My Camp Haiastan story began in the summer of 1989, during Session II. I was 7 years old, and I went with my older cousin, Talyn.
To understand how completely unprepared I was for camp, you have to understand my very limited 7-year-old concept of going away. There were family vacations to the Wildwoods in New Jersey and, once, to Lake George. At best, I assumed I was going somewhere that looked like a Days Inn.
Boy, was I wrong.
Somehow, I arrived without a sleeping bag and spent those
Or, subscribe now for unlimited access
By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
Already a subscriber?Log in here
This story is FREE for you...
Create a free account to access this and four more articles, and get more sent to you with our e-newsletter.By submitting your email address you agree for Hairenik Association, Inc. to send you communication by email.
What a fabulous article. You couldn’t have captured all of the sentiments with any more clarity. Looking back at my Camp years (mid-1960’s to early 1970’s), I can simply change the names referenced in your writing, and the the piece is literally “mine”!
This past summer, my first Grandson, Sebu, experienced the children’s session and had a great time. I expect next year Matt and Alex also will begin this experience, followed by Aram a couple of years later. This phrase from my Camp days regularly comes to mind when I lovingly reminisce the best years of my youth; “Always remember wherever you are, the spirit of Camp is not very far.”
Thank you for continuing this with a great article!
My wife’s brother attended Camp and the AYF Olympics in the 1980s.
40 years later, the friends he made with the boys and girls there, are still his friends now!
Friends for life!
Nora, a touching and unforgettable description of the camp and how deeply it impacted your life. Through your time at the camp you created life long meaningful friendships and met Jim! Now your children follow in your footsteps. The camp is indeed a magical place for all campers, who cherish the summers spent in Franklin. I had the privilege of serving as the camp director in 1977, an unforgettable summer for me. As Nora notes in her article, it’s not just the camp, but the friends who met at the camp, and have remained close, even after 35 or 45 years. The camp inculcates the Armenian Spirit into all the children who attend. God bless the AYF for creating the camp, and all the camp board members, directors, counselors, Armenian teachers, nurses, cooks and other staff as well as all the campers. It truly is a magical place.
Outstanding article Nora (from Florida)! You capture all that’s great about Camp and the enduring connections and shared memories that make it a magical place across generations. Hoping my kids have the same wonderful experience I did. Looking forward to October!
Bravo Nora and thank you for your beautiful article on our Camp. Your comments on the various camp cycles were so true
Look forward to seeing you next month Under the Trees !!
Harry Kushigian, 1962 Baron