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My today’s customary note is about emergency situation

Ashot Bleyan's diary note on July 29

Davit Bleyan's sister Tatevik has presented him with an orange truck concrete mixer (see to it that I do not leave out any of Davit's characteristics), and Davit hasn't parted with it during all these days: he goes to bed, wakes up, has a bath with it. Here it is, he has created a parking place for it. Our favorite “Beetle” Anahit Harutyunyan, who visited us yesterday, was counting, removing and renaming Davit’s all pieces of transport with him. Vehicles and traffic represent our immediate environment and Davit’s interest in it is natural. The important thing is that we should fit them properly in Davit's world of language and establish the obligatory custom of safe traffic: the father and son walk along the pavement carefully and freely; they cross the streets only on indicated crossings (without a single exception), walk across footbridges (I am crazy about them) and underground passages (they are necessities).

Yura Ganjalyanresponses to the Diary again        

Hello, Mr.Bleyan. I have just come back from Aghveran, where I spent a very passive, uninteresting short holiday with a social packet. I came and the first thing I did I opened our school website. I read Your  today’s diary note “…  a different charm” and began to translate it into English, but I have some consideration for it which concerns following the way passed by young  Tumanyan. Wouldn’t it be better if You mentioned in the diary “… follow the reversed way passed by young Tumanyan to his birthplace, as after Jalaloghly-Stepanavan  Tumanyan went to Tiflis to continue his education. As for the school building I would like to mention the following: many years ago (about 50 years ago when I was a school-boy myself) when I was in Stepanavan, I saw a one-storeyed old school building on the gate of which there was a memorial board with a notice “Hovhannes Tumanyan studied at this school”. That was School number 1 after H.Tumanyan. Maybe this school building still exists. In addition to being a school it also has the value of a museum, doesn't it?             

Dear Yura, You have begun and with it you are already taking part in the research work suggested by me. The “Experts” club members will join in too; they will show us the sources and lighten our work.

My note for the 28th of Julyalso immediately concerns the organization of my, our, your and your family's holidays, so that it won't be spoilt. … I had a short holiday in Kurtan, although I was acting as the director of the Educomplex. The organization of the expedition camp according to the program of activities of the Educomplex for 2014 has been determined. The only way of having a rest or a short holiday for me is the change of activities including the change of place where these activities take place.

We were walking across the public garden and the town square in Stepanavan. What an empty town it was!... What does the town and the whole region offer a man who is not looking for feasts, blowouts, bad taste and negative values, I mean the type of a man like Mr.Yura, a man with intellect, lawful husband, father, grandfather who wants to make his holiday active and sterling in July.  There was discussion on this matter with Armen’s group in Kurtan on my own initiative. The young man living in Kurtan has undertaken some work in three directions to make Kurtan more attractive and convenient. I guess it will be a success.     

As you know Armenia is a country of military units today. Every sub-region (former region) has its military unit already complete and powerful: let's say those in Ararat, Eghegnadzor, Vayk, Sisian, Goris. I am not telling a military secret, aren't I? Each of them is able to create an expedition, country study-nature protection, military-sportive camp for teenagers for the period of June-September. Imagine such an attractive net with school-children of Grades 6-9 and 10-12, 14-18-year-old adolescents with their teachers and parents... Yes, such type of organization can also be a form of spending family holidays: It, of course, supposes the family's active support. Not only giving a consent (it is here that Armenians waste the whole backup of their willingness to participate) but also to act as a client for such an attractive informal way of education, to pay ten thousand drams for the five-day food, to be concerned about the objectives and conditions of the camp, to work as a squadron leader, to suggest educational objectives according to the characteristics of the locality of the camp…. For example, organization of one single campaign of teaching to swim, nature protection and country study.  I am suggesting such three objectives for the Hnevank Campand I will have a maximum personal participation in the realization of these objectives: Teaching swimming n the River Dzoraget, removal of the Kurtan big rubbish, organization of the activities of the Educomplex planetarium and observatory by the Space Club for the learners of various ages in the villages of Kurtan and Vardablur...

A military unit with its everyday life is interesting for every teenager-adolescent no matter a boy or a girl: he knows very well that he will serve in the army like his close relations, neighbor or just an acquaintance of his did or is doing now. He lives in the army stories, it's a fact with all its advantages and disadvantages... Will the public school teachers be able to be active and fully satisfied in such camps working as leaders of youth squadrons?

During the camp days the campers are met at the military unit; they learn to shoot on the shooting grounds; the commander of the military unit treats the youth respectfully; the adolescent meets the real soldiers and officers of the military unit, sees real military equipment, asks questions and gets answers to his questions from real soldiers and officers just in the military unit.  I have never understood why they bring weapons to the school. Why do we want to turn the attractive and real military occupation into a next in turn school subject with its entire negative sides?                                

Can you mention one positive point in the organization of the so called “Preliminary military preparation” school subject? The military units, their commanders can and should have deputy commanders for PMP (Preliminary Military Preparation) who can organize the camp life of the adolescents.

The system of emergency situation with its regional net will have an opportunity to transfer skills of safety vital activities to the adolescents-teenagers: first medical aid, fire extinguishing, saving a drowning man... We will put into practice this model in the Hnevank Expedition Camp in Kurtan....    

Where is it possible to swim in Armenia? All the swimming pools require payment, and they are mostly in Yerevan and in two dozens of free public beaches of Lake Sevan and that's all. In all other rivers, artificial or natural storage lakes, water reservoirs swimming is not allowed. This is an emergency situation: a generation that can't swim, doesn't swim, can't help a drowning man. This is an anhydrous generation and life. This situation can’t be improved without the active participation of the emergency situation system, and expedition camps can be polygons and experiment stations.