Today, many memories are cherished by the children who spent their summer holiday at the summer camp in the Saturday-Sunday Recreation Centre of Military Unit 4355 in Parkoszów.
Over three sessions, which together lasted from 1 July to 13 August, the Centre hosted nearly 300 children from the Bolesławiec municipality and Bolesławiec itself. Each session had different weather, and the rain during the second session did not dampen the children’s joy, as that was not what mattered most. The abundance and variety of events were met with applause not only from the children at the camp, but also from young people at the neighbouring SOW youth camp and from the residents of the camping site. Among the events that occupied the children’s time were, among others: the Mini Hit Parade, a Children’s Song Contest, an Evening of Divination and Magic, a Dance Contest, a Football Tournament, a Table Tennis Tournament, Camp Weddings, a Fancy-Dress Ball, campfires with sketches and songs, and camp discos, which allowed the children to dance away their excess energy. There were also night alarms intended to make the children more aware of the dangers associated with fire or visits from unauthorised nighttime guests. The memories would be incomplete without mentioning the cross-country races, otherwise known as orienteering games, in which individual groups of young people demonstrated their knowledge of the area and powers of observation. One of the attractions most eagerly awaited by the children was a trip to the Kłodzko Valley. Everyone had the opportunity to see, among other things, the unique Chapel of Skulls in Kudowa, the Errant Rocks, and Strzeliniec Mountain, where the Heart of the Mountains beat at the summit. For many children, the camp was their only holiday recreation, their only opportunity to leave home and meet other children.
Fortunately, there were no serious accidents during the three sessions, and the children’s laughter ringing out in the dining hall, on the assembly ground, in the tents and in many other places was a sign of their well-being.
A great surprise for the children was the opportunity to go boating under the watchful eye of lifeguards. Attempts to row and steer independently often ended on a sandbank, but provided plenty of excitement. The makeshift conditions in the kitchen did not prevent the preparation of tasty and plentiful food: three meals a day, an afternoon snack, and the opportunity to have additional food at any hour. Close friendships were formed, which meant that departures for home were not infrequently accompanied by tears.
Thanks to a grant from the Bolesławiec Municipal Office, the organisation of activities and events by the Municipal Culture and Sport Centre in Bolesławiec, the loan of equipment from ZHP Bolesławiec, and the cooperation and assistance of Unit 4355, around 300 children did not have to spend their holidays sitting in front of television sets and getting bored in their yards.
We hope that 1994 will bring us another 300 holiday smiles.