A Ukrainian Summer: where to go, what to do...
Jamboree 2000 marks Plast's 50th anniversary in the U.S.
Sviatkuyemo vsi razom nyni,
Spovnylysia mrii batkiv,
Plast tut skinchyv piv stolittia,
V Karpaty lunaye nash spiv!Together we celebrate this moment,
The dreams of our forefathers have been fulfilled.
A half century has passed - Plast's legacy lives on
And the Carpathian mountains still embrace the echo of our song.- refrain from "The First Plast Members in America," the official 50th anniversary song of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization in the U.S.A. Lyrics and music by the IKA Trio (Inya Chehade, Ksenia Kyzyk Salewycz and Andrij Wowk.)
by Andrea Roman
NEW YORK - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Plast Ukrainian Youth Organization's activity in the United States and the major celebration of this milestone will be in the form of a nationwide jamboree on August 12-19 in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.
The jamboree is geared for Plast members of all ages, from "novatstvo" (children age 7-11) and "yunatstvo" (youths age 11-17), to young adults "starshi plastuny") and senior members ("seniory"), as well as parents organized in the Past support group Plastpryiat and "Ptashata" (children age 4-6).
Guests are welcome for the closing days of the jamboree, Friday and Saturday August 18-19, when special activities, including a jubilee bonfire, are planned for jamboree participants and guests.
The site of the jamboree is the 2,300-acre Sabbatis Boy Scout Reservation near Lows Lake, located in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park. The program is geared for several age groups and difficulty levels, and encompasses hiking, camping, canoeing and visits to area attractions, such as the Adirondack Museum, located near Blue Mountain Lake. Jamboree participants will camp in groups organized by their local Plast branches.
For additional information, readers may consult the website at http://www.plast.org/jamboree2000, or call the New York-based National Plast Command, (212) 475-6960.
The youth celebrations of Plast's 50th anniversary in the United States kick off on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, with a special Sviato Vesny, the annual spring camporee, which this year is being held at the Pysanyi Kamin campground in Middlefield, Ohio, for Plast members from both the East Coast and the Midwest.
The theme of the 2000 Sviato Vesny is "Shukh will lead us" - a reference to Roman Shukhevych, the commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army known as Taras Chuprynka and a member of Plast's Chornomortsi fraternity, whose pseudonym was "Shukh." This year marks the 50th anniversary of Shukhevych's death. For information on Sviato Vesny, readers may contact the event director, Andres Durbak, at (773) 777-6440.
The 50th anniversary celebrations will continue through the year as various Plast branches throughout the country hold their own celebrations. (Several branches have already marked the jubilee.)
In addition to the 2000 jamboree, summertime activities of Plast include the regular complement of camps and counselors' training courses.
Camps for novatstvo and yunatstvo are being held in July at campsites in East Chatham, N.Y. (Vovcha Tropa); North Collins, N.Y. (Novyi Sokil); and Middlefield, Ohio (Pysanyi Kamin). The Detroit area's Zelenyi Yar will host a camp for novatstvo.
"Shkola Bulavnykh," the training course for camp counselors of Plast teens will take place on June 25-July 5 at Vovcha Tropa. The counselor training course for leaders of "novatstvo" will take place at Novyi Sokil on June 24-July 6; the course for counselors of "yunatstvo" will be held at Vovcha Tropa on June 25-July 1.
Specialized camps offered this summer include those for "Ptashata" at Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian National Association's resort in Kerhonkson, N.Y.; Pysanyi Kamin, Zelenyi Yar and Novyi Sokil, and a camp for first-time campers, i.e., 7-year-olds, at Vovcha Tropa.
The Chornomortsi Plast fraternity is holding its Sea Scouting Camp on August 5-12 in the Adirondacks, not far from the site of Plast's anniversary jamboree. (Participants of this camp who will be attending the Jamboree 2000 will be transported to the jamboree site.)
For information about Plast summer camps, call the National Plast Command at the aforementioned number. Information about camps is available also online on the Plast website: www.plast.org.
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 7, 2000, No. 19, Vol. LXVIII
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