Ivan Berezkin interviews Kostiantyn Shvab, Ukraine Division Leader, about Ukraine Division Scout Camp “No Darkness”, which was held this summer from June 24 to June 29.
“Scout movement of the Ukraine Division is a general educational movement for youth and children. The scouting movement is a highly effective way of forming a personality, correct and harmoniously developed personality, if we are talking about children and teenagers. The scouting movement contributes to the development of the individual as a citizen with the correct social and public position, helps to foster patriotism and awareness of one’s Motherland and responsibility towards one’s Motherland. Also, the Scouting movement contributes to the education of human moral qualities. At the same time, the Scout movement is also a spiritual movement. Because the foundation of it is a faith in God. Christianity, the preaching of the Gospel occupies a prominent place in the Scout Movement of the Salvation Army Ukraine Division.”
Kostiantyn Shvab commented on how Ukraine Division Scout movement contributes to the recovery from the consequences of the war in Ukraine: “It comes from unity with nature, hardening of character, children are switched from some kind of life, or from the past to “today here”, because Post-traumatic syndrome, as well as other psychological traumas are connected with the past, human beings live in the past. Hiking and the Scouting movement is something that forces a person to switch to the fact that they are “here and now”, it has a very positive and practical effect on a person’s psychological recovery.
The leader of the Division said: “The camp lasted six days this year, six corps took part in it. Three corps had active scouting programs before the camp, and three more corps joined the Scouting movement thanks to this camp. We have accepted new leaders, and they will now return to their corps and begin the formation of Scouting units – in corps where there were no Scout programs and in which there were already Scout programs. We generally held a ceremonial reception of new scouts and new leaders.
To Ivan Berezki
n’s question, whether it can be said that the Scout movement of the Division expanded significantly thanks to this camp, Kostiantyn Shvab answered: “It expanded significantly, it was a big breakthrough thanks to this camp.”
Kostiantyn Shvab commented that the camp had a total of 45 people, 35 of them were children and youth. The program of the camp was scouting with different locations. Participants learned how to tie knots, how to build different things, how to survive in nature. They went through all this in order to pass certain standards and to be accepted into the scouts. It was a scout program.
The leader of the Division also noted that the camp also had a spiritual program: “The Scout movement itself cannot be without faith. Spiritual activities with reading the Bible, meditation, prayers – all of that was part of the camp program. Therefore, every morning, at one of the locations that the participants visited, there were spiritual reflections, Bible readings and prayers. It was every day, and the evening general assembly was also accompanied by prayer.”
Kostiantyn Shvab explained the importance of the camp for the Division by the fact that, first of all, there had never been such an event before. It was the first such a camp in a long period of time. Also, the goal of the camp is to start Scouting units in each corps.
To Ivan Berezkin’s question, what is the vision of the Division Leader for the future of the Scout movement in Ukraine Division, Major Kostiantyn Shvab answered that, in his opinion, he sees a great future: “We have planned a seminar for scout leaders in November this year, and in March 2025, as well as a workshop for scout leaders in 2025. We plan to learn new program in November and then in March our scouts will take an exam on how they learned new program in November. Summer 2025 will be a practical implementation of the program learnt in November and March. We are aiming to organize next camp much larger with the implementation of several changes. We plan to welcome many more new scouts and leaders to the scout camp next year. We already expect that several Scouting units will come from each corps, which will compete for the title of the best unit.”
When asked about the needs of the Scout movement of the Ukraine Division, the Division Leader answered: “The main need is material resources, because for this we need funds: for ropes and tree trunks to build houses from them, to make benches, for renting the territory where it should take place, for transportation, for food. It’s all costs money. It is the case for each corps in our Division too. Units must arrive equipped, with tents, with everything necessary. They should come ready for the competition. They need to have sticks and ropes in places there. This is the material part, and today we have a little problem with it – it is connected with the war, with the economic situation in Ukraine. Parents cannot pay any contributions to buy something at their expense. Because most of the children are internally displaced people. They lack of money anyway, and we, accordingly, cannot take any contributions to buy something at their expense, ropes or something else. This is the biggest problem.
There is also a need for resources. We do not have developed material for the Salvation Army in Ukraine. Serhii Nika, as the Leader of the Scouting movement in Eastern Territory, translated some of the Australian materials on scouting. But most of the materials have not been translated yet”.
At the end of the interview, Kostiantyn Shvab noted: “It would be good if next year, and we need to think about it, scouts from other countries came to us, to teach something, to share an experience. And we dream that the war will end, with God’s will, they will come to us.”
