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Junior League Section W anted: more tenants Mildred M ilan owicz The House of Soyuz U-krainok Ameriky (S. U. A.), well-established in the Ukrainian tradi tion, having expanded over the years, finds it self with room for new tenants, preferably of the younger Ukrainian American generation. The House of SUA. has been ever-ready to offer proud and dignified'means of carrying the cultural heritage of Ukraine and its people to the attention ^nd enjoyment of all the peoples of the United States. Ever.-mindful of the fact that new times bring new methods, it is the in tention of the SUA. to open-mindly accept sug gestions for the improved furtherance of its ideals and traditions. It is therefore with all sincerity that it invites young Ukrainian American g'irls and women to become members of the proud family of the Soyuz Ukrainok of America, to help carry 011 this good work. The invitation offers limitless possibilities for opening new fields of endeavor for personal, and group activities. Whether your interest is charity work, Red Cross wrok, .folk dancing or singing,, play-acting, home economics, child psychology or any other subject, you will surely find a room in this House. This is really a House that is run for its tenants, (by its tenants. Meaning you can have all the say you want in its management, via this page. Drop a line to this page — at 151 Hopkins Ave., Jersey City 6, N. J., for your reservation and information. "Critique” UKRAINIAN WEDDINGS By K A T H L E E N B L A C K B U R N ( E D IT O R ’S N O T E : H e r ‘ own happened twelve, years ago, but Kath leen Blackburn has never had enough o f zveddmgs. She e]atsiJ sleeps and drinks weddings. In fact she is at present w riting a book on weddings. You can find her at Macy’s in Neiv York, where she heads their famous Bride's Shop. H er twelve-year career in designing and managing weddings has found her working in this capa city fo r such well-known establish ments as Lord and Taylor's, M ilgrim ’s and Arnold Constable, as well as run ning her own not lesser-knoivn Kath leen Blackburn's Wedding Shop for a time . The locales of her weddings have ranged from the dignified splendor of St. Patrick's Cathedral to the roman tic setting of the * chapel at West Point. H er fa/me as designer and wedding manager for first families up and down the east coast brought her requests to lecture at Radcliffe and Hunter Colleges. She has had to re sort to plane travel to sandwich in the weddings in rush times. Just to prove that wedding manage ment can lead to interesting digres sions, Miss Blackburn has acted as publicity manager for Macy’s Radio Program in her spare time, as well as put on the first show in Television fo r the commercial advertising for brides. Kathleen Blackburn herself is a tail, slim, darkhaired person, always smartly-coiffed and wearing clothes that are beautif ully cut . She As alzvays eagerly curious, which makes her a -wonderful conversationalist . Equally at ease with dowagers of the “400” or the plain working girl, Miss Black burn enjoys all the weddings she manages. From the following account, written especially fo r “ O U R L IF E ”, she obviously enjoys Ukrainian wed dings, too). For the past twelve years, I have listened to Lohengrin as a daily diet. I have watched hund reds of brides start down the aisle on that wonderful day of days — their wedding-day — and I have never tired of the ever- new thrill of the bridal proces sion. After the Lohengrin proces sional -— which is practically universal — each cerefnony leans toward its own pattern in race and creed. In their solemnity one is as beautiful as another. I have managed many different types of weddings, but outstanding in my mind are the Ukrainian Catholic weddings. They are a pageant of reverence and beauty. They have color and imagination. Their re ceptions are gay — musical and old-world in custom. Particularly -exciting in the Ukrainian wedding is the singing of Lohengrin for the wedding processional by the choral group. This wou-Ld be a great addition to all weddings. Then — the wedding itself with its double- crown service is memorable. I find most unusual the reading of the ritual (vows) by the couple as they kneel before the altar with the priest repeating the vows aloud. I have always felt that .bridal cjouples are generally so nervous that they fail to re alize the significance of the nup tial vows. Having to read this themselves makes them doubly impressed. Also I find the blessing of the bride at the altar of Our Blessed Lady — a most dramatic mo ment, and I consider the leaving of the bride’s flowers at Her al tar a gesture of great beauty. This to me should be