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UNWLA ORGANIZATIONAL CONCERNS A Member of UNWLA The beginning of the year means election time for the 121 Branches of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America. A new slate of officers is given the vote of confidence by fellow members to oversee the work of the branch, chair various committees and initiate pro jects. On the average, there are from eight to ten officers in a branch. The overall picture is that within our organiza tion approximately 1000 individuals are branch officers. In other words, one-fourth of UNWLA membership is assuming responsible functions, becoming more closely acquainted with the goals and aims of the organization, and enjoying personal fulfillment and growth. Although this seems very promising the reality is quite different. Generally speaking, members are very reluctant to assume elective offices and, more often than not, the same people are forced to carry on the work of the branch. Often a member responsible for a certain aspect of work in her branch has been heard to utter dishearteningly: “ I’ve been doing this job for the last three or four years and I’m tired of it!” Who could blame her? Doing anything repetitively is often less than pleasant. But what are some of the other reasons for the apathy and unwillingness to work in the branch? The most obvious are that a member is too busy either pursuing a career, and or attending to the needs of small children or elderly parents. Perhaps more significant is that fre quently a member suffers from a lack of basic knowl edge of the goals and inner workings of the organiza tion she belongs to, causing her to fear taking on any responsibilites. One branch president, in an attempt to analyze this problem reasoned that first of all, any given UNWLA branch consists of a diverse array of individuals. Here we see women with varied interests, many work within the home while others are career women. There are women with dissimilar educational backgrounds, women who are longtime veterans of the UNWLA and those who have just joined. Some women belong to Ukrainian organizations exclusively and others belong to Ameri can organizations, as well. Another reason given for a growing lack of interest is that once a member assumes an office and shows immediate promise in this area, she is “typecast” . She becomes labelled as a good president, or the officer who is adept at organizing events, while another is known for her creativity in the kitchen. Eventually, the individual is not allowed to act out of character. We, on the other hand, as branch members are relieved that an individual has been found to handle the position. The result is that often individuals end up working at their post for years. Furthermore, others become timid about trying out for an office or committee because they assume that they would not be as proficient as their predecessors and fear comparisons. What results is a “Catch-22” . How can this situation be remedied or even prevented from occurring? The proposed suggestion is that every branch president get to know the members of her branch, and help them realize their potential, nurturing and encouraging them to participate in various aspects of branch activity. Each member should be given the opportunity to work in areas new to her. This would help lessen the unknown and develop confidence. Should mistakes occur, they should be handled tactfully and with the understanding that often failure is a valua ble lesson in itself. Even those who show promise of dynamic leadership should do their stint as the hospital ity chairman because every function of branch work is important. What’s more, the understanding gained in the successful managing of a branch would create bet ter leadership, and membership and foster cooperation. Perhaps we should be reminded that the branch is the fundamental unit of our organization, and it is here that a member learns firsthand the objectives and inner work ings of UNWLA. Each member is encouraged to do this through work in various offices and committees within the branch. UNWLA has standing committees such as welfare, cultural, press etc. There are also those that are formed as the need arises, for example the organization of a concert or other events. The result is a more confi dent member who is better able to judge whether she is ready to tackle more responsibilities. The leadership and membership of the branch com plement one another. It is impossible to conceive one without the other. The logical conclusion is that the responsibility of creating a viable branch is not only that of the officers but of everyone who involved. IRINA CHAJKOWSKYJ Member of UNWLA Branch 70 Passaic, New Jersey (Translated loosely from the Ukrainian text of the article as it appears in the Ukrainian section of this magazine). Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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