THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (11/17/02)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

By-laws changes, resolutions and recommendations of the UNA's 35th Convention

Amendments to the UNA By-Laws

By-Laws Review Committee: Gloria Horbaty (Branch 414), chairperson; Michael Kuropas (Branch 22), English-language secretary; Stephan Chorney (Branch 401), Ukrainian-language secretary; Michael Karkoc (Branch 345) and Joseph Chabon (Branch 242), members.

Amendments to the UNA By-Laws:

Article II (Conventions), Section 7, Item d (Legislative Powers):

To nominate and elect by ballot the following officers, who shall constitute the General Assembly:

Change:

from five (5) to three (3) members of the Auditing Committee;

Change:

from fourteen (14) to eleven (11) members of the Board of Advisors, of whom at least one (1) [change from two (2)] shall be a Canadian member;

Article II (Conventions), Section 17b (Duties of Above [Convention] Committees):

Change from:

Committee on Revision of By-Laws shall meet at least one week before the Convention, shall consider the advisability of the change or revision of any of the By-Laws and shall present the same with their recommendation to the Convention for action.

The said committee shall also consider all pre-convention proposals for the food and welfare of the Association submitted by the Branches after the same have been approved or revised by the Executive Committee, and shall recommend to the Convention what actions should be taken thereon.

Change to:

Committee on Revision of By-Laws shall meet at least one day before the Convention, shall consider the advisability of the change or revision of any of the By-Laws and shall present the same with their recommendation to the Convention for action. The said committee shall also consider all pre-convention proposals for the good and welfare of the Association received by the Home Office at least two weeks prior to the convention from the Districts, Branches or any UNA member, and shall recommend to the Convention what action should be taken thereon.

Article III (Qualifications, Elections and Term of Officers), Section 18 (Qualifictions of officers):

Add:

Employees of the UNA can run only for the full-time paid executive positions.

Article V (General Assembly), Section 31 (Board of Advisors):

Add:

Each Advisor is obligated to organize members each year as our tradition dictates.

He/she has to be in touch with the local branches and attend district meetings.

Each Advisor shall belong to one of Standing Committees of the General Assembly, as created at the first meeting of the General Assembly after the Convention.

Article V (General Assembly), Section 37 (Powers and Duties [of Trustees and the Executive Committee]:

Remove:

They shall consider and have the power to approve, revise or reject, edit and publish all pre-convention proposals for the good and welfare of the Association submitted to them in writing by the Branches and present such proposals with their recommendations to the Committee on Revision of By-Laws, while the said committee is in session before the Convention, for its consideration and presentation to the Convention.

Resolutions and recommendations

Resolutions

The 35th UNA Convention hereby directs that a Soyuzivka Redevelopment Committee be established. This committee shall be responsible for evaluating options available to the association regarding Soyuzivka. The goal of the committee shall be to end the need for subsidization of the resort by the UNA, while at the same time preserving the Ukrainian cultural focus of the resort. Solutions may include the transfer or sale of the resort, if necessary. The Executive Committee is directed to provide adequate funding for the activities of the Soyuzivka Committee for one year. Members of the committee are Taras Szmagala Jr., Stefko Kuropas, Anya Dydyk-Petrenko, Alex Chudolij and Al Kachkowski. (Resolutions Committee)
As approved by the 33rd and 34th Conventions, it is resolved that a bust be erected and dedicated at the UNA estate to the memory of the late Patriarch Mstyslav within one year of this convention. (Resolutions Committee)
The convention resolves that criteria be established to increase the financial incentives to districts for meeting their membership quotas. (Resolutions Committee)
The delegates of the 35th UNA Convention appeal to the newly elected General Assembly to prepare and develop a strategic action plan to promote new membership and retain current membership. The General Assembly should also develop a marketing plan and update current material (newspaper articles, films, pamphlets) under the slogan "Let's Get to Know the UNA," especially for new Ukrainian immigrants. (Resolutions Committee)
The 35th Convention of the UNA appreciates the work and valuable contributions of the UNA secretaries in organizing new members today, as well as their future efforts in this area. (Secretaries Committee)
The 35th Convention is well aware that the responsibilities of the branch secretaries have changed as a result of the adoption by the Home Office of direct premium billing. In response to these and other changes, the need exists to more clearly define the branch secretary's role within our institution. Nevertheless, the essential nature of this role remains the organization of new members, serving the existing branch membership, and the organization and implementation of member branch activities. (Secretaries Committee)
It is desirable that the convention reports and speeches filed by the General Assembly be presented in both Ukrainian and English. (Resolutions Committee)
The 34th Convention of 1998 in Toronto approved the merger of the UNA with the Ukrainian Fraternal Association, barring any name changes of the Ukrainian National Association. The 35th Convention hereby resolves that the newly elected General Assembly begin the task of mailing the ballots by the end of 2002 to the delegates of the UNA 35th Convention, who will vote on merging the UFA with the UNA if, and only if, the upcoming UFA convention in June approves the merger, barring any name changes of the Ukrainian National Association. (Motion by Ulana M. Diachuk, UNA president)
As at prior conventions, the delegates of the 35th Convention agree to make a donation of $35 from their per diems to the Ukrainian National Foundation for the benefit of Soyuzivka, the Svoboda Press Fund and The Ukrainian Weekly Press Fund, to be distributed equally. (Motion by William Pastuszek, UNA auditor)
We extend our appreciation to the Convention Committee for a job well done, all convention committees, the Convention Presidium and Chairman Nestor Olesnycky for an exemplary and orderly convention, keeping the discussions and business on course, and to all delegates of the 35th Convention for their exemplary participation in making this 35th Convention one of the most productive and orderly conventions. (Motion by William Pastuszek chairman of the UNA Auditing Committee)
The convention resolves and appoints the Executive Committee to form a Standing Committee on Canada, which will include all Canadian members of the General Assembly and appointed members of the General Assembly, to find solutions to the Canadian issue. The Standing Committee is to report various options to the Executive Committee, which is to resolve this issue within two years. (Motion by Vasyl Luchkiw, UNA advisor)

