AYF Camp Haiastan season boasts exciting HYE-lights

By Araz Dulgarian & Alec Boyajian, 2022 Head Counselors

The summer of 2022 marks 72 successful AYF Camp Haiastan seasons! During this special year, we will be hosting the highest number of total campers in recent years. Teen Session just hosted almost 110 campers, and Session One is sold out with nearly 150 campers, both returning and new! We are also extremely happy to have welcomed back Day Camp for the first summer since 2019.

Making this summer possible, our staff has its own milestones to share. The overwhelming majority of the staff is made up of AYF members, with the rest excited to join their nearest chapter. Our goal this summer is to enrich this young staff with memories and opportunities to carry them through as they stay active in the Armenian community.

One priority is to provide meaningful lessons and guidance to our campers. The campers are fortunate to experience this year’s Hye Jham and HYETalks lineup. In Hye Jham, formerly known as “Armenian School,” campers report to the recreation hall for a lesson with our three Armenian School teachers on Armenian history, language, current events and activism. Campers learn about the work of the ANCA, opportunities in the AYF and how they can join their local AYF chapter. They hold discussions on what it means to be Armenian and why we still fight for our identity today. There is also time allocated for Song Night, where the campers perform their cabin’s revolutionary song.

Every week, campers participate in HYETalks, a spin-off of TEDTalks. The purpose of HYETalks is to learn about a variety of Armenian topics through engaging activities, including art, dance and more. Last week’s HYETalks featured three different Armenian art stations where campers crafted khachkars out of clay and painted watercolor trchnakirs and portraits of Mt. Ararat on canvas. Station leaders explained the significance and importance of each of these symbols in Armenian history, to ensure our Armenian art and culture is never forgotten.

Counselor Sophia Tarpinian encouraging a camper during Olympics

Incoming campers have many activities to look forward to. Between boating on Uncas Pond, camper versus counselor dodgeball and Olympics, the fun at AYF Camp Haiastan never ends. So far, campers and counselors have all enjoyed camp traditions such as Vartevar, Opposite Day, Detective Game and Song Night. We have even been lucky enough to celebrate several camper and staff birthdays so far, and we’re looking forward to many more.

“One of the most magical moments to experience as a counselor is when the campers start to realize that this is not just a summer camp, and it’s really the foundation of their Armenian identity,” said returning counselor and AYF Washington DC “Ani” Chapter member Nareg Sakayan. The staff consists of a solid core of returning staff paired with a fresh group of first time counselors. Elizabeth Krmzian, a first-time counselor from the Greater Boston “Nejdeh” Chapter shared, “You want to give the children the same amazing experience that you had as a camper and leave them with long lasting memories that they will cherish.”

The 2022 staff is looking forward to the remaining sessions and welcoming returning campers, new faces and future staff members. We hope that the memories and lessons of this summer stay with our youth for generations to come.

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Camp Haiastan

Located in Franklin, Massachusetts, AYF Camp Haiastan, was founded in 1951 and is the oldest Armenian camp in the United States. The Camp prides itself on providing a healthy and safe experience to Armenian-American youth to help them foster their Armenian identity and establish lifelong friendships.