LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (02/03/02)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ps & Bs groups need purposeful environment

Dear Editor:

I read Andrij Wowk's recent article "Where have the young professionals gone?" with interest and laud his and the Ukrainian Engineers' Society's efforts to organize an effort to re-engage young professionals in Ukrainian American organizations.

Mr. Wowk is correct that "there should be a second level of community involvement, into which young people can step as they leave the collegiate world." While a number of professionally affiliated organizations continue to exist in the Ukrainian American community in varying degrees of vibrancy, it seems that many of the professional and business associations (Ps&Bs) that were active in the 1980s and early 1990s and provided that second level of community involvement continue to exist on paper only. Some of the reasons for their demise are pertinent to efforts at revitalization.

While networking - one Ukrainian professional putting another in contact with "the right person" - is a worthwhile goal, this is not enough to sustain an organization. Simply put, once interested professionals from a given geographic location at a given point in time all meet each other, the organization quickly devolves into a social group. While the importance of socializing to the continued vitality of Ukrainian American organizations cannot be overemphasized, it alone is not enough to develop and grow an organization, particularly as members move away, undergo changes in lifestyle, etc. and members begin to question the purpose of the organization. The loss of momentum that inevitably ensues also dooms recruitment of new members. This devolution, it seems to me, was largely responsible for the demise of a number of Ps&Bs groups.

Furthermore, while organizing by professional pursuit also can be worthwhile, at the same time such affiliations may not meet the needs of professionals in today's world. Simply put, Ukrainian American professional societies cannot begin to hope to provide the range of services or professional information that their American counterparts can. While some professional societies seem to have overcome this obstacle, many have not.

Nonetheless, I believe there can be viable Ukrainian American professional societies if a number of factors are taken into consideration.

First, while this may be stating the obvious, members are drawn to these affiliations because they do want to associate with other Ukrainian Americans.

Second, such societies can develop and grow if they provide a mix of activities and interests - in other words, there should be projects with goals that encourage members to participate and to invite others to join them. Not only should there be social and cultural activities, but also volunteer activities for the betterment of the entire community should be considered.

For example, the aging Ukrainian American population would benefit tremendously from volunteer (or partly volunteer) efforts that younger professionals could provide by specialty or interest, such as basic medical services, estate planning or even the collection of oral histories.

There is also the potential for projects involving Ukraine, collaboration with the Fourth Wave of immigrants, or joint efforts with other organizations in the larger American society.

Is this too difficult? There are a number of organizations which by recognizing the need for Ukrainian American professionals to congregate in a purposeful environment have enjoyed continued vitality and success. I wish Mr. Wowk, the Ukrainian Engineers' Society of America, and the others involved in their revitalization effort the best of success and hope to see concrete steps taken as a result of the informal summit they are planning

Olena W. Stercho
Wayne, Pa.

Thanks to Kuropas for column on pioneers

Dear Editor:

I wanted to thank Myron B. Kuropas, through your Weekly, for his excellent, erudite article titled "Canada's barbed wire fence" (January 20). To me, the first paragraph was particularly meaningful and poignant.

My parents came from Bukovyna; my dad served in the Austro-Hungarian army. Both parents were illiterate because there were no schools in their vicinity during their school-age years, and they were poor. However, an opportunity arose and they took it. They immigrated to Canada and homesteaded in the area of Kamsack, Saskatchewan, along with hundreds of other Ukrainians. They overcame many a hardship and with hard work and community cooperation led a fairly comfortable life.

The most important result of all this, as it pertains to me, is that they encouraged the children to obtain an education - something they never had an opportunity to experience.

I have copied this column by Dr. Kuropas and sent it to each of our three children, so that they and our nine grandchildren could get a glimpse of some of the hardships that the Ukrainian pioneers endured in order to give us all a much better life.

It is truly something to cherish, and we must never forget our forefathers and their determined efforts to succeed. I am eternally grateful!

Michael E. Sasynuik, B.Sc. M.D.
Bellevue, Wash.

The Weekly provides a well-rounded view

Dear Editor:

This is to thank you for publishing my article on "Recent legal and tax changes in U.S. facilitate adoption from Ukraine," in your December 30, 2001, issue. Of course, it is always a pleasure to see one's name in print! Also, I was afraid the article would be quite long by many newspaper standards, and you thought it useful enough to publish in its entirety. Hopefully it will encourage some would-be parents to go ahead with what is a difficult - but certainly doable - undertaking.

My wife Marlies and I both enjoy The Weekly very much. We find it very informative. Often the specialized press of any sort feels it always has to defend its particular interest. But you publish articles and commentaries expressing all possible views on developments in Ukraine, a country that needs not only fair coverage but also encouragement to keep moving in the right direction.

Such an attitude on the part of the press is much appreciated by the ordinary reader. Through The Ukrainian Weekly we get a well-rounded view of events in that country.

Patrick W. Murphy
Bethesda, Md.

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