incorporat ed into every Catholi^ service, since a visit to the Virgin Mary is most significant. I do miss, the playing of a re cessional that is so much a part of most weddings. A bridal par ty seems so alone and let-down without the triumphant music from Mendelsohn accompanying them as they leave the church. As a cou-ple turn from the altar, there is an obvious release from tension. They are married and the world is theirs! With the joy of that wonderful music they literally sweep down the aisle. Then too, I question the fact that the ushers do not escort the guests down the aisle as their title designates. It is such a nat ural thing to do and adds such elegance and pomp to' the affair. A guest feels so important going down the aisle on the usher’s right arm — chatting about “what a lovely day”, “I know she’ll make a wonderful bride” or “Isn’t he the lucky man?” The entrance of the groom’s family and then the bride’s mo ther — the signal that the wed ding is about to start — also seems to be overlooked. It is so much more impressive to have them enter just at the last mo ment and with the usher as es cort, take their place in the front pew. It sets them aside as “the” guests of the day. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is so very colorful with its ikons, mosaic and flags, I feel that the average flower decor at a wed ding is lost in its simplicity. So many new wrays of using flowers are being devised, that would en hance rather than detract from the background offered by the Ukrainian Church, that an at tempt should be made to make the flower decor as important as possible. Price has nothing to do with effect, since the most rea sonably-priced flowers can be handled in the most striking manner. The Ukrainian wedding resep- tions are delightful and here I feel there is so much that is ob viously traditionally national that might be used in other wed dings. The ritual of the breaking of the bread, the partaking of the brandy and the trowing of the pinch of salt over the shoul der are all indeed symbolic. The custom of striking^ the chi na with silver to encourage the bride and groom to kiss is gay — and shall I add, musical? The idea of the bride placing her veil upon the maid of honor’s head — PHILLY TEEN-AGE CLUB OPENS Something new 011 the Ukrain ian American horizon is the teen age club just opened at 847 N. Franklin St., Philadelphia and sponsored *by the Ukrainian American Citizen’s Association of that city. Known as the “U” Canteen, the club offers a widely diversified sports, social and cultural pro gram to its members who must be between the ages of 13 and 19. One group ranging in age from 13 to 15 years, meets on Tuesdays from 6 to 10 p. m. The older broup, from 16 to 19, meets on Wednesdays from 6 to 10:30 p. m. It is an unusual teen-ager in deed who cannot find something to his or her liking in the numer ous activities of this canteen, as outlined by Mr. A1 Yaremko, its organizing chairman. Indoor and outdoor sports in all of its phases are offered. Summer activities in clude hikes, trips, picnics, and boat rides, besides free admission to see the A’s and Phillies ball games. The formation of various sport teams will carry activities well into the winter season, with matches being arranged. Ukrainian culture has a prom inent place in the “U” Canteen, with free lessons offered in Uk rainian Folk Dances, as well as lessons to learn to speak, read and write in Ukrainian. %The Uk rainian songs learned in their group-singing may well supply entertainment on their numerous pleasure jaunts. Easter-egg painting and Ukrainian embroid ery lessons will be offered to girls, but boys have been known to horn in on these sessions, too. To fill a quiet moment, there are books, magazines and news papers at the members* disposal. For the not-so-quiet sessions, there are the radio, piano and phonograph, with records, as well as a fine dance-floor, al'l offering the ‘makings4 of a good jitter- bugging session. For the talented there is play-acting. All this — and NO dues, too. Who could care for more? For membership requirements are surprisingly modest. Just to be of Ukrainian descent and in the proper age limit. JC5S Sgg - — 1 1 —« to signify that she will be the next bride — is evidently done in place of the throwing of the bride’s bouquet to her attendants and the other unmarried guests. I thirik both gestures should be used since they add so much to the gayety of the wedding. The dancing to the Ukrainian folk music is wonderful and such an enjoyable contrast to the av erage waltz and fox-trot. The kolomeyka is particularly lively and the polka keeps up the end less chain of festivity.
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