40 people, 3 weeks, 2 countries. The fourth tour by the Cleveland Hungarian Scout Folk Ensemble ended on July 13. Since June 22, they have toured Palóc, Szekler and Csángó lands of Hungary and Romania, where they could get acquainted with the dances, traditions, and people of those ethnographic regions.

“We influenced each other again: the old people could see and experience what we heard and learned about in Cleveland, in Hungarian school and scouting, and the locals were reaffirmed in the importance of keeping their traditions because they are real values and there are those who are interested in them – even far away in America,” said Eszti Pigniczky, director of the tour.

This is the fourth time the ensemble has visited Kazár and they are happily “coming home” there. Furthermore, the veteran leaders of the ensemble are proud that they got to know Szeklerland and the Moldavian Csángó people through their scout brothers and sisters from Cleveland. In Gyimes they found new friends, but it still felt as if they had known each other for a long time!