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that leave others feeling unwanted, unneeded, and excluded. And to all o f these so-called reasons there is an an swer, and that answer is that you are the organization and you are what it can be. I have seen our Am erican sisters and other ethnic wom en’s groups attending meetings, whether at the United Nations, at G F W C events, or at conferences hosted by the N C W /U S. M any o f these wom en participate in their organizations' events while sitting in wheel chairs or tottering along with walkers and canes. I have asked some o f them what makes them so full o f desire to participate. They all say, "It’ s for a selfish reason - it gives us a chance to be with our friends and to do good and help others. It gives us a special satisfaction. W e are grateful that the organization needs us because being needed is a wonderful feeling. W hen we get together to do some projects there is no time to dwell on our problems, we forget the sad moments o f losing dear ones, our aches and pains and other problems that wom en face at this time o f our life." In its 7 7 th year o f existence, the U N W L A needs to listen to what such wom en are saying and to follow their example. I can't believe for one moment that most o f our members cannot afford $ 3 .3 3 a month for annual dues. I can't believe that those o f us who can afford this amount (and much more than this amount) would not w ill ingly help pay the dues o f those who truly cannot afford them. They are our community's older widows or grand mothers, living on pensions, whose happiest hours are the hours spent with friends in doing something useful for an organization they helped create and nurture over the years. W hich o f us would not willingly help them? Those who say they are too tired or too weak should take their lead from M ary Beck, a well-known mem ber o f our organization since its founding. A t the X X V Ith U N W L A Convention, M ary Beck was a speaker at one o f the luncheons. Everyone there admired her presentation and her passion. Her desire to communicate with mem bers o f the organization was something we should all aspire to. And nothing stood in her w ay when she decided to attend the Convention. To those who say they have no time, I ask what time their mothers and grandmothers had when they were building new lives in a new country with no money and no support beyond their own strength and the strength o f the organization behind them. They m ay answer that times are different now, and in some w ays they would be right. But the basic needs o f wom en and o f humanity have not changed and w e all have much to learn from our predecessors and how they managed to find the money, the time, the strength and the will to be Soyuzanky. In past decades, many wom en joined the U N W L A to keep in touch with the community, to learn the needs o f the community, and to try to serve those needs. In this fast changing world one does not need to get out o f the house to recognize the needs o f the Comm unity or the world. This information is available to us at home, through television or the W orld W ide W eb or the telephone. If she is looking for such information, therefore, there is no longer a need for a wom an to join an organization for this reason. I f she is looking sim ply for social interaction, she also has many options, some that do not make demands on her time or her heart. But such demands are made for good reason. Take a look how much w e have done for Ukrainians around the world. B y being a member o f the U N W L A , each o f us can add a small block to the organization. A ll o f us are needed and all o f us should be proud to be members o f an organization that does so much for so many. It is up to us to change our organization by changing our attitudes to keep up with the needs and interests o f our members. Today we must look for new w ays to attract wom en to our organization, be they young profes sionals bom and raised in this country or newcomers to the United States that are building new lives and have lim ited time on their hands. Each group has different needs and different approaches. And, fortunately, our branches very well reflect the diversity o f our organization with respect to needs and approaches. For this reason we have established U N W LA-Branches@ bram a.com , which allows our members to communicate and to learn from each other. If each o f us can encourage at least one wom an to join us in our noble enterprise, we can succeed in build ing a strong legacy for the future. Please find these wom en that can help your Branch in some w ay. Introduce them to our array o f programs and encourage them to join our organization. It is up to each o f us to show these women that they are valuable and needed and wanted. They will learn for themselves the importance o f what they have to offer to the organization and the importance o f what the organization can offer them. 10 “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ 2002 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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