UFA votes against merger with UNA (07/05/98)

UFA votes against merger with UNA

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Ukrainian Fraternal Association concluded its 24th Convention on June 18, voting against merger with the Ukrainian National Association and re-electing John Oleksyn as president.

According to the June 25 issue of Narodna Volya, the weekly newspaper published by the UFA, the proposed merger between the two Ukrainian fraternal organizations was one of the most important matters before the four-day convention, which was held at the fraternal's Verkhovyna Resort Center in Glen Spey, N.Y.

Narodna Volya reported: "Because the 34th Convention of the UNA, which took place earlier in Toronto, rejected the proposed and agreed-upon addition of the word 'fraternal' to the name Ukrainian National Association, which was the most important prerequisite for the merger of the two fraternals, the 24th Convention of the Ukrainian Fraternal Association did not approve the merger with the UNA by a vote of 22 for and 53 against; however, the convention did not preclude the possibility that our fraternal organizations could merge in the future."

The Ukrainian National Association's convention, which was held in Toronto on May 15-19, had approved the merger with the UFA by a vote of 196-22. However, the proposal that the name of the entity be Ukrainian National Fraternal Association fell short of the votes required to approve the name change. Although a majority of the UNA delegates voted to accept the new name, the vote at 137 for (61.2 percent) and 87 against (38.8 percent) did not meet the two-thirds majority needed to effect a change to the UNA By-Laws.

In addition to Mr. Oleksyn, the UFA's newly elected five-member Executive Committee includes: Stephen M. Wichar Sr., vice-president; Peter Rodak, vice-president for Canada; Audrey Thomas, financial secretary/treasurer; and Christina Salak Shablowsky, secretary. The convention eliminated the post of second vice-president.

Elected to the Supreme Council were: Jaroslaw Gawur, Mykola Iwaszkiw, the Rev. Nestor Kowal, Claudia Korbutiak, Maria Maik, Stephen Nazarek, Alexander Napora, Alexander Skocen and Anton Filimonchuk. Delegates voted to reduce the size of the Supreme Council from 12 to nine members.

Elected to serve on the Auditing Committee, the size of which was reduced from five to three members, were: Mykola Bojczuk, Michael Mochnacz and Alex Poszewanyk.

The fate of Verkhovyna also was on the convention agenda as delegates examined the organization's commitment to the resort. They discussed working with the Ukrainian American Cultural Foundation, headed by Eugene Tataryn, which has already collected $300,000 toward the purchase of the resort from the UFA. Delegates approved further negotiations with the group, whose aim is to keep Verkhovyna in Ukrainian hands.

UFA President Oleksyn told The Ukrainian Weekly that the Executive Committee will continue talks with Mr. Tataryn's initiative group and will present additional information to the Supreme Council, which must approve any subsequent actions.

In addition, convention delegates debated whether Narodna Volya should continue to be published as a weekly, or should become a biweekly. In a telephone interview with The Ukrainian Weekly, Editor Nicholas Duplak said delegates voted to allow the newspaper to be published as a weekly for one year, noting, however, that it should become self-supporting within that time. The UFA will then review the newspaper's finances and make a determination on its future.

Mr. Duplak emphasized that he will conduct an intensive campaign to recruit new subscribers.