Berchtesgaden Gymnasium students' reunion held in Florida (04/17/05)

Berchtesgaden Gymnasium students' reunion held in Florida

by Ihor Lysyj
and Helena Lysyj Melnitchenko

LAKELAND, Fla. - What binds the former refugee students of the Berchtesgaden Gymnasium? A displaced persons camp in Germany might strike some like an unusual alma mater to which its students are fiercely loyal. Some had only a year or two in the gymnasium, yet many think of it as a defining moment in their education.

Last year the group met in the spring in the mountains at Soyuzivka. This time it met in Lakeland, Fla. on November 11-14, 2004, at Best Western well-known to the Ukrainian community.

Various photos, report cards and other Berchtesgaden memorabilia were displayed in the meeting room. Reunion particpants also browsed the novel "Skovani Ruky" (Shackled Hands) published by one of their own, Myron Radzykewycz, the son of the director of the school.

Col. Ihor Rakowsky, U.S. Army (ret.) and his wife, Natalia, as well as other former students now living in Florida: Volodymyr Sharko, Myron and Irene Radzykewycz, and Bohdan Lechman, organized the reunion. Bohdan Markiv was responsible for the musical side of the reunion. Sixty-two students, spouses and friends attended, and five talented performers entertained.

Old friends met at a barbecue on the first day. After dinner, friendly discussions continued late into the night. The hottest topic was the presidential election in Ukraine.

On Friday morning, Col. Rakowsky opened the formal part of the session. He greeted all present and read the best wishes of classmates from throughout the United States and Canada who were not able to attend this meeting.

The main theme for the first day was the current state of Ukrainian nationhood. Dr. Lubomyr Romankiw gave the first presentation. As one of the leaders responsible for the rebirth of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization in post-Soviet Ukraine and, as "nachalnyi plastun" (chief scout) of the Plast worldwide, Dr. Romankiw is very active in its expansion. He spoke on the historic growth of scouting in Ukraine and expanded on its current status and future prospects.

During the 13 years of Ukraine's independence, scouting spread from western Ukraine and became an all-Ukrainian youth organization. Today, it exists in 21 oblasts and Crimea, and 11 regions. Some 1,500 professionally trained educators lead the organization, Dr. Romankiw explained.

The headquarters of Plast are now in Kyiv, which gives it the opportunity to be in constant touch with the Ukrainian government, he continued. Previously, its major help came from the diaspora and the Chief Scout's Fund. Now, the government is beginning to understand the importance of scouting and is taking the first steps to support the organization. The Ministry of Family and Youth provided some financial help to fund summer camps in recent years.

A lifelong member of the Plast fraternity and Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist for Ukrainian causes, Erast Huculak is also honorary consul of Ukraine to Canada. He spoke on the current elections and conditions in Ukraine. He pointed out that the meddling of the Russian government, including President Vladimir Putin, was beyond all international law. He said it is ironic that Ukraine has to fight once more for its independence.

The afternoon presentations switched gears, as Eugene Jarosewycz, a curator in the mineral section of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, spoke about precious stones, their existence in nature, mining and recovery, refinement and trade. He had a rapt audience, particularly among the women, many of whom sported some of those stones.

The last presentation of the day answered the question of what encourages the former students to be together. Mr. Lechman, a member of the first and second class, is an industrialist, and is involved in business enterprises and charitable organizations. He suggested that after years of instability, the DP camp offered stability and peace. The reunion participants experienced a lot of trauma in their youth. The second world war, just like Bolshevism before it, the exile of families to Siberia, and then the slave labor camps of the Third Reich had a devastating effect on their families.

And then, the war ended and these students found themselves among fabulous mountains, forests and lakes; the beauty of nature helped restore and stabilize their young souls. Camp Orlyk was their village, its residents their neighbors, friends and family. They took care of each other and kept up each other's spirits, Mr. Lechman noted.

The gymnasium and Plast were a major element of their spiritual growth. The strong character of the schools professors, in the limited circumstances of the camp, gave the students a solid basis for dealing with life's challenges. Plast provided the discipline needed for success in life. Most of the former students of the Berchtesgaden Gymnasium achieved high professional status, becoming influential in American and Canadian societies, Mr. Lechman observed.

That evening, a chartered bus took the group to Sea World near Orlando for a Hawaiian luau and Polynesian entertainment. On the way back, the reunion participants sang the songs of our youth.

The theme of the second day was the problems of health and aging. Dr. Vasyl Rozhdestvenskyj, a gerontologist, pointed out that a thoughtful style of living, balanced diet and exercise can help deal with the problems of aging. He also gave an interesting review of the effects of hormones on regenerating the human organism. A lively question and answer period followed.

A well-known Florida ophthalmologist, Dr. Teophil Kulyk, formerly of Soyuzivka, showed the film "Efforts to deal with Macular Degeneration," a serious illness of aging which can lead to blindness. He also reported on the progress being made in other diseases associated with aging.

The last presentation, on the serious effects of narcotics on the quality of life, was delivered by Col. Rakowsky. Based on his extensive experience as a law enforcement agent, he described unfortunate incidents that resulted from this epidemic. He offered suggestions on how to deal with such problems with young people.

After the serious presentations, a lighter note was struck by the energy of a local teacher and performer of exotic dance, Xenobia. As the theme of the reunion was "The Fountain of Youth," and since people have searched for that fountain in Florida since the time of Ponce de Leon, this surprise performance was most appropriate.

The alumni danced the night away. George Tymczenko, who flew in from Munich, entertained with the popular tangos of their youth: "Blue Sky," "That Peaceful Evening," "The Bird Song from Tyrol," "When Grandfather was 20," expertly accompanied by pianist Victor Markiw, who also played "Andaluza" by Isaac Albeniz and "The Fire Dance" by Manuel de Falla.

The musicians played polkas, waltzes, tangos and foxtrots. The former students of the Berchtesgaden Gymnazium sang along with the music and the vocalists. Their pace may have been slower, but the floor was filled with dancers at all times. They swirled with renewed energy - the energy of years past.

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