FOMBELL, Penn. – Over Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of Armenian Youth Federation members gathered for the 50th annual Junior Seminar. The event was held for the first time in-person after three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic at YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee, the same venue from 2019. The event was held virtually in 2020 and 2021. Through a grant awarded by the Armenian Youth Foundation, 62 first-time attendees were sponsored and were able to attend at no cost.
This year’s theme was “Պատանեկան Վերածնունդ” or “Rebirth of Juniors.” This theme was chosen in light of the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic on the AYF Junior organization. The weekend’s lectures focused on what AYF Juniors can do as they progress through their AYF careers to become leaders, motivators, activists and supporters of the Armenian Cause.
On Friday evening, members arrived and settled into their cabins, meeting their cabinmates and counselors from different chapters. In the evening, chapters showed off their creative skills at “Tik Tok Night,” where each chapter presented a dance or skit. The hall was filled with laughter and cheers as chapter members danced, sang and acted out their skits.
On Saturday morning, Juniors woke up for breakfast and headed to the flagpoles for the first flag raising of the weekend. During the opening remarks, the Junior Seminar Council (JSC) thanked everyone for attending and explained the importance and significance of being together in-person once again. The Central Executive also requested a moment of silence for Arden Boyajian, a lifelong South Florida “Arev” member who tragically passed away in April of this year. Although not physically present at the Junior Seminar, the attendees could sense that unger Arden was watching over everyone with eternal excitement and happiness. Rest in Power, unger Arden.
The first of eight lecture slots began Saturday morning, as cabins separated into lecture groups and headed to their respective locations.
This year’s eight topics and lecturers were:
- ANCA – Aram Hamparian, executive director
- Artsakh and the Current State of Hayastan – Garo Madenlian
- AYF Camp Haiastan – Nareh Mkrtschjan
- Fighting Assimilation – Shahan Avedian
- Ov E Tashnagtsagan Badanin (Who is the AYF Junior?) – Yeghisapet Chouldjian
- Panel with the AYF-YOARF Central Executive – Members of the Central Executive
- Song and Dance/Culture – Alex Avaneszadeh and Alek Surenian
- Zartir Lao – Members of the Central Executive
The Juniors were introduced to the power and background of the global Armenian Resistance Movement, while also learning the meaning and importance of the timeless patriotic song “Zartir Lao.” “Learning the meaning of ‘Zartir Lao’ made us all embrace our Armenian identity even more. Being able to sing it together brought us all closer to each other and to our Armenian culture and heritage,” said Aris Givelekian, chair of the New York “Hyortik” Junior chapter. AYF Juniors and Seniors were documented singing “Zartir Lao” in solidarity with the ongoing Resistance movement in Armenia and Artsakh.
Over the weekend, 17-year-old Seniors participated in the Leaders in Training (LIT) program, taking part in their own lectures and meetings, as well as working with Senior counselors and shadowing them in the cabins. This program helps to prepare AYF members for their future responsibilities as a counselor and other leadership roles and opportunities. Part of the LIT schedule included activities and discussions on communication, professionalism and what it takes to be a leader. The LIT program was run by Kenar Charchaflian, an alumna of the Worcester “Aram” Chapter, former Central Executive member, and current executive director of AYF Camp Haiastan. “Learning what it’s like to lead Junior AYF members was an extremely inspiring experience for me as I was able to see first hand the pride and passion that all of the young campers have for our homeland and our cause even after the COVID-19 pandemic and a two year period away from seminar,” said Melanie Simonian, an AYF Providence “Varantian” member.
As was done in 2019, the ARF Central Committee held their monthly meeting at Junior Seminar this year. The Central Committee members were impressed with the topics and focus of the Seminar, as well as the enthusiasm of the AYF Juniors. On Saturday night, the Central Committee had the opportunity to speak with the Senior counselors and LITs, touching upon the current situation in Armenia as well as some reflections on their experiences within the ARF. They fielded questions on why they joined, their best resources to learn more about the organization, and their inspiration as young AYF members.
