The Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna conducted its 29th national convention on October 26, 2013 at the Ukrainian Youth Center in Yonkers, NY, resulting in the election of a new President and National Board.
OOL National Board President Zenon Halkowycz commenced the convention by greeting the delegates and guests, which numbered close to 50. He then suggested a moment of silence to honor all the members of OOL who passed away in the four years since the last convention.
Responsibility for moderating the convention as Presidium chairman was granted to Vasyl Harhaj, assisted by Andryj Khomyk as Presidium vice-chairman and Oksana Kykta as secretary. Members were, then selected for the convention’s verification, resolution, and nominating committees.
The next portion of the meeting consisted of status reports on the organization’s work, presented by existing National Board members, including the President, Secretary, Treasurer, External Affairs Officer, Editor as well as Administrator of “Lemkivshchyna” magazine, Curator of the Lemko Museum, Organizational Affairs Officer, Press Officer, Domestic Affairs Officer, and Cultural Affairs Officer. During the discussion of the reports, members touched upon a variety of issues, such as the financing of “Lemkivshchyna” magazine, a Lemko Museum cataloguing project, and needed repairs to the chapel at Oselia “CYM” in Ellenville, NY that OOL helped pay to build.
After a short break for lunch, OOL webmaster Andrij Khomyk led a multi-media presentation of the organization’s website, walking the noticeably impressed delegates through the various webpages and explaining all his recent additions. He also stressed that full potential of the website has not been realized and welcomed more information to post, such as member profiles, historical pictures, and current events.
Elections of the OOL’s National Board then took place, resulting in the selection of:
Executive:
First Vice President – Vasyl Harhaj
Second Vice President – Toma Pyz
Secretary – To be determined
Treasurer – Stefan Kosciolek
Officers:
External Affairs Officer – Marie Duplak
Editor of “Lemkivshchyna” magazine – Marie Duplak
Administrator of “Lemkivshchyna” magazine – Oksana Kykta
Organizational Affairs Officer – Vasyl Harhaj
Supporting Officer – Mykhaylo Chomyk
Press Officer – Diana Howansky Reilly
Cultural Affairs Officer – Andriy Khomyk
Internal Affairs Officer – Petro Wyslocky
Curator of the Ukrainian Lemko Museum – Lena Howansky
Members At-Large:
Wolodymyr Blazejowsky, Mykola Duplak, Hania Harhaj, Petro Kosciolek, Petro Lukachyn, Teodor Pyz, Stefan Pszybylo, John Suchowacky, Julie Wislocki, Ivan Zavada,
Auditing Committee:
Stefan Kapitula (chairman), Pavlo Hyra, Bohdan Kytka
Arbitration Committee:
Petro Rusynko (chairman), Stefan Malyniak, Vasyl Panchak
Presidents Emeritus:
Ivan Hvozda, Myron Mycio, Marie Duplak, Zenon Halkowycz
The following resolutions were drafted at the convention and later ratified:
- OOL continues to condemn the Soviet-Polish population exchange from 1944-1946 and the completion of Akcja “Wisła” in 1947, and calls on the current government of Poland to provide proper compensation to the people of the Lemko region as well as to the greater Ukrainian minority who were victims of these resettlement campaigns, including the return of former churches and other properties.
- OOL appeals to the government of Ukraine to support the rights of the Ukrainian minority in Poland and to define the status of Lemkos as well as members of other Ukrainian ethnographic lands within Poland who were deported from Poland to the current territory of Ukraine during the Soviet-Polish population exchange from 1944-1946.
- OOL appeals to the government of the United States to denounce the actions of the Polish communist government from 1944-1947 related to the Soviet-Polish population exchange and Akcja “Wisła”.
- OOL reaffirms that it considers the Lemko region to be among the Ukrainian ethnographic territories within Poland and Lemkos to be part of the greater Ukrainian nation and, thus, will continue its goals of organizing all Lemko Ukrainians in their communities and fostering the greater Ukrainian culture, language, music, and traditions.
As the convention approached its conclusion, the participants had much to be proud of. With the election of a new board, OOL showed its ability to work constructively and democratically, adhering to all of the organization’s rules and statute norms. The review of the extensive work to date combined by the proposed new ideas created an energized, positive atmosphere amongst the delegates.
Closing the convention, the newly-elected President, Mark Howansky, thanked the group for its support and stated that he would strive to sincerely listen to and incorporate the ideas of every member, old and new, stressing the need for all Lemkos to work together moving forward.
Finally, an inspired rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem concluded the Convention.
A banquet followed the convention, during which the keynote speaker, Anna Wojtowych, spoke about the forced resettlement of the Ukrainian minority in Poland in 1947, known as “Akcja Wisła,” noting that people continued to discuss this topic because it remained a painful one in their hearts. Providing entertainment at the banquet was Natalka Kykta, who performed a number of Lemko songs.
Father Kiril Angelov of St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers led a prayer for all those in attendance, while representatives of various Ukrainian-American organizations wished OOL success in its future work, including Yurij Mykytyn from the Ukrainian Youth Association (CYM), Natalia Kaczurak from the Women’s Association of the Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms of Ukraine (WADFFU), Stefan Kaczurak from the Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU), and Andrew Horbachevsky from the SUMA (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union. Letters of best wishes were also received from Metropolitan Stefan Soroka, Bishop John Bura, Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky OSBM, and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).
Outgoing OOL President Zenon Halkowycz, who held the post for the past 14 years, thanked the members of the organization for their long-time partnership, as well as expressed appreciation to the both the SUMA (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union and the Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union in Jersey City, NJ for the monetary gifts they donated to OOL that evening.
Following the banquet was a dance, hosted by the Yonkers branch of OOL, where guests celebrated to the music of the band “Vox Ethnika.”
Press Officer – Diana Howansky Reilly