Plast kicks off exchange programs to increase international awareness (08/22/04)

Plast kicks off exchange programs to increase international awareness

by Peter Steciuk

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - For Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, this summer marked the beginning of a set of programs bringing Ukrainian Plast counselors to the United States and sending their Ukrainian American counterparts to Ukraine. Nine Ukrainian counselors spent July working at Plast camps in the United States, while several Ukrainian American plastuny worked on humanitarian projects in Ukraine.

The nine Ukrainian counselors spent their summers fulfilling the duties of counselors at their respective camps - everything from teaching orienteering to running arts and crafts. The counselors, hailing mostly from western Ukraine, were: Oleksander Svystun of Lviv, Olha Herus of Lviv, Yaroslav Lavriv of Dolyna, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Zoreslava Bahniuk of Lviv, Andriy Hevko of Ternopil, Myroslava Chyrkova of Poltava, Ostap Onyshko of Lviv, Nadiya Opalynska of Ivano-Frankivsk and Anatoliy Smahliuk of Rivne.

Mr. Svystun, Ms. Herus, Mr. Lavriv and Ms. Bahniuk were assigned to the Vovcha Tropa campground in East Chatham, N.Y. Mr. Hevko, Ms. Chyrkova, Mr. Onyshko and Ms. Opalynska were at the Pysanyi Kamin campground in Middlefield, Ohio. At Vovcha Tropa and Pysanyi Kamin, there was one counselor from Ukraine at each of the camps for novaky (boys age 6-10), novachky (girls age 6-10), yunaky (boys age 11-16) and yunachky (girls age 11-16). At Novyi Sokil in North Collins, N.Y., the lone visitor, Mr. Smahliuk, was with the camp for yunaky.

The exchange grew out of collaboration between the National Plast Commands of the United States and Ukraine. The program was designed to help Plast in the United States preserve its Ukrainian character, while providing Plast in Ukraine with valuable experience.

According to Ihor Mykyta, head of the National Plast Command of the United States, Plast in the United States differs from other scouting organizations because one of its main goals is the preservation of Ukrainian heritage. However, that goal is in jeopardy as children and counselors alike are losing their Ukrainian language ability.

As Mr. Mykyta explained, Plast is a scouting organization and not a school, so it does not teach language through classroom instruction. Instead, the best way to ensure the development of Ukrainian language skills is immersion. Bringing counselors from Ukraine was meant to accomplish this by allowing Ukrainian American plastuny to interact with Ukrainians, and also spark the curiosity of American plastuny about Ukraine.

The exchange also aimed to provide the Ukrainian counselors with experience. Mr. Mykyta noted that Plast in Ukraine is in many ways similar to the way Plast was in the United States in the 1950s, a sentiment echoed by Mr. Svystun. Plast in Ukraine was revived after Ukraine's independence, so it is still developing. The exchange was partly meant to inform the growth of Plast in Ukraine by showing leaders of Ukrainian Plast the path taken by Plast in the United States, for better or for worse.

The Ukrainian counselors who paticipated were chosen in an open application process administered by the National Plast Command of Ukraine, subject to the approval of the National Plast Command of the United States. The selected counselors represent some of the most qualified and active counselors in Ukraine.

The exchange was made possible by the help and contributions of the Ukrainian American community. The National Plast Command of the United States reached its goal of raising $9,000 to fund the exchange. According to Mr. Mykyta next year the National Plast Command would again like to fully fund a set of Ukrainian counselors coming to the United States, as well as partially fund a group of Ukrainian American counselors who would work at camps in Ukraine. Donations can be sent to Plast National Executive Board, Att'n: Counselors from Ukraine, 144 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003-8305.

The National Plast Command of the United States also administered a program sending several Ukrainian American plastuny to Ukraine to work on humanitarian projects. The program, called the Plast Effort Toward the Cooperation of Nations (known by its Ukrainian acronym as PAKS), offers Ukrainian American plastuny a selection of humanitarian projects proposed by various organizations in Ukraine. Plastuny must be 18 or older to participate.

The goal of the project is for plastuny from the United States to begin to view Ukraine as a concrete reality rather than an abstract idea and improve their Ukrainian language skills, all while working for a good cause. Participants live and work separately from each other, so they are totally immersed in Ukrainian language and culture.

Projects proposed by sponsors to date include caring for children in an orphanage for the physically disabled in a village in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast; renovating the facilities of that orphanage; increasing awareness of AIDS, drug use and other health issues in Lutsk, Volyn Oblast; restoring historical landmarks in Berestechko, Volyn Oblast; and facilitating tourism at the Museum of Lesia Ukrainka in Volyn.

