Chornomorska Sitch sports club elects leadership, approves move to Whippany, N.J. (10/16/05)

Chornomorska Sitch sports club elects leadership, approves move to Whippany, N.J.

by Omelan Twardowsky

EAST HANOVER, N.J. - A general meeting of the Ukrainian Athletic-Educational Association Chornomorska Sitch took place here at the Ramada Hotel on Saturday, October 1. The attending members heard detailed reports from various sports divisions, reviewed and discussed the present status of Sitch, and approved the plan of the outgoing governing board to transfer its activity to Whippany in Morris County.

By an overwhelming majority, the members present at the meeting voted for Chornomorska Sitch to participate in the building of the Ukrainian American Cultural Center in Whippany, N.J., which will include a gymnastics hall, where Sitch teams would be able to practice volleyball and soccer in the wintertime. In addition to sports facilities, the center will provide quarters for Sitch administrative offices.

The general meeting took into account the fact that for about a year now there has been an active branch of Chornomorska Sitch in Morris County, comprising 45 members, mostly youths, who undergo volleyball training under the guidance of Walter Temnycky. The members voted almost unanimously (with one against and one abstaining) for Sitch to contribute to the center's building fund the amount of $250,000 in installments over three years, beginning with 2005.

In the 81-year-old history of Sitch, this will be its third relocation, and the first move beyond the limits of the city of Newark.

The general meeting was opened by the outgoing Sitch president, Omelan Twardowsky, who welcomed the attending members and asked them to remember with a moment of silence the Sitch members who had passed away during the last term: Joseph Trush, Mykola Boychuk, Ivan Turiansky, Dmytro Kulyk and Roman Boyko.

The meeting was then taken over by a presidium consisting of Myron Stebelsky, chairman, and Katrusia Matskiv, secretary. After a nominating committee was approved, a series of reports was delivered, beginning with that of Volodymyr Rudakewych, who had taken over the duties of secretary after the passing of Mr. Trush.

Next to report were Bill Vincent, financial secretary, and Alexander Napora, vice-president and treasurer, who presented detailed data on the financial state of Chornomorska Sitch, which pleased the membership. Reports of the directors of the various sports divisions followed: Andrew Panas - soccer, Messrs. Rudakewych and Temnycky - volleyball, Marika Bokalo - swimming, Dr. Orest Popovych - chess (due to his absence, his report was read by Mr. Twardowsky); and tennis. Almost all of the Sitch sports divisions in the last two years have achieved championship titles or records on the American and USCAK (Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada) sports arenas.

Last to report was the outgoing president, Mr. Twardowsky, who at first mentioned the difficulties created by the massive movement of Ukrainians, including the Sitch membership, to other areas of New Jersey, and the closing of the St. John Baptist Ukrainian School in Newark, because of which Sitch lost both some young members and the school's gymnastics hall, which for decades had served as the training place for the organization's sports cadres.

He also noted the happy fact that, beginning with last year's 80th anniversary of Sitch, several young members became active, with some joining the governing board (Andrew Panas, Greg Serheev and Dan Lewycky) and others working outside the board (Stepan Kolodiy, Yaroslav Twardowsky and Roman Holowinsky). These young activists are all graduates of the Sitch Sports School, they represent our future and the survival of Chornomorska Sitch, said Mr. Twardowsky.

At present Sitch has 150 members, with a potential to increase that number significantly. It continues to run the summer sports schools and to publish the magazine Our Sport, the only Ukrainian sports magazine outside Ukraine. Several of the Sitch leaders work on the governing board of USCAK and collaborate closely with sports leaders in Ukraine.

A period of questions and discussions pertaining to the reports followed, after which the nominating committee, composed of Messrs. Stebelsky, Panas, Roman Pyndus, Serheev and Lewycky, suggested a list of candidates for the new governing board.

An almost unanimous vote of the membership approved the composition of the new governing board as follows: Omelan Twardowsky, president and press secretary; Mr. Temnycky, first vice-president; Mr. Panas, second vice-president; Christine Peters, secretary; Mr. Vincent, financial secretary; Yaroslav Twardowsky, assistant financial secretary; Andrew Nynka, organizational secretary; Mr. Holowinsky, entertainment officer; Messrs. Stebelsky, Pyndus and Vasyl Ciurpita, members at large; Ihor Lukiw and Oleh Kolodiy, website committee.

The board also includes the following sports directors: Mykola Hordynsky and Mr. Serheev, soccer; Michael Zawadiwsky and Mr. Temnycky, volleyball; Marika Bokalo and Taissa Bokalo-Hagerty, swimming; Dr. Popovych, chess; and Erik Matkiwsky, tennis. Auditing Committee members are Mr. Napora, Luba Lapychak-Lesko and Stefania Brenych, while the Adjudication Committee includes:Osyp Stakhkiw, Mykhailo Lesko and Ms. Brenych.

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