EDITORIAL: Countdown to the UNA Convention (01/22/06)

EDITORIAL

Countdown to the UNA Convention

This week's front page, readers will no doubt notice, looks different from a normal issue of The Ukrainian Weekly. That's because a good portion of it is taken up by the official announcement of the 36th Regular Convention of the Ukrainian National Association, which will take place over Memorial Day weekend at Soyuzivka - the first time ever the conclave will be held at the UNA estate.

The announcement is published in both official publications of the UNA as required by the UNA By-Laws, which stipulate that the announcement must be made at least four months before the convention's starting date. Thus, the procedures associated with the quadrennial convention of the largest and oldest Ukrainian fraternal benefit society, have been set in motion.

The next step is for branches of the Ukrainian National Association throughout the United States and Canada to hold meetings in order to elect delegates, as well as their alternates, to the convention. Such elections must take place within 60 days of the announcement of the convention. Since the first announcement was carried by our sister publication, Svoboda, on January 20, the elections must be concluded by March 20.

A minimum of 75 members is required for a branch to be entitled to one delegate; more branch members means more delegates. However, even smaller branches have a vote at the convention. They are entitled to unite, for the purposes of selecting a delegate, with another small branch. That is why, when readers turn to the inside of the paper, they will see long lists of contact information for branch secretaries, plus information on the number of members each of these smaller branches has. The intent is to allow each and every member of the UNA to have a say in who represents him or her at the convention, and, by extension, to guarantee that all possible viewpoints can be heard at what is the Ukrainian National Association's highest decision-making body.

It is extremely important for UNA members to attend the pre-convention meetings of their branches. Each convention is an important event in the history of the Ukrainian National Association. It is the convention that has the power to change the UNA By-Laws, to adopt resolutions (which require implementation) and recommendations (which are only suggestions for action) that direct the work of the UNA, and, of course, to elect new leaders for the organization: the officers, auditors and advisors who make up the UNA's General Assembly.

The 2006 convention is the 36th Regular Convention (as opposed to an extraordinary convention) of the UNA, which next month marks its 112th anniversary. It takes place at a time when the UNA like other fraternal organizations, faces many challenges - chief among them declining membership and dwindling resources that affect the fraternal benefits the UNA is able to offer.

As the countdown of days before the convention continues, UNA members can expect to see more information about the convention program, the topics that are expected to be discussed there and proposals to change the by-laws. UNA branches and district committees, as well as individual members, also have an opportunity to submit recommendations for the good of the organization and proposals for changes to the UNA By-Laws.

Thus, as the pre-convention season is upon us, we encourage all UNA'ers to become involved, to take an interest in their organization, and to share their thoughts about the course the Ukrainian National Association should chart. Furthermore, we hope UNA'ers will use the pages of the UNA's official publications - its two newspapers, Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly - to give voice to their opinions in preparation for the convention on May 26-29.

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