Formation of the Andisheh Boy Scout Organization (1953)
Azer Kehnemui(poor) Posted:8/28/09

I Attended Don Bosco Andisheh for 9 years (1947- 1956)

Early on, I used to subscribe to the USIS library in Tehran, and go there and read magazines. I became addicted to Boys Life, the US boy scouting magazine. I was fascinated by the Boy Scout movement. I wrote and received a great deal of formal information and paraphernalia from Boy Scouts of America. I also researched and learned that Iran had a large Boy Scout organization, albeit defunct at the time, during Reza Shah, and I actually obtained old Farsi books about scouting. I also found out that there was indeed an active Boy Scout group in Tehran, operated by Bashgahe Aramene (Armenian Club), and that they were Tehran’s Troop #1.

Sometime in 1953 (when I was 13) I went to Father Fideli, explained everything I knew to him, and formally requested that I be permitted to set up Boy Scouting at Andisheh. He knew all about scouting, and liked the idea very much. He asked for some time to think about it. A week later he called me to his office, Dr. Rezai was there, and another father (he was Italian, and alas I cannot remember his name), and also an older graduate of the school
whose first name was Ruben (can’t recall his last name). He told me that they approved that I should form the organization, and also proceed to select the members of its first troop
(jookhe) from among the most suitable students, at my discretion. Aside from that, he assigned the Father who was present to be the school’s official person in charge of our activities, and Ruben to be sort of the older brother to go along with us on camping trips and such. At the time a student at the school was actually the son of Dr. Banai, who was the official head of Sazemane Pishahangi (Scouting agency of the government), even though there was no effective scouting movement in Iran. Through him, I met with Dr. Banai, explained our cause, and made a written request to the Sazeman , in the name of Andisheh, to be given permission to start a Boy Scout troop.

Soon after, we received formal approval from the government, and were assigned the official Troop No. 2 of Tehran designation (No. 1 being the Armenian Club's, known as Ararat). I selected our neckerchief colors (which I see remained still the same), and my mother actually sewed the first batch of them for everyone. I started designing, writing and publishing an Andisheh Scout newspaper (using a very old stencil machine at the school and my father’s old Farsi and Latin typewriters) on a monthly basis. (I actually did the same thing for Andisheh as a whole, i.e. published a school paper, and even tried to sell it for 2 rials each to make up for production costs, but ended up distributing it free!).

After that, in short order, we increased in size to some 14 or 15 scouts, and lo and behold the Shah actually ordered Dr. Banai to organize and promote Boy Scouting nationwide.
By the time I left Andisheh, every school seemed to have a Scout troop, and yearly national jamborees were being held in Manazrieh. We in turn went to quite a number of camping and mountain climbing trips; and I even remember the time when all of us, the Father and Ruben included, were poisoned and sick in Nowshahr from eating old baghlava!

Thank you so much for sharing this great story. I attended Andisheh last four years of high school between 1974-1978. One of my best friends at the time (Mohsen Banan) was already a scout and I vividly remember wanting to join the scouts but was adamantly prevented by my parents who had convinced themselves that scouting was just a waste of time taking away from focusing on academics.

Thanks again :)