THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (03/18/01)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Soyuzivka camps: an explanation of new programs and fee increases

by Ulana Diachuk
President

In the past two weeks Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly carried announcements of all camps to be held at the UNA resort, Soyuzivka, during July and August.

Readers no doubt noticed that the camp listing is much longer than in the past. Due to the fact that the Ukrainian Fraternal Association's resort, Verkhovyna, will not be able to host dance camps and sports camps this summer, Soyuzivka stepped in and is offering these camps at the same time as they were usually held at Verkhovyna. In addition, all the camps that were held at Soyuzivka in prior years will be repeated.

Readers, especially those who are planning to send their children to one of the camps, have most likely also noticed the increased camp fees. We wish to explain the reason we could not hold the camp fees at the same level as that charged in the past.

In January of this year the UNA Executive Committee devoted several days to the review of all expenses associated with holding each camp at Soyuzivka. At the same time, a review was done of all other activities at the resort. This was necessitated by Soyuzivka's constant operating deficits, as a result of which the UNA supports the resort to the extent of about $450,000 annually. That sum includes the subsidy given to all camps.

Since our organization is unable to continue such extensive support, the UNA Executive Committee is striving to make adjustments in order to reduce the deficits to a manageable amount. If we do not succeed in that goal, the fate of our beloved Soyuzivka could be in jeopardy.

The UNA had to include in its calculations a variety of expenses connected with the running of the camps in order to come up with an average daily camp fee. In addition to the food that has to be purchased, cooked and served, we had to take into account also a very small portion of our energy costs, our administrative, housekeeping and maintenance expenses, salaries of employees involved in serving the camps, costs of the upkeep of the pool, as well as a portion of the fire and liability insurance premium, etc. An average daily fee of $45 was established as the rate necessary to cover only our expenses. Campers who are UNA members are entitled to a discount.

The camp fees depend on the number of days the particular camp is held and the instructors' and/or counselors' fees charged by camp directors. Please bear in mind that the instructors' or counselors' fees are payable to the camp directors, as is the camp insurance in the case of some camps. Since both the owner of the resort (the UNA) and the camp directors must have their own separate camp insurance for protection, a camp insurance fee had to be instituted.

Judging by the camp fees we have been charging in the past, we have come to the conclusion that they were heavily subsidized by the UNA (and similarly by the UFA at Verkhovyna) over the duration of many years. Unfortunately, such generous subsidies will not be possible in the future. The new Soyuzivka camp fees were established with the intention only of covering the expenses necessary to run them. Our camps are small - not more than 45 or 60 participants, depending on the camp - and the ratio of counselors to campers is low.

We sincerely hope that parents will accept our explanation for the increase in the camp fees and will once again make it possible for their children to enjoy the summer at our beautiful resort, Soyuzivka, and to reap the benefits of the outstanding professional instructors these camps provide.

About those premium-due notices...

by Martha Lysko
National Secretary

The UNA will be mailing premium-due notices approximately three weeks before a member's premium due date. This gives you enough time to mail your premium payment to the Home Office, and it also gives the UNA sufficient time to process your premium in a timely manner. Premiums are processed on a daily basis, as they are received in the mail. Ideally your premium should be received in our office and processed before your premium due date.

Every premium-paying policy has a premium due date located on the bottom portion of your premium-due notice. This date also represents the day to which your policy is currently paid. For example, if your premium due date is January 28, 2001, your policy is paid to January 28, 2001. Your next premium will cover the next period.

If your payment is not received and processed by the premium due date, it is then considered late and will be treated as such. If payment is made on a timely basis, you will receive your next notice of premium due three weeks prior to the next due date.

If payment is not received and it is 45 days after the premium due date, a lapse notice will be mailed to the member advising that his/her policy is being lapsed due to lack of premium payment. Should all back premiums be paid, the policy will be reinstated and considered in good standing. However, this procedure depends on the type of policy you own. Term policies, since they have no cash value, cannot be reinstated after the grace period ends. The result is loss of insurance coverage and the potential of leaving your family unprotected from financial difficulties.

The notice of premium due states the frequency of payments per year you have chosen: annual, semi-annual, quarterly or monthly. Each premium pays for the next period of insurance coverage. For example, if your premium due date is January 28, 2001, paid annually, you will now be paying for coverage from January 28, 2001 through January 28, 2002. Another example, for quarterly payments, if your premium due date is January 28, 2001, you are paying for coverage from January 28, 2001 through March 28, 2001. Please remember that this letter contains examples only. For your premium due date and mode (premium paying period), please check your notice of premium due.

Young UNA'ers

Markian Gregory Lee (left) and Catherine Lee, children of Christiane W. and Todd Andrew Lee, is a new member of UNA Branch 13 in Watervliet, N.Y. He was enrolled by his parents.
Adriana Maria Teluk, daughter of Irina and Peter Teluk of Silver Spring, Md., is a new member of UNA Branch 358 in Baltimore. She was enrolled by her godfather, UNA Advisor Taras G. Szmagala Jr.
Maxim Alexander Kuropas, son of Roman Michael Kuropas and Tanya Karawan-Kuropas, is a new member of UNA Branch 20 of Warren, Mich. He was enrolled by his grandparents Roman Ivan Kuropas (secretary of Branch 20) and Tamara Daria Kuropas.

| Home Page |