EDITORIAL: UNA turns 111 (02/20/05)

EDITORIAL

UNA turns 111

Two days from the publication date of this issue, the Ukrainian National Association, our publisher, marks its 111th anniversary. Its long and illustrious history encompasses well over a century of service to its members and, indeed, to all Ukrainians.

Members have been served by the UNA first and foremost through its insurance products and annuities, as well as by its fraternal benefits, ranging from student scholarships and aid to needy members to low-cost loans and discounts on vacations at Soyuzivka, the UNA's resort in upstate New York.

However, the entire Ukrainian community also has benefited from what we know as UNA fraternal benefits, such as this newspaper and its sister publication, the Ukrainian-language Svoboda. The value of the UNA's newspapers, we are sure, was much in evidence in recent months as both reported on the exciting and unprecedented events in Ukraine that grew into what is now known around the globe as the Orange Revolution. Plus, it must be underlined that through 11 decades of service the UNA has generously supported diverse community endeavors, spanning everything from the activities of local sports clubs to major nationwide undertakings such as the Shevchenko monument in Washington (the 40th anniversary of which we celebrated just last year).

Today the spry 111-year-old organization is reinventing and revitalizing itself to serve new generations of Ukrainians in North America. That, we must underline, is in keeping with the goal the UNA proclaimed last year, on its 110th anniversary: "to restore the UNA's pre-eminent role as a social and community organization, while maintaining an operation that is run as a professional and sound business enterprise."

And how does the UNA intend to do that in the 21st century? That was the question we posed in 2004 to the UNA's president, Stefan Kaczaraj, who thoughtfully answered that the UNA's long-term success ultimately depends upon "the satisfaction of members and families within the UNA fraternity." He explained that "The UNA must be able to offer a competitive range of products, while fostering the sense to the consumer that we are not just another insurance company."

Mr. Kaczaraj also reflected on the importance of public perceptions of the UNA: "We have to get the message out that our dollars [i.e., the dollars earned by the UNA from its core business, life insurance] go to work to help our community and preserve our heritage. In this manner, we will be able to attract a new core membership and generate revenue, which in turn will support increased fraternal activity."

"The UNA will work aggressively and judiciously to restore members' confidence and improve its financial performance through marketing, branding and offering financially prudent and selective fraternal benefits," he continued. "Therefore, it becomes imperative that our fraternal society develop community programs to enhance our image as a hub community organization - one that is essential to the well-being and development of our Ukrainian community."

On the occasion of its milestone 110th anniversary, the UNA president also stated that the oldest and largest Ukrainian fraternal organization would take a leadership role in unifying the Ukrainian community. And the UNA was true to its word. In September of 2004 the UNA's delegates attended the 19th Congress of Ukrainian Americans, which is what the quadrennial convention of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America is called, for the first time since 1980. Nonetheless, the UNA continues to be a member of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council. Thus, through its membership in the two central organizations of Ukrainians in the United States, the UNA hopes to work from within both to secure the unity that our community in this country has not enjoyed for close to 25 years. That is a goal that this 111-year-old veteran of Ukrainian diaspora life is proud to pursue.

Through the years, the UNA has consistently demonstrated not only its fatherly care for its members and their families, but also its concern for the health and well-being of the broader community.

As the Ukrainian National Association turns 111 on February 22, 2005, we wish it "Mnohaya Lita." Long may it serve our community, our diaspora and our nation.

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