St. Vartan Camp was organized as a project of the ACYOA Seniors in 1979. The one-week program was held at AGBU Camp Nubar and included 50 campers in its first year. The following year, the late Rev. Fr. Paree Metjian was the director, and St. Vartan Camp was held at the Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. That year the camp had 68 campers, 8 counselors, and 5 athletic coaches. In 1981, Nancy Basmajian joined the St. Vartan Camp family as Program Director, alongside Rev. Fr. Paree Metjian who continued as camp director. The next year, St. Vartan Camp extended to a two-week program!

The final season at the Canterbury School was in 1987. Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian came on board as the Camp Coordinator, working with Rev. Fr. Paree Metjian and Nancy Basmajian with 110 campers and 16 staff. The next year, St. Vartan Camp relocated to Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT to continue its two-week program. In addition to Fr. Paree, Fr. Vertanes, and Nancy, came Rev. Fr. Yeprem Kelegian as the Teen Program Coordinator in 1989! Nancy also jump-started the Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program this year.

The 90s began a new decade and in 1991, Barbara Hovsepian served as the director of St. Vartan Camp, while Fr. Paree Metjian continued as the Juniors Coordinator and Fr. Yeprem Kelegian as the Teen Coordinator. In 1992, the two-week program continued at Loomis Chaffee School, with Rev. Fr. Vertanes Kalayjian serving as director and Barbara Hovsepian as Program Director. The camp population included 143 campers and 19 staff. Rev. Fr. Mardiros Chevian and Barbara Hovsepian served as co-directors in 1993, with Rev. Fr. Paree Metjian as Camp Coordinator for over 145 campers.

St. Vartan Camp moved to Camp Nubar in Andes, NY in 1994. The two-week program was directed by Sebouh DerSimonian and the late Rev. Fr. Garen Gdanian serving as Camp Chaplain.

The next year, the camp returned for its seventh and last season to Loomis Chaffee School with Rev. Fr. Arakel Aljalian as director, and Nancy Basmajian as Program Director to serve over 122 campers and 17 staff.

The next big move took St. Vartan Camp to Marvelwood School, in Kent, CT in 1996. The two-week program was directed by Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian along with Nancy Basmajian as Program Director. A few years later in 2000, St. Vartan Camp expanded to two – two-week sessions (A, and B) with almost 200 campers. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian serves as director, with Yn. Arpi Kouzouian as Program Director. In 2003, St. Vartan Camp was hosted at Marvelwood School for its final season with Yn. Arpi Kouzouian as Director and Christina Buchter as Director of Programming.

The last move was in 2004 when St. Vartan Camp moved to its permanent home at the Ararat Youth and Conference Center in Greenville, NY! Yn. Arpi Kouzouian served as director, with Charis Yousefian as Director of Programming. For the first time, the camp was able to offer stipends to its staff! Yn. Arpi continued her leadership as the camp director in 2005 for her final season.

In 2006, Rev. Fr. Krikor Sabounjian took on the role of Camp Director for sessions A, B, and C and partnered with Jennifer Morris, the Diocesan Youth Outreach Coordinator. She served as the camp administrator and CIT Coordinator working with Fr. Krikor for the next seven years. During that time several served as the Camp Office Coordinator including Ann Nahabedian Lydia (Kurkjian) Mantis, Yn. Hasmik Ajamian, Christina Yaikian Gazarov, Yn. Maran Bagdassarian and Lorie Odabashian.

In 2011, Rev. Fr. Vasken Kouzouian returned as the Session C Camp Director, with Fr. Krikor remaining the camp director for Sessions A and B. Jennifer continued to serve as the camp administrator and CIT coordinator through the years and sought out extra support during Session C when she headed to our sister camp in the Midwest, Hye Camp from Yn. Arpi Kouzouian, Gregory Dalakian, Arthur Sabounjian, Kathryn Ashbahian, Lorie Odabashian and Arpi Nakashian.

Fr. Krikor retired as the camp director at the end of the 2013 camp season. In September, the newly developed Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries hired Lorie Odabashian to serve as the coordinator, and Jennifer Morris was appointed the director of the department.

In 2014, two new camp directors were appointed by Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, to serve St. Vartan Camp. Rev. Fr. Khatchatur Kesablyan served as the camp director during Session A and Rev. Fr. Vart Gyozalyan served as the camp director during Session B, with Fr. Vasken continuing his leadership as the camp director during Session C. Jennifer and Lorie continued to support the camp directors as the Camp Administrator and Camp Office Coordinator on-site during the camp season.

Kathryn Ashbahian joined the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in 2015 and joined Jennifer and Lorie in year-round planning and camping ministry.  Rev Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjan was appointed to serve as the St. Vartan Camp Director for Session C and served in this role from 2016-2022.

After Lorie left the Diocese to take on a new position closer to home in 2017, Kathryn and Jennifer continued to work on developing the Diocesan Summer Camp program. Kathryn took on the role of St. Vartan Camp Administrator. She was responsible for the year-round planning and on-site execution of the camp program from 2017-2022. In December of 2022, Kathryn left her position at the Diocese to explore a new career. 

Yn. Arpi Kouzouian was hired in January 2023 to serve as the St. Vartan Camp Director for the 2023 camp season along with the Spiritual Directors, Rev. Fr. Khatchatur Kesablyan for Session A, Rev. Fr. Vart Gyozalyan for Session B, and Fr. Sevak Gabrielyan for  Session C. 

In December 2023, Lerna Lacinian was hired as the new Camp Ministries Coordinator and served as the St. Vartan Camp Administrator for the first time in 2024 working in partnership with the Camp Directors, Rev. Fr. Khatchatur Kesablyan for Session A, Rev. Fr. Vart Gyozalyan for Session B, and the newly appointed Fr. Haroutiun Sabounjian for  Session C. Jennifer continues to assist with St. Vartan Camp by working closely with Lerna, mentoring and advising her on all things camp, while now focusing her energies on Hye Camp and the ACYOA Seniors. Lerna currently works year-round for the Dicoese focusing her work on St. Vartan Camp. Please feel free to reach out should you have any questions about camp, or if you would like to schedule a parish visit. Lerna can be contacted at stvartancamp@armeniandiocese.org or by phone at (215) 452-8322.