International Armenian Church Youth Organisation - Inagural Assembly
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Under the direction and with the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, an inaugural International Assembly for the Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) will be held from 9 - 15 July 2008 in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
The Inaugural Assembly is a culmination of the planning and preparation by His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, that was started by His Eminence in 2001 during the Youth Pilgrimage to Armenia. His Holiness Karekin II appointed Father Maghakia Amerian, a member of the Brotherhood of Holy Etchmiadzin, as the Coordinator in Armenia for the Assembly.
"The youth have a unique message to all of us. On the one hand, we are obliged to guide them and lead them to a better future, and on the other hand, we are compelled and challenged to keep pace with their wisdom and level of understanding.", stated Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
Archbishop Hovnan has convened numerous planning sessions at different Dioceses of the Armenian Church around the world; Armenia, Europe, Russia, South America, and North America where he met with delegate representatives from youth unions and members of various youth organizations, introducing the goals of the upcoming Assembly.
The purpose of the international ACYO is to unite Armenian youth from around the world, through one global church organization, around the center of their spiritual faith, the Armenian Church and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The international ACYO will provide them with spiritual education and guidance, promoting involvement in the life of the Armenian Church; the ability to establish brotherhood and solidarity world-wide; and the opportunity to learn more of their homeland, jointly working for the benefit of the nation and strengthening of the Armenian Church.
"The Church should have its role and presence in all spheres of life. This responsibility belongs to not only clergymen, but also the laity, and especially, the younger generation… The voices of the youth should be heard in all church institutions, because only by knowing firsthand the challenges facing the nation and the Church, can you contribute to the formation of a healthy spiritual life and find solutions to the problems which face us." His Holiness Karekin II
20 Dioceses of the Armenian Church will be represented by 70 delegates, young men and women chosen by their Dioceses, who will actively participate along with clergy representatives in the first assembly of the ACYO. The assembly will be opened by His Holiness Karekin II who will deliver his Pontifical blessings and message.
The primary purpose of the Assembly is to establish and approve the overall mission of the ACYO and the governing policies and procedures, and to elect a governing board from among the delegates. Charter materials, by-laws, mission statement, and goals and objectives will be determined by the representatives during a series of working sessions. Also discussed will be implementation methods of new chapters, discussion of future purpose and goals of the ACYO headquarters and proposals for future international events.
The headquarters of the new global ACYO will be located in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin which will function with the same objectives under the auspices of the Catholicosate of All Armenians. The governing board of the organization will be an international Central Council. An interim Central Council was appointed in 2006, and their terms will end with the ratification of the members of the first elected Central Council.
The delegates and observers will participate in pilgrimages to historical churches and monasteries throughout Armenia, to better acquaint them with the spiritual, historical and rich cultural heritage of the Armenian nation. They are scheduled to visit Oshakan, Lake Sevan, the fortress and monastery at Amberd and the Memorial to the Armenian Genocide at Tsitsernakaberd.
The first organization to be known as the Armenian Church Youth Organization began in the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America in 1946. This new organization emerged from the foundations of many local junior leagues and clubs which had been formed and were in a status of semi-activity. Bishop Tiran Nersoyan, as Primate of the Diocese of North America, took on the challenge of reorganizing the locally organized church groups.
The culmination of this activity was in the Constitutional Assembly held at Providence, Rhode Island on January 12 and 13, 1946. In this Assembly gathered young Armenian men and women from the many Armenian Church communities throughout the Eastern and Midwestern states of the United States.
The two-day meeting resulted in the framing of the Constitution of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America. The Primate and the Diocesan council of the Diocese of North America ratified the first Constitution in July of 1946.
The idea of an Diocesan-wide youth organization spread and grew in popularity, all the way from the East Coast of the United States to California.
On September 3, 1949, in Fresno, California, under the presidency of Archbishop Vartan Kasparian, Locum Tenens of the California Diocese (now known as the Western Diocese of North America), 24 members of various Armenian Church young peoples' groups met to discuss with representatives of the Diocesan Council, the possibilities of forming a Central Committee and thus closely tying together the parish youth groups within the framework of the Diocese.
The Diocesan Council had prepared a Constitution for this purpose. Members of youth groups representing parishes in the California cities of Fowler, Fresno, Los Angeles, Oakland, Pasadena and Yettem discussed, questioned, and commented about this Constitution. On November 19, 1949, a second meeting took place in Fresno to adopt the ACYO Constitution and to elect a Central Council. The Armenian Church Youth Organization of California (now ACYO Western Diocese) thus emerged from the foundations of local clubs on the parish level.
Following the conclusion of the first international Assembly, the delegates will return to their individual Dioceses to commence the work of starting local parish chapters or report to existing chapters the results of the works of the Assembly. A general meeting of the members of the International Central Council will be convened twice a year with additional regional meetings to be convened on different continents. The headquarters of the new global ACYO will begin the mission of assisting Dioceses with establishing ACYO chapters, networking with all the new and existing chapters throughout the world and carry out the mandates of the Assembly to serve the youth of the Armenian Church.
Source:
http://www.armenianchurch.org/
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