Plast International Jamboree in Canada

By Oksana Zakydalsky

TORONTO – Although the majority of those taking part in the 95^th Anniversary Plast Jamboree were from North America, the  largest ever contingent of members from outside the continent was present since the inaugural jamboree fifty years ago – 44 came from Ukraine, 26 from Germany, 15 from Australia, 7 from Argentina, 6 from the UK and 2 from Poland – 99 in total. Even though each country faced challenges in sending its delegation – for some financial, for others the issue of timing (in that it is the middle of the school year in Argentina and Australia), the excitement generated by the preparations for the event gave the national organizations the drive to make sure that their country participated. Thus, every national organization where Plast exists today was represented at the jamboree.

In order to enable a large group of representatives to come from Ukraine, a special fund was set up by the organizing committee. Started by a generous donation of $20,000 from Dopomoha Ukraini (a Wrzesnewskyj Family foundation), the fund is comprised of sponsorships by Plast kureni and stanytsi, as well as, many individual donations. Almost $70,000 was collected and some of this money was also used to help bring representatives from Poland and Argentina.

Taking part in the full two-week program, the group from Ukraine was made up of 23 youth members (under 18 years of age), 18 counsellors and two national leaders – Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, who heads Plast in Ukraine and Vyacheslav Stebnytsky, the second-in-command. In total, nine camps were organized, made up of eight member patrols (hurtky) with campers from various cities and countries and interspersed with counsellors throughout all nine camps. Thanks to the organizational set-up of the various camps, there was plenty of opportunity for the exchange of ideas and making new friendships.

Two weeks of skill testing activities, canoeing, cooking, and living together in a Ukrainian-speaking environment, no doubt left its mark on all the young people sharing in the experience. Today, with a proud 95-year history, Plast enjoys worldwide support and young-people appeal for Ukrainians.