Recommendations of the Petitions Committee

The Petitions Committee - Roman Hawryluk (Branch 88), chairperson; Ivanna Gorchynsky (Branch 472), Irene Pryjma (Branch 292), Neonila Sochan (Branch 287) and Aristida Staruch (Branch 172), members having reviewed petitions and having been allocated $3,000 for charitable donations by the Finance Committee, recommends donations to the following organizations:

Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (Kyiv, Sobor Center), $400
Natonal University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, $300
National University of Ostroh Academy, $300
Plast, $300
SUMA, $300
ODUM, $200
Ukrainian Gold Cross, $200
Americans for Democracy in Ukraine
(textbooks in Ukrainian for high school students in eastern Ukraine), $200
The Ukrainian Museum (New York), $200
Ukrainian-Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko, $200
Kashtan Dance Ensemble (Cleveland), $150
International Pedagogical Washchenko Foundation, $150
Chornomorska Sitch Sports Club (Newark, N.J.), $100

Recommendations of the Resolutions Committee

Resolutions Committee: Oksana Koziak (Branch 47), chairperson; Nicholas Cheddar (Branch 161), and Irene Nowak (Branch 220), members.

Two months prior to the convention, candidates should announce their candidacies for positions in the UNA General Assembly. Their platforms and qualifications should be stated and printed in both UNA publications.
The delegates of the 35th UNA Convention call on the newly elected General Assembly to consider renewing the UNA's membership and participation in the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.
The UNA's regular convention should be held at the UNA estate Soyuzivka.
The duration of the UNA's regular convention should be reduced to three to four days.

Recommendations of the Finance Committee

Finance Committee: John Kocur (Branch 368/377), chairman; Olga Maruszczak (Branch 82/303), Gloria Paschen (Branch 125), Volodymyr Kozicky (Branch 8) and Vasyl Liscynesky (Branch 240), members.

The Finance Committee recommends the following:

Increase carfare expense allowance from 25 cents to 30 cents per mile.
Approve a $3,000 allocation to the convention's Petitions Committee.
Increase UNA scholarship funding to $25,000 annually.
Increase the convention per diem to $170.

Recommendations of the Secretaries Committee

Secretaries Committee: Joseph B. Hawryluk (Branch 360), chairman; Gloria Tolopka (Branch 267), English-language secretary; Valentina Kaploun (Branch 269), Ukrainian-language secretary; Moria M. Milanytch (Branch 450), Luba Mudri (Branch 222) and Mike Zacharko (Branch 349), members.

It is suggested that, in order to strengthen and bolster fraternal branch activities, the secretaries should explore new and creative avenues of communication with their members, which might include e-mail contacts, telephone conversations, print information of new developments, etc.
Branch secretaries should petition the UNA management to make an effort to resume dividend payments to members, whenever this becomes financially feasible.
The current level of secretaries' financial compensation should be maintained - 50 percent commission on the first year's annual premium and a 10 percent commission over the following two years. Moreover, the 10 percent commission should be extended for another year.
The 5 percent monthly financial rebate to secretaries paid on the basis of total premiums collected should be increased to 6 percent in line with the rising costs of serving the membership.
A copy of the final premium payments notice should be sent to the secretaries along with the suspended members' list so that they are better able to contact the delinquent members regarding their premium arrears.
The monthly report sent to the secretaries should include all pertinent address changes.
Cash surrender checks should be sent directly to the branch secretaries so that they are able to make the appropriate entries in their records and to strengthen their opportunity to propose new policies to their members.
New policy applications should be printed in both English and Ukrainian, particularly in view of the most recent convention's focus on the improved prospects of soliciting new members from the growing pool of immigrants from Ukraine.
All new secretaries are obliged to participate in the program of secretaries' courses offered by the UNA. Secretaries are encouraged also to obtain professional state certification and to maintain such via the required courses.

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