Volume 3, Number 4
July-August, 1997

PLAST DISCUSSIONS WITH WOSM

During June 21 to 26, 1997 1 was invited, as President of Plast, the Scout Organization of Ukraine, to visit WOSM Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the possibility of forming National Scout Organization of Ukraine, which is a precondition for admittance to the World Organization of Scout Movements, and the role Plast will play in this process. As a result of our long discussions, we arrived at four possible approaches, which will be submitted to the Plast Executive Council for their consideration and vote, according to the democratic principles that govern Plast. The participation of Ukrainian delegation in the 19t World Scout Jamboree was also on the agenda.

In the WOSM Offices in Geneva

During the meetings we discussed the new Sixth Eurasia Scout Region, encompassing countries of former Soviet Union (except for the Baltic States). In these meetings I was speaking not only for Plast, the Scout Organization of Ukraine, but also had authorization to speak for Skif, the Dnipropetrovske Scout Organization, the Transcarpathian Hungarian Scout Organization in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Guide Organization. I conveyed our surprise that Ukraine, a country the size of France, with 52 million population, which has more registered Scouts than all the current members of the Sixth Region Armenia, Moldova, and Tajikistan put together, was not even informed about the meeting discussing the formation of the Eurasian Region, but was listed on the official communiqué as a future member!

Despite peoples misperceptions, geographically Ukraine is situated in the very center of Europe: the monument marking the geographical center of Europe lies in Ukraine's Zakarpatska oblast (province), not far from the site where last year the First All-Ukrainian Scout Jamboree was held. Throughout the ages, Ukraine had close cultural and religious ties with Europe, not with Asia. The four Scout Organizations, which I represented in Geneva, have a very active program and relations with other European Scout Organizations, while they have little contact with Scouts in Asia and are not eager to be assigned to the Eurasian Scout Region.

Swiss Scouts

While staying in Geneva, I was able to attend also a seminar on organizing volunteers to help in Scouting activities, and had an opportunity for various practical discussions with several Scout leaders about scouting programs. Most memorable was my meeting with the scouts of Switzerland, while attending a ceremony of graduation of young cubs to full Scouthood. This ceremony reminded me of similar ceremonies in Plast identical in purpose, but somewhat different in details and traditions.

by Scoutmaster Viacheslov Stebnytskyi

COOPERATION BETWEEN SCOUTS CANADA AND UKRAINIAN PLAST

Ukrainian Delegation in Toronto

From April 30 through May 14, 19 seven Plast leaders from Ukraine visited Canada’s Scouts. The Canadian Government financed this extremely worthwhile and successful trip. trip were to plan further cooperation between the two Scouting organizations, and to get acquainted with the vast experience accumulated over the years by our brother and sisters Scouts in Canada.

The most important and interesting part of the visit was a lengthy discussion with Canadian Scout leaders, who proved to be very interested in our experiences in building a new organization, and also in our attempts to join the World Scouting (WOSM). The Canadian scouts were very eager to help us, particularly by offering to let us translate into Ukrainian Canadian Scout literature, and by inviting our representatives to the Canadian Scout Jamboree in 1997.

Next, we were invited to a seminar, organized for us by the Canadian Scouts, on the subject of organizational and administrative issues, in running vast organizations, as they do. The practical knowledge gained in this seminar will help us tremendously in our daily work of running our organization in the Ukraine.

A very interesting part of the visit was the participation of our delegation in the 8th Dorchester International Brotherhood Camporee. Here was saw Scouting in real life, so to speak. We were very impressed by the friendliness and hospitality of our hosts. To greet our arrival even the Ukrainian blue and yellow flag was hoisted along with the flags of Canada and the USA on the flagpoles above the campsite. This made us really feel at home. We took part in the various daily campfires at the Camporee and tried to entertain our hosts by singing Ukrainian songs and holding traditional Ukrainian camp-games. Canadian Scouts who collected among themselves money for us, to help us acquire some of the needed camping equipment for this summer.

By Scouter Andriy Harmitiy

UKRAINE PARTICPATES IN FENIX-97 SLAVONIC SCOUT JAMBOREE IN PRAGUE

Over 50 Ukrainian Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts took part in the European Scout Jamboree in Prague in the Czech Republic, which was held from 20 to 28 June of this year. This was the Second Slavonic Jamboree in Eastern and Central Europe.

It followed the traditions of the First Slavonic Jamboree of 1931. It attracted participants not only from Slavonic nations, but also scouts all over Europe.

The program of the Jamboree was very interesting to us and included various Scouting activities, such as a trips to a medieval castle, a stay in a tree-house, sports, and other events. The proximity of the beautiful medieval city of Prague lent an additional exotic charm to the whole program.

The Ukrainian Scouts quickly established very friendly and personal relations with the Czech Scouts. We quickly established that the roots of our mutual cooperation go back in history to the early 1920's. In many cases, we learned the grandparents of our Plastuny were Scouts together with the grandparents of our hosts and soon we established some common history in Scouting.

Our Ukrainian Scouts-Plastuny delegation demonstrated outstanding training and self-discipline and were able to win various prizes in the Jamboree competitions, proving their preparedness.

by Eagle Scout Vasyl Buschak.

NORWEGIAN-UKRAINIAN FRIENDSHIP

Antony Cook

Anglo-Irish by birth, Norwegian by residence, Antony Cook is now, by choice, embarked on long: term cooperation with Ukrainian scouts. Since his first visit to Ukraine in November, 1993, Antony, who is Group Scoutmaster, Langhus Group, In Langhus Norway, has organized several joint projects with the Dnipropetrovsk Scouting Association, Skif.