Author – Ivan Berezkin
Ivan Berezkin interviews Kostiantyn Shvab, Ukraine Division Leader, about Ukraine Division Scout Camp “No Darkness”, which was held this summer from June 24 to June 29.
“Scout movement of the Ukraine Division is a general educational movement for youth and children. The scouting movement is a highly effective way of forming a personality, correct and harmoniously developed personality, if we are talking about children and teenagers. The scouting movement contributes to the development of the individual as a citizen with the correct social and public position, helps to foster patriotism and awareness of one’s Motherland and responsibility towards one’s Motherland. Also, the Scouting movement contributes to the education of human moral qualities. At the same time, the Scout movement is also a spiritual movement. Because the foundation of it is a faith in God. Christianity, the preaching of the Gospel occupies a prominent place in the Scout Movement of the Salvation Army Ukraine Division.”
Kostiantyn Shvab commented on how Ukraine Division Scout movement contributes to the recovery from the consequences of the war in Ukraine: “It comes from unity with nature, hardening of character, children are switched from some kind of life, or from the past to “today here”, because Post-traumatic syndrome, as well as other psychological traumas are connected with the past, human beings live in the past. Hiking and the Scouting movement is something that forces a person to switch to the fact that they are “here and now”, it has a very positive and practical effect on a person’s psychological recovery.
The leader of the Division said: “The camp lasted six days this year, six corps took part in it. Three corps had active scouting programs before the camp, and three more corps joined the Scouting movement thanks to this camp. We have accepted new leaders, and they will now return to their corps and begin the formation of Scouting units – in corps where there were no Scout programs and in which there were already Scout programs. We generally held a ceremonial reception of new scouts and new leaders.
To Ivan Berezkin’s question, whether it can be said that the Scout movement of the Division expanded significantly thanks to this camp, Kostiantyn Shvab answered: “It expanded significantly, it was a big breakthrough thanks to this camp.”
Kostiantyn Shvab commented that the camp had a total of 45 people, 35 of them were children and youth. The program of the camp was scouting with different locations. Participants learned how to tie knots, how to build different things, how to survive in nature. They went through all this in order to pass certain standards and to be accepted into the scouts. It was a scout program.
The leader of the Division also noted that the camp also had a spiritual program: “The Scout movement itself cannot be without faith. Spiritual activities with reading the Bible, meditation, prayers – all of that was part of the camp program. Therefore, every morning, at one of the locations that the participants visited, there were spiritual reflections, Bible readings and prayers. It was every day, and the evening general assembly was also accompanied by prayer.”
Kostiantyn Shvab explained the importance of the camp for the Division by the fact that, first of all, there had never been such an event before. It was the first such a camp in a long period of time. Also, the goal of the camp is to start Scouting units in each corps.
To Ivan Berezkin’s question, what is the vision of the Division Leader for the future of the Scout movement in Ukraine Division, Major Kostiantyn Shvab answered that, in his opinion, he sees a great future: “We have planned a seminar for scout leaders in November this year, and in March 2025, as well as a workshop for scout leaders in 2025. We plan to learn new program in November and then in March our scouts will take an exam on how they learned new program in November. Summer 2025 will be a practical implementation of the program learnt in November and March. We are aiming to organize next camp much larger with the implementation of several changes. We plan to welcome many more new scouts and leaders to the scout camp next year. We already expect that several Scouting units will come from each corps, which will compete for the title of the best unit.”
When asked about the needs of the Scout movement of the Ukraine Division, the Division Leader answered: “The main need is material resources, because for this we need funds: for ropes and tree trunks to build houses from them, to make benches, for renting the territory where it should take place, for transportation, for food. It’s all costs money. It is the case for each corps in our Division too. Units must arrive equipped, with tents, with everything necessary. They should come ready for the competition. They need to have sticks and ropes in places there. This is the material part, and today we have a little problem with it – it is connected with the war, with the economic situation in Ukraine. Parents cannot pay any contributions to buy something at their expense. Because most of the children are internally displaced people. They lack of money anyway, and we, accordingly, cannot take any contributions to buy something at their expense, ropes or something else. This is the biggest problem.
There is also a need for resources. We do not have developed material for the Salvation Army in Ukraine. Serhii Nika, as the Leader of the Scouting movement in Eastern Territory, translated some of the Australian materials on scouting. But most of the materials have not been translated yet”.
At the end of the interview, Kostiantyn Shvab noted: “It would be good if next year, and we need to think about it, scouts from other countries came to us, to teach something, to share an experience. And we dream that the war will end, with God’s will, they will come to us.”
Author – Ivan Berezkin
