Scouting during the war

Despite the war in Ukraine, we continue to carry out our Scout duty and pass it on to children. We continue our educational programme, and every Scout leader today is truly a hero.

How do we prepare for Scout meetings with children?

Because of Russia’s massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, rolling blackouts are part of our daily reality. We sit in our homes for hours without electricity, without stable internet connection, often without heating. Yet none of this stops us from preparing responsibly for our meetings.

A Ukrainian Scout leader prepares activities by candlelight or with a headlamp. Lesson plans are written offline, on paper or saved whenever a brief signal appears. Games are adapted so they can be run in shelters or basements. Skills sessions are rethought to include first aid, emotional resilience, teamwork under stress, and service to others — not as theory, but as lived experience.

We always check one thing first: Is it safe?

Meetings may move to bomb shelters, church basements, metro stations, or outdoor locations with clear evacuation plans. Every gathering includes safety briefings. Every leader knows where the nearest shelter is. This is now part of our Scouting routine.

And yet, a Scout meeting remains a Scout meeting.

There is still laughter. There are still songs — sometimes sung quietly, sometimes without instruments. There are still patrol discussions, challenges, badges to earn, and promises to live by Scout values. For a few hours, children are not just children of war — they are Scouts, learning responsibility, service, and hope.

For us, Plast is a community that has survived bans, occupations, exile, and now full-scale war. For over 100 years, Plast has adapted without losing its core. Today, we are proving once again that Scouting is strongest not in comfort, but in commitment.

We prepare for meetings because children need continuity,leadership is service and because Scouting teaches us not to give up — even in the dark.

This is what it means to be a Scout leader in Ukraine today.

And this is why Plast remains strong and unbreakable.