THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (12/31/00)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

UNA branches: annual meetings, contacts and fraternal activities

by Martha Lysko
National Secretary

All branches are required to hold an annual meeting during the first quarter of the year. This is a by-laws requirement. Please keep in mind that we the UNA are and always will be a fraternal benefit society. We are asking branch secretaries to complete the Branch Officer List from 2001 after you hold your annual branch meeting, but no later than March 31, 2001. It is important that we get a complete list of addressed telephone numbers with correct area codes of all branch officers as well as the time and date of the annual meeting.

No branch should be without at least three branch officers: president, secretary and treasurer. Please be reminded that only dues-paying members can serve as officers of the branch. No paid-up members are allowed to serve.

Currently the UNA can sell life insurance to persons up to age 90. Anyone wishing to be active in the branch can purchase more insurance. All branch secretaries are required to subscribe to one of our official publications: the Ukrainian-language weekly Svoboda or the English-language publication The Ukrainian Weekly.

Contact with members, Home Office

On December 1, remaining branch secretaries and their members were notified that all UNA branches are going on direct billing. Secretaries who collect branch dues must return the form sent to them regarding the branch dues.

As previously noted the Home Office will collect branch dues during the year and return them to the branches at the close of the year in 2001. It is very important that we receive updated addresses of members and a list of payers on the policies not paid by the insured.

The Home Office has sent all secretaries a current telephone directory of the office personnel with extension numbers. We are encouraging all secretaries to work closely with their membership and the Home Office closely.

Fraternal activities for branches, districts

The time and effort that the branch secretary previously spent on collecting dues can now be devoted to fraternal activities that should result in new membership. Our members and branch secretaries are involved in many volunteer organizations and participate in many activities yet they are reluctant to organize branch activities.

In the October issue of the Newsletter for secretaries I said that all branches will receive $5 per attending member at all branch functions.

Branch and district activities attract new members and encourage branch membership to participate and stay in touch. Fraternal activities can be seasonal, cultural, sports, educational, etc. The branch can sponsor an activity for another organization, plan its own activity or work with another branch or within the district. Please share your ideas on branch activities.

Christ is born! - Let us glorify Him!

Happy New Year!

Become a member of the UNA and help serve our community

by Oksana Trytjak
UNA Special Projects Coordinator

There are many ways to contribute to the welfare of an organization. Being actively involved, supporting its various programs through participation, volunteering your services, talents or time and, last but not least, making a monetary contribution. All these are encouraged by all institutions. The UNA is a fraternal organization that welcomes any and all of the above. But, most importantly, it welcomes new membership. By becoming new members or by increasing present membership, you not only support the UNA but increase your own financial security.

We, members of the Ukrainian American or Ukrainian Canadian community, are painfully aware of the decline in active membership in all our organizations. There are many valid reasons for this situation, none of which I wish to get into at present. But I do wish to remind each and everyone of us that we all have a responsibility to the community. In our shrinking community every active member counts.

One of our responsibilities as members of the community is to instill in our younger generation a need and a desire to actively participate in our organizations. What better way than by example? We have noticed among our UNA membership that policies purchased by parents or grandparents for their children, which usually mature around college age, are paid out with no renewals. This results in the loss of a young member. Why not give the cash value of the policy to the college student, and at the same time purchase a policy for him that will provide the basic foundation for a life insurance program. Instill in him a commitment to the organization and the community, and teach him about securing his financial future.

Here is an example of a parent who cashed his college-age sons' policies and purchased new ones. With the new applications he mailed this letter, which prompted me to write this article.

"... Both of their old policies have matured and now is the time to review their membership with an organization that I strongly believe in and support. I would hope that all parents renew their children's applications as they mature. The benefits of being a member far outweigh the cost of the yearly premiums. We, as parents, must prove to our children and show them by example that being an active member of the UNA is an obligation that each Ukrainian should proudly be part of. Hopefully, my many friends will follow suit." - Stefan Tatarenko UNA Branch 171.

The UNA is grateful to its members who have been supporting the UNA for over 100 years. In this new millennium it is ready to welcome new members. To this end, in the last year, new insurance products that are very competitive with those of other insurance companies are available.

We welcome new members and encourage current members to re-examine their insurance policies and increase their insurance to satisfy their ever-changing needs.

The UNA has been serving the community since 1894. Become a UNA member and help us to continue to serve the community into the new millennium.

Following are examples of premiums for a male, age 16, non-smoker (smokers have slightly higher rates):

20-Pay Life: $25,000, has a cash value, enables policy holder to receive a permanent life policy that is paid up after 20 annual premium, payments $201.75 annual premium.
20-Pay Life: $10,000, has cash value, enables policy holder to receive a permanent life policy that is paid up after 20 years of annual premiums. $83.50 annual premium.
Premier Life: $25,000 an alternate to Whole Life, offering same benefits but paying higher dividends with slightly higher premiums.
10-Year Term: $50,000 provides coverage for 10-year periods, with level premiums for each 10-year period and is renewable through age 65. $82.50 annual premium.

Young UNA'ers

Maya Oksana Rondiak, daughter of Petro B. and Ola Rondiak of Wilmington, Del., is a new member of UNA Branch 777. She was enrolled by her grandparents Roman and Ulana Rondiak.
Jessica Ellen Kardasz, daughter of Mark and Susan Kardasz pf Yardville, N.J., was born on April 21. She was enrolled into UNA Branch 777 by her grandparents Michael and Slava Kardasz.
Stephanie Patrice Manasterski, daughter of Gregory and Deirdre Manasterski, is a new member of UNA Branch 120 in Aliquippa, Pa. She was enrolled by her grandmother Olga Manasterski.
Taisa Katria Hayda, daughter of Col. Roman A. Hayda and Kathryn Sos-Hayda, was born on August 30 in San Antonio, Texas. She was enrolled into UNA Branch 59 of Bridgeport, Conn., by her grandparents Ihor and Roma Hayda.

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