UNA executive officers discuss Soyuzivka and Canadian issues (07/15/01)

UNA executive officers discuss Soyuzivka and Canadian issues

by Martha Lysko
UNA National Secretary

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Ukrainian National Association's Executive Committee met on June 9 at the UNA Corporate Headquarters for its regular quarterly meeting.

In attendance were members of the Executive Committee: First Vice-President Stefko Kuropas, Second Vice-President, Anya Dydyk-Petrenko, Director for Canada the Rev. Myron Stasiw, Treasurer Stefan Kaczaraj and National Secretary Martha Lysko. Also present was Stefan Hawrysz, a member of the Auditing Committee. The meeting was chaired by President Ulana Diachuk.

All reports for the first quarter of 2001 were read and approved. Two other important matters under discussion were Soyuzivka and the work of the UNA General Assembly's Standing Committee on Soyuzivka and UNA membership in Canada.

In opening the meeting, the president asked for a moment of silence in memory of former Supreme Secretary Walter Sochan, who passed away on May 23, and former Supreme President John O. Flis, who passed away on June 8. Both former UNA executive officers were honorary members of the UNA General Assembly.

Delivering the treasurer's report, Mr. Kaczaraj compared in detail income and expenses for the first quarter of 2001 with those of the first quarter of 2000. He reported that certain expenses were down in 2001 due to fewer payments of matured endowment, and that less money was paid to organizers and secretaries because less new business was generated. Annuity payouts also were down in 2001, he added.

In the first quarter of 2001 the UNA's surplus grew by $1,004,584, due primarily to the following factors: net income totalled $413,405; the change in net unrealized foreign exchange, showed an increase of $900,481; the change in net unrealized capital losses showed a decrease of $319,360; the Ukrainian National Urban Renewal Corp. (UNURC) showed a loss of $43,307; and other increases were $53,365.

The UNURC showed a loss in the first quarter of the year due to the commission paid on the leasing of new space but will be profitable in the next several quarters, the treasurer noted. There is only one mortgage still in foreclosure.

National Secretary Lysko reported on the organizing efforts of UNA branches and districts as of the end of April 2001, which resulted in a total of 165 new members enrolled for a total of $3,634,000 in insurance coverage and annual premiums of $56,342.13.

Fifty-eight secretaries organized 165 members. Top organizers by premium amount were: Helen Karachevsky, $7,253; Oksana Trytjak, $7,012.50; and Myron Pylypiak, $6,036.15. Mrs. Lysko stated: "We appreciate and thank all the branch secretaries for their efforts."

From January to the end of April the UNA offered a special 7 percent rate on new annuities. This program netted a total of 10 annuities for the amount of $155,000, reported the national secretary.

Four secretaries retired or resigned and were replaced with new secretaries: Ostap Zyniuk of Branch 15 retired and Anna Kerda is the new secretary; Olena Goy of Branch 194 stepped down and Oksana Lopatynsky was elected to replace her; Wolodymyr Hetmansky of Branch 374 retired and Stephanie Majkut replaced him; Donald Raishart of Branch 113 stepped down and Michael Shean was elected in his place.

Mrs. Lysko also noted that the annual meeings of UNA districts were scheduled and held in most major locations, and new insurance applications and annuity applications were introduced to all secretaries. Since January 2001, when all the UNA branches went on direct billing, she added, the Home Office has been struggling to collect members' addresses.

In January all delegates, branch secretaries, district chairpersons and General Assembly members received a copy of the minutes of the 1998 Convention. On March 1, as resolved by the convention, all delegates and current General Assembly members received voting packets to vote on the proposed change to the UNA By-Laws.

Finally, the national secretary reported that letters regarding dividends and the required privacy letters were sent to all members in June.

Ms. Dydyk-Petrenko, second vice-president, reported that her work on Soyuzivka summer programs had intensified in the first quarter of the year. She tried to implement the decision of the Executive Committee to cut the number of Saturday night programs at Soyuzivka and still present an interesting summer for guests at the UNA resort.

The concert schedule for the summer is in place, she noted, adding that there is one free weekend due to a cancellation. That weekend can be filled with a new folk group from Slovakia if the details can be worked out.

Ms. Dydyk-Petrenko also said she represented the UNA at the graduation ceremonies of the Ukrainian school in Washington and presented checks from the UNA to the graduates.

Director for Canada the Rev. Stasiw in his report expressed his opinion about direct billing in Canada. He further outlined the difficulties in electing a new district chairperson. He said he thinks that, in time, these difficulties will be overcome.

