Plast camps abound from east to west (05/04/97)

Plast camps abound from east to west

by Natalia Tegler

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. - As temperatures rise, the promise of the joy and freedom of the great outdoors and memories of summer camps past will lure Plast scouts to mountains, woodlands, lakes and rivers from the Adirondacks to the Rockies. Continuing an 85-year-old tradition of adventure, camaraderie and good times, members of the Plast Ukrainian Youth Organization ("plastuny") will gather to implement the skills and principles they learned during the year at regional weekly meetings.

At traditional instructional camps - to be held at Plast campsites near Buffalo, N.Y. (Novyi Sokil), East Chatham, N.Y., (Vovcha Tropa) and Middlefield, Ohio, (Pysanyi Kamin) on July 5-26 - activities will center on three key principles: duty to God and Ukraine, helping others and adherence to the Plast Law. Plastuny age 8 to 18 will develop their self-reliance and resourcefulness by living in harmony with nature and employing conventional scouting skills.

Their younger brothers and sisters may join them for one week on July 20-26 or attend a camp for preschoolers at the Soyuzivka resort on June 28 -July 5 or July 5-12.

On August 9-17, experienced plastuny will attend specialty camps at diverse venues geared to enthusiasts of sports, watersports, equestrian activities, canoeing, mountain biking and hiking. Others may follow the steps of their forefathers by traveling to Ukraine (see sidebar). Those who wish to continue Plast traditions by becoming counselors will attend leadership training camps in the U.S. and Canada.

And at each of these camps, they will sing, laugh, cry, work and play until the campfire flickers a final time and camp is over for the summer. Then, it will be time to plan to reunite next summer.

For information on scheduled camps, contact regional leaders or the national director for camping activities, Wsewolod (Jeep) Hnatczuk, (810) 294-8157.

Plast organizes tour of Ukraine

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