From January 1-5, 2025, 86 Plast members gathered at Stanwell Park for our annual summer camp, “Velyka Hra (The Big Game).” With a perfect mix of adventure and comfort—some might even call it glamping—this year’s camp was a truly special experience.
Under the leadership of Komendant pl. sen. Dovirja Orysia Sywak, our dedicated vyhovnyky delivered an engaging daily program that combined traditional scouting skills, teamwork challenges, and plenty of fun. From bushcraft and hiking to team-building games and evening bonfires, campers embraced the spirit of Plast while making lifelong memories.
Meet the Team Behind the Magic
A huge thank you to our incredible team of leaders who made this camp possible:
- Komendant UPY: st. pl. Solomiya Sywak
- Bulava Members: st. pl. Julia Manchester, st. pl. Daniella Sywak, st. pl. Lukian Adams, pl. sen. Hryts Huzij
- Komendant UPN: st. pl. Tayissa Oleksyn
- Bulava Members: pl. sen. Tomas Miljenovic, st. pl. Danny Kasanczuk, pl. sen. Mikkal Sveum
- Komendant Tativky: pl. sen. Tanya Karlijchuk
Yunatstvo
Even the blistering heat could not stop our Yunatska program, seeing the yunaky completing vmilosti, their physical dexterity tested in VFV and learning more about PLAST and being a plasIun. Yunatsvo worked together as a team to launch one another 20m into the air on the giant swing – making sure to lift all of their bulava just a little higher. They were challenged on the high ropes courses, kart racing and lots of swimming. Yunatstvo slid down more than hiked the slippery steep slopes of the Wodi Wodi Track down to the beach, conquering the challenge, if not with a few leeches and slips along the way. Sporting activities such as 100m sprints, long jump and even a 3km run, brought the best of each yunak, working together as a team to make sure everyone overcame these physical challenges. Their team work was best seen in our epic volleyball championship, where tensions were high but games played to an almost-olympic degree. If anyone was hurt, yunatsvo was the first on the scene, completing their bush first aid vmilost. Whether it was crafting stretchers out of their jumpers to haul their komendantka across the field, helping hypothermia victims or treating snake bites – yunatsvo may not be medically qualified but they excelled in first class care. Our final night in tabir had yunatsvo singing their hearts out at vatra, also performing a skit about their not-so-valid medical license and dancing the arkan. The 2025 tabir saw a good foundation of plastuvanya for many of our new members and for yunastvo set a precedence in their leadership capabilities as we continue to strive for self-fulfillment and being productive good citizens.
Novatstvo
It’s safe to say that our Novaky and Novachky had a ball at our summer Tabir! With children joining us from across the country, it was a great opportunity for new friendships to be made, as well as old ones reinforced! Those in attendance earned 3 badges across tabir – photography, art, and a specially created 100 Years of UPN vmilost to mark the milestone in the ulad’s history.
Novatstvo had lots of adventures in the wild, to meet and feed local fauna with a visit to Symbio Wildlife Park, ponding to see life in our creeks and rivers and building a kite to experience life in the air. Novatstvo continued their 100 Year of Novatstvo initiatives using photography and journalistic skills to interview older members and document their experiences in Plast as a Novak. A time capsule was created with Novaky including objects of their life in Plast which will be a wonderful surprise for the next generation.
Other memorable activities included learning ukulele and Aboriginal dot painting. With a swim in the pool at any chance they could get, our Novaky deserved a well earned rest by the end of the tabir!
Special Guests
We were honoured to host pl. sen. Myron Spolsky, Head of HPB, who spent several days at camp before returning to Kyiv. He shared insights about Plast worldwide and the realities of life in Ukraine. st. pl. Olenka Bondar, General Secretary of HPB, also visited after attending the summer camp in Victoria, bringing her experience from growing Plast in France.
Looking Ahead
With another successful summer camp in the books, we are already gearing up for an exciting 2025. From monthly Plast Days to mini-camps and hikes, there are plenty of opportunities to stay engaged, learn new skills, and build friendships.
A big Slava! to all who participated and helped make “The Big Game” a huge success. We can’t wait to see you at our next adventure!
