New Plast group in Seattle brings together area's families (05/14/06)

New Plast group in Seattle brings together area's families

by Halyna Kuzyszyn-Holubec

NORWALK, Conn. - It's every Plast "vykhovnyk's" (counselor's) dream. Imagine taking your group to witness bald eagles migrating or an outing on one of Mount Rainier's trails. These exciting activities along with the typical programs of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization have been most recently realized in Seattle, Wash., where transplanted East Coast Plast members Anya and Timish Hnateyko have organized 15 children into a Plast group.

Headquartered in the Hnateyko household, the Seattle Plast group meets every two weeks for typical "skhodyny" (meetings) and additional activities similar to those of other Plast groups and "stanytsi" (city branches). Within Plast a group becomes official when they are registered through and approved by the Plast National Command. Typically, Plast groups have fewer members and are located further away from cities with established Plast branches.

Keeping Plast an important part of the lives of their children, Taisa and Marko, was an important goal for the Hnateykos, following their move from New Jersey in 2004. Ms. Hnateyko, a lifelong Plast member raised in Philadelphia, then Chicago and New Jersey was often a counselor for younger members of "novatstvo" and later for older teens. She has also been an active member in her Plast sorority, Lisovi Mavky, and in her new role as organizer of the Plast Seattle group is encouraging more Fourth Wave children to join the organization.

Mr. Hnateyko, a member of the Chornomortsi Plast fraternity, has also been involved in counseling within the organization.

"We really wanted to have Plast continued in our kids' lives," said Ms. Hnateyko in a telephone interview. Official group status was granted to the Plast Seattle group in June 2005, but the group has been having meetings since November 2004.

Ms. Hnateyko noted that her collaboration with Fourth Wave parents of young Plast members has been incredible. "The community here is so supportive of what we're doing in Plast that it's really easy for me to continue doing it," she said. As with any typical Plast branch, Seattle has a "Lanka Batkiv" (Parents' Club) comprising all the children's parents. They take care of details involved in planning excursions or events, so that the Hnateykos can focus on implementing the Plast program - since the both of them also play the role of counselors.

"I was drawn to Plast because of its focus on the Ukrainian," says recent Ukrainian immigrant Valya Drogomiretska. Her 11-year-old daughter Sofia has been a member of Plast for the last two years. "My daughter loves that they do a lot of singing and go on many excursions," she says. "It's also a great opportunity for Sofia to practice the Ukrainian language and be with other Ukrainian children."

Ms. Drogomiretska also pointed out the difficulty in instilling the Ukrainian language in children born and raised in America (her family has lived here for over 11 years). She says her daughter's involvement in Plast has improved Sofia's Ukrainian language and has given her knowledge of things Ukrainian that she would not have gotten on her own.

"Plast in Seattle brings together families from different generations of the diaspora who want the same for their kids," says Laada Bilaniuk, whose 9-year-old daughter Laska shares her enthusiasm in being with other Ukrainian children and participating in the hiking, camping and earning of badges.

Also a Philadelphia Plast native, Dr. Bilaniuk, who's an assistant professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Washington, said she appreciates that Plast combines a cultural and linguistic aspect with learning about nature. "That is what I remember most fondly about Plast," she commented. "The camping, the hikes, the games in the forest."

In addition to the fun aspect of the organization, Dr. Bilaniuk said it benefits kids by "developing a sense of belonging and solidarity in an organization with plenty of rewards for achievement and rituals."

"They're really proud to be 'plastuny' here," said Ms. Hnateyko. And for her and her husband that's as satisfying as having their kids continue their Plast life.

This January, the Plast Seattle group went caroling to all the Ukrainian families in the area. "It was the first time in 10 years that someone has gone 'koliaduvaty' in Seattle," Ms. Hnateyko pointed out.

Other group activities included a "Mykolai" (St. Nicholas) play, last year's presentation of "hahilky" (springtime ritual songs and dances) at the church grounds, and "Sviato Vesny" on Mount Rainier attended by all the children and their parents. This year's "Sviato Vesny" will be held at yet another beautiful setting - Deception Pass on the north end of Whidbey Island.

In the future, the Hnateykos hope to recruit more kids into Plast and maybe even have a "ptashata" group for kids under age 7. For now, the group's activities will include it's taking more advantage of the beautiful nature that surrounds them in Seattle, more "skhodyny" and continuing tradition for the younger generation.

(Photos courtesy of Anya and Timish Hnateyko.)

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