THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM
2005 UNA organizing results
by Christine E. Kozak
National Secretary
Every year the Ukrainian National Association recognizes and awards branch secretaries, organizers and agents who have achieved a certain level of excellence in selling UNA life insurance and/or annuities. It is their hard work, persistence and dedication that enable the UNA to help support the fraternal benefits available to our members such as Svoboda, The Ukrainian Weekly and Soyuzivka.
During 2005, the UNA increased its in-force business by 307 life insurance policies for a total of $7,046,000 in face amount, collecting $121,135 in premiums or cash with application.
The most widely purchased product for 2005 was the 20-Payment Life, which is a whole life policy that is paid up in 20 annual payments. This product is permanent insurance, has a cash value that increases throughout the life of the policy, and the premiums never increase.
The UNA's annuity business increased by 76 annuities for a total of $1,607,933 collected with the applications. However, for first-year premiums in annuities the UNA collected a total of $1,764,406.
The most popular annuity sold was the five-year annuity offering an interest rate of 4.5 percent. The UNA continues to offer excellent interest rates on both its short-and long-term annuity contracts.
The UNA would like to extend sincere thanks to each and every secretary and organizer for their loyalty to this fine organization, and congratulates all who actively participated in the sale of UNA products for year 2005. The dedication, commitment and persistence of these individuals helped not only the UNA but the many families who purchased these products. They now have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their families will have one less stressful situation with which to cope.
The selling of life insurance is not an easy task. Unfortunately, life insurance is an item that is more often than not on the bottom of a family's priority list. And, when times are tough, it is usually the first item to be cut from the family budget.
This is why it is such a pleasure to announce the names of the UNA's top producers and to say thank you to these hard-working individuals who for the most part are volunteers and have been working for the benefit of the UNA and its membership for many years.
During the last quarter of 2005, the UNA held its Second Annual Life Insurance Awareness Drive for our branch secretaries.
I am very proud to announce the winner of this second annual drive: Stefan Hawrysz, longtime secretary of Branch 83, longtime Philadelphia District chairman, longtime and esteemed member of the UNA General Assembly. Mr. Hawrysz has dedicated over 50 years of service to the UNA.
A close second was Nick Diakiwsky, secretary of Branch 161, Pittsburgh District chairman and former member of the UNA General Assembly.
Congratulations and a big thank-you to both gentlemen for an outstanding job.
The UNA is proud to announce the top five overall winners who collected the most life insurance premiums:
The top five organizers who sold the most in life insurance face amount are:
The top five organizers who sold the largest number of policies are:
The top producers who collected the most in first-year premium annuities are:
The UNA would also like to acknowledge and say a special thank-you to the top three individuals who collected the most premiums for year 2005, both in life insurance and annuities combined:
It is important to keep in mind that each and every life insurance policy or annuity sold is significant to the UNA. Every branch secretary is an important and integral part of the organization. Each UNA member is an important member and an integral part of our organization. Only by working together can we help ensure that the UNA will be here to help and support future generations.
Once again, I challenge all UNA secretaries and organizers to go out into your communities. Insure your family, your friends and your community. We need you! We need your help, and we need your commitment! Let us not forget that "The UNA and the community are partners for life."
| Organizer | Members | Insurance Amount |
| Steve Woch | 25 | $261,000 |
| Organizer | Members | Insurance Amount |
| Myron Pylypiak (Branch 496) | 21 | $315,000 |
| Joseph Hawryluk (Branch 360) | 14 | $475,000 |
| Stefan Hawrysz (Branch 83) | 14 | $119,000 |
| Valentina Kaploun (Branch 269) | 13 | $172,000 |
| Christine Brodyn (Branch 27) | 11 | $2,145,000 |
| Nadia Salabay (Branch 155) | 11 | $273,000 |
| Oksana Trytjak | 10 | $495,000 |
| Organizer | Members | Insurance Amount |
| Nick Diakiwsky (Branch 161) | 8 | $90,000 |
| Lubov Streletsky (Branch 10) | 7 | $63,000 |
| Nina Bilchuk | 6 | $55,000 |
| Motria Milanytch (Branch 450) | 6 | $55,000 |
| Marianna Cizdyn (Branch 55) | 6 | $30,000 |
| Stephan Welhasch | 5 | $75,000 |
| Eugene Oscislawski (Branch 234) | 5 | $45,000 |
| Stephanie Hawryluk (Branch 88) | 5 | $25,000 |
CONVENTION PRIMER: Branches, the basic building block of the UNA
The Ukrainian National Association is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1894 to provide for the well-being of "Ukrainians and their descendants." The UNA does this by providing life insurance and annuities to members and by using the profits earned from sales of these products to support fraternal activities that benefit members, as well as the entire Ukrainian community.
The basic building block of the UNA is the branch. When a person enrolls into the UNA, he or she is admitted to membership in the branch to which his/her application was submitted, or to which he/she is assigned by the UNA Home Office.
Enrolling in the UNA means filling out a application for an insurance policy or an annuity certificate. Certain types of life insurance policies require a medical exam before a prospective member is admitted into the UNA.
New branches may also be created. The UNA Manuals note that "Any 15 or more persons qualified for membership in accordance with the By-Laws of the UNA being desirous of becoming a Branch of this association shall hold a meeting and elect a temporary Branch President, Branch Secretary and Branch Treasurer; adopt a resolution selecting a name and authorizing the officers so temporarily elected to make application for a charter."
The UNA Executive Committee must approve the new branch. Afterwards the approved branch receives a charter and official UNA materials.
In the past, such branches were created by persons having a common interest - participation in a sports club or membership in a youth organization, for example - or persons residing in the same area.
Today's UNA branches, however, are no longer confined to a particular city or even geographic area. Thus, a UNA branch based in, say, Jersey City, N.J., can have members from across the United States.
Since the UNA now does direct billing, which is managed by the Home Office in Parsippany, N.J., the fact that a branch's members don't live in the same city does not pose a hindrance to collecting UNA dues (something that in the early days of the UNA was most likely to be done in person wherever Ukrainians gathered, be it in the church hall or at the local national home). Nonetheless, branch secretaries are charged with keeping track of their members and keeping them informed of branch meetings and other developments.
Branches send their delegates to quadrennial conventions of the Ukrainian National Association, the organization's highest decision-making body. Delegates are elected at branch meetings called within 60 days after the official announcement of the UNA convention. Thus, since the upcoming 36th Regular Convention of the UNA was announced on January 20, delegates, and their alternates, must be elected by March 20.
In accordance with the UNA By-Laws, each branch having 75 to 149 members is entitled to one delegate. Branches having 150 to 224 members have two delegates; those having 225 to 299 members have three delegates. Branches that have 300 or more members are entitled to four delegates, but no branch can have more than four delegates.
If a branch has less than 75 members it can unite with another branch that also has less than 75 members in order to elect a delegate to the convention. However, the two branches together must have no less than 75 members. The by-laws note: "Unless otherwise agreed by the mutual consent of the Secretaries of these Branches, the Branch having the greater or greatest number of members shall be entitled to elected the delegates, and the Branch having the lesser number of members, the alternate."
Thus, through the branch system, each member of the UNA is represented at the organization's conventions by his/her duly elected delegate or delegates.
- Roma Hadzewycz
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 26, 2006, No. 9, Vol. LXXIV
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