MILTON, Mass.—From August 11 to 17, 2025, Homenetmen Eastern Region U.S. held its 35th Regional Panagoum. This year was special as it was a Rally Panagoum! Chapters from Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New Jersey, Providence and Washington, D.C. competed throughout the week.
Several scouts shared their favorite memories of this year’s panagoum, as they look forward to the years ahead.
Y. Tro Hamakorzian, of Detroit, said: “One of my favorite parts of Panagoum was how, even though it was a rally and every chapter was competing against each other, I still felt completely at home. Being surrounded by Armenians who could all speak the language and share the same scouting spirit made the whole experience so special. I was also really surprised by how well my chapter came together. We worked harder than I expected, supported each other and in the end, we actually won the entire Rally Panagoum! It was such an amazing mix of competition, unity and pride in being part of the Homenetmen family.”
K. Katia Mirachian, also from Detroit, shared: “My favorite part of this year’s Panagoum was how much our chapter grew as a family, but more importantly, the connections we built with other chapters and scouts. Spending seven days with scouts from all over the east coast helps grow a special bond that is incredible and entirely unbreakable. While it was hard being away from home, it was refreshing to see communities coming together to share their love for Homenetmen. Although it was technically a competition, this experience helped hone my scouting skills, such as knot tying, the proper way to use tools and skills I will hopefully use at Jamboree.”
Washington, D.C. chapter getting ready for RE and RSC to come and evaluate their panagavayrs
K. Tiffany Arvestian from Boston, remarked: “Boston Rally Panagoum was incredibly fun and exciting. Reuniting with all my friends from other chapters made the week so eventful and special. Every day was packed with activities like archery, BB gun ranges, ashdarag building and so much more. This was all even more exciting because the chapters were competing against one another. The nightly kharougahantes were some of the best parts, with each chapter performing skits, cheering each other on and going into ganch-offs at every chance to see who was the loudest. By the end of the week, seeing everyone’s ashdarag buildings along with their panagavayrs (campsites) was amazing. Overall, Panagoum truly felt like the best week ever.”
K. Leanna Iskenderian, also from Boston, shared: “My impression and experience at the Regional Panagoum have been great. The competition between participants, their hard work and each chapter’s demonstrated Armenian spirit reminded me once again how important it is to be part of the Homentmen family and to create close connections. I most enjoyed it when our chapter built a tower and waited impatiently to see what other chapters created. I am grateful to this organization because each individual chapter’s participation, whether in Scouts or through sports, helped us further develop and strengthen our roots.
K. Sonia teaching the ari and arenoushes (older group scouts) “Tipi Poran”
Y. Robert Kanaby Jr. from New Jersey, noted: “This past Regional Panagoum in Boston created lifelong memories not only for me but for my friends, as well. My favorite part of this unique experience was building a 15-foot-tall watch tower style ashtarag made out of only wood beams and knots. Building this structure with my fellow ari and arenoushes exemplified the motto of Homenetmen, “Բարձրացիր, Բարձրացուր” (Partsratsir Partsratsour) because without each other’s support and knowledge, this wouldn’t have been possible. I look forward to working together with my kouyrs and yeghpayrs in the future.”
K. Anna Donabedian, also from New Jersey, said: “My favorite part of Regional Panagoum was seeing my kouyrs and yeghpayrs from different chapters. I got to spend time with people whom I don’t see very often and that made panagoum really fun! I also got to learn new things, like how to build an ashdarag (tower) and make sure that it stays up. My leaders made sure that all the scouts were taken care of and they made sure we had a great time! I would 100% go back to panagoum! I already miss it!”
Chapter vs. Chapter competition! Tug-a-war
K. Ani Papazian, from Chicago, shared: “This year’s Regional Panagoum was a different experience for me, but definitely a good one. Coming from a chapter that only had three scouts in a rally panagoum, we were placed with a chapter that I can now call a second home. The Boston chapter took us in with open arms and I’ve never been more grateful to call other kouyrs my actual sisters. Apart from this, I had the best time seeing my close friends from other chapters and being able to prepare ourselves for next summer’s jamboree together!
