ByLaws

Section I - Name and Goals
Section II - Membership
Section III - Member’s Commission
Section IV - UCCA Convention
Section V - The National Council of the UCCA
Section VI - National Executive Board UCCA
Section VII - State Councils of UCCA Branches
Section VII - Bylaws Committee of the UCCA
Section IX - National Audit Committee of the UCCA
Section X - National Mediation Court of the UCCA
Section XI - General Resolutions

Section I

Name and Goals

Name of the organization: Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Inc.; abbreviated: UCCA

Goals of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America:

1a. To coordinate and consolidate the development of organized Ukrainian life in the USA and strive to increase the importance and role of the Ukrainian-American community in the civic and cultural life of the country.
1b. To represent the Ukrainian-American community and its desire to aid the Ukrainian nation before the governmental structures of the USA.
2. To educate and disseminate information about Ukraine and the Ukrainian national and provide all possible means of support for the consolidation of an independent and democratic Ukrainian State.
3. To assist the Ukrainian nation to attain honest, equitable and equal treatment among nations, as a member of the family of sovereign nations. To assist Ukraine’s development of honest, transparent and democratic election processes; this shall also include the appointment of international election observers in Ukraine.
4. To take part in providing tangible assistance to the Ukrainian nation through cooperation with private and governmental organizations.
5. To assist, support and cooperate with the United States government in creating an equitable world order.
6. In order to accomplish its goals, the UCCA shall:
  1. Loyally cooperate with government authorities in their policies for the common good;
  2. Obtain government contacts through consultation and correspondence with lay and religious organizations;
  3. Publish relevant materials including press releases, journals, books, etc.;
  4. Collect and archive documentation on the participation of Ukrainians in the activities of the USA;
  5. Conduct an annual “National Fund” drive.

Section II

Membership

1a. Membership in the UCCA consists of Ukrainian organizations in the United States, their representatives, as well as individuals of Ukrainian nationality or ancestry may become members of the UCCA if they evidence a deep dedication to the Ukrainian people and the principles of the UCCA and meet all other membership requirements excluding national or ancestry. These individuals become members by a 2/3-majority vote of the Members Committee of their local UCCA branch and approval by the UCCA’s Membership Committee.
1b. Every Ukrainian organization/association, committee, club, be it branch or main office, or individual has the right to membership in the UCCA, with the understanding that they evidence their agreement with the goals and methods of the UCCA and pay the annual membership dues.
1c. All members of the UCCA should work together for the achievement of the common goals of the UCCA; members of the UCCA should be mutually tolerant as noted in the clause on new members acceptance, and support all of the activities of the UCCA through donations to its various funds and other activities necessary for accomplishing its goals.
1d. Members who do not adhere to the principles adopted in the bylaws and do not abide by the directives of the UCCA may lose their membership after review and notification by the UCCA’s National Council; however, dismissed members have the right to appeal the decision at the UCCA Convention.
2. Prior to acceptance, each organization shall be reviewed by the National Member’s Committee of the UCCA. Individuals are accepted for membership by the local branch office of the UCCA. Each organization/member shall sign the appropriate declaration, agreeing to:
  1. Recognize and support the principles of government of the United States of America and its Constitution;
  2. Actively support the activities of the UCCA though all possible means and adhere to the resolutions adopted by the executive branch of the UCCA;
  3. Condemn and oppose without hesitation all totalitarian doctrines, ideals and principles (communism, anarchism, fascism, Nazism, authoritarian party rule, etc.);
  4. Provide their name and address;
  5. Provide, in case of organizations, the number of members;
  6. Pay, in a timely manner, all membership dues and meet other monetary obligations (failure to meet this stipulation are grounds for dismissal from membership).
3. Every delegate at the UCCA Convention and every UCCA official, as well as members of special or internal committee of the UCCA, in order to benefit from membership benefits, shall first and foremost solemnly declare that neither the member organization, nor he or she promote, nor belong to such organization, which declares as its goal the destruction of the United States government by force or revolution, and that the stated organization and he or she, without hesitation, pledge to support the democratic principles of self-determination of all peoples, wherever they should live.
4. A branch of the UCCA may be established in a city or area with at least two member organizations, or ten (10) individual members, who have paid their dues to the UNF, provided that the organizations or individual members are subject to the by-laws and rules approved by the National Council of the UCCA.

