Homenetmen - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Homenetmen is a pan-Armenian diaspora

Armenian diaspora

The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

organization devoted to sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

and Scouting

Scouting

Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....

. The motto of Homenetmen is "Elevate Yourself and Elevate Others with You" .

Foundation

Homenetmen was founded in 1918 in Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

by Shavarsh Krisian, Hovhannes Hintliyan

Hovhannes Hintliyan

Hovhannes Hintliyan was an Armenian teacher, pedagogue, publisher, and educator...

, and Krikor Hagopian. The first Homenetmen Executive Committee was formed on December 16, 1918. Four Homenetmen chapters were soon opened in various Constantinople neighborhoods.

On July 20, 1920, the founding members of Homenetmen were officially invited to the independent Democratic Republic of Armenia

Democratic Republic of Armenia

The Democratic Republic of Armenia was the first modern establishment of an Armenian state...

to share expertise regarding athleticism and Scouting with the Republic's government. The Homenetmen Executive Committee sent Vahan Cheraz, Dikran Khoyan, and Onig Yazmajian to the meeting. Although initially successful in their efforts to spread Homenetmen’s athletic and Scouting movement within Armenia, Homenetmen later was banned from Armenia after change of regime and the establishment of Armenian SSR

Armenian SSR

The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet...

in 1921. In 1922, the Homenetmen chapters in Constantinople were forced to close their doors, with the organization's leaders dispersing throughout the world.

Expansion

Homenetmen has established various chapters in the Armenian diaspora

Armenian diaspora

The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...

including in many cities in the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

Activities

Almost all chapters established have activities in Scouting and sport

Sport

s. The mission of Homenetmen is to prepare physically strong Armenians and exemplary citizens with the highest intellectual and spiritual virtues:

By teaching endurance and courage, nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...

and patriotism
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...

, obedience to the law and orderliness.
By developing awareness of duty, feelings of responsibility and honour, in a spirit of harmony and cooperation.
By satiating the mind and heart with the noblest of sporting spirit.

Homenetmen's objectives are realized by Scouting, general physical education and sports, lectures, seminars and public activities, publications, clubs, gym

Gym

The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...

nasia and sports facilities.

Homenetmen Scouts

The biggest number of adherents to Homenetmen are the Scouts, male and female. Most of the Homenetmen Scout groups are also integrated in the national Scout or Guide organizations of their host countries. In many chapters, there is also a section for music bands.

Homenetmen sports

Homenetmen chapters throughout the world also have well-developed sports activities and programs, with various levels including professional sportsmen and in certain cases, with an active participation in local official championships (particularly in Middle Eastern countries, most notably Lebanon and Syria).

Main sports included within the various Homenetmen programs include:

association football
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
track and fields athletics
cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...

and others

Although not officially admitted, Homenetmen is widely considered to be affiliated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation

Armenian Revolutionary Federation

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation is an Armenian political party founded in Tiflis in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian...

(ARF) and is generally considered the sports and Scouting wing of the party in the Armenian diaspora.

Media

Homenetmen has been a pioneer in developing sports publications in the Armenian diaspora. It has its own monthly magazine Marzig published in Beirut

Beirut

Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...

, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, but covering the pan-Armenian worldwide activities of the organization.