Highlights from the UNA's 110-year history (10/03/04)

Highlights from the UNA's 110-year history

A special yearlong feature focusing on the history of the Ukrainian National Association.

The Ukrainian National Association's most recent convention took place on May 24-28, 2002, in Chicago. The first convention of the new millennium also ushered in a new leadership for the 108-year-old fraternal organization, with President Stefan Kaczaraj at the helm.

It was notable also that seven of the new General Assembly members were newcomers and that 14 members of the outgoing assembly had opted not to run for re-election, including UNA President Ulana Diachuk who

retired after serving three terms in that post, as well at 18 years as the UNA's treasurer. Among the new members elected to the General Assembly were the first two representatives of the "Fourth Wave" of most recent immigrants from Ukraine to this country.

The convention was attended by 122 delegates representing UNA branches throughout the United States and Canada, as well as 22 members and four honorary members of the UNA General Assembly. During five days of deliberations they approved several key changes to the UNA By-Laws, including provisions that reduced the number of advisors on the General Assembly from 14 to 11, and the size of the Auditing Committee from five to three. The delegates also approved an amendment to the By-Laws which stipulated that UNA employees could not simultaneously serve as unpaid members of the General Assembly.

As well, they approved a proposal to move forward on a plan to search for investors to develop and share the running of the Soyuzivka estate owned by the UNA and established a standing committee to further decide the fate of the UNA in Canada, where its existence has faced various hurdles associated with ever-increasing Canadian insurance regulations and dwindling membership.

At the same time, the convention established the Soyuzivka Redevelopment Committee, which comprised dedicated veterans who had dealt with the issue of the resort's future when they served as members of the General Assembly. Though four of the five members - Stefko Kuropas, Taras Szmagala Jr., Anya Dydyk-Petrenko and Alex Chudolij - chose not to stand for re-election, they were selected to work on saving the UNA resort. The fifth member of the committee was newly elected Director for Canada Al Kachkowski, previously a UNA advisor.

The Ukrainian Weekly's editorial, in summing up the convention, observed: "In many ways, then, the 35th Convention of the UNA brought renewal." The editorial concluded on a hopeful note: "May that renewal be a harbinger of the UNA's rebirth in the new millennium."

Source: "UNA's 35th Convention elected new leadership for 2002-2006," by Roman Woronowycz, and "The UNA: renewal and rebirth (editorial), The Ukrainian Weekly, June 2, 2002, Vol. LXX, No. 22. The border used for this special feature is reproduced from a UNA membership certificate dating to 1919.

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