere so that the kids will be excited to return the following week.”
Two seminars are held annually, where national and political issues are discussed, as well as topics relating to the organization. There are also the Pan-Homenetmen jamborees which, have been taking place in Puragan, Armenia, since 1994. Last year, 573 scouts participated in the jamboree. Eighty of the participants came from the East Coast and another 80 from the West Coast. Others came from Canada, Syria, Lebanon, Australia, Jerusalem, and South America, with a total of 18 regions represented.
It was during the 2010 jamboree that the nine members received their Ararat Rank. “The Ararat Rank—the last Rank of Homenetmen scouting—is a rank of leadership,” explained Baghdassarian, who became one of its first recipients, nearly a century after the organization was formed. “Preparing for it at home and going through the discussion and workshop sessions in Puragan facing Mt. Ararat was one of the most inspirational experiences in my life,” she said.
The challenge, according to Der Vartanian, is finding dedicated leaders who—for the love of the organization and its mission—will ensure that the next generations have the same opportunities they had, and that perhaps one day they, too, will pass on the torch.
“Carrying the Araratian medal on my left chest and the neckerchief around my neck is a constant reminder of the promise of Homenetmen to our generations, and my responsibility to play a part to fulfill it,” said Baghdassarian.
Nanore Barsoumian
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