THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (03/12/06)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

CONVENTION PRIMER: Districts, regional bodies of local branches

As the Ukrainian National Association, its officers and members prepare for the organization's 36th Regular Convention, which will convene on Friday, May 26, at the Soyuzivka estate in Kerhonkson, N.Y., The Ukrainian Weekly will publish a new series titled "Convention Primer" that will explain the UNA's goals, structure and operations.

The previous installment of "Convention Primer" dealt with UNA branches, which are the basic building blocks of the Ukrainian National Association. This week, we focus on district committees.

As noted in the UNA By-laws, "Branches may form regional bodies called district committees for the purpose of coordinating fraternal, cultural and organizational activities in a given geographical area, as provided in the Manual for District Committees."

That is the only reference to district committees in the by-laws. However, the Ukrainian National Association Manuals, a companion to the UNA By-Laws, further delineates the purposes of district committees.

These purposes include: to coordinate work and to intensify and extend the activities of the UNA within the district; to represent the UNA in the district's area among local citizens; to assist UNA branches in carrying out their functions; to jointly plan and conduct activities of an organizational, educational, cultural and recreational nature; and to conduct membership campaigns.

Furthermore, districts also have as their goal "to strengthen activities of the local Ukrainian community in every way possible, by organized participation of UNA Branches in its various activities and programs." Thus, UNA district committees are seen as integral parts of the broader Ukrainian community.

UNA district committees hold an annual assembly at which their executive boards and auditing committees are elected. These annual meetings are generally held in January or February. Each branch that is a member of a given district committee has two delegates to the annual assembly who have a right to vote; however, the meetings are open to all UNA members.

The district executive board is composed of a chairperson, two vice-chairpersons, English- and Ukrainian-language secretaries, a treasurer and chairs of committees that deal with organizational and cultural-educational affairs, as well as the press. Districts may appoint chairs of other committees as deemed necessary, and they may reduce the number of officers on the board if they so choose.

As well, there is a district auditing committee that comprises a chair, two members and two alternates who audit the district's bookkeeping and report their findings to the annual assembly.

The district executive board is required to report to the UNA Executive Committee directly after its annual assembly, providing information on its newly elected officers and bodies, as well as a copy of the minutes of the annual meeting.

In addition to the annual assembly, it has become traditional for district committees to hold organizing meetings once a year in order to focus on the enrollment of members into the UNA.

- Roma Hadzewycz

Longtime secretary of Branch 13, Paul Shewchuk, retires from office

WATERVLIET, N.Y. - Ukrainian National Association Branch 13, also known as St. Nicholas Brotherhood, is one of the oldest UNA branches in the United States. At the branch's annual elections meeting on February 19 at the Ukrainian Club in Watervliet, N.Y., longtime branch Secretary Paul Shewchuk (center) transferred the branch seal, the emblem of his office, to his successor Nicholas Fil (left). Looking on is Slavko Tysiak, the branch's new president. During the 40 years he served as branch secretary, Mr. Shewchuk enrolled over 300 members into the UNA.

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