HOMENETMENT GREAT MIHRAN CHIMCHIRIAN VISITS WESTERN U.S.A. REGION
Thursday, December 19th, 2013
Mihran Chimchirian (right) in Pasadena, California
PASADENA-On November 18, Homenetmen Western United States hosted an
Open Forum and a welcome get together for the visiting Homenetmen
Central Executive Committee Member and Treasurer, Mihran Chimchirian,
at the Pasadena “Azadamard” Chapter.
The forum was open to the media and Homenetmen’s governing bodies in
the Western United States. Present were Homenetmen Central Executive
Committee Member Viggen Davidian, Homenetmen Western United Stated
Regional Executive Committee Members, the region’s chapter executive
committee members, and guests from the Armenian American community.
Mihran Chimchirian’s visit to the Southland coincided with Homenetmen
Western U.S. Region’s preparations to unveil the much anticipated
Strategic Plan. For Mihran Chimchirian – whose many years as an active
Homenetmen member have seen this esteemed organization through its
changes – to be present during this latest installment of change and
progress was a joy for everyone.
At 70, Mihran Chimchrian has been an active Homenetmen member for
many decades. He began his Homenetmen journey at the tender age of
5, and for the past 65 years has not ceased from being a Homenetmen
Member for a single day. That would be a very difficult record to
match. Very few individuals can make the claim that they’ve served
in Homenetmen and have built up the kind of enviably distinguished
record that Mihran Chimchirian has, without missing a heartbeat.
He began his journey as a Homenetmen member at the age of 5 as a cub
scout, and then proceeded to go through all stages of scouting in
Homenetmen. Mihran participated in the 1963 Marathon Jamboree, and has
been in two Arabic Scout Jamborees in Lebanon, in 1971 and 1999. He
was also the Treasurer of the Lebanese Scouts. Mihran Chimchirian has
in the past also participated in three Arab Scout and International
Jamborees and has been in Lebanon’s Scout Federation for 25 years.
These experiences led him to become one of the most prominent
members in Homenetmen’s history and propelled him to serve on various
Homenetmen executive committees.
Chimchirian has served on Chapter Executive Committees, both in Beirut
and in Damascus. From 1983 to 1999 he served as Central Executive
Board Member and Treasurer, and then again from 2007 to the present.
Mihran Chimchirian’s visit to Southern California began on November
5th, when he first arrived here, and departed on November 20th. He
was here partially on personal business, but the Central Executive
decided to take the opportunity to also deliver the first ever
presentation of the Strategic Plan before all executive committee
members of Homenetmen in Western United States. The Strategic Plan
process is led by Homenetmen’s Central Executive and was mandated
originally by the Homenetmen’s Ninth Delegates Congress in 2007and
approved by the Tenth in 2011. The Strategic Plan is to transform
the way Homenetmen functions globally in preparation for its second
century starting in 2018. It will introduce a bevy of incentives for
future Homenetmenagans to join and be part of its history and legacy,
with technology in the driver’s seat to steer the organization into a
much more fruitful and productive one than it already is. A workshop
that took place on Monday, November 11th, is evidence that efforts
are underway to move the plan into the implementation stage, and,
hence, prepare it to fully become functional worldwide in the very
near future.
In closing, Mihran Chimchirian’s visit to Homenetmen’s Western United
States Region in November could not have come at a better time as
it happened to coincide with the 95th Anniversary of Homenetmen’s
founding, which, appropriately, was celebrated with one of Homenetmen’s
greats.