Y. Alexander Khoja-Eynatyan, also from Chicago, said: “Regional Panagoum was a truly memorable experience. I had the opportunity to connect with my kouyrer and yeghpayrner from across the Eastern Region and create meaningful new experiences together. One of the moments that stood out most to me was seeing the many chapters and their cities proudly represented on daghavar day. I also thought the “rally” theme of this year’s Panagoum worked very well, bringing out the best in each scout and highlighting the strengths of their chapters. I can’t wait to see all my fellow scouts at Jamboree 2026!”
Aramik Alahverdian, from Washington, D.C., said: “I have been a part of Homenetmen scouting for the last 15 years. I have attended many panagoums, but this year’s left a lasting and positive impression on me. As the chapter Khumpabed of Washington D.C., my favorite part of this Rally Regional Panagoum was seeing each chapter eager to build the best ashdarags they could! The first three days were set aside for chapters to prepare their panagavayrs (campsites) and construct an ashdarag. By the end of the first two days, each chapter’s strengths were showing through and I could see how prepared everyone was for creating a great ashdarag. In total, we had six large-scale ashdarags—one for each chapter—and one main ashdarag, built with the help of scouts from all chapters.
However, as the deadline to raise the main ashdarag came, it was not fully ready. I took this as an opportunity to have the D.C. scouts assist the Regional Khmpabeds and other scouts leading the project. My scouts arrived motivated and ready, helping with rope work, knots and final details. Thanks to their efforts, the ashdarag was completed on time.
Aris trying to get the maximum number of points during tent inspection
Although this panagoum was supposed to be a competition, having all the scouts work together on the main ashdarag shows how united we are as the Eastern Region. I am proud of the work we have done and will continue to do at the Pan Homenetmen Jamboree next year. I can confidently say the Eastern Region is ready to make another winning ashdarag, like the one we built in 2023 that won best ashdarag at the Jamboree!
K. Mary Markarian, also from Washington D.C., shared: “This August, I attended the Eastern Region’s 35th Regional Panagoum, a mrtsoom (rally) panagoum filled with unforgettable experiences. While there were many highlights, like Daghavar day and watching each chapter’s unique kharouygs (campfire), my favorite part was showcasing the Washington, D.C. kharouygahantes (campfire program).
Because we were the first performance of the week, our scouts were determined to set the bar high. We all worked so hard to put it together, and even our mistakes during practice sparked better ideas that made the final product stronger. I was especially proud of the ari/arenoushes, whose creativity was shown through new ganches and original skits, which I was happy to help organize into a smooth, cohesive presentation. In the end, our performance reminded me that kharouyg is more than entertainment; it’s a reflection of teamwork, pride and what we can achieve together as a chapter.”
Scouts during the pagman araroghoutyoun (closing ceremony)
K. Nadia Keshijian and K. Sareen Khatchadourian, both from Providence, said: “One of our favorite parts about Regional Panagoum was Daghavar. We loved seeing all the different, unique displays that each chapter had to offer. We also loved learning new and interesting facts about each state. It was cool going around to each Daghavar and trying the new foods that were well-known in each state. Overall, Daghavar was a cool new way to learn about each chapter and should be included in every panagoum in the future!”
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More information, photos and videos from this year’s Panagoum, please visit www.homenetmen.com, or follow on Instagram and Facebook.
The Armenian General Athletic Union and Scouts, known as “Homenetmen,” is a non-profit organization founded over 100 years ago. Believing in the idea that strong bodies lead to strong minds, Homenetmen has provided Armenian youth across the globe with a moral, physical and psychological education outside the school environment, while also demonstrating richness of the Armenian culture and heritage. Today, Homenetmen is a worldwide organization with over 25,000 members on five continents. On the East Coast U.S., Homenetmen is a thriving organization with 12 chapters and over 900 members, governed by the Homenetmen Eastern Regional Executive.
