Plast season highlighted by International Jamboree in Winnipeg area (06/07/98)

A Ukrainian Summer: where to go, what to do...

Plast season highlighted by International Jamboree in Winnipeg area

by Halyna Holubec

CLEVELAND - The busy summer Plast camp season is scheduled to begin in late June and will culminate with the two-week Plast International Jamboree in Winnipeg from July 28 to August 9.

In addition to the Jamboree, Plast members can look forward to a variety of camps that appeal to each individual. A rock-climbing camp in Seneca Falls, W.Va., is being organized by the Plast fraternity Lisovi Chorty for youths age 14-18. This relatively new sport has sparked a great interest among young "plastuny" who find this activity extremely challenging. For more information on this camp, scheduled for August 16-22, contact Marko Jakubowycz, (412) 521-1801.

Two other exciting options for young plastuny this summer will be a mountain biking camp in Lehighton, Pa., and a water sports camp in the beautiful Thousand Islands region of New York. Both camps will start on August 15 and end August 22. Mountain biking, is a very popular activity in Plast. The camp is headed by Taras Kowcz, a member of the Burlaky fraternity. In previous years, this camp has generated much positive feedback. For more information contact Mr. Kowcz, (440) 526-8317. The water sports camp requires participants to be age 15 or older and is organized annually by the Chornomortsi Plast fraternity. For information on this Plast camp contact Andrew Nynka, (732) 297-7053.

Yearly three-week Plast camps for "novatstvo" (age 7-11) and "yunatstvo" (age 11-18) will be held at three sites: Vovcha Tropa in East Chatham, N.Y., Novyi Sokil in North Collins, N.Y., and Pysanyi Kamin in Middlefield, Ohio. All camps, with the exception those at Novyi Sokil, will begin July 5 and end July 25. Novyi Sokil camps are slated to begin on July 4.

For information on Vovcha Tropa camps call Katrusia Harasewych, (215) 233-4918; for Novyi Sokil camps call (716) 689-6998; for Pysanyi Kamin call Dr. Mark Bej, (216) 481-7762.

This year, two preparatory camps for novatstvo and three camps for ptashata (pre-novatstvo) with parents, will allow children to become familiar with Plast and the Plast camp setting.

Ptashata activities include arts and crafts, singing, games and cultural observances. Such camps will take place at Pysanyi Kamin and Novyi Sokil.

For information on Vovcha Tropa's preparatory camp for 7-year-olds who are already in novatstvo, call Petrusia Paslawsky, (201) 818-0681. At Vovcha Tropa the camp will be divided into two sections, each with a limit of 15 children. The first round of this special program for first-time campers will be on July 12-18 and the second on July 19-25. A similar camp will be held at Pysani Kamin on July 5-12.

For information on the Novyi Sokil ptashata camp call Diana Duryea, (781) 821-5447; for information on ptashata and preparatory camps at Pysanyi Kamin call Dr. Bej, (216) 481-7762.

A third ptashata camp, organized yearly by the Pershi Stezhi Plast sorority, will be held at Soyuzivka from June 28 to July 5 and from July 5 to 12. Children must be between the ages of 4 and 6. Amid the beautiful Soyuzivka resort setting, children are taught various Plast songs, learn about nature and are introduced to the Plast organization. For information call Oksana Koropeckyj, (410) 744-0644.

Plastuny who would like to become counselors for novatstvo or yunatstvo, may attend three key camps this summer. For those who aspire to become "vykhovnyky" for novatstvo, counselors' training is slated for June 21-July 2 at Vovcha Tropa in East Chatham, N.Y. For registration information contact Plast Inc. - VNV, 144 Second Ave., New York, NY 10003.

"Lisova Shkola" and "Shkola Bulavnykh," both for those who aspire to be counselors for yunatstvo, are slated for June 20-July 3 in the beautiful mountains of Hunter, N.Y. Lisova Shkola (for males) and Shkola Bulavnykh (for females) are two-week camps in which participants are taught discipline, survival, how to relate to teenagers, Ukrainian history, Plast history and numerous other topics necessary in order to be an exceptional plastun/plastunka. Camp participants will have the opportunity to listen to various seminars, apply hands-on camping theory, discuss issues relevant to Plast and learn to live away from the amenities of today's modern world.

For information on Lisova Shkola, traditionally organized by the Lisovi Chorty fraternity, write to: Petro Sodol, 218-09 38th Ave., Bayside, NY 11362. For information on Shkola Bulavnykh, traditionally organized by the Ti Scho Hrebli Rvut sorority, call Mira Hankewycz, (718) 224-8513.

The Pershi Stezhi sorority is offering Plast members age 16 and older a hiking camp in the Rocky Mountains on August 15-22. For more information contact Charita Petrina, (719) 382-8708.

The summer season for Plast members from all around the world will culminate on July 27 to August 9 at the Plast International Jamboree in Winnipeg. Participants will be grouped according to age into separate camps with individual activities. During the second week of the Jamboree all will be reunited at Birds Hill Provincial Park near Winnipeg. During this week, Plast parents, visitors and adult Plast members are invited to camp in Birds Hill Park.

Also during the second week, campers will visit several historic Ukrainian landmarks, such as the 1932-1933 Famine monument in Winnipeg, the Taras Shevchenko monument in front of the provincial Parliament, the garden of sculptures by Leo Mol. Participants of the International Jamboree will also have the opportunity to visit the Folklorama international festival. Simultaneously, visitors will have the opportunity to attend many other interesting events in Manitoba, in particular the Canada's National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin.

For information on the Plast International Jamboree, visit the Jamboree website at http://www.plast.mb.ca/info.html. For general inquiries: e-mail; plast@plast.mb.ca; telephone, (204) 586-2390.

A Ukrainian Summer

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