THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Why participation in branch meetings is important

by Ulana M. Diachuk
President

In the first three months of each year all branches of the Ukrainian National Association are obligated to hold their annual meetings. At those meetings branch officers render their reports for the prior year, members elect new officers for the coming year, and make plans for enrolling new members in the branch and in the UNA. At the same time they also set their plans for branch fraternal activities.

Therefore, the participation of members in those meetings is desired and very important.

The Ukrainian National Association has 249 branches in many cities of 25 states and 6 Canadian provinces. Branches possess only such powers as are conferred to them by the New Jersey Statutes, the UNA Charter and By-laws, the Convention, General Assembly, and the Branch Manual of the Association. Every member must belong to a branch, preferably the one closest to his/her place of residence.

We urge our membership to participate in all branch meetings and especially in annual meetings. Information about insurance matters and about membership privileges is also disseminated at the meetings.

Branch secretaries complain to the Executive Committee that, regardless of their efforts, meetings often fail to attain the required quorum in order to make decisions. According to our Branch Manual, meetings of branches with 25 members or more must have 10 members present, and with less than 25 members must have five members present in order to have a quorum.

Branch meetings are announced in our two official publications, Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly, and via mail notices.

Our By-Laws demand that each branch must hold meetings and, therefore, members are obligated to participate. A successful meeting attests to the membership's interest in the work of the branch for the benefit of its members, our organization and the Ukrainian community.

We ask you to actively support all the activities of our branches.

March news from the Home Office

by Martha Lysko
National Secretary

Proposed changes to UNA By-Laws

All delegates to the 1998 Convention and current UNA General Assembly members received a ballot to vote on the proposed changes to the UNA By-Laws. If any delegate did not receive the voting package, please notify the national secretary at the Home Office, (973) 292-9800, ext. 3018. All votes must be in by May 1 to be counted.

Our by-laws mandate a two-thirds majority for the change to be approved. If the change is not approved we will abide by the by-laws adopted at the 1998 Convention.

New applications

The UNA has new life insurance applications that comply with the latest Insurance Department guideline. There is only one application for both juvenile and adult members; this one application replaces all other applications. No separate forms are needed for any rider to the application. As of March 1 only the new applications should be used.

These applications, and instructions on how to complete them, will be discussed at all district meetings. No applications will be processed without payment of one premium.

Annual branch meeting and fraternal activities

We, as a fraternal organization, must have branches, branch officers and fraternal activities.

Once again, all branches are reminded to hold an annual branch meeting and elect branch officers. All lists of officers should be sent to the Home Office after the meeting.

We will advertise, free of charge, any branch meeting if the notice is sent in a timely fashion. As previously noted, the UNA will pay $5 per adult member when they attend any planned branch activity. The Home Office must receive a listing of attending members with their signatures. If the member does not sign the list, no payment can be made.

We urge all branches to plan some fraternal activity during the year. A list of ideas for fraternal activities was published in our official publications and will be repeated again.

Premium notices

Since the UNA went on direct billing, there have been many questions regarding premium notices. The UNA will send out only two notices.

The first premium notice will be sent three weeks prior to the premium due date, which is posted on the premium notice. If payment is not received within 45 days after the premium due date (printed on the notice) a member will receive a lapse notice. This means that the policy went on extended insurance. If this is a term policy, there is no coverage as of that day. All policies can be reinstated to good standing if all back premiums are paid.

New members

The 35th UNA Convention in May 2002 is fast approaching. It is time to organize new members for your branch and ensure your branch's representation at the 35th Convention.

This task should be made easier by the fact that our current insurance rates are the lowest ever. Plus, we are now advertising high interest rates on our annuity products.

Soyuzivka exists for the benefit of the UNA's members. Please plan to spend part of your vacation there, send your children to our camps or enjoy a family reunion.

Convention minutes and by-laws

Minutes of the 34th Convention were sent to all delegates in January. New UNA By-Laws adopted at the 34th Convention were mailed in November 2000. Anyone wishing to receive a copy should contact the Home Office.

UNA Foundation/Ostroh Fund

Donations received as of December 31, 2000

Listed below are the contributors who have generously donated to the National University of Ostroh Academy as of December 31, 2000, through the Ukrainian National Foundation/Ostroh Fund. All questions should be directed to Dr. Myron B. Kuropas, chairman, Friends of Ostroh Academy), 107 Ilehamwood Drive, DeKalb, IL 60115.

$2,400.00

Mostowycz, Leonidas and Oksana

$2,000.00

1. Heritage Foundation c/o First Security Federal Savings Bank, Chicago
2. Nenadkevich, Nicholas and Dioniza

$1,800.00

Mychaluk, Alexander and Irene

$1,450.00

Pidstryhach, Leonid

$1,000.00

Selfreliance Federal Credit Union, Philadelphia

$580.00

St.Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral (Silver Spring, Md.)