The nine Ukrainian counselors who lived and worked at Ukrainian American Plast camps flew back to Ukraine on August 5. Before their departure, The Weekly sat down with them to get their perspectives on the experience. The following are excerpts from several of the interviews (interviews have been translated from Ukrainian into English by The Weekly).

ANATOLIY SMAHLIUK, 25, RIVNE:

Q: What made you want to participate in this exchange?

A: I was interested in seeing the unique character of camps in the United States. Plast in the U.S. has been developing for over 50 years and a definite set of traditions has been created in that time. For instance, the idea of a theme and christening for each camp doesn't exist in Ukrainian Plast as it does in the U.S.

Q: What were you expecting?

A: I was expecting to be able to pass along to plastuny in the United States some of my experience organizing camps, and of course, I was expecting to meet new people. I don't think there was much chance for me to become disillusioned here by differences between Plast in Ukraine and the U.S., because I had already worked as a Plast counselor in Munich, Germany. I had already seen Plast in the Diaspora and had an idea of what to expect in the United States.

Q: Did you have to adjust your approach in order to be a successful counselor in the United States?

A: Only in the form of slight changes. For instance, lessons have to be on the correct level for a given set of children. A very strong lesson plan, which would work in Ukraine, might not work in the United States because the children would not understand it. The lesson has to be adjusted to their language ability and level of knowledge.

However, I didn't adjust my approach significantly. You have to be yourself. If you're not, people won't accept you because your approach will seem forced.

ZORESLAVA BAHNIUK, 29, LVIV:

Q: How did the exchange benefit you?

A: The exchange benefitted me by helping me see what further steps are needed. An exchange sending American plastuny to Ukraine is also necessary. This year we were only able to bring a small piece of Ukraine to the plastuny in the United States. They need to come to Ukraine and see for themselves.

I was moved by a few conversations with counselors who had been to Ukraine. They said that until they went there, Ukraine was only a fairy tale that their grandparents had told them about. Afterwards they had a new sense of pride in their background. This is especially beneficial for counselors, who can then pass on what they see to the Ukrainian American children in Plast.

OLIA HERUS, 19, LVIV:

Q: What are the most significant differences between Plast in the United States and in Ukraine?

A: It was interesting to see how different Plast is in Ukraine and in the United States, and how different the people are.

There is a different culture. Ukrainian plastuny tend to be more introspective, while American plastuny are often more showy. Ukrainian children tend to be more guarded and reserved, while children in the United States are more open and more readily display their emotions.

Also, the program of camp in Ukraine tends to have more merit badges and more crafts. Camps in Ukraine are co-ed and shorter, generally from 10 to 12 days. In the U.S., there are some interesting activities that have grown out of American culture, like yoga sessions and Hawaiian night. In Ukraine, there are more campfires and terrain games.

Q: What was the most pleasant part of your experience?

A: The most pleasant part was being a Ukrainian here and being able to tell people what Ukraine is like. Since people were interested in Ukraine but had only heard stories from their grandparents, at times I felt like an elf telling a fairy tale about a far-away land.

YAROSLAV LAVRIV, 22, DOLYNA:

Q: What are the major benefits of such an exchange?

A: I was able to help the plastuny in the United States with their Ukrainian language. This is important because the children don't yet understand what Ukraine is and why it is important. They will be thankful to have learned Ukrainian only when they are older.

If children were given the freedom to decide, they would choose not to learn the language. This is normal, even though it is in the children's best interests to learn Ukrainian. Also, one of the fundamental tenets of Plast is loyalty to God and Ukraine. For that reason, the language of Plast needs to be Ukrainian, and the plastuny in the United States need to work hard to make sure they are proficient in Ukrainian.

OLEKSANDER SVYSTUN, 19, LVIV:

Q: What are the major differences between Plast in the United States and in Ukraine?

A: The goals of Plast are different in the United States and Ukraine. In Ukraine, the goal is to create a generation of good citizens. In the United States, the goal is the preservation of Ukrainian culture and heritage. In the United States, the effort can almost be described as heroic, considering how far away Ukraine is and how much work is required.

It is a shame that so few people in Ukraine know about the work done by Plast in the United States. It has lasted several generations, which seems a sign that the organization is worth something. Plast is unique in that it is a worldwide scouting organization. Other scouting organizations are generally limited to a particular country, and, even if they have branches in other countries, there is not the same cooperation and unity.

Q: What are the benefits of this exchange?

A: I gained a lot of experience. Plast in Ukraine is similar to the Plast that existed in the United States 50 years ago. For me, it is like seeing the future of Plast in Ukraine.

I also saw a different sort of relationship between counselors and children. In the United States, the counselors and children are part of one big family. In Ukraine there is more of a separation between them, with the counselors being like older brothers.

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