Plast's Vovcha Tropa campground conducts fund-raising for improvements (06/26/05)

Plast's Vovcha Tropa campground conducts fund-raising for improvements

by Andrij Kozak

EAST CHATHAM, N.Y. - The Plast campground Vovcha Tropa in East Chatham, N.Y., is managed by a volunteer staff, organized into a board of members known by the Ukrainian-language [Okruzhna Taborova Komisia] acronym OTK. OTK members organize and manage the grounds and various camps. They provide for the health, safety and security of campers, and comply with state-mandated reporting and environmental standards, while maintaining the facility on a very limited budget.

In the summer of 2004, the 12-member OTK determined that a Pavilion should be constructed at Vovcha Tropa to provide a central gathering place for campers and parents. Previously a large tent had been rented for the entire camp season at considerable expense. A $10,000 donation made by a former camper who wished to remain anonymous initiated the planning for the pavilion. Petro Bokalo, an OTK member for the past 25 years, took on the preliminary design, permitting and construction planning.

The site chosen for construction required the relocation of volleyball courts, which fortunately were due for extensive renovation. Local codes required placement of the pavilion a minimum of 75 feet from the county road, Sayre Hill Road, that runs through the campgrands. An open-sided design was chosen, with exposed wood roof trusses spanning the pavilion and allowing unobstructed floor space. The pavilion was designed to be 40 by 90 feet. A stone fireplace was included, allowing for evening bonfires in inclement weather.

A preliminary design was presented during camps held in the summer of 2004 and fund-raising plans were developed for the pavilion and other required capital improvements. To allow completion of the pavilion for use by campers the following year, the foundation had to be laid that fall. This required careful choreography of design, permitting and construction planning.

Drawings for the pavilion foundation were generated and a temporary permit to start construction was obtained in early fall 2004. The grounds were prepared to accommodate heavy trucks. Twelve piers and the fireplace foundation were poured, along with the concrete for a sidewalk along the outer perimeter of the pavilion. Construction stopped in December for the winter.

The pavilion drawings prepared by former camper/architect Chris Baxer were finalized and presented to the town engineer in mid-April for final permit approval. Construction resumed again in late April. The structure and plywood roof are now largely completed and the surrounding grounds have been graded to prepare for seeding.

A fund-raising committee was established, to raise needed money for the pavilion, which is budgeted at $80,000 and other improvements to the sports and camping facilities at Vovcha Tropa. Plast fraternities and sororities have contributed generously to the cause. Lisovi Mavky held a fund-raising dinner early this year, raising $7,000, which included a $1,000 donation from the Khmelnychenky fraternity. Chornomortsi donated $1,000, and over $20,000 was raised from individual contributions. Spartanky are planning a silent auction in Wildwood this summer.

Approximately $100,000 has been raised to date, and an additional $100,000 is required to complete various planned projects. Individuals contributing $1,000 or more will have their names inscribed on a plaque which will be made part of the pavilion.

Completion of the pavilion is planned for the week of July 4 - just in time for the start of the summer camp season. Thus, the pavilion project will have gone from conception through to completion in an amazingly short period. What is more amazing is that this was managed by an all volunteer group of dedicated individuals who have simultaneously performed their other volunteer duties and responsibilities. Mr. Bokalo has done a superb job in managing this effort.

Vovcha Tropa is a valuable resource for the Ukrainian community in the Northeast. More valuable perhaps are the volunteers who maintain and improve the facility. Recent years have seen OTK manage the judicious sale of selectively cut timber from which profits were used for the reconstruction of barracks and other major repairs.

Much of the labor for the barracks project was provided by volunteers who sacrificed spring and fall weekends to work as carpenters and painters. George Shypailo was the driving force in organizing and motivating the volunteers.

Additional planned projects include the relocation of the volleyball courts, the renovation/replacement of the boys' dining hall and the repair of the administration building. As always with a volunteer organization, the OTK is seeking new volunteers to join their efforts. OTK encourages parents of campers and friends of Vovcha Tropa to step forward and work together with them to improve the campgrounds and to enhance the scouting experience for all the children who attend camps there.

Andrij Kozak chairs the fund-raising committee whose goal is to realize improvements and renovations at Plast's Vovcha Tropa campground in East Chatham, N.Y.

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