Plast inaugurates new chief scout, marks 85th anniversary (08/24/97)

UKRAINE'S INDEPENDENCE: THE SIXTH ANNIVERSARY

Plast inaugurates new chief scout, marks 85th anniversary

by Halyna Kolessa
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

LVIV - August 10 acquired a special significance in the history of both the Ukrainian scouting organization Plast and of independent Ukraine. The Sokil Plast Museum-Camp in the charming Carpathian Mountains hosted nearly 700 Plast members and guests who witnessed the inauguration of Lubomyr Romankiw as "nachalnyi plastun," chief scout, for Plast members around the world. The two previous chief scouts, Severyn Levytskyi (Siryi Lev) and Yuriy Starosolsky were inaugurated, respectively, in post-war Germany and in the U.S.

The historic event took place in connection with celebrations of the 85th anniversary of Plast, which was founded here in 1911. It was also linked to the official opening of the Sokil Museum-Camp. Like the Plast Ukrainian youth organization itself, Sokil was banned and closed to Ukrainian youth for more than a half-century. Thanks to the hard work of "plastuny" (Plast members) today it has been resurrected, virtually rising from the ashes and assuming its original form like the mythological phoenix.

This historic camp, surrounded by the scenic beauty of the Carpathians, from 1924 through 1944 had served as one of the most important training grounds for Plast leaders. This is where their physical endurance was tested, and where their scouting spirit and characters were formed.

This festive, unforgettable and significant event brought together plastuny and guests from three continents. The biggest representation, naturally, was from Ukraine. In addition to a sizable representation from western regions and Volyn, it attracted Plast members from central, eastern and southern Ukraine, including Crimea. A total of 34 Plast centers from most major cities of the country were represented.

In addition to Plast leaders and activists from around the world, in attendance at the festivities were the "Lisova Shkola" and "Shkola Bulavnykh" counselors' training camps, as well as the "Zolota Bulava" leadership camp. The conclusion of these camps was timed to coincide with the celebrations at Sokil.

In addition, "Zlet Novakiv" brought over 70 of the youngest members of Plast, and a few of Plast's most senior members (age 85 and above) - among the oldest being the 93-year-old composer Mykola Kolessa - came from Lviv to recall their early days of camping at Sokil.

The ceremonies began with the arrival of Bishop Lubomyr Husar of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, a member of the Chervona Kalyna Plast fraternity, who was welcomed with the traditional bread and salt.

After a flag-raising ceremony and singing of the Plast hymn, liturgy was served by the bishop and six priests, most of whom are Plast members. The responses were sung by a Plast choir.

Present also was a priest representing the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as well as several regional and local government officials.

The sun was shining brightly shortly after noon as if welcoming Plast members for the inauguration ceremony of the chief scout. They lined up on the camp's main field and around the more than 50-year-old hemlocks in front of the main flagpole. On each side of the flagpole stood delegates of the worldwide Supreme Plast Bulava and Supreme Plast Council, the National Plast Command and National Plast Council of Ukraine, delegates from individual countries, clergy and government representatives.

In front of the flagpole stood a granite monument erected to mark Plast's 85th anniversary and the inauguration ceremony by the joint venture "Renesans-DR" sponsored by Oles Kryskiv, Ludmyla and Petro Darmohray, Dr. Romankiw and Vitalii Okunevskyi. The monument was inscribed with the Plast emblem, (scouting's fleur de lys intertwined with Ukraine's trident), the Plast greeting "SKOB" and the inscription "We will not break our oath, 1912-1997."

The inauguration ceremony, conducted by the head of the Supreme Plast Council, Dr. Orest Hawryluk, started with the reading of the official announcement that proclaimed Dr. Romankiw, a member of the Siromantsi fraternity, had been elected as nachalnyi plastun. After his swearing in, Dr. Romankiw was presented the chief scout's insignia. The nachalnyi plastun's flag was raised by representatives of the four age groups (ulady) of Plast and the Siromantsi fraternity.

The chief scout's first official act was to recognize several Plast members for their outstanding activities. Bohdan Hawrylyshyn was honored with the Medal of the Eternal Flame (in gold) for his contributions toward the building of the new Ukrainian state; honored with the St. George Medal (in silver) were Viacheslav Stebnyckyi, Mr. Okunevskyi, Natalka Litkovets and Bohdan Oleksii for their leadership contributions to Plast and reconstruction of the Sokil Camp-Museum. St. George's medal (in bronze) was presented to Serhii Yuzyk and Andrii Harmatii for their outstanding editorship of Plast publications.

During the ceremonial review of Plast ranks, the chief scout was accompanied by Mr. Okunevskyi, the Sokil Camp's manager and commander of the 85th anniversary celebration, as well as the heads of the Supreme Plast Council and the National Plast command of Ukraine, respectively, Dr. Hawryluk and Mr. Stebnytskyi.

The newly elected chief scout then greeted the clergy, guests and Plast members and delivered a brief acceptance speech.

"I'm very proud of the accomplishments of Plast: 5,000 members in Ukraine in the first five years, participation in the 18th World Scout Jamboree in Holland, organization of the First All-Ukrainian Scout Jamboree in Nevytske, participation in the Second Slavic Jamboree in Prague," he said. "All these are signs that Plast is a dynamic organization that has already started making significant international contacts for Ukraine. At all of these events Plast has made a very good name for itself and for Ukraine."

Explaining the significance of the colors and symbols chosen for his flag, the new chief scout said: "The blue and yellow are to indicate that this is the first time the inauguration takes place on Ukrainian soil; the Plast lily intertwined with the 'tryzub' (trident) indicate the three principal duties of Plast members; the wreath composed of 14 oak leaves symbolizes the 14 points of the Plast Code; and the Plast knot [a square knot] is a tie of friendship - the strength that unites Ukrainian plastuny around the world."

Dr. Romankiw proceeded to add that, while much has been accomplished, "a tremendous task still lies in front of us." He challenged each Plast branch around the world to make every effort to help the National Plast Command of Ukraine organize new branches in the central, eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. If each existing Plast branch produced one or two more branches, Plast's membership would increase at least tenfold, he underlined.

"The scout organizations in each country around the world are looked upon by their respective countries as a source of devoted, patriotic, honest, sincere and well-trained leaders and citizens," the nachalnyi plastun stated. He expressed his hope that the Ukrainian government will do likewise. "These objectives are not easy or simple to accomplish, but we are scouts-plastuny and we will accomplish them jointly, because in Plast we believe not in 'I' or 'you', but in 'all of us together,'" he emphasized.

The inauguration was followed by the blessing of the newly built barracks, named in honor of the first nachalnyi plastun, Siryi Lev. (A follow-up article on the history of Sokil and its rebuilding will be published in The Ukrainian Weekly in the near future.)

Especially for the occasion, the Supreme Plast Bulava published a commemorative postcard with the insignia of the nachalnyi plastun, while the National Plast Command issued special stamps depicting the Sokil chapel and the newly inaugurated nachalnyi plastun. In addition, commemorative envelopes featuring portraits of the distinguished plastuny Ivan Chmola, Severyn Levytskyi and Tsiopa Paliyiv were published. The local post office provided special cancellations dated Sunday, August 10.

Leaving the camp with wonderful memories of the day's festivities and souvenirs imprinted with the nachalnyi plastun's insignia - presented and funded by Dr. Romankiw - Plast members and guests shared their thoughts about the desirability of Plast's rapid development in Ukraine.

The historic day was concluded with a bonfire dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Plast.

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