The Woodcrafters from Czechia, Slovakia and Poland met in the Ostrava city at their annual meeting. The gathering took place between 26 and 28 January 2024 in the clubroom of the Wabash tribe (Woodcraft circle) from Ostrava.
The aim of the gathering was to share information and news concerning the activities of the Woodcraft organizations and groups in 2023 and planning what they might organize together in 2024.
The talks started on Saturday late morning after all the participants had arrived either on Friday in the evening or on Saturday in the morning and opened the morning in the Woodcraft way – saluting the sunrise from the top of the highest hill in Ostrava shortly after 7 am. 🙂
The people presented mostly very positive information:
In Czechia, LLM is striving to make the Woodcraft organization work more effectively. They have started a process in the end of which LLM hopes to have a professional management, running everyday agenda of the organization.
In Slovakia the Woodcrafters are going to amend their statutes and revive activities of the Woodcraft League of Slovakia. Slovak Woodcrafters have newly their own camping site on a green field that has been purchased recently by one of the members. They hope that having their own campsite will help to organize regular events and bring more young people closer to Woodcraft activities.
In Poland quite a few scouts from the Polish Boy Scouts – Harcerstwo – are keenly interested in establishing their own Woodcraft League of Poland. All formal steps have been made towards the aim and it seems to be just a matter of time right now. Having another well established Woodcraft organization in Central Europe would be exciting and helpful. The Poles have promised to organize a camping weekend in a form of a Chautauqua in the first half of 2024.
The Blue Sky World Woodcraft Declaration from 1996 was presented and the Woodcrafters from Slovakia and Poland have been invited to join it. The participants from these countries promised to share the invitation in their circles and make the decision in the near future.
The gathering was very successful and led in a very pleasant and warm atmosphere also thanks to the hospitality of the Wabash tribe members who catered for us the whole weekend and ensured all the logistic tasks.
Blue Sky salute especially to Marek Havrlík – Nechodí, from LLM, who had summoned the gathering and chaired it in a very good way.
What is the most important thing is the fact that the Woodcrafters from Czechia, Slovakia and Poland are keen on gathering at the camping activities held in all the three countries and are ready to meet again at a similar gathering in Ostrava in January 2025.
Blue Sky!