Shavarsh Krissian was born in Beshiktash on July 22, 1886. He received his primary education at the Makrouhian blended (co-educational) School of the neighborhood.  On September 6, 1897, his brother sent him to the American High School, a boarding school in Bardizag. He moved from there to Robert College (Constantinople), where he started to develop a strong passion for sports. There he met Krikor Hagopian, the future famous athlete and others, who not only encouraged him, but also advised him that he should devote himself to athletics. Through Hagopian, Krissian built connections with Professor Debonne, the head of Paris Lycee Janson, and followed his physical education classes through correspondence. In 1906 he left for Paris and attended his classes for six months. Then, with the help of friends, he moved to London, where he stayed for two and a half years. During his leisure time, he always exercised and in 1909 he returned to Constantinople.

            Krissian taught sports in various schools and encouraged the opening of gyms in the neighborhoods. With the aid and advice of friends who were dedicated to sports, he tried to spread the taste and love of physical education among different Armenian social classes. Moreover, due to these friends, Krissian undertook the publication of "Marmnamarz.”

            The newspaper was the nucleus and Krissian was one of the most passionate workers in it. The movement had started, it had to be organized and regulated and Krissian followed the adopted path without any hesitation.

            Many people backed Krissian. There were notions, ideas, and desire to work, but there was no unity. Each sports group was enveloped by itself. He took advantage of the situation, brought together all the forces regardless of their different directions and beliefs, and united them in his newspaper “Marmnamarz.” In 1911, through a periodical, Krissian preached about the training of Armenian females, and made sports mandatory in schools. He also proposed to unite the existing Armenian sports organizations and football groups.

            In 1914, during the catastrophic days of World War I, Shavarsh Krissian was accepted by the French Consulate as a volunteer soldier in the French army. Unfortunately, due to an illness, his departure from Constantinople was delayed and this incident had a fatal consequence. Along with many intellectuals, he was exiled and martyred in Ayash, without fulfilling his dream of creating an Armenian athletic organization.

Hovhannes Hintlian, one of the founders and principals of the Nor Tbrots in Istanbul, was a true believer in physical education and mainly in the Scout movement. He was born in 1866, Uskudar and received his primary education in Nersesian-Yermonian School. Then he attended the famous educator Retheos Berberian’s school, and graduated with great success. He taught in a number of schools. As a skilled educator, he firmly believed that physical education was a stimulus for the moral education of Armenian youth. He was the one who shed light on the essence of scouting in Shavarsh Krisian's "Marmnamarz" newspaper and became its advocate after World War II.

Hintlian's writings became the impetus for scout movements in the area.  In 1913, he formed one of the first Armenian scout groups in his school. Since the founding of Homenetmen, he had become one of the organization’s leading forces. His undisputed pedagogical capacity, public position and morally strong personality, combined with his unconditional support for the athletic movement, not only contributed to the pre and post war athletic life of Homenetmen, but also contributed to the spread of public concern.

Hintlian passed away on February 16, 1950. He is the author of numerous textbooks, booklets and many pedagogical articles that were published in newspapers.

The Armenian Scout Movement is closely related to the name Krikor Hagopian. Hagopian was one of the pioneers who before World War I, guided and encouraged Shavarsh Krissian. After that, he made physical education his career and dedicated himself to it completely. As a student at Robert College, he developed deep love towards physical education. He even got in touch with Professor Deboneh who lived in Paris, and took sports lessons through correspondence. Meanwhile, he worked hard to improve his physique. Hagopian was very excited and tried his best to get involved in physical education outside of Robert College. He formed a football team called "Balta-Liman” in the village of Boyajeh. This team was the first Armenian team in Constantinople and became very popular at that time. During the Constitutional Era, Krikor Hagopian, along with other veterans, asked Shavarsh Krissian to publish a newspaper, and became (Hagopian) its financial supporter. He formed a scout group in Uskudar and became in charge of Uskudar Armenian Gymnasium when Mgerditch Mgerian left for Europe. At the ceasefire, Krikor Hagopian invited the representatives of Constantinople sports organizations and founded Homenetmen. He became the head of the Armenian Scouts, and delivered lectures and supervised many sports trainings. Hagopian died in 1938 in Paris.