1984: A LOOK BACK: The Ukrainian National Association (12/30/84)

1984: A LOOK BACK

The Ukrainian National Association

The Ukrainian propensity for anniversary celebrations, whether it be 20 years since the unveiling of a monument or 100 years since the establishment of the first Ukrainian Catholic parish, was confirmed by virtually every branch and member of the UNA this year.

For UNA'ers, 1984 was the year of the Great 90th Anniversary Celebration with districts and branches all over the United States and Canada jumping on the bandwagon to rejoice and commemorate.

Those who did respond to the Supreme Executive Committee's appeal made back in January to "recall this glorious past and to glean from it practical conclusions for our present and for our future" chose various modes of celebration.

In Shamokin, Pa., for example, where the UNA was founded in 1894 by priests and community activists as an organization with $220 and 439 members, executive officers and local UNA'ers attended a "traditional" self-catered banquet and church service at one of the oldest Ukrainian Catholic parishes in America.

In New York a few months later, Carnegie Hall was filled with well-wishers who attended a matinee jubilee concert given by the American Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Ukrainian Opera Chorus, under the direction of Wolodymyr Kolesnyk, and pianist Lydia Artymiw. With true Ukrainian anniversary spirit, one of the numbers performed was dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of the Ukrainian bard, Taras Shevchenko. Afterwards, performers, guests and leaders of some 20 Ukrainian organizations retired to the Ukrainian Institute of America for a UNA-sponsored buffet reception.

In Chicago this October, Sen. Charles H. Percy flew in by helicopter to the UNA anniversary banquet, where he received from UNA President John O. Flis the first UNA Humanitarian Award "for his extraordinary commitment to the struggle for human and national rights in Ukraine." A few days before the award was presented, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Sen. Percy released S. 2456, the bill that would establish a federally-funded commission to study the 1932-33 Great Famine in Ukraine.

And today in Philadelphia, over 120 bandurists from all over the world are performing in a gala concert for that district's anniversary celebrations.

Everybody, it seemed, wanted to get in on the anniversary, even President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President George Bush, who sent letters of congratulations and encouragement for the years ahead. Official greetings were also received from many senators: Joseph R. Biden (D-Del.), Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.), Alan Dixon (D-Ill.), John Glenn (D-Ohio), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), Daniel Moynihan (D-N.Y.), Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.), Charles Percy (R-Ill.), Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.).

Greetings also came in from scores of members of the U.S. House of Representatives and over one-fifth of this country's governors. It almost goes without saying that more scores of greetings were sent by Ukrainian cultural, political, religious, youth and educational organizations from all over the world. Excerpts from many of these appeared on The Ukrainian National Association Forum page in successive issues of The Weekly.

Meanwhile, Canadian UNA'ers celebrated just a few weeks ago when they attended a gala concert in Toronto, planned by the UNA's Canadian Representation and the Toronto District Committee. Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney wrote to say that he was "delighted" to be sending his "warmest greetings and sincere best wishes to Canada's Ukrainian community as (it celebrates) the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian National Association."

Our own president, UNA Supreme President John Flis, in his successful attempts to garner support for the famine commission bill, was kept busy writing letters to U.S. senators and congressman. Shortly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings on the bill in early August, he sent members of the committee telegrams, appealing for their support of the bill, on behalf of the UNA Supreme Executive Committee. The UNA execs also urged all UNA members to write their legislators and ask for their support of the bill.

And for their effectual efforts Sen. Bill Bradley and Rep. James Florio, both Democrats of New Jersey, who were the principal sponsors of the famine bill in their respective houses, were honored by the UNA in cooperation with Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU), the organization that initiated and spear-headed the drive for the famine bill. Both legislators received AHRU humanitarian awards and accolades during receptions held at the UNA Home Office in their honor. Among the speakers who expressed thanks were Ihor Olshaniwsky of AHRU and Ulana Diachuk, vice-president of the National Committee to Commemorate Genocide Victims in Ukraine.

Two changes took place at the UNA resort, Soyuzivka, this summer. Anya Dydyk, who has been the emcee for the last 13 seasons, announced her retirement. A real trooper, Ms. Dydyk who has also been the resort's program director for the past two seasons, says she will have lined up next season's entertainment by the time she leaves the UNA Home Office for her new job in February. We at The Weekly wish her the best in her position as an international radio broadcaster for the Ukrainian division of Voice of America.

Soyuzivka visitors may have noticed a change in operations as John Rabkevych took over the manager's position on January 16. Before making his career change, Mr. Rabkevych, who holds a degree from the Chicago School of Traffic Management, was in the transportation business in Cleveland.

Late this spring, wanderlust hit at least one UNA employee. Marta Korduba, who was consistently mistaken for a Weekly staffer but was actually the UNA's fraternal activities coordinator, finally succumbed to marriage. She left the UNA's employ in late spring and became a bride in September. Congratulations.

In 1984, two long-time UNA activists died. On March 12, Bohdan Zorych, a former UNA vice-president for Canada and an honorary member of the Supreme Assembly, passed away in Toronto at the age of 72 after a lengthy battle with lung disease. He was the first director of the UNA's Canadian Office, and he enrolled over 3,000 UNA members. On November 17, John Odezynsky, a UNA supreme advisor, died in Philadelphia at the age of 59 of a heart attack. He was the founder of UNA Branches 153, 216 and 32 in Philadelphia and was one of the UNA's top organizers.

The UNA scholarship program was singled out for commendation by President Reagan. In his congratulatory note the president wrote that the program has been "especially instrumental in furthering the educational goals" of those in your community. The UNA awarded $48,700 in student scholarships for the 1984-85 academic year to 162 students across the United States and Canada. The awards bring the total of scholarship aid distributed to $388,000 since the formal institution of the UNA's scholarship program in 1964. The details about the scholarship awards were featured in a special issue of The Ukrainian Weekly dated December 15. UNA assets grew in 1984, topping $50 million. Not bad for a 90-year-old.