Plast's Vovcha Tropa campground to celebrate 50th anniversary (07/06/03)

Plast's Vovcha Tropa campground to celebrate 50th anniversary

by Zirka Klufas

EAST CHATHAM, N.Y. - In a small corner of a picturesque mountain setting lies Vovcha Tropa, the campground of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization. Located here in East Chatham, N.Y., Vovcha Tropa gives young people a chance to escape city life, both physically and spiritually, amid fresh air, rustling forests and green meadows, at least for a few weeks each year.

Thanks to the efforts of visionaries like Orest Klufas, Bohdan Sobolta, Jaroslaw Boydunnyk and Wolodymyr Sushkiw, generations since 1953 have had the opportunity to spend their summers there, maintaining old friendships and developing new ones while earning merit badges, working on joint projects and putting into practice much of what they learned at weekly Plast troop meetings during the course of the year.

During the 50 years of its existence, Vovcha Tropa has hosted 200 camps attended by more than 10,000 novaky and novachky (boys and girls age 6-10) and yunaky and yunachky (age 11-17).

On July 18-20 Vovcha Tropa will mark its golden anniversary with a three-day celebration during the traditional "Den Plastuna" weekend, including an evening of song and a dance on Friday, followed by special camp performances on Saturday afternoon and a bonfire that night. The Sunday program will include divine liturgy and official closing ceremonies.

The camps were originally held in four-week sessions in July and August, one for boys and girls. They are now held during a single three-week session in July, with the boys' and girls camps being held simultaneously. The Plast homestead also holds specialized camps and counselor training sessions, as well as Sviato Vesny (an annual Memorial Day jamboree) and meetings of Plast fraternities and sororities. Vovcha Tropa has even hosted international Plast jamborees, when the meadow found at the heart of Vovcha Tropa, encircled by a forest of trees, comes to life. Then the vitality and beauty of the campground works its magic on the people who gather from all across the planet.

Over the years members of Plast have greeted dignitaries from the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches at Vovcha Tropa, including Patriarchs Josyf Slipyj and Mstyslav Skrypnyk, Cardinals and Major Archbishops Myroslav Lubachivsky and Lubomyr Husar, Archbishop Paladii Wvdvbida-Rudenko, Metropolitan Stephen Sulyk, Bishop Basil Losten and Metropolitan Joseph M. Schmondiuk. Vovcha Tropa has always helped fulfill one of the three main duties of a Plast scout: "To be faithful to God and Ukraine."

Vovcha Tropa - where so many children have played and learned in a stunning mountain setting - begins its second half century on July 18-29, fondly looking back on 50 successful years and looking forward to 50 more.

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