Section III

Member’s Commission

The National Council of the UCCA should appoint at least five (5) members to this Committee, which is authorized and required to review each application for membership and ensure that all membership requirements are met.

A majority vote of this committee is required in order to grant UCCA membership to a potential candidate.

A candidate who is denied membership and is notified of such in writing has the right to appeal this decision in writing to the UCCA Convention.

Section IV

UCCA Convention

1. A convention of all members of the UCCA shall take place under the heading Congress of Ukrainians in America every four years, coinciding with U.S. Presidential election years, at a place and time indicated by the National Council. All members shall be notified about the convention through advertisements in the Ukrainian press and written notice to each branch at least one hundred (100) days prior to the event.>
2. An Emergency Convention may be called on the basis of a two-thirds vote of the National Council and shall also be announced at least one hundred days prior to the event.
3. The Convention reviews reports by the executive branches and provides them with a vote of confidence, elects ruling bodies, decide the future direction of activity of the UCCA and settles such issues as may come before it.
4. The Convention is composed of the appropriately elected delegates of the member organizations, UCCA branch delegates, delegates of the UCCA National Fund, members of the National Council of the UCCA, National Audit Commission of the UCCA and the National Mediation Court of the UCCA.
5. Nomination of candidates to leadership positions or as members of Committees is carried out by at least nine (9) Nominating Committee members, which is appointed by the National Council. The responsibility of the Committee is to review the qualifications of the proposed candidates and recommend those candidates who, on the basis of the Committee’s findings, are best qualified for the given post.

The aforementioned does not preclude nominations at the Convention itself.
Elections for the post of the UCCA President are held separately, whereas elections for all other elected posts are by slate.
After election, all elected officials perform their duties until such time that by the terms of the bylaws they should be relieved of duties.
6. Every member organization or UCCA Branch has the right to send their representative or representatives to the UCCA Convention in accordance with the following stipulations:
  1. Each organization or UCCA Branch with no less than 10 and no more than 50 actual members has the right to send one (1) delegate;
  2. Each organization or UCCA Branch with more than 50 members, has the right to two (2) delegates;
  3. The Executive Board of a duly qualified Central or National Organization has the right to send one delegate if it has less than 1,000 members;
  4. The Executive Board of a duly qualified Central or National Organization has the right to send additional delegates in accordance with the following:

One (1) delegate if membership exceeds 1,000;
Two (2) delegates if membership exceeds 3,000;
Three (3) delegates if membership exceeds 10,000.
7.

Organizations-members of the UCCA are required to pay the following annual dues:

  1. Each Executive Board of a Central or National Organization, no less than $250 in annual dues for each delegate it has the right to send to the UCCA Convention;
  2. Every other organization, no less than the amount of current membership dues of the National Fund for each delegate it has the right to send to the UCCA Convention
8a. Each authorized UCCA Branch should call a General Meeting of all contributors to the UCCA National Fund, no less than 60 days prior to the UCCA Convention, which should be held within two weeks of the announcement date, with the goal being the selection of delegates.

A UCCA Branch with at least 25 contributors of national dues from its regional area has the right to choose two (2) delegates for the Convention. The branch may choose an additional delegate for each additional one hundred dues payers.
8b. In the event that a local UCCA Branch is not capable of or declines to call said meeting, and in response to a written request sent to the Executive Board no later than 45 days before the Convention by ten contributors to the National Fund in a given locale stating that the Branch was not capable of calling and holding said meeting, the Executive Board will itself call and hold this meeting no later than 30 days prior to the convention to select a delegation in the manner and under the conditions which the Executive Board deems appropriate.

