ACYOA     

Mission:  To provide an environment of education, community, and camaraderie for teenagers through young adults, all within the context of the Armenian culture.  Involvement with church and social functions provides a feeling of meaning and satisfaction to the participants. 

Membership Requirements: Juniors: ages 13-17    Seniors: college students ages 18-21 and young professionals ages 22-30

Meeting Time: Juniors: Sunday afternoon after church, as scheduled, in Adamian Hall. Seniors: 

Contact:  See below
*If you wish to be added to the ACYOA "Juniors" or "Seniors" mailing list, please contact Yn. Arpi Kouzouian by email or telephone the church office.

The Emblem of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of American and Its Symbolic Meaning

The emblem of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America, adopted at its inception, is to be interpreted as follows: The radiations from the center of the cross symbolize the truths of the Christian religion that shine forth through the centuries. The symbols under the horizontal bar of the cross are:

(a) (right-hand side)  The double peaks of Mount Ararat, representing the Armenian people and its destiny.  Ararat has been the silent witness of the victories as well as the defeats of the Armenians through their existence as a people and a nation.  Its representation on the A.C.Y.O.A. emblem means that the members of the Organization make the pledge of standing for the ideals for which the Armenian nation has always stood. 

(b) (left-hand side)  The United States eagle with its wings wide-spread and star above each wing.  The eagle looks proudly into far distances and holds, as usual, a batch of arrows.  The eagle represents the United States.  Its presence on the A.C.Y.O.A. emblem symbolizes the loyalty of the members of the A.C.Y.O.A. to the Constitution of the United States and to its principles of democracy and freedom.

The chain that encircles the cross on the emblem represents solidarity among the members of the A.C.Y.O.A. in their service to God and to people. These symbols are designed on a shield which stands for the determination with which the objects of the A.C.Y.O.A. are to be carried out.  The shield also stands for defense against dangerous encroachments. It will be noted that the dominating feature of the emblem is the cross.  This indicates the fact that Christ is our Lord and that to Him we owe obedience above all. 

A Brief History of the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America 

  When the Armenian Church took roots in America back in the early twentieth century, there was little need of youth groups within the Church. However, as the number of young people increased in the various parishes, a spontaneous formation of youth groups took place but with no organizational plan in mind.  Some parishes had a youth group within the Church and others did not feel the need of such a group since the work of the Church was primarily about the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.  As the scope of the work of the Church increased, the leaders within the Church saw the necessity of a youth organization in order to hold the young people to the Armenian Church and thus not allow them to drift to other churches by default.  The attraction of other church youth groups drew many of the Armenian youth away from their centuries-old Church.  In the early nineteen forties, the need for a national Church Youth Organization became imperative and one of our great Church leaders, His Eminence Archbishop Garegin Hovsepian, the Primate in America, took the first steps for the formation of such an organization.  However, World War II interrupted this noble work and most of the local youth groups were dissolved.  Young people went into the service of the United States and served heroically for the cause of their beloved United States.

After the war, a great religious revival swept over America and especially the Armenian Church.  The Armenian youth flocked back into the Armenian Churches in America and providentially the Primate of the Armenian Church in North America was His Grace Bishop Tiran Nersoyan.  Bishop Tiran, a religious and intellectual giant, stepped into the work of bringing cohesion and purpose to the youth, and with selfless devotion and inspiring leadership, he challenged the youth with spiritual and intellectual goals.  The youth were quick to see the value of the man and the Church he represented and immediately set about establishing parish youth groups throughout the Diocese.

With Parish youth Groups now active again within the Diocese, Bishop Tiran called together a group of interested youth and on January 12, 1946, the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America was formed at the Constitutional Assembly held in Providence, Rhode Island.  For two days, young people from throughout the United States deliberated and formed the Constitution of the A.C.Y.O.A., established the objects of the organization, the activities, the administration and many other phases of the group.  The Assembly elected a  Central Council from its members and the reality of a Church Youth group under the supervision of the Primate and the Diocesan Council of the Armenian Church of North America was an accomplished fact.  The guiding light and inspiration was His Grace Bishop Tiran Nersoyan.

The youth went back to their local parishes and within a few short years the phenomenal growth of this organization took place.