Association of Armenian Scouts
Encyclopedia
The Association of Armenian Scouts (Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

: Haï Ari, alternately Association des Scouts Armeniens) was the Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

n Scouting in Exile
Scouts-in-Exile
Scouts-in-Exteris, also referred to as Scouts-in-Exile, are Scouting and Guiding groups formed outside of their native country as a result of war and changes in governments...

 movement recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...

. In 1929 the Association of Armenian Scouts, centered in Paris, was given recognition as a member of the International Conference. Haï Ari (in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 Association des Scouts Armeniens, in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 Association of Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....

 Scouts) was a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1928 to 1997. The organization was recognized in exile, with headquarters and approximately 1,100 members in France.

History

Scouting in Armenia
Scouting in Armenia
The Scout and Guide movement in Armenia is served by* Hayastani Azgayin Skautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun, member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement...

 was founded in 1912, then later developed abroad among the refugees
Armenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

 who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...

 and among those that had fled the new communist occupation of their lands, at which point Scouting ceased to exist in Armenia.

Dr. Kourkène Medzadourian
Kourkène Medzadourian
Kourkène Medzadourian was the founder of the Haï Ari association of Armenian Scouts-in-Exile, based in France.Scouting in Armenia was founded in 1912, then later developed abroad among the refugees who had survived the genocide of 1915-1916 and among those that had fled the new communist...

, Chief Scout of Armenia, moved to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, where troops of Armenian Scouts were established in large cities.

In 1929, World Scouting recognized the association of Armenian Scouts Haï Ari, based in France. While the Association did not have its own territorial base, it was the exception to the rule, remaining a member of the World Organization and the European Scout Region.

In April 1939, J. S. Wilson paid a visit in Paris for the tenth anniversary of the recognition of the Association of Armenian Scouts.

At its meeting in 1945, the International Committee considered the standing of the two non-territorial NSO
NSO
NSO or Nso may refer to:* Non-Skating Official: an offskate position in modern roller derby* Netherlands Space Office* National Statistics Office* National Safeman's Organization: a U.S.A.-based organization of professional safecrackers...

s, the Association des Scouts Armeniens and the Association Nationale des Scouts Russes. It was proved that the Armenian organization was very much alive, and that it had members in various countries, some of whom could not be recognized as Scouts without the existence of the Armenian organization. The same did not appear to be the case with the Russian Scouts, whose membership had dwindled and seemed to be confined to DP camps. The Committee felt that the continued registration of the Association Nationale des Scouts Russes was not justified. The policy adopted in 1947 and reaffirmed in 1949 remained as it was until 1957, when the Committee decided to reconsider the whole question of policy in view of changed conditions.
In 1994, Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun
Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun
Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun is the primary national Scouting organization of Armenia, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1997...

 (HASK - the Armenian National Scout Movement) was born. The French-based Association of Armenian Scouts expressed its desire to withdraw from membership in order to allow Scouting in Armenia to become a member of the World Organization, and ceased to exist as a member of the World Organization. Membership in the World Organization passed to Hayastani Azgayin Scautakan Sharjum Kazmakerputiun on April 18, 1997.

The organization was disbanded on January 9, 1998.

Ideals

The Scout Motto is Միշտ պատրաստ, Misht Badrast, Always Ready in Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...

.

The Scout emblem incorporated the national colors as well as Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...

, also an element of the coat of arms of Armenia
Coat of arms of Armenia
The national coat of arms of Armenia consists of an eagle and a lion supporting a shield. The coat of arms combines new and old symbols...

.

Further reading

  • Scouting Round the World, John S. Wilson, first edition, Blandford Press 1959 p. 62 105 154.
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