Little "sumeniata" rule SUM resort during their two-week camp (08/26/01)

Little "sumeniata" rule SUM resort during their two-week camp

by Chrystyna Bihun and Oksana Tomaszewsky

ELLENVILLE, N.Y. - Where do you go when you want your child to have a great time, meet new friends and learn all about his/her Ukrainian heritage? The answer for many Ukrainian parents is Tabir Sumeniat at the SUM resort ("oselia") in Ellenville, N.Y.

The theme for this year's two-week camping adventure was "Kazky Ukrainy" (Ukrainian Tales), and over 50 participants between the ages of 4 and 6 enjoyed the activities planned by the dedicated camp staff. The "sumeniata," as this age group is known in the Ukrainian American Youth Association (SUM), were divided into five groups (royi), and each was given a name from a Ukrainian story, such as "Ripky," "Vedmedi," "Kolobky," "Rukavychky" and "Metelyky."

The camp consisted of one-week sessions. Oksana Bodnar was the camp's energetic "komandantka," and her staff included Oksana Bartkiv, Chrystyna Bihun, Halya Ficarella, Halyna Shepko, Oksana Tomaszewsky and Marianka Wasylyk.

The program was split into morning and afternoon routines. The morning program consisted of five rotating sessions that included educational lectures on various fascinating topics, arts and crafts, storytelling, music, and organized games and playtime.

The sumeniata were escorted through newly renovated rooms by their enthusiastic counselors, Tania Zajac, Marusia Drobenko, Katia Royovska, Tusia Vyrsta, Katia Panchyk and Oksana Lashchuk. Each room was decorated by a counselor to create a kid-friendly atmosphere. The decorations included giant dancing elephants, a life-sized Ukrainian "pich" (stove) in a reproduced Ukrainian home and storybook characters from the tales "Ripka" and "Kryvenka Kachechka."

In the afternoon the sumeniata took part in various planned group activities. These included planting flowers and painting rocks and wooden figures to add to the existing flower beds. The painters even got carried away and painted one of the resort's work vehicles in hand prints and the SUM greeting "Hartuys" (with the resort administration's blessing, of course). Other activities included a hike to the oselia's river, which included a nature scavenger hunt with swimming or wading in the river afterwards, an indoor "Carnival of Kazky" and campfires with entertainment provided by the counselors and even members of the resort's administration and workers. There was an afternoon of rabbits complete with live cuddly floppy-eared bunnies, and a terrain game celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

In addition to the children there were other guests at the campgrounds. Ms. Shepko brought her bunnies and two Icelandic sheep to stay for the second week of the camp.

At the midpoint of the two weeks, the SUM resort sponsored the annual children's carnival complete with rides, games and prizes.

At the end of the two weeks the sumeniata, parents and camp leaders left the oselia with a renewed resolve and energy to continue the work started here in their respective SUM branches.

For more information about SUM and its summer camp programs log on to the website www.cym.org; or call (845) 647-7230.

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