THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (09/15/02)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

Courses held for secretaries and organizers

by Christine E. Kozak
UNA National Secretary

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - The UNA Secretaries and Organizers Courses were held at the Ukrainian National Association's Soyuzivka resort on Monday and Tuesday, August 19-20, with the secretaries or organizers of 21 UNA branches participating.

The courses opened on Sunday evening, August 18, with a "Getting to Know You" wine-and-cheese reception welcoming all participants.

The courses began in earnest the next morning with UNA President Stefan Kaczaraj welcoming all attendees and underlining the role of the UNA both as a fraternal organization - its place in the Ukrainian community and its many charitable donations to that community - and as an insurance company that provides quality products and service to its policyholders who are referred to as members.

Mr. Kaczaraj also said that the UNA supports Svoboda, The Ukrainian Weekly, Soyuzivka and many other membership benefits for UNA'ers. He focused special attention on the various problems facing Soyuzivka and on the immediate steps being taken by the Executive Committee, and he assured his audience that the UNA membership and the community at large will be notified of any plans for the resort via the UNA's official publications.

Becuase of the wealth of their experience and knowledge, former UNA President Ulana Diachuk and former UNA National Secretary Martha Lysko, who now serves at the UNA's first vice-president, were invited to address the course participants.

Mrs. Diachuk covered the topics of the UNA Charter and By-Laws, and loans on UNA insurance certificates and UNA mortgages. Mrs. Lysko spoke about the principles of life insurance, UNA membership plans, and how these plans constitute a legal contract between the UNA and the individual members. She also explained how premiums (dues) are calculated and how a policy accumulates cash value.

Newly elected UNA National Secretary Christine E. Kozak spoke about the purpose of the training at secretaries courses and on the duties and ever-changing role of the branch secretary. She explained the UNA's monthly billing systems, as well as the various reports mailed to all branch secretaries and how they should be used to help provide service to members.

Ms. Kozak underscored the importance of customer service provided by both the branch secretaries on the local level and UNA Home Office personnel. She also outlined the procedure for filling out life insurance applications and the steps involved in processing new applications at the Home Office, as well as the general operations of the Home Office and the professional service rendered to both branch secretaries and members.

A guest speaker on the topic of life insurance was Robert G. Mitchell, executive vice-president of sales with Western Catholic Union, a fraternal organization similar to the UNA. Mr. Mitchell, who has 30 years' experience in the insurance field and a proven track record in recruiting, teaching seminars and sales of insurance, focused on the practical aspects of selling life insurance and annuities, including various sales techniques. His remarks were enthusiastically received by the course participants.

Oksana Trytjak, the UNA's special events and fraternal activities coordinator, spoke about the UNA Scholarship Program, the Teaching English in Ukraine Program, the annual Christmas card project and other UNA-sponsored programs, as well as the myriad fraternal activities that can be conducted by branches and/or districts. Fraternal activities, she emphasized, are the backbone of the UNA; they help keep the UNA a vital and viable organization.

The course participants were: UNA Advisor Barbara Bachynsky, secretary of Branch 184; Cyril Bezkorowajny, Branch 256; Nina Bilchuk of the UNA Home Office; Genet Boland, secretary of Branch 409; Christine Brodyn of the UNA Home Office and secretary of Branch 27; Joseph Chabon, secretary of Branch 242; Yuri Darmograi, secretary of Branch 127; Nadia Demczur, secretary of Branch 86; Michael Felenchak, secretary of Branch 271; Paul Fenchak, secretary of Branch 320; Nicholas Fil, Branch 13; Joseph Hawryluk, secretary of Branch 360; Stefania Hawryluk, secretary of Branch 88; Valia Kaploun, of the UNA Home Office and Branch 269; Roman Kuropas, Branch 20; Myron Kuzio, secretary of Branch 277; Oksana Lopatynsky, secretary of Branch 194; UNA Advisor Vasyl Luchkiw, secretary of Branch 16; UNA Advisor Eugene Oscislawski, secretary of Branch 234; Ulana Prociuk, secretary of Branch 397; Natalia Shuya, secretary of Branch 452; and Ms. Trytjak, secretary of Branch 25.

UNA officers who conducted the courses received extremely positive feedback from the participants.

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