$500.00

1. Coalition of UWO
2. Iluk, Alexander and Zina
3. Lytwynyshyn, Joseph
4. Modryckyj, Myroslav
5. Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (Chicago)
6. Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (New York City)
7. Tkachuk, Roman and Illa
8. Ukrainian National Home (Lorain, Ohio)
9. Ukrainian American Senior Citizens Association (Jenkintown, Pa.)
10. Voronka, Roman and Zirka

$337.00

Stephen Kuropas

$300.00

1. Shyprykewich, Vladimir and Helena
2. Stachiv, Dennis and Myra
3. Ukrainian National Women's League of America (Chicago)

$250.00

1. Kodelsky, Maria Sajkewycz
2. Mirel, Jeff
3. Ukrainian Gold Cross Branch 12 (Chicago)
4. Klos, Wolodymyr

$240.00

Suriwka, Lubomyr

$200.00

1. Bakum, Vladimir and Oksana
2. Baransky, Maria
3. Baransky, Ulana
4. Baziuk, Walter
5. Committee to Aid Ukraine (Michigan)
6. Ukrainian Village Inc. (Warren, Mich.)
7. "Zustrich" Senior Citizens Club of Rochester

$150.00

Klos, Wolodymyr

$100.00

1. Andreyko, Mary
2. Bochey, Joseph
3. Cherney, Alla and George
4. Chojnacki, Jan
5. Cieply, Oleh
6. Danysh, Z.S.
7. Derzko, Eustachiy
8. Fedyniak, Oresta
9. Golash, Roman
10. Gorchynsky, Iwanna
11. Hnatczuk, Wsewolod
12. Hrush, Peter
13. Hrushetsky, Petro
14. Hryshko, Wasyl and Halyna
14. Humnicky, Michael and Judith
15. Jarosewich, Daria
16. Klos, Wolodymyr
17. Korsun, Benjamin
18. Korowtsky, Helen
19. Krychyk, Alexander
20. Kuropas, Myron and Lesia
21. Kuzmycz, Valentina
22. Marchuk, Basil
23. Markus, Daria
24. Mryszuk, Larysa
25. Myskiw, Nicholas and Zinaida
26. Nehaniv, Bohdan
27. Nowak, Luba
28. Oleksiuk, Irena Pyskir
29. Procyk, George
30. Pryma, Helen
31. Rozhin Living Trust
32. Sacharuk, Serge and Eva
33. Sawka, Jaroslaw
34. Senyk, Joseph
35. Seredynsky, Lydia
36. Shaidevich, Jesse
37. Ukrainian American Center Inc. (Warren, Mich.)
38. Ukrainian American Teachers' Association (Chicago)
39. Ukrainian National Association, St. John Branch (Conn.)
40. Wandzura, Oksana
41. Zelwak, Wira

$50.00

1. Andrushkiw, Bohdan and Vera
2. Boyko, Vasyl
3. Chornij, Ihor
4. Czyzyk, Wolodymyr
5. Friends of ODUM (Chicago)
6. Iwanciw, M.
7. Iwasyszyn, Katherine
8. Kapustij, Carolyn
9. Kowal, Theodore
10. Krawczuk, Jaroslawa
11. Krawczuk, Natalia
12. Krushelnycky, Lubomyr
13. Majdanski, W.K.
14. Pryshlak, Bohdan
15. Rychtytzkyj, George
16. Sasyk, Neolina
17. Sayewych, George
18. Shepelavey, Bohdan
19. Stadnyk, Stephen
20. Stoiko Family Trust
21. Strilbyckyj, Alexander
22. Stupa, Andrew
23. Teleshefsky, John
24. Turkalo, Sinovi
25. Werohlad, Mykola
26. Wichar, Stephen

$25.00

1. Bajko, Petro
2. Daniv, Alexander
3. Golash, Stefan
4. Jackson, Joseph
5. Kramarchuk, Neonila M.
6. Matwyshyn, H.M.
7. Myrc, Bohdan
8. Omelchenko, Sergei

$20.00

1. Nazarewycz, Julia
2. Pacholuk, Valentina
3. Vytvytsky, Daria

$5.00

Sasyk, Anna

Miscellaneous Cash Donations

1. Krywyj, Vira and Jaroslaw ($100.00)
2. Rub, George ($100.00)
3. UNA Chicago District Committee ($100.00)
4. Turiansky, Evhen and Maria ($50.00)
5. Kasey, Myron ($40.00)
6. Kruk, Bohdan ($30.00)
7. Kucher, Ivanka ($20.00)
8. Havrylenko, Evstachiw (20.00)
9. Omelchenko, Sergei ($20.00)
10. Pryma, Irene ($20.00)
11. Tarnawska, Irena ($20.00)
12. Unknown cash donors ($380.00)

TOTAL: $26,822.00

The Ukrainian National Foundation, an affiliate of the Ukrainian National Association, has 501 (c) (3) status, which means all donations are tax-deductible. The Ukrainian National Foundation was created in 1992 to promote humanitarian, cultural and educational programs in Ukraine, the United States and Canada.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 11, 2001, No. 10, Vol. LXIX

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