After a day of lectures, AYF Juniors came together for the Saturday night activity: Amazing Race, which included Armenian “Heads Up,” the Human Knot, Twister, Armenian Obstacle Course, Alphabet Game, Name That Tune, and more. Following the Amazing Race activity, Juniors gathered for a night of fun and dancing to Armenian music for the rest of the night.
On Sunday, Juniors attended the last four lectures and lowered the flags for the last time after dinner. At dinner, the JSC made a surprise announcement about a time capsule. The Juniors were supplied with notecards and pens and wrote messages to the attendees of the 100th annual Junior Seminar, set to take place in 2072. Juniors wrote a variety of inspiring messages on what the AYF means to them, what they think the AYF will be like in 50 years and why it is important to continue to fight for our cause. The time capsule will be buried at Camp Haiastan along with some Polaroid pictures taken by the JSC and a banner displaying the 50th anniversary logo and 2022 Junior Seminar logo, signed by all the attendees.
Before the start of the Sunday night dances, the JSC released a video of messages from the very first JSC, which was formed to organize the first annual Junior Seminar in 1972. Deneb Karentz, Michael Najarian, Stepan Piligian and Michael Varadian delivered an inspiring message to all AYF Juniors to “keep going,” urging them to always continue working for the Armenian Cause as they progress through their AYF careers.
Dressed to impress and ready to dance, the Sunday night dance kicked off to the music ensemble of Alek Surenian on drums, Datev Gevorkian on oud, Armen Surenian on bass, Alex Avaneszadeh on dumbeg and Beiyna Chaparian and Daron Pogharian on vocals. Utilizing the dances taught over the weekend, Avaneszadeh and Surenian led members in the dances taught in their lecture, including the Musa Leran dabki, yarkhushta, and tamzara.
During one of the breaks, the Central Executive announced the winners of the 2022 AYF Camp Haiastan Campership Essay Contest: Haig Adishian (New Jersey), Samuel Mehrabian (Chicago), Sarhad Melkonian (New Jersey), Simon Soghomonian (Washington, DC), Seta Sahagian (New Jersey) and Alex Agabap (New Jersey). Juniors and Seniors laughed and danced through the night and capped off their long weekend by singing Armenian revolutionary songs into the early hours of the morning.
On Monday morning, AYF Juniors and Seniors headed home on their respective buses, physically tired but emotionally energized. The Central Executive hopes that our Juniors continue to “ride the wave” of Junior Seminar that was unfortunately taken away for the past two years. Although COVID-19 affected our AYF-YOARF Juniors the most, the CE is certain that events like Junior Seminar will help boost local chapter engagement and activity, bringing our Juniors back to normalcy.
“Seminar was a great experience for me, and I think the lectures were put together very well,” said Ani Manzo, a member of the Providence “Varantian” Chapter and a first-timer at Junior Seminar. “I learned a lot of new things about where I’m from and Armenia’s current situation. It was especially fun to see all of my friends and counselors from AYF Camp Haiastan.”
Galy Jackmakjian, a senior member of the Washington DC “Ani” Chapter, extends her gratitude to the AYF-YOARF for investing in the future generation. “The most important resource in the Armenian Nation is our youth. This weekend, I watched the 10-year-old campers in my lecture group grow, learn and breathe in the fire of the AYF spirit. Nothing in this world matters more than their knowledge and happiness. Thank you to the AYF-YOARF for preparing our future leaders and for instilling in them values that our youth cannot find anywhere else.”
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A well deserved congratulations to the AYF on such
an important and impactful weekend. The 50th looked like an incredible success. Congratulations!!
As Mal Varadian would say, now from Heaven… “You are leaving it (much) better than it was..!!”
Congratulations AYF!!!
Fraternally,
Michael Sarkis Varadian