FACES AND PLACES: Reviving a stagnant UNA (10/20/02)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

Reviving a stagnant UNA

There is a new climate emerging at UNA central. People are more perky, telephone calls are being answered by UNA executives, and a positive attitude is being projected. Number 1 is answering his phone as follows: "Stefan Kaczaraj, how may I serve you?"

Some of us detect a growing transparency in the UNA as well. Secrecy and closed-door maneuvering is no longer the modus operandi. For the first time in years, a UNA president has written a candid message about Soyuzivka for publication in The Ukrainian Weekly and Svoboda, quashing, thereby, a number of false rumors. Some people said Soyuziva was already sold. Others believed that the first order of business for the new execs was the sale of Soyuzivka. One individual was sure that negotiations were under way to sell the UNA resort to a business consortium of oligarchs headed by Leonid Kuchma's wife.

Fortunately, our Soyuzivka problem is being addressed. A proposal has been developed by UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich. Still in its infancy, the plan will probably be unveiled at the first post-convention meeting of the General Assembly, scheduled for the week before Thanksgiving. Let's hope the plan can be approved and implemented soon.

The October 6 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly included a rather large photo of the new execs along with an article explaining what each hoped to accomplish during his or her tenure. First Vice-President Martha Lysko emphasized that her "main focus in the next four years will be to build a base from which the UNA can expand its membership, increase its membership in the community and draw new members."

Al Kachkowski, director for Canada, spoke of "the myriad challenges" he is facing, but stressed his "commitment to act in whatever capacity is necessary to bring Canadian citizens into the UNA's membership ranks."

Although these sentiments are laudatory, they are not inspiring. Review any set of UNA executive board minutes from the past 30 years and you'll discover similar commentaries.

Having served as a UNA first vice-president for 12 years myself, I am no stranger to new proposals, new directions and new hope - especially after a new executive board takes over. While researching the history of the UNA, moreover, I came across hundreds of promises, resolutions and recommendations that were never acted upon. Gallons of ink were wasted, entire forests were cut down, just to put all of them to paper. Nothing happened. What good are conventions, for example, when few of the many resolutions delegates approve are ever discussed, let alone implemented by the General Assembly?

Far more serious is the tendency of past executives to ignore or by-pass UNA By-Laws, thereby further eroding confidence in their leadership.

The question that needs to be addressed immediately by UNA execs is the stagnation that has immobilized our fraternal. The perception on the street is that the previous two administrations were simply going through the motions, biding their time. The new energy that is emerging today needs to be felt in all corners of our organization - not just in the Home Office. And it needs to be ongoing. I have some easy-to-implement suggestions that can make this happen.

For openers, the execs need to publish the convention resolutions in Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly as soon as possible. Not the minutes of the entire convention, mind you, just the resolutions. Publishing resolutions two years after the convention is an insult to the delegates. Resolutions should be a guide to future action, not something to be ignored. Once the resolutions are published, the UNA board should implement them; if they can't do that, they are obligated to explain why.

Our national executives should open the pages of Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly to honest dialogue and debate. Let's stop pretending that all is well and that only the executives know what is good for the UNA. No one has a monopoly on creative ideas. Let those who still care about the UNA be heard. Executives should develop thick skins. It's part of the job. Libelous statements, obviously, should not be printed, but there should be no censorship of new ideas or constructive critiques. Anyone familiar with UNA history knows that our publications once offered a forum for recommendations and complaints. Many years ago UNA executives were not afraid of reproach and the UNA prospered. If leadership can't be challenged, or even questioned, it can't be held accountable. "Open criticism weakens the UNA," I've been told in the past. Nonsense. We haven't allowed open criticism, and where has it gotten us?

Another practical suggestion is to eliminate our scholarship program. The monies we ladle out (from $125 to $200 per student) are barely enough to pay for college textbooks, let alone tuition. The money would be better spent paying dividends to our senior citizens, many of whom are barely surviving on fixed incomes.

The UNA also needs to exit the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council. During the last 20 years the UACC has accomplished little of note, despite the fact that the first two presidents were also presidents of the UNA at the same time.

UNA executives should spend more time in the field, less time behind their desks. They must become more visible in our communities, to show the flag, as it were. Flying in and out of a city on the same day to meet with UNA secretaries exclusively is a waste of resources. Spend an extra day and visit with community members. Introduce yourself to the local clergy. This, too, once was accepted practice.

One last, simple suggestion: reduce the number of insurance policies we offer to a basic few. We need to get back to simple insurance, the kind that has been our bread and butter from the beginning, the kind that doesn't require a special license, the kind our secretaries can handle. The UNA has an abysmal record when it comes to hiring insurance sales people that "know the business." Most of these people ended up giving us the business.

Four months have passed since the UNA convention. Our new executives are entitled to a brief honeymoon, but those days are quickly coming to an end. What decisions are reached in the next four months may well determine the entire future of the UNA.

If you're still reading this, it means that one of my suggestions has already borne fruit. Censorship is over. Let the debate begin!

Myron Kuropas' e-mail address is: [email protected].

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