THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (07/07/02)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

UNA Home Office employees bid farewell to officers Diachuk and Lysko

by Roma Hadzewycz

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - Employees of the Ukrainian National Association bid farewell to two of the fraternal organization's executive officers - President Ulana Diachuk and National Secretary Martha Lysko - during a surprise luncheon here at the Ramada Inn on Friday, June 28.

That day was the last working day of the four-year term of the UNA General Assembly, which includes executive officers, auditors and advisors, elected back in 1998. The new UNA General Assembly officially takes office on July 1, and on that date, the UNA Home Office would welcome its new full-time executive officers: President Stefan Kaczaraj, National Secretary Christine Kozak and Treasurer Roma Lisovich.

But first came the heartfelt farewells for the outgoing officers.

Mrs. Diachuk was leaving the UNA after working at the Home Office for 52 years - serving for the last 12 of those many years as president and the 18 years before that as treasurer.

Mrs. Lysko was departing from the UNA headquarters after 16 years of service, half of them as national secretary; however, she remains on the UNA Executive Committee as the organization's first vice-president.

Their colleague, Treasurer and President-Elect Kaczaraj, delivered farewell remarks at the reception to "two persons who made large contributions to the UNA in the course of many years."

He cited in particular the accomplishments of the last four years, which he said were not easy ones for the UNA, as the UNA overcame financial difficulties. All this was done, he emphasized, under the leadership of President Diachuk, who deserves to be considered the "president-emeritus" of the UNA. He also noted that Mrs. Diachuk will go down in history as the first female chief executive officer of the UNA.

As for Mrs. Lysko, who is a professional in the field of life insurance, Mr. Kaczaraj pointed to her various innovations in the realm of the UNA's insurance offerings. It is no wonder, he said, that the recently concluded UNA convention elected her to the post of first vice-president.

The president-elect concluded his remarks by stating that he was pleased to have had the opportunity to work with both President Diachuk and National Secretary Lysko during the previous term. He also bid all the UNA's employees, including the personnel of Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly, good fortune, success and harmony during the next term (2002-2006). "May we be united by our dedication to our dear Batko Soyuz," said Mr. Kaczaraj.

Messages of best wishes to Mrs. Diachuk were read from Ukraine's Ambassador to the United Nations Valeriy Kuchinsky; UNA Auditor and Advisor-Elect Stefan Hawrysz; outgoing Auditor William Pastuszek and his wife, Theodosia; and re-elected Auditor Alexander Serafyn.

Afterwards, gifts of Lladro figurines were presented to Mmes. Diachuk and Lysko on behalf of the UNA's employees and members of the General Assembly by, respectively, Daria Semegen and Maria Zaviysky. In addition, a specially engraved Tiffany clock was bestowed upon the outgoing president in recognition of over five decades of service to the UNA.

Mrs. Diachuk acknowledged the fond farewell by noting that "in every ending, there is also a beginning" and underlining that the UNA is "a family in which I grew up." She pledged to always keep the UNA in her heart.

Mrs. Lysko stated that for her the event in reality was not a farewell, as it did not mark her departure from the UNA, but merely her transfer to another office, albeit not a full-time office at the UNA's Corporate Headquarters building.

The afternoon reception concluded with personal exchanges of farewells between the two officers and the UNA staff.

UCCA supports The Weekly's Copies for Congress project

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The executive board of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, meeting on June 8 in New York, unanimously agreed to sponsor one issue of The Ukrainian Weekly for members of the U.S. Congress.

Two weeks later, The Ukrainian Weekly received a check for $1,000 toward its "Copies for Congress" project, along with a note stating that the UCCA wishes to sponsor an issue of the newspaper in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Ukrainian National Information Service, the UCCA's Washington office.

UCCA President Michael Sawkiw Jr. wrote in a letter to Editor-in-Chief Roma Hadzewycz: "As the Ukrainian American community celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first Ukrainian mass immigration to the United States, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of American would like to applaud you and your colleagues at The Ukrainian Weekly for your dedicated coverage of our community and Ukraine. It is important to note that your reporting of such affairs has spurred greater activity not only within our ranks but also within the greater community at large."

Mr. Sawkiw added that "many non-Ukrainian subscribers have recognized The Ukrainian Weekly as an integral course of their information regarding Ukraine and the Ukrainian community."

The Ukrainian Weekly has now received $11,100 in donations in response to its letter of November 16, 2001, soliciting support for the "Copies for Congress" project. The total annual cost of the program to The Ukrainian Weekly is over $50,000 per year.

| Home Page |