THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

From the National Secretary's Newsletter
Re: Officers, members and applications

by Martha Lysko
National Secretary

Branch officers

After holding their annual meetings all branches should have sent to the Home Office a list of branch officers for the year 2001. We request this information on an annual basis since it is a by-laws requirement. We also need the information when working with our branches. Please remember that only dues-paying members can serve as branch officers or delegates to the convention.

Once again, it is important to emphasize that we are a fraternal organization and going on direct billing does not change this. As a fraternal organization we must continue to have strong ties with the membership and carry on fraternal activities.

Social members

Every June, branch secretaries receive a list of social members in their branch. Fraternal dues of $3 for every social member must be sent to the Home Office by July. Those members who fail to pay fraternal dues for the year 2001 will be ineligible to vote or to be elected as delegates to the convention. Only fully paid-up members who have reached the age of 65 or older are eligible for social membership, all others must pay regular dues.

Voting members

This year in July all branch secretaries will receive a list of voting members in their branches. Based on this number, every branch will be titled to one or more delegates to the Convention. According to our by-laws, branches that have 75 to 149 voting members are entitled to one delegate; 150-224 two delegates; 225-299 three delegates; 300 or more four delegates.

Please remember that the number of voting members in the branch is always changing. Each branch loses voting members due to death, cash surrender and paid-up policies.

In order to maintain a constant number of voting members it is necessary to replace all inactive policies with new members. All secretaries and organizers must work diligently to replace lost business if they wish to have one or more delegates at the convention.

New applications

The new applications are simpler to use, but it will take time to get used to them. As you may have noticed, there is only one application for both adults and children. We no longer have juvenile applications.

New applications require one annual, semiannual, quarterly or monthly premium payment before a policy can be issued. Every application has a conditional receipt that must be given to every applicant upon receipt of premium payment. Please be diligent in completing the new applications.

Assessment list

Annually we send to all branch secretaries a listing of all active and paid-up members in their branches. We ask that you please verify all information provided on these lists and notify the Home Office of any discrepancies between your information and that provided to you. The UNA has many members with paid-up policies that we are unable to reach due to lack of proper mailing address.

All branches need new members. Take advantage of the lowest premium rates in the history of the UNA and insure someone today.

Report of the Auditing Committee of the Ukrainian National Association

The Auditing Committee, in accordance with the UNA By-Laws, on May 8-10 conducted a review of the business operations of the Ukrainian National Association for the year 2000. The previous audit was conducted in late November 2000, covering the first nine months of 2000.

The Auditing Committee's plan of action consisted of reviewing the implementation of decisions of the 34th UNA Convention, as well as operations of the financial and recording departments, UNA publications, the Soyuzivka resort and other matters.

1. Implementation of decisions of the 34th Convention of the UNA

The delegates to the 34th Convention voted to conduct a referendum on amendments to the UNA By-Laws whose goal was to alter the UNA's governance structure to an 11-member board of directors elected by the convention to conduct the business affairs of the UNA during the period between conventions.

On February 12, 2001, all delegates to the last convention were sent copies of the UNA Charter and By-Laws with proposed changes. The delegates were to vote for or against the amendments by May 1, 2001.

All ballots returned were examined and counted by the Auditing Committee, which affirmed that the proposed amendments to the By-Laws did not receive the required approval of two-thirds of the eligible votes. A detailed report on the voting results was published in issues No. 19 of both Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly.

2. Financial Department of the UNA

For the 12 months of 2000, the UNA's operating profit was $134,000, as compared with the deficit in 1999 which totaled $1,074,000. The UNA surplus decreased by $188,000 to the sum of $6,791,000. The principal reason for the decline was the decrease in the value of the Canadian dollar.

One-time expenses associated with the review of the UNA conducted by the insurance authorities of New Jersey, the Y2K problem, the closing of the Canadian office and other expenses during 1999, in addition to a downsizing of personnel led to a significant reduction in expenses during 2000.

