Students of Berchtesgaden gymnasium to hold reunion at Soyuzivka (03/23/03)

Students of Berchtesgaden gymnasium to hold reunion at Soyuzivka

by Ihor Lysyj

AUSTIN, Texas - A reunion of former students of Berchtesgaden's Ukrainian Gymnasium will take place on May 19-22 at Soyuzivka. The reunion program will be structured around two major themes - one political-civic and the other social in nature.

The first will be devoted to a review of contributions made by the students of the school to the development of statehood and civil society in Ukraine. The first-hand knowledge of political, civic, academic and social evolution in post-Communist Ukraine will be examined and then formulated into priorities for helping the country in the future.

The second theme will focus on remembrance of bygone years and the reality of contemporary life. A mosaic of personal experiences of colleagues who have made significant contributions to the rebirth of the nation will be presented at the general meeting on Tuesday, May 20. There is a rich lode of historical material of a personal nature to be examined.

Former students of the Berchtesgaden gymnasium have served as advisors to the Ukrainian Parliament, the Cabinet of Ministers, the Office of the Prime Minister, institutions of higher education, law enforcement agencies and Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization. They were and remain involved in the publishing of Ukrainian literature and promotion of respect for the national language in Ukraine. They have also made significant contributions in fields of business, commerce, philanthropy and volunteer activities.

The organizers of the reunion have selected speakers from different segments of community life in order to provide an overall view of the contributions made by colleagues in various fields of endeavor, and to illuminate the difficulties experienced in building a civil society in Ukraine.

The first speaker of the general session, Dr. Lubomyr Wynar, will deal with academic issues in contemporary Ukrainian life. He is a well-known historian and the author of 50 books and over 1,300 scholarly publications. With single-minded devotion to the cause of Ukrainian historiography, he initiated and organized centers of the Ukrainian Historical Association in numerous cities of post-Communist Ukraine, including Kyiv, Lviv, Ostroh and Uzhorod. He is the founder and editor of the journal Ukrainskyi Istoryk (Ukrainian Historian), president of the Ukrainian Historical Association, and head of the Historical Section of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. (UVAN).

Dr. Wynar is the recipient of numerous academic and civic awards, including the St. Volodymyr Medal, awarded by the Ukrainian World Congress (1993), the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Medal awarded by the Shevchenko Scientific Society (1994), and an honorary doctorate from the University of Chernivtsi, awarded in 2002. He is also honorary academician at Ostroh Academy in Ukraine. The topic of Dr. Wynar's presentation will be "Ukrainskyi Istoryk and the Contemporary Status of Historical Science in Ukraine."

Erast Huculak will address political and civic contributions made by the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada during the early stages of the re-establishment of the Ukrainian state. He was one of the principal organizers of the Society for the Support of Rukh and was its first chairman. The financial and moral support of this Canadian organization during critical moments leading up to the proclamation of Ukrainian independence in 1991 played a rather important role in that historic development. Mr. Huculak served as an advisor to the Ukrainian prime minister during this critical period of independence.

For his public services in support of independent Ukraine, he was awarded two presidential medals. Mr. Huculak is a prominent Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He established the chair of Ukrainian Culture and Ethnography at the University of Alberta and donated the property (grounds and residence) for the first Embassy of Ukraine in Canada.

Dr. Lubomyr Romankiw will discuss the rebirth of the Plast movement in Ukraine. He has made a lifelong commitment to Plast by combining his outstanding professional career with personal dedication to the cause of the Ukrainian scouting movement. He was instrumental in the resurrection of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization in Ukraine and participated in the organization of Plast camps and jamborees throughout Ukraine.

Today he is the chief scout of Plast worldwide. He is a member of the IBM Academy of Science and a member of the Academy of Engineering Sciences in Ukraine. Dr. Romankiw was honored for his professional accomplishments with two prestigious medals of the American Chemical Society.

Discussing issues related to the rule of law in Ukraine will be Ihor Rakowsky (colonel, U.S. Army, ret.). After the proclamation of Ukraine's independence he served as an advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and as a lecturer at the academy of that organization.

The social part of the program on Tuesday, May 20, will include an evening of entertainment and a ball. Bohdan Markiw, musician-composer, concertmaster, music critic and participant in many Berchtesgaden reunions, will be the master of ceremonies.

While the principal subject of discussions on Tuesday will be connected with the reunion participants' past, the discussions on Wednesday, May 21, will deal with the future. A panel discussion will address the role of the diaspora in the future of Ukraine. Such topics as reforms of education, respect for the rule of law, enhancement of social civility, respect for the national language and others will be addressed in short presentations by experts in each field, followed by a general discussion and comments from the floor.

The panel will comprise individuals with longtime experience in civic, academic and social volunteer work in Ukraine and will include Olexij Shevchenko, Ihor Hayda, Dr. Wynar, plus other speakers from the previous session.

The theme "It's good to be alive" will also be a subject of discussions on Wednesday. A part of the general session will be devoted to recalling bygone years and discussing contemporary life. The format will include personal presentations and discussion open to all participants of the reunion.

The social events of the day will continue into the evening with a traditional campfire that will remind participants of their youth and many "vatry" of half-forgotten Plast camps.

The final day, May 22, will be left open for enjoyment of the facilities of Soyuzivka and outdoor activities in the springtime of the mountains.

The initiators and organizers of the event are Ihor Lysyj of Austin, Texas, and Wolodymyr Sharko of Jacksonville, Fla. Contributing to the conduct of the reunion are Olha Sawchuk of Kerhonkson, N.Y., Chrystyna Masiuk of Philadelphia, Larissa Muczychka of Canton, Ohio, Ihor Hayda of Easton, Conn., and Mr. Markiw of Woodbridge, Conn.

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