Members of Plast's "Hrebli" sorority meet at biennial conference (11/10/02)

Members of Plast's "Hrebli" sorority meet at biennial conference

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - Members of the Ti Scho Hrebli Rvut sorority of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization from various cities in the United States and Canada gathered here at the Ramada Hotel on October 12-13. At the conference, which included separate meetings of the sorority's units for young adults ("starshi plastunky") and seniors, as well as joint sessions, members pledged to rededicate themselves to educational work with Plast youths.

Among the projects discussed was publishing a compilation of materials for Plast merit badges; support activity for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Vovcha Tropa campgrounds in East Chatham, N.Y., scheduled for July 2003; and organizing an adopt-a-troop program for Plast groups in Ukraine. The conference also approved five new candidate-members from Ukraine, where the Ti Scho Hrebli Rvut units are being organized.

The senior sorority elected a new leadership at the conference, headed by Marta Kuzmowycz. The executive board also includes three vice-presidents, Iwanna Jaciw (Canada), Halyna Kutko and Ludmila Darmohraj; Oksana Bachynska, secretary; Marta Salyk-Jacuszko, treasurer; and Olenka Yurchuk, editor.

Senior chapters of Ti Scho Hebli Rvut are currently located in Toronto, (Ms. Jaciw, chair), Metro New York/New Jersey (Motria Milanytch), New Jersey (Roma Hadzewycz) and Buffalo, N.Y. (Chrystyna Dziuba-Brown). The sorority has members throughout North America, Australia and Ukraine.

The younger sorority members agreed to focus their efforts on recruitment of new members, contact with candidates in Ukraine, activating chapters in North America and encouraging members to work within their local Plast branches. Their website is under construction and may be found at www.geocities.com/hrebli.

The young adult sorority is headed by Tanya Dragan; officers include Yaryna Ferencevych, Lida (Gnoj) Nascimento, Adja Melnyk, Motja Kuzycz and Darka (Yurchuk) Ruzicka.

The program of the conference also included a get-together on Saturday evening during which Hrebli of various ages met new members and reconnected with old friends. Special tribute was paid that evening to the sole remaining founding member of the sorority, Luba Pezanska.

The next biennial joint conference of younger and senior members of the Ti Scho Hrebli Rvut sorority has been slated for the first weekend after Labor Day in 2004. Young adult Hrebli will hold their own annual conference on September 6-7, 2003 (also the first weekend after Labor Day), either in Hunter, N.Y., or at Soyuzivka in Kerhonkson, N.Y.

For information about the sorority, interested persons may send an e-mail message to either Ms. Kuzmowycz at mkuzmowycz@aol.com, or to Ms. Dragan at tanyadragan@hotmail.com.

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