THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM (02/19/06)

THE UKRAINIAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FORUM

CONVENTION PRIMER: The UNA, founded to benefit our community

As the Ukrainian National Association, its officers and members prepare for the organization's 36th Regular Convention, which will convene on Friday, May 26, at the Soyuzivka estate in Kerhonkson, N.Y., The Ukrainian Weekly will publish a new series titled "Convention Primer" that will explain the UNA's goals, structure and operations. Our first installment takes a look at the UNA Charter.

The Ukrainian National Association is a fraternal benefit society founded in 1894 to provide for the well-being of "Ukrainians and their descendants." The UNA does this by providing life insurance and annuities to members and by using the profits earned from sales of these products to support fraternal activities that benefit members, as well as the entire Ukrainian community.

As noted in its Charter (Articles of Incorporation), "The purpose for which this corporation is formed are to promote unity and social relations, to diffuse principles of benevolence and charity among Ukrainians and their descendants residing within the United States and its possessions, within Canada and elsewhere, to secure their moral and mental development, to educate and instruct them in the principles of free government, American institutions and laws, and for those purposes to open, organize and maintain schools, libraries and other educational facilities, to arrange and provide for their entertainment and amusement, to publish and circulate among them literary and educational publications and newspapers in the Ukrainian, English and other languages, and to provide and maintain an old-age home for its members under such conditions and in such manner as may be provided by the Rules and By-Laws of the Association, and allowed by law, and to provide recreational, sport, cultural and vacation facilities for its members, their families and children."

Sounds like a tall order, doesn't it? However, throughout its 112-year history the Ukrainian National Association has done all of the above. It has met the needs of the Ukrainian community in keeping with the exigencies of the times.

In the early years of its existence, for example, the UNA was known for organizing reading rooms where its members, humble immigrants from Ukrainian lands, could gather to read, to learn and to discuss pressing issues of the day, as well as their lives and needs in the new country of their settlement. Through its newspaper, Svoboda, the UNA taught these new Americans what it meant to be an American.

Today, the UNA provides the community with two weekly newspapers: the Ukrainian-language Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly, published in English. It also owns and operates the Soyuzivka estate in the Catskill region of New York state and offers scholarships to student members. Plus, it offers a host of other fraternal benefits that serve today's Ukrainian Americans and Ukrainian Canadians.

- Roma Hadzewycz

NFCA designation cites UNA for highest membership standard

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Ukrainian National Association has been designated a "Member in Good Standing" by the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA), the trade association of American fraternal benefit societies. This level of achievement for 2006 recognizes the UNA for the highest standards of performance - both in fraternal programming and financial operation - over a one-year period.

The Chicago-based NFCA, which celebrates its 120th anniversary in 2006, successfully links its 76 member-societies - fraternal benefit societies that are not-for-profit membership organizations offering life insurance, accident and health insurance and annuities - to encourage education, training and service to communities at the national and grassroots levels. The association represents approximately 10 million people in more than 36,000 chapters, making it one of the nation's largest volunteer networks.

"The NFCA's Member in Good Standing designation reflects the Ukrainian National Association's commitment to maintaining a strong, viable fraternal benefit society for our members," said Christine E. Kozak, UNA national secretary. "The UNA's good standing within the NFCA demonstrates a standard of system-wide excellence for 112 years of continuous service to our members, families and their communities.

"The leaders of the NFCA's 76 member-societies believe that the NFCA must enforce strict standards to promote exceptional performance," said NFCA Chair of the Board Michael J. Wade. "The fraternal movement in the United States has a long and proud place in American history, stretching back nearly 150 years. As such, the NFCA has a responsibility to its member-societies to review and strengthen current membership standards to ensure outstanding fraternal benefit society performance. The NFCA's standards show that each member-society is financially sound and meets or exceeds criteria upon which tax-exempt and regulatory privileges are granted under federal and state laws. On behalf of the NFCA Board of Directors, we are honored to bestow the highest ranking on the Ukrainian National Association."

The NFCA Membership Standards Program was established in 1993 to assess the integrity and uniqueness of NFCA member-societies and prospective members. Fraternal benefit societies are required to provide the NFCA with information regarding financial performance, organizational structure and fraternal outreach activities. This information is evaluated by the NFCA staff, with particular attention on a society's common bond, an active chapter system, a representative form of government, sound financial management, and substantial, tangible fraternal and charitable activities. If the society being evaluated meets the minimum standards established within the program, an NFCA staff recommendation is submitted to the NFCA Board of Directors, which ultimately determines individual member compliance with program requirements. Societies achieving Member in Good Standing status in 2006 are evaluated on 2004 information, the most recent year for which complete information is available.

Fraternal benefit societies provide leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, volunteer, financial and social opportunities to members united by a common bond such as religion, ethnic heritage, trade, gender or other interests. In providing these services, fraternal benefit societies' unique status as not-for-profit organizations allows millions of people to protect their families financially while making a significant difference in their communities.

Combined, the NFCA's member-societies maintain more than $315 billion of life insurance in force. In 2004 alone, these societies contributed almost $390 million to charitable and fraternal programs and volunteered approximately 91.5 million hours.

Branch 175 meets, elects officers

DETROIT - Ukrainian National Association Branch 175 of Detroit held its branch meeting on January 15. Attendees of the meeting are featured in the photo above. Seated (from left) are Alexander Serafyn, Ph.D., president; Alexandra Lawrin, secretary/treasurer; and Roman Lazarczuk, secretary of the meeting.

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