Norwegian and Ukrainian Scouts in Ukraine

In the summer of 1994, three Skifs took part In a Rover Jamboree in Norway and in July, 1995 forty Norwegian Scouts held a Joint two-week camp In Ukraine with about 130 Skif's on the banks of the river Orel near Dnipropetrovske. The following summer, in 1996, forty-five Skifs traveled to Norway for a joint camp with Norwegian and- British Scouts The Ukrainian scouts attracted a lot of attention from the press and TV, which featured articles on their visit. Ukrainian songs so captivated the Norwegian scouts that Antony translated several of them into Norwegian. These songs were then featured in a special Ukrainian segment of the Langhus '97 Scout Show. This year, the Norwegians have returned to Ukraine; again under the leadership of Antony, twenty of them arrived in Dnipropetrovske on June 26 for another joint program with the Skif scouts.

Norwegian-Ukrainian Emblem

Why is he putting so much effort into maintaining this Norwegian-Ukrainian co-operation? "Our relationship is important both for Norwegian scouts and Ukrainian scouts. You cannot be friends until you understand one another. This growing friendship helps to further the Scout idea", Antony answered.

Would he like to see Ukraine officially part of the international scouting movement, as a member of WOSM? "There is a big problem here. Many of the Ukrainian scouting organization would be able to work together to create their own national association but, unfortunately, there are two many interfering objects. I won't mention any names but we all know who they are. They are causing the splitting of

Ukraine which means you are not getting the full impact you would have if you had one nations Scout Association. I'm worried that some people are playing politics and they're thinking of themselves and not about the children. Scouting is for children. Adult people's wishes to achieve something should be for the children and not for themselves. That is my strong opinion," said Antony.

By Scoutmaster Oksana Zakydalskiy

STEP TO THE FORMATION OF A SOCIETY OF SEA SCOUTS

From May 22 till 25, 1997, as Vice-President of Plast in Ukraine (and a Sea Scout), I took part in the 5th International Seminar of World Sea-Scout Organizations. With the help of the group of Seven Sea Wolves, we gave a presentation about our Sea-Scouting Chaika (sea-gull) project and showed a videotape of the reconstruction of the historic Black-Sea ship (St. Mary Oranta), an important present-day undertaking of the Ukrainian Sea Scouts. The Chaika project has some very ambitious plans for 1998: the participation of Ukrainian Sea Scouts and our ship in sea camps in England, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and the Sea-Scout Jamboree Sataganka-98.

By Scoutmaster Oles Kryskiv

THE FIRST CONGRESS OF UKRAINIAN YOUTH

During May 26 to 28, 1997, various youth organizations of Ukraine held the First Congress of Ukrainian Youth, under the headline: Youth of Ukraine for Peace and Social Progress in Society. The Congress was initiated by the Government of Ukraine. The President, Leonid Kuchma, the Prime Minister, and various Ministers Of Ukraine concerned with the problems of Youth, took part in this event.

During the Congress, the representatives of various Youth organizations had an opportunity to describe their concerns, their needs and desires to the representatives of the Government of Ukraine. This was really the first opportunity during the last 5 years for young people of Ukraine to bring to the attention of the whole nation their particular needs and their unique problems.

Among the 506 delegates at the Congress, there were 10 representatives of the Scouting Organization Plast, two from the Guides, two from the Transcarpathian Hungarian Scouts, one from Skifs, one from Russian Scouts in Ukraine, and two from other Scouting Organizations altogether 18 representatives from the Scouting Community in Ukraine.

Scouting Representatives

Due to historic circumstances, many members of the Ukrainian Government were not as yet completely familiar with the aims of Scouting, with the World Scout Movement, with the present-day re- birth of Scouting in Ukraine, and with the great benefits that Scouting can bring to our country. All the Scout and Guide organizations present at the Congress formed a common front, to enlighten the government officials about the nature of Scouting in general, about the status of Scouting in Ukraine today, and about the great potential for positive results which Scouting could achieve in our society. The common good of Scouting was more important to them, than their differences.

by Scoutmaster Natalka Litkovets

FIRST PLASTUNY FROM CRIMEA TAKE THE SCOUT OATH

Crimea is the most ethnically varied among the 25 provinces of the Ukrainian Republic. Tartars, Russians, Jews, Armenians, Greeks, and many other ethnic groups live there, together with Ukrainians. Ukrainian Scouts -Plastuny, have established a strong foothold there: they not only lead an active Scout Life by themselves, but they jointly organize common programs with scouts from many other ethnic groups.

The strongest Plast group in Crimea is in the city of Krasnoperekopsk, where, this spring, the first group of Plastuny took the Plast Oath and became full-fledged members of the Ukrainian Scouting Movement - Plast.

Crimean Scouts

Another Crimean Plast unit, from the famous port city of Sevastopil, held this year its first mountain climbing camp, in the rugged mountains of the Crimean Peninsula (the Yailta Mountains), with assistance of some experienced professional mountain climbers. For next year, the Sevastopil Plastuny, are planning a joint sea-camp together with Crimean scouts from various minority ethnic groups.

by Rover Scout Petro Golugo

The Ukrainian Scouting Pages are adapted from material published by the Plast National Executive in Ukraine in Ukrainian Scouting
Editor: Lubomyr Onyshkevych

Your feedback, comments and suggestions are appreciated.
Please write to us via e-mail at: Ukrainian Scouting
Letters to the editors should be sent to:
Ukrainian Scouting, P. O. Box 22, Ternopil, 252001, UKRAINE

LINKS TO UKRAINIAN SCOUTING-PLAST