A group of 55 people from IPA Poland's Uroczysko-Piechowice region met with representatives of the Lower Silesian IPA Voivodeship Group, members from IPA Jelenia Góra, and representatives from IPA UK in the Karkonosze wilderness. It was an opportunity to talk about the situation of the association, but most of all to adopt the Region's plan for next year, and also to welcome new members. The second meeting was held under the banner of “Oaks of the Century”.
Almost one hundred trees were planted to protect the environment, and to add splendour to the activities of IPA Uroczysko-Piechowice!
As part of our Association, new dynamically operating regions are being established. One of them is IPA Uroczysko-Piechowice, established only two years ago. The founding concept of the Uroczysko-Piechowice Region provides for gathering officers working for anti-terrorism within the Police. Of course, this applies to people who are currently serving in these units, as well as to those who are already retired, or who have come into contact with these specialised units on their professional path.
Members of the aforementioned region regularly try to introduce innovation within the IPA activities and organise meetings not only on a national, but also on an international level. This was the case at the beginning of October at IPA Uroczysko-Piechowice, who were visited by members of the association from Lower Silesia and the United Kingdom, whilst in 2019, Orazio Anania from Italy had been hosted.
The weekend of friendship was inaugurated by the President of the region, Władysław Leszczyński, who welcomed a guest from faraway Albion, Rob Stenhouse, a representative of the IPA Defensive Tactics Group, as well as those who had traveled much shorter distances to meet in the forests of the Karkonosze Mountains. These included, amongst others, Bartłomiej Majchrzak from the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Group, as well as a member of the board, Fryderyk Orepuk, and a representative of the neighboring Jelenia Góra region, Rafał Gula.
During the first day, several discussions were held on changes in the management board, declarations of new members were accepted, and a training session was conducted along with a demonstration entitled “Saving a Friend's Life”.
The second day was much more active, mainly physically, when the participants of the meeting planted almost 100 oak trees as part of celebrating the activities of the association! Everyone who financially supported this action received a special plaque with their name, and the name that would be given to the tree. At the same time, they declared to take care of the oak trees growing on the slopes of the Sudetes.
The last day of this weekend was even more active than the previous one: the participants of the meeting went to the summit of Śnieżka, taking part in the #70IPAChallenge campaign, aimed at celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the International Police Association. Nine IPA members with accompanying persons reached the summit of Śnieżka - 1602 meters above sea level, and received commemorative badges.
The weekend ended with the meeting at the summit of Śnieżka, during which, according to the motto Servo per Amikeco, members of the IPA from various countries and different regions talked, discussed and exchanged views.
The members IPA Uroczysko-Piechowice already have very ambitious plans for further activities, and it is possible that similar meetings will be held next year, possibly more than once.
Text: K. Marcjan; Translation: M. Rozmus, IPA Uroczysko- Piechowice, Poland