The new UNA Home Office building became profitable to the tune of $107,000 in the year 2000. Additional vacated space rented in 2001 will lead to a further growth in profits in 2001 and succeeding years.

3. UNA Publications, Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly

As of the end of 2000, the number of Svoboda subscribers was 7,428, while The Ukrainian Weekly subscribers totaled 6,812. In comparison with the end of 1999, the number of Svoboda subscribers decreased by 21, while the number of Weekly subscribers declined by 47.

The deficit of both publications for the year 2000 was $175,000. For purposes of comparison, we note that in 1999 it totaled $246,000. In accordance with the budget for 2000, the deficit of both publications should not be over $100,000 annually.

4. Soyuzivka

Summing up the season at Soyuzivka for the year 2000, it should be noted that expenses increased by $152,000 and, despite income that was higher by $48,000, the deficit for 2000 totaled $579,000, or $105,000 more than in 1999.

At its meeting in December 2000, the General Assembly directed the Standing Committee on Soyuzivka to prepare a detailed plan regarding the future activity of the UNA resort. This plan, which was presented to the Executive Committee on April 30 of this year, gives general recommendations regarding physical improvements, alternative financial options and the next steps toward their realization. The prepared plan, however, does not provide a projection of income and expenses for Soyuzivka after the proposed modernization. Therefore, it is not possible to know if the proposed improvements will be profitable for Soyuzivka and, if so, when.

5. Organizing Department of the UNA

In accordance with statistical data, during the report period, the year 2000, the UNA has 27 districts encompassing 249 branches in the United States and Canada. During the year under review the organizing plan called for 1,250 new members, but only 526 new members were enrolled and insured for a total of $7,903,549. The annual quota was filled by only 42 percent.

It should be noted that nearly all districts enrolled new members during the report period. When reviewing the work of districts, the Woonsocket District surpassed its quota, fulfilling it by 130 percent (District Chairman Leon Hardink); while the highest number of new members, 64 members insured for $1,860,650, was enrolled by the Northern New Jersey District (District Chairman and Advisor Eugene Oscislawski).

Evaluating the organizing achievements of branch secretaries, the highest number of new members were enrolled by the following: 1. Myron Pylypiak, Branch 496, 62 members; Lubov Streletsky, Branch 10, 29 members; 3. Joseph Hawryluk, Branch 360, 27 members; 4. Advisor Stephanie Hawryluk, Branch 88, 27 members.

Evaluating the organizing activity of the UNA we affirm that during the year under review nearly all new members were enrolled by branch secretaries because there were no professional organizers. Thus, secretaries continue to be the foundation of the UNA, for which they deserve commendations.

The Auditing Committee expresses commendation to the Executive Committee for its initiative in stipulating that each new member, upon signing an application for membership is obligated to pay the first premium due.

6. Miscellaneous

Reinvigorated sales of life insurance certificates and annuities, as well as further decreases in expenses, especially those associated with Soyuzivka, will renew the growth of the UNA. The UNA has the financial strength to support all its actions if corrective steps continue and time is allotted for them to become effective.

The Auditing Committee calls on not only UNA members, but on the entire Ukrainian patriotic community to become subscribers to UNA publications and to donate to their press funds in order to decrease their deficit.

For the Auditing Committee:

William Pastuszek, chairman
Stepan Hawrysz, vice-chairman
Dr. Alexander Serafyn, secretary
Myron Groch, committee member
Yaroslav Zaviysky, committee member

Young UNA'ers

• Sophia Marta Holowaty, daughter of Andrey Holowaty and Marta Huta-Holowaty, is a new member of UNA Branch 432 in Toronto. She was enrolled by her parents into the branch of which her brothers Andrew Matthew and Maksym Nicholas are members.
  
  
• Larissa Kateryna Michel, daughter of Zirka Kalynych and Philip R. Michel, is a new member of UNA Branch 292 in Detroit. She was enrolled by her grandmother Nadia Kalynych.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 27, 2001, No. 21, Vol. LXIX

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