I have no opinion on this and just learned of it. I have several connections with western NY and Buffalo. Including former work, inlaws, and former GF. Jamestown is birthplace of Natalie Merchant. UNY Freedonia is where a hot redhead went to school.
https://www.npr.org/sections/the-picture-show/2024/07/16/g-s1-7730/how-ukrainian-scouting-culture-thrives-in-the-woods-of-western-new-york-stateHow Ukrainian scouting culture thrives in the woods of western New York state
July 20, 20245:00 AM ET
By
Andrea Wenglowskyj
There is a parcel of land hidden away in the woods of western New York state that has been home to a Ukrainian summer camp called “Novyi Sokil” since 1950. Every July, campers, counselors and administrators gather on 84 acres of hilly woods, featuring a deep ravine with a meandering creek and fields of grasses and wildflowers, for three weeks of developing lifelong friendships, mosquito bites, campfires and immersion into Ukrainian scouting culture.
The grounds are marked with cyrillic signage pointing them to the outdoor church, kitchen and pool, walking the same rooty paths their grandparents did. Every morning, blue and yellow flags are raised alongside American flags while they sing a repertoire of Ukrainian prayers and scouting songs. The shrill sound of a whistle mingles with crickets in the fields as they practice marching drills that are meant to teach discipline and order. Each camper earns badges, wears a specific uniform, is expected to speak only Ukrainian and follow a scouting code.
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Two of these leaders, Siryy Lev and Marian Borachok, displaced from Ukraine to Buffalo, N.Y., found an abandoned farm for camping in the nearby
rural village of North Collins.
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