The lifeline of scouting in times of war

Serhii Nika, leader of the Scout Movement in the Eastern Europe Territory, works with some of the young scouts in teaching a range of values and skills.

The worldwide Scout Movement is growing in the Ukraine Division of The Salvation Army – as the war rages around the country. Communications specialist for the division, Ivan Berezkin, interviewed Major Konstantyn Shvab, Ukraine Divisional Commander, about the recent summer (northern hemisphere) camp, themed ‘No darkness’. An excerpt of the interview is below.

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Major Konstantyn Shvab (left) at the scout camp with Captain Dmitrij Bessmolnyj.

Ivan: Can you tell us about the Scout Movement in the division?

Konstantyn: The Scout Movement of the Ukraine Division is a general educational movement for youth and children. The scouting movement contributes to the development of the individual as a citizen with social and public responsibilities. At the same time, the Scout Movement is also a spiritual movement because the foundation of it is a faith in God. Christianity and the preaching of the Gospel occupies a prominent place in the Scout Movement of The Salvation Army Ukraine Division.

Ivan: What role did the summer camp play in growing this movement?

Konstantyn: It expanded significantly; it was a big breakthrough thanks to this camp. The camp lasted six days this year, and six corps participated. Three corps already had active scouting programs, and three additional corps joined the Scout 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. We had 45 people at the camp, with 35 being children and youth. The camp took place in different locations. Participants learned to tie knots, to build different things, how to survive in nature. They went through all this to pass certain standards and to be accepted into the scouts.

Bible studies, worship and praise are foundational elements at the camp.

Ivan: Can you tell us about the spiritual focus of the camp?

Konstantyn: 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. Every morning, at one of the locations that the participants visited, there were spiritual reflections, Bible readings and prayers. The evening general assembly was also accompanied by prayer.

Ivan: How does scouting contribute to recovering from the consequences of war?

Konstantyn: It comes from unity with nature, developing character. Children can experience “today, now” because post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as other psychological traumas, are connected with the past. Hiking and the Scout Movement can switch a person to the fact that they are “here and now”, it has a very positive and practical effect on a person’s psychological recovery.

Children learn a range of practical skills as part of scouting.

Ivan: What do you see as the future of the Scout Movement in Ukraine?

Konstantyn: I see 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 this program. In the summer of 2025, we will run a practical implementation of the new programs. We are aiming to organise another camp that will be much larger and with several changes. We plan to welcome many more new scouts and leaders to the scout camp next year.

Ivan: What are the needs of the Scout Movement in the division?

Konstantyn: The main need is material resources, because for this we need funds – for ropes and wood, for renting sites where it should take place, for transportation, for food. It is the case for each corps in our division too. Units must arrive equipped, with tents, with everything necessary. 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. Most of the children are internally displaced people. They lack money anyway and we, accordingly, cannot take any contributions to buy something at their expense. This is the biggest problem.

The children work hard to achieve their scouting goals and are proud of what they do.

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 Scout Movement in the Eastern Europe Territory (of which Ukraine is part), translated some of the Australian materials on scouting. But most of the materials have not been translated yet. 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.