THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

MARCH NEWSLETTER: Pre-convention branch meetings

by Martha Lysko
UNA National Secretary

Branch meetings

All UNA branches should hold annual meetings and elect branch officers for the year 2002. This year, the UNA will hold its 35th Regular Convention and in accordance with the UNA By-Laws, branches should hold branch meetings to elect delegates and alternate delegates to the convention.

All credentials for delegates and alternates should be sent to the national secretary no later then the end of March. A list of all delegates will be published in our official publications by April 24. Branches holding annual or branch meetings may place free ads in our official publications.

Branch officers' list

All branches have received a Branch Officers' List. After holding their annual meetings, all branches should send to the Home Office a list of branch officers for the year 2002. Names, telephone numbers and addresses of all branch officers must be submitted annually. We need the information when working with our branches and districts, for the use of our membership, and for reporting to the insurance authorities.

As a fraternal benefit society we must have branches and branch officers. Each branch is expected to plan some fraternal activity during the year. This activity may be planned with another branch, a district, or some other local organization.

Delegates

Only premium-paying members who pay fraternal dues or have single-premium policies may be elected delegates to the convention. Social members, who have reached the age of 65 and have paid-up policies, may pay the annual $3 fraternal dues annually and vote in the branch or be elected as delegates.

Delegates play an important role at the convention. The decisions they make at the convention bind the Ukrainian National Association for the following four years. It is the duty of elected delegates to be present at all sessions of the convention in order to familiarize themselves with the many issues before the convention that will be decided. Anyone primarily interested in visiting relatives in Chicago, or sightseeing should not become a delegate.

One of the biggest responsibilities of a delegate is to elect members to the General Assembly. Officials elected at the convention will be responsible for the financial well-being and growth of our organization for the next four years. Every delegate should read the reports of all outgoing executives and advisors to see what they have done in the last four years.

Every delegate should familiarize himself with the candidates running for office to see what their qualifications are and what they plan to do for the organization. When choosing delegates to the convention, please keep this in mind. The UNA needs well-informed delegates to make good choices at the convention.

Pre-convention membership campaign

Please participate in the pre-convention campaign announced in January. All branch secretaries, delegates, organizers and members of the General Assembly should participate in this organizing campaign.

Parma activists erect traditional ice cross

PARMA, Ohio - The annual construction of a seven-foot ice cross on the occasion of Theophany was carried out once again this year at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio. This project was undertaken by three generations of the Dobronos family, who are members of Ukrainian National Association Branch 348. Under the guidance of Michael K. Dobronos, patriarch of the family, the cross was erected by sons Michael G. and Stephen, and grandson Michael A. Also assisting were Eugene Boyko and William Dobransky. The ice cross was blessed by the parish clergy following the Theophany divine liturgy on Saturday, January 19. The cross annually draws the attention of thousands of motorists who pass the cathedral daily.

Young UNA'ers

• John Francis Hillen IV and his younger brother, Christopher James, children of Maria and John Hillen, are new members of the UNA. They were enrolled into Branch 172 of Whippany, N.J., by their grandparents Lydia and Orest Ciapka.
  
  
• Joseph, Emma, Cole, Zachary and Andrew Kachmar, seen above with their grandparents Alex and Joanne Kachmar, are new members of UNA Branch 486 in San Francisco. They were enrolled by their grandparents.
  
  
• Maxim Peter Bilyk, son of Petrusia and Andre Bilyk, is a new member of UNA Branch 16 in Spring Valley, N.Y. He was enrolled by his grandparents Nadia and Peter Howansky.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 10, 2002, No. 10, Vol. LXX

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