“To friendly competition, let us stand… in fair game, to victory!”
KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Every November, over the course of over 51 years, young members Plast, the Ukrainian Scouting Organization have come together on the grounds of the Ukrainian National Association Estate, Soyuzivka, in upstate New York to compete in a unique intellectual tournament known as “Orlykiada.” The competition is organized year after year by the Plast fraternity “Orlykivtsi,” spearheaded this year by Marta Mudri and Lydia Rezie (a member of the Orlykivtsi). Fourteen teams qualified for Orlykiada 2013 which took place from November 9-10th. Participants answered questions in an academic bowl, displayed exhibits, and performed in an artistic sketch following the theme of Ukraine as “The Breadbasket of Europe.”
“During the 80th anniversary of the [Ukrainian Genocide] Holodomor, we wanted the scouts to evaluate and understand the important role of bread in the history and culture of Ukraine,” explained Lydia Rezie, “only then a young person can truly understand the reasoning behind the Holodomor and its tragic effects for the Ukrainian nation – not only physically, but spiritually as well.”
The first-place winner of this year’s Orlykiada was the team representing Cleveland, Ohio whose members met three hours per night, four nights per week, “working very hard on our preparation for this competition,” according to the team leader Natalia Zappernick, “[the competitors from Cleveland] thought it was very important for every member to take an equal and vital role in executing each of the requirements Orlykiada demands, so that all members would take ownership of the entire team’s project.”
The organizers and judges also distributed awards for best in each category. First place in the academic bowl went to the team from Passaic, New Jersey; the first place award for best exhibit went to the team from Chicago; and first place for artistic sketch was awarded to the team from Toronto, Canada.
An important tradition of Orlykiada was the election of two upstanding scouts for the ceremonial position of Hetmanych and Hetmanivna, the honorary hosts of every year’s competition. The judges decide on who will be awarded the title of Hetmanych and Hetmanivna based on their display of good scouting attitudes, activeness in their community, and on how they live by the example of Gregoire Orlyk, a great French-Ukrainian, leader of Ukrainians in exile, and son of the famous Hetman Pylyp Orlyk.
This year Diana Moczula from Newark, New Jersey was named Hetmanivna and Rostyslaw Wynnyckyj from Toronto, Canada was named Hetman.
“This is a big shock to me,” admitted Rostlyslaw, “my uncle was once named Hetmanych [at Orlykiada] many years ago, so these attributes must run in the family.” Rostyslaw believes that to become a Hetmanych a member of Plast must have a certain worldview: “this is a person who knows how to voice his opinion, spread his ideas, and is a good leader who cares about Plast.”