The report of First Vice-President Kuropas outlined his continued work with the Standing Committee on Soyuzivka in preparing a business plan for the resort. He further reported on his work in the Chicago District, which he continues to serve as chairman.

President Diachuk reviewed all aspects of the UNA's operations. Noting that the national secretary had presented the statistics for the Organizing Department, the president underlined that there are only 10 steady branch organizers. "We nevertheless need the efforts of many more secretaries, all General Assembly members, branch officers and individual members if we are to reach our quota this year." The situation in Canada is even more critical, she added, as there were only three new members in Canada this quarter. In 2000 the UNA had only 20 new applications in Canada.

The proposed changes to the UNA By-Laws were mailed to all convention delegates on March 1. The deadline for submission of votes was May 1. UNA Auditing Committee members met at the Home Office, picked up the ballots from the local post office box, opened the envelopes and counted all the votes. For the proposed changes there were 106 votes; 70 votes were cast against the change; three ballots were invalid. The required number of votes to change the By-Laws was 155, or two-thirds of the total of 233 eligible votes. As a result of that vote, the proposed changes to the UNA By-Laws did not pass. The results of the vote were already published in the UNA's official publications in May.

Regarding the Financial Department, the president noted that the surplus at the end of March 31 reached the sum of $7,795,650 and showed an increase of $1,004,584. This increase is largely due to a reduction on the foreign exchange reserve of $900,481, as well as the higher gain from operations.

Both publications showed an increase of about $10,000 in income each. The number of subscribers dropped by 110 for Svoboda and 85 for The Ukrainian Weekly. The 2001 UNA Almanac once again was very popular and made a profit of $4,500 from sales; another $10,500 came from donations.

The UNURC changed management as of June 1. The UNA hired HRA Management & Consulting Co. to be the new building manager. The company is located on the UNA's premises and its owner, Michael Halibej, is a UNA member and an active member of the local Ukrainian American community.

Reporting on income and disbursements for Soyuzivka in the first quarter of the year, the president noted that first quarter disbursements exceeded last year's by $30,591. Insurance and energy costs went up. There is only one senior in residence at Soyuzivka, therefore there is less rent. The UNA resort is still having problems with hiring summer help and will be advertising for more help. New Soyuzivka brochures are being mailed with all dues notices to members, added Mrs. Diachuk.

She also reported that since December of last year the UNA has been diligently working to pay many outstanding death claims and endowment matured policies. Attention is being focused on policyholders in New Jersey primarily since these will have to be escheated in the very near future.

This year 79 Saturday Ukrainian School graduates received $50 each from the UNA. There were 10 schools that presented their graduate list. One $500 check was awarded to a graduate of St. George Academy in New York and two checks of $250 each were paid to Immaculate Conception High School in Michigan.

In discussing the recent report of Canada's Office of Superintendent of Financial Institutions regarding the UNA's Canadian operations, the executives touched upon the future of the UNA in Canada. Canadian insurance authorities, after reviewing the UNA's 2000 operations, wanted to know what the plans are for the future of Canadian business as they were concerned with the UNA's lack of growth in Canada.

It is apparent that times have changed and foreign companies in Canada fall under greater regulations than before, President Diachuk stated. Many American companies and fraternal societies, both small and large, pulled out of Canada and no longer sell in the Canadian market.

In the report of the UNA's actuaries for year 2000, Bruce & Bruce gave some suggestions on how to resolve the Canadian situation, the president continued. There is a possibility that Canadian members could switch to paying their premiums in U.S. dollars. This would make them part of the UNA's business in the United States and would resolve the issue of regulation, reporting requirements and the Canadian dollar. Members in Canada would be Canadian members only for the purposes of carrying on fraternal activities and for branch association. The UNA thus would eliminate the costs of doing business in Canada and the negative impact the Canadian dollar has on its financial statements. These preliminary thoughts will be further explored at the annual session of the General Assembly in December and the upcoming convention in 2002.

Mr. Kuropas reported on the work of the Standing Committee on Soyuzivka. The committee members have been working on a business plan for Soyuzivka and explored various options. In discussions with the consultants they agreed to consider looking for a partner. There is still the possibility of working with a hotel management school. The UNA needs to know how much support it can get from the Ukrainian community. The consensus was that, in order to approach the Ukrainian community for support, the UNA must have a sound business plan with financial projections before any solid Ukrainian organization would be interested in the Soyuzivka project as a partner.

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