EDITORIAL: The UNA matters (05/28/06)

EDITORIAL

The UNA matters

This weekend, the Ukrainian National Association is holding its 36th Regular Convention at Soyuzivka, the association's upstate New York estate. It is an important gathering that should be of interest, and concern, to the entire Ukrainian community.

Why? Because the UNA matters.

The UNA is the oldest and largest Ukrainian fraternal society; it has an unmatched record of service to its members, to our communities in the U.S. and Canada, and to the Ukrainian nation. It was the UNA that provided leadership and guidance to our community in its early years, when immigrants from Ukrainian lands found themselves in a new world with no one to care about their well-being. The UNA was established to take up that challenge and, through more than 112 years of its existence, it has performed admirably.

"Batko Soyuz" was what our community members began calling the UNA in recognition of its paternal role in caring for its members and all Ukrainians. The UNA was a true "batko" (father) when it provided for decent burials for the poor Ukrainian coal miners who worked in horrible conditions in Pennsylvania; when it supported schools and education back in the homeland; when it established reading rooms for our communities here in the U.S.

Through the decades, the UNA evolved into an organization that was involved in literally every facet of our community life: education, culture, history, political affairs, sports, the arts. It was a founding member of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, which united all our community organizations. It was a leader of the campaign to erect a monument to Taras Shevchenko in Washington, as well as the campaign for Ukrainian studies at Harvard University.

The UNA was known as the publisher of the beloved Ukrainian-language newspaper Svoboda and, later, The Ukrainian Weekly, published in the English language. The UNA purchased an estate in the Catskill region of New York to provide its members a place where they could relax and enjoy their Ukrainian heritage. The estate, named Soyuzivka, was transformed into a venue where our artists and performers all wanted to appear; and a place where our youth continue to travel for various get-togethers.

All the while, the UNA continued to upgrade and change its insurance products to meet the needs of successive generations of Ukrainian Americans and Ukrainian Canadians. It used the profits from its insurance sales to support countless projects and diverse activities that benefited our community. One would be hard-pressed to name a community endeavor in which the UNA was not involved.

The Ukrainian National Association has been serving our community since 1894. As National Secretary Christine Kozak noted on the occasion of the UNA's 112th anniversary back in February, "The UNA needs to be here for the next generation." The UNA can continue to serve our community for many years to come. However, to do so it must have the support of individual community members, like you, Dear Readers, who enroll in the UNA by purchasing a UNA insurance or annuity certificate. The UNA matters to our community. Thus, it should matter to you.

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