UCCA's executive board discusses organizational issues (12/26/99)

UCCA's executive board discusses organizational issues

NEW YORK - The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) held an executive board meeting on Saturday, December 11, at the UCCA office in New York City. The issues discussed included organizational and financial matters, the formation of a scholarship fund called "Yevshan Zillia," as well as several issues regarding new immigrants from Ukraine.

With regard to organizational issues, it was established that on January 22 a regional conference for the UCCA branches of Chicago, Hammond, Ind., Milwaukee and Minneapolis would take place.

UCCA President Askold Lozynskyj reported on the recently held branch meeting for the Miami-North Port-Fort Lauderdale UCCA Branch, during which a new board was elected with Maria Kond as the new president. The UCCA's National Council called these elections because the previous board was inactive. It was decided at the UCCA board meeting to hold similar elections for the Binghamton, N.Y., and Trenton, N.J., UCCA branches.

It was reported that in two weeks the revised UCCA Branch Handbook in both the English and Ukrainian languages will be ready for distribution.

During the financial discussions, Mychailo Spontak reported that, although close to $800,000 has been collected from January 1 to December 7, only $72,000 has been allocated for the Ukrainian National Fund (UNF) out of the $110,000 budget, and only $25,000 has been collected for the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) out of the $98,000 needed.

Since December 7 additional funds have been collected, however, several UCCA branches still have not sent in their UNF dues, Mr. Spontak said. With this in mind, it was decided that personal pleas would be sent to collect the remaining funds needed by the end of the year. In the future, the UCCA will investigate the options of paying by credit cards as well as via the Internet. It was also decided to reactivate the UNF Committee.

Prof. Taras Hunczak discussed the "Yevshan Zillia" scholarship fund. Following his report, a special UCCA committee was formed consisting of Prof. Hunczak, Mr. Lozynskyj and Ivan Kobasa, who will prepare the fund's by-laws, applications for students as well as a mechanism to approach schools. Money for this scholarship fund can be obtained from private foundations and through the government.

The executive board agreed that scholarships would be extended only to students of Ukraine and the Eastern diaspora for study in Ukraine (at Ukrainian institutes, universities and other institutes of higher learning).

In the absence of Yaroslav Kernitsky, representative of new immigrants on the UCCA's executive board, Mr. Lozynskyj reported on the recent challenges with new immigrants, specifically incorporating them into Ukrainian community life. He noted the necessity of organizing a center for new immigrants in the UCCA building in New York City, as well as in New Jersey at the Ukrainian National Home in Bayonne.

A new committee to deal directly with the Fourth Wave issue was formed consisting of the following members: Mr. Kernitsky, Petro Rybchuk, Kvitka Semanyshyn, Ivan Burtyk, Mr. Kobasa and Mr. Lozynskyj (ex officio).

It was also decided that in the near future Mr. Kernitsky should meet with new immigrants in other communities to get a better understanding of their problems and needs, and discuss possible solutions.

Issues concerning youth, students and children of the new immigrants also were discussed. It was decided that these matters would be discussed in more detail at the next UCCA executive board meeting.

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