Seen above are participants of the 22nd Regular Convention of Ukrainian National Association, which was held on May 22-27, 1950, in Cleveland. The convention was attended by 429 delegates and 20 members of the UNA Supreme Assembly, who held a total of 909 votes. UNA officers reported that, as of the end of 1949, the organization had 472 branches, 56,009 members and $11,167,057 in assets. Elected to the new Supreme Assembly were: Supreme President Dmytro Halychyn, Supreme Vice-President Joseph Lesawyer, Supreme Vice-Presidentess Genevieve Zerebniak, Supreme Secretary Gregory Herman, Supreme Treasurer Roman Slobodian, Supreme Auditors Dmytro Kapitula, Stephen Kuropas, Walter Hirniak, Walter Kossar and Ambrose Kibsey, and Supreme Advisors Dmytro Szmagala, John Romanition, John Wasylenko, John Kokolsky, Peter Kuchma, Walter Didyk, Nicholas Dawyskyba, Taras Shpikula, Olena Shtogryn, Anna Wasylowska and William Hussar. Convention delegates approved $12,950 for community causes, $2,010 for scholarships and $4,715 to aid infirmed members. The cost of subscriptions to the daily newpspaer Svoboda (which at that time included The Ukrainian Weekly as a supplement) was raised to 50 cents per month. Among the recommendations of the 22nd Convention was: “Institute a series of Higher Cultural Courses for younger generation and native-born Ukrainian Americans. In order to facilitate the institution and upkeep of such courses, the Convention recommends that funds from the Student Aid Fund of the Association be allocated for this purpose.” Another recommendation read: “In general, do everything and by all means possible to cultivate and advance the Ukrainian cultural heritage of Americans and Canadians of Ukrainian birth or descent.”
A photo archive of UNA history has been launched on the UNA website. It is a work in progress that will be expanded and refined. To take a look, go to http://unainc.org/una/the-una-is-125-years-old/.