Twenty four (24) members of "starshe yunatsvo" from the American Ukrainian Youth Association branches of Chicago (M. Pavlushkova branch) and Palatine (col. D. Vitovskyj branch) along with eight (8) counselors (vychovnyky) attended this year's 2008 winter camp in Baraboo, WI.. This was our 13th annual winter camp which is intended to reward our active members of "starshe yunatsvo".

As in the past winter camps, there were various activities:
-taking a hike through our oselya during the winter and snow covered landscape;
-"terenova hra" (games in the snow);
-snow football;
-tobogganing and snowboarding from the various allowable terrain and man-made ramps made by our yunatsvo and vychovnykyj;
-vohnyk with sing-a-longs, guitar playing, as well as practicing Christmas carols; and
-going into Baraboo for ice-skating.

Highlighting all these activities was the all day skiing/snowboarding and night skiing/snowboarding excursions at the nearby ski resort, Cascade Mountain.

Other significant learning activities that our yunatsvo had was an opportunity to:
-learn how to cook as they took turns in preparing lunch and dinner meals for the camp; and
-taking in a number of various "hutirkas" related to winter topics and current Ukrainian events in the news, topped off with a friendly competition of "CYM-kademics" (a game based on the questions covered during these various hutirkas).

The camp also had the opportunity to visit and sing Ukrainian Christmas carols to many of the nearby Ukrainian families that live in Baraboo, Merrimac, Lake Delton and the Wisconsin Dells area.

Our yunatsvo attending this year's winter camp are very grateful to the eight (8) counselors (vychovnyky) for taking the time out from work and from their own families to help make this yet another successful and fun-filled "zymovyj tabir". Many thanks to druh Marion Kolody (komandant and organizer) along with staff members: druh Andrij Kosowskyj, druh Marko Fafendyk, druh Marko Pawlos, druh Matej Osyka, druh Michael Doolin, pod. Roksana Tech and pod. Sonia Tech.