HOMENETMEN’S 27TH KAHAM GAMES CONCLUDE
BY KATIA KARAGEUZIAN

asbarez
Monday, May 16th, 2011

The march of athletes

It might have been an overcast day, but the sun shone in the twinkle
of the eyes and bright smiles of our youth, as their anticipation
mounted at Homenetmen’s 27th Kaham Games Closing Ceremony which took
place on Sunday March 27th, 2011. The competitions in Basketball,
Soccer, Volleyball, Track and Field, and Ping Pong that were well
on their way since November of 2010, culminated in playoff games
that same morning. Athletes from the participating schools gathered
at the Glendale Community College Stengel Field at 4 o’clock in the
afternoon, ready to march with pride as their families and friends
cheered from the packed bleachers.

The schools represented line up on the field

While the Navasartian Games reserve their grandeur in uniting
Homenetmen members in exciting annual sports competitions, the Kaham
games manage to reach out further into our communities by inviting
all Armenian students within the Southern California area to come
forth and participate in sports competitions. The official mission
of Homenetmen is to promote a “healthy mind in a healthy body,”
however, its underlying traditional goal has been to facilitate the
cohesiveness of our communities throughout the world by creating
opportunities for the Armenian youth to gather, compete in sports,
celebrate their heritage and form lifelong bonds. It is in this spirit,
that for the first time in Kaham history, a team of Armenian students
who attend public schools within the Glendale Unified School District
participated in this year’s Homenetmen 27th Kaham Games under the
name of “Homenetmen United”. They were received with loud cheers;
and reinforced in us the commitment to find ways to reach out to all
Armenian students wherever they are, and include them in Homenetmen’s
Kaham Games tournament.

Among the honored guests were Homenetmen Central Executive Committee
Vice-Chairman Koko Balian, and Homenetmen Western Regional Executive
Committee Chairman Garnik Abrahamian. We were also honored by the
attendance of Iran’s “Alik” newspaper previous publisher and community
figure Mr. Albert Adjemian, 35th Navasartian Games Honorary President
Mr. George Jamgotchian, ARF Central Executive Committee members Koko
Topalian and Harout Donoyan, and Reverend Father Ardag Demirjian on
behalf of his Eminence Archbishop Prelate Moushegh Mardirossian. Also
present were the principals and representatives of the participating
Armenian schools, the coaches, supportive teachers, and numerous
Homenetmenagans. The hosts of the event were Nora Tchaparian and Nareg
Medzatchian who thanked all the participating athletes, their parents
and hard working coaches, as well as the Armenian schools on behalf of
Homenetmen’s Western United States Regional Executive Committee. The
hosts articulated in both the Armenian and English languages the
principle goals of the Kaham games as being one of “uniting all the
Armenian students of the region under one flag by creating a healthy
sports tournament for them, in the spirit of friendship, and by
implementing the Homenetmen adage of a “healthy mind in a healthy
body” within the traditional Armenian education system.” They went
on to say that Homenetmen’s mission is to strengthen and uphold the
value of the Armenian home, school and culture by instilling in our
youth the seeds of healthy sportsmanship, leadership and responsible
citizenship with the guidance of Homenetmen’s ageless philosophies.

A young member of the Homenetmen marching band The performance of
the flag ceremony was shared by the Homenetmen scouts of the Pasadena
“Azadamard” and La Crescenta “Shant” chapters.

They were accompanied by the Homenetmen Western Region marching band
under the direction of Vosgan Arissian. The parade of the athletes
representing each school followed next. The participating schools
were Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School, Ari Guiragos Minassian
Armenian School, Armenian Sisters Academy, TCA Arshag Dickranian
Armenian School, A.G.B.U Manougian Demirjian School, Armenian
Mesrobian School, Charlotte & Elise Merdinian Armenian Evangelical
School, Mekhitarist Father’s of Vienna Armenian School, St. Gregory’s
Hovsepian Armenian School, Vahan & Anoush Chamlian Armenian School,
Sahag Mesrob Armenian Christian School, Holy Martyrs Ferrahian
Armenian School, and Homenetmen United Team. Among loud cheers and
endless applause each school team marched holding up their school’s
name as the announcers informed the audience of the school’s history
and accomplishments. As the teams lined up in front of tall banners
bearing the name of their school, Mher Tavitian, the chairman of the
upcoming Navasartian Games organizing committee, congratulated all
the participating teams and their leadership and invited everyone to
the official opening of the Homenetmen 36th Navasartian Games which
will take place at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys on Sunday, May
15 at 11 a.m. Seventeen Homenetmen Chapters will be participating
in the upcoming Navasartian Tournament. An exciting “Victory Ball”
has been scheduled for Saturday, June 25, 2011 in the lot of the CBS
Studios. The much anticipated 36th Navasartian Games and Festival will
take place from Thursday, June 30th to Sunday, July 3rd at Birmingham
High School.

Homenetmen Western United States Regional Executive Committee member
and Western Region Athletic Representative Alec Araradian was invited
to the podium to give his remarks on behalf of the Regional Executive
Committee. In an eloquent speech, he thanked all the athletes, coaches,
and school representatives for participating in Homenetmen’s 27th Kaham
Games. In addition, he thanked the Western United States Regional
Athletic Council for all the hard work they put into organizing the
Kaham Games. He was followed by Sossi Shanlian, principal of Sahag
Mesrob Armenian Christian School, who on behalf of all the other
school principals, commended Homenetmen on its monumental contribution
to the Armenian people, praised the tremendous efforts of the Kaham
Tournament organizing committee members, and thanked the parents for
their support and dedication. Regional Executive Committee member,
Alec Araradian proceeded to present Principal Sossi Shanlian with a
commemorative plaque.

Western Prelate Archbishop Mousegh Mardirossian’s address was given
by Reverend Father Ardag Demirjian, who relayed the Archbishop’s
congratulatory words and blessings at this occasion. Reverend Father
Demirjian went on to say that beautiful events such as the Homenetmen
Kaham Games are a necessity in the prosperity and health of our people,
and they are dependent upon our ongoing spirit of community service
and relentless commitment to our youth who represent our future. We
salute all of our participating students, and congratulate them on
their Homenetmen Kaham wins!