Providence Homenetmen scouts’ effort extends beyond jamboree in Armenia
Eleven Homenetmen scouts from the Providence chapter took part in the 13th Pan-Homenetmen Scouting Jamboree from July 24 to Aug. 2 in Byurakan, Armenia, joining 900 scouts from 23 countries and 26 Homenetmen regions around the world.
Following the jamboree, on Aug. 5, the Providence scouts and their parents visited the Eastern Prelacy-sponsored office of St. Nerses the Great Charitable Organization in Yerevan. Kouyr Hasmik Parsadanyan, a member of the Providence Scout Council, along with her fellow scouts, distributed a backpack and $300 to each of 20 orphans who lost both parents during the Artsakh war. The orphans spoke about their schooling and future plans. Tigran Galstyan, executive director of St. Nerses the Great Charitable Organization, gave a brief overview of the orphan program and the organization’s cultural programs in Armenia.
Yeghpayr Hagop Khatchadourian, a member of the Prelacy’s Executive Council and vice chair of the Providence Homenetmen Executive, gave a brief overview of the Homenetmen organization and the Providence chapter, as well as its fundraising efforts from last year’s Thanksgiving dinner for Armenian orphans. Also introduced were Yeghpayr Mkrtich Arslanian, a member of the Providence Executive and scouting representative; Kouyr Diana Keshijian, a member of the Scout Council; Kouyr Anahid Donoyan, the Providence chapter’s scoutmaster; Yeghpayr Arthur Arslanian, vice scoutmaster; and the remaining scouts in attendance. Khatchadourian thanked Prelacy Executive Director Vartan Matiossian and St. Nerses the Great Executive Director Tigran Galstyan for meeting with the Providence Executive and Scout Council members in advance of the visit and for ensuring the availability of all 20 orphans and their caregivers at the St. Nerses the Great office in Yerevan on Aug. 5. In conclusion, he expressed heartfelt gratitude to all the visitors, especially St. Nerses the Great Charitable Organization for its humanitarian efforts, as well as to the office staff, the orphans present and their caregivers. He emphasized to all of them, “We are with you.”
For the scouts, the visit and their interaction with the orphans and caregivers ended in an atmosphere consistent with their scouting oath: “To serve God and Nation, always be prepared to help others, and to act as a conscientious, brave and noble person.”
