THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (11/11/01)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER: Organizing and the convention

by Martha Lysko
UNA National Secretary

Fall organizing campaign

The UNA has 238 branches. If each branch organizes two new members by the end of the year, the UNA will reach its quota of 476 new members in 2001. The number of active members in the branch is the basis for the number of delegates to the convention the branch can elect.

After the tragic events of September 11, most life insurance companies reported a greater interest in life insurance, and the sales of insurance went up. Many agents reported that their clients were calling them to review their insurance policies. This is an optimum opportunity for our secretaries to contact their members to review their insurance needs and sell more insurance. All branch secretaries should help their members who also may have new concerns at this time.

UNA convention

The UNA will hold its 35th Convention in Chicago on May 24-28, 2002. Please remember to hold branch meetings for the election of delegates. Only active members are eligible to serve as delegates. Active members are those who pay $3 in annual fraternal dues or whose premiums already include fraternal dues. Please elect delegates who are familiar with our organization and its problems, and who are interested in the growth of our organization.

A branch is entitled to one delegate if it has 75 to 149 active members; two delegates for 150 to 224 members; three delegates for 225-299 members. These are the requirements of the UNA By-Laws and all branches must follow them. Please be reminded that the number of delegates for your branch will be based on the number of active members in your branch as of December 31, 2001. All losses and gains in your branch to the end of December will affect the number of delegates you can have for the upcoming convention.

Fraternal activities

This spring I sent all secretaries a lengthy list of possible fraternal activities, ranging from a social coffee hour to sponsoring and aiding charitable institutions. Each branch should already be planning at least one activity for the coming year. Fraternal activities bring members together and give the secretary a chance to market UNA policies to members and their families.

New applications and forms

Since January the UNA has been using new insurance applications. Please do not use old applications and old forms as these no longer have the insurance department approvals. Please discard all old applications and forms.

The UNA Home Office is prepared to send every secretary new applications, forms, brochures and rate books. Please note that new applications do not require organizer's reward slips or smoker non-smoker questionnaires. Also, we no longer have separate applications for juvenile members.

Baltimore District holds fall meeting

by Paul G. Fenchak

BALTIMORE - The fall meeting of the Baltimore District of the Ukrainian National Association was held on October 6 in the hall of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Attendees at the meeting were: Bohdan Yasinsky, district chairman; Paul Fenchak and Paul G. Fenchak, Branch 320; Mychajlo Choma, Branch 280; Marianna Cizdyn, Anna Cizdyn and Andrej Zaryk, Branch 55.

The Home Office was represented by National Secretary Martha Lysko, who proceeded to discuss membership, results of organizing in the district, the upcoming UNA convention, the UNA By-Laws and Soyuzivka.

The meeting started with a prayer and a moment of silence for departed members and for those who had perished on September 11 in New York City as a result of the terrorist attack.

Ms. Lysko discussed the organizing results for the first six months of 2001. The total UNA production for the first six months was 218 new policies sold for the amount of $4,384,000 in insurance. The Baltimore District sold three new policies.

The 2001 fall campaign's goal is two new members per branch, Ms. Lysko reminded her audience. The final active membership at the end of December will determine the number of delegates a branch may get to the convention in May 2002. To have at least one delegate the branch must have 75 active adult policies. If the branch is below 75 it may join with another branch to qualify for a delegate.

Meeting participants then discussed the size of the current General Assembly and how it relates to current membership levels. Overall UNA membership has decreased from its apex of 89,000 in the 1970s. Although the membership decreased significantly over the last 25 years we still maintain the same size for the general assembly, Ms. Lysko noted.

This is also true of membership levels in Canada which at its peak was 10,000 members in the 1970s and today is just over 3,000. Canada should have representation proportionate to its current membership, said the national secretary.

She added that Canada also has other issues that need to be addressed, including administration, Canadian currency and Canadian insurance regulations. Several options to resolve these issues were discussed, including the possibility of converting Canadian policies to U.S. currency.

Soyuzivka is currently losing $500,000 annually, and we can no longer sustain these losses, Ms. Lysko stated. The Standing Committee on Soyuzivka prepared a report which offered a few solutions aimed at eliminating these losses. Among the solutions were: formation of a non-profit foundation, finding a joint partner and removing Soyuzivka from the UNA by forming a separate corporation.

At the end of her presentation Ms. Lysko reviewed the new applications for membership and explained how to fill them out. She also went over the new ratebook, paying special attention to calculation of premiums and new available plans. She encouraged all branch secretaries and branch officers to take an active role in the fall organizing campaign.

Wasyl Leschuk, Branch 303 secretary, dies at age 68

FLUSHING, Mich. - Wasyl Leschuk, 68, of Flushing, Mich., died Thursday, October 4, at his residence with his family present. The funeral service was held at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 8, with the Rev. Mykola Dovzniuk officiating. Burial was at Flushing Cemetery.

Mr. Leschuk was born in Zhukiv, Berezany region of Ukraine, on January 17, 1933. He was a member of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Flint, Mich., and a longtime member of the Ukrainian Hall, where he served in many capacities, including president.

He became a member of the Ukrainian National Association as a new immigrant to America in 1949, and served as secretary of Branch 303 since 1971. He was a delegate to many UNA conventions.

Mr. Leschuk served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1965, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He was employed by General Motors and after 40 years with the company retired in 1995 from the Service Parts Operation in Swartz Creek, Mich.

Surviving are his wife, Linda (Irene); sons, Michael (and his wife Cynthia) of Holly, Mich., and Robert and Daniel of Flushing, Mich.; grandchildren, Kristina and Michael; uncle and aunt, Mychajlo and Anna Lycholat; and cousins, Alexandra Bohay, Nadia Zarewych and Natalie Cooper, along with their husbands and extended families.

Mr. Leschuk was preceded in death by his parents, Mychajlo and Tekla Leschuk.

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