Section V

The National Council of the UCCA

1. During the period between The Congress of Ukrainians in America Conventions, the National Council of the UCCA is the highest ruling body of the UCCA.
2. The National Council of the UCCA, within the guidelines of the bylaws and the directives of the Congress of Ukrainians in America, develops and approves action plans of the UCCA. Approves the activities of the Executive Board of the UCCA and, if necessary, offers corrections in its plans and activities.
3. The first meeting of the National Council of the UCCA shall be called by the Chair of the National Council or the Chair’s designee.
4. The National Council of the UCCA is composed of:
  1. Two delegates each chose by the heads of the three main Ukrainian faiths on the territory of the United States;
  2. One delegate each from each active national or central organization: central organizations with more than 10 active branches have the right to appoint one additional delegate;
  3. Presidents or their deputies of the 17 UCCA Branches who, according to the list approved by the Chair of the Ukrainian National Fund on the 1st of May each year and approved by the Executive Board, collected the most annual dues in proportion to the population and local conditions;
  4. Delegates of educational institutions, without physical members, who are approved for membership by the National Council;
  5. Members of the Executive Board of the UCCA.
5. The Chair of the National Council is obliged to call the first meeting of the National Council within thirty (30) days after the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention, and to complete the Presidium of the National Council with the election of two deputies and two secretaries.
6. To ensure continuity in the planning of UCCA activities, members of the National Council should obtain mandates from their organizations for the entire term of the National Council. This stipulation does not apply to those members of the National Council who enter from elected posts in their organizations each year. Members of the National Council should participate in plenary sessions and Committees in person.
7. The National Council holds regular meetings at least two (2) times annually. Emergency meetings occur on the initiative of the Presidium of the National Council or by proposal of the Presidium of the Executive Board. Such meeting shall be called by the Presidium of the National Council within two weeks of receipt of such a request by the National Office of the UCCA.
8. During the meeting held in December, the National Council reviews, investigates and approves the annual reports of the members of the Executive Board of the UCCA.
9. All members of the National Board are obliged to actively participate in the execution of the directives of the National Board, especially in the planning of activities as members of at least one Committee of the National Council.
10. The National Council forms Committees for activity planning and the review of activity reports of individual work groups of the UCCA. These Committees function under the leadership of Chair, who are elected from among their own ranks and are composed of heads of given sectors of the Executive Board. Committee meetings shall take place at least two (2) times a year.
11. During meetings of the National Council of the UCCA, members of the Executive Board do not vote during the National Council’s review of the Executive Board. They vote only on general-national issues and matters of the internal and external political direction of the UCCA.
12. During all general meetings of the National Council, the Presidium of the National Executive Board reports on the activities of the entire National Executive Board for the period since the last meeting.
13. At the first meeting of the National Council of the UCCA a separate Political Advisory Committee made up of at least nine (9) influential individuals of the Ukrainian American community is appointed. These individuals provide analysis of the needs and programs for the Ukrainian American community, as well as recommendations as how to best forge relations with government officials in Ukraine and the United States. The Political Advisory Committee meets as needed at the discretion of the UCCA President and provides the UCCA National Executive Board with their recommendations for approval.

Section VI

National Executive Board UCCA

1. The role of the National Executive Board of the UCCA is, within the bounds of the bylaws and the directives of the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention, to execute the plans and directives of the National Council and represent the UCCA.
2. The Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention elects the following members to the National Executive Board of the UCCA:
  1. UCCA President
  2. Executive Vice President
  3. Secretary
  4. Treasurer
  5. Chair of the National Council

which members of the National Executive Board shall comprise the Presidium of the Executive Board of the UCCA. The Congress of Ukrainians in America also elects ten (10) additional members to the National Executive Board.

3. The National Executive Board reviews all matters in meetings held at least four (4) times per year. In the event that a matter requires urgent attention, the matter is resolved by the Presidium of the National Executive Board for ratification.
4. All members of the National Executive Board are obliged to attend meetings of the National Council.
5. The detailed division of functions among the individual members of the National Executive Board is approved by the National Executive Board
6. An individual can be elected to the post of UCCA President for no more than two consecutive terms.
7. The President may be elected as an individual without being a representative of a member organization.

Section VII

State Councils of UCCA Branches

UCCA Braches located in one State or region may form a State Coordinating Council or Regional Committee. Such formations have the right to approve their internal handbook as long as it does not conflict with the UCCA Bylaws.

The President of a State Coordinating Council of UCCA Branches has the right to be a delegate to the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention.

Section VIII

Bylaws Committee of the UCCA

1. The National Council of the UCCA at its initial meeting elects a seven member Bylaws Committee which serves until the next round of elections.
2. The Bylaws Committee reviews proposed changes to the Bylaws on the basis of proposals by UCCA members as well as their own observations.
3. UCCA members have the right to introduce proposals for Bylaws changes to the Bylaws Committee no later than six months prior to the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention.
4. Three months prior to the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention, the Bylaws Committee shall send all the UCCA organizations/members a draft of proposed changes to the Bylaws with the proposal that they return their comments to the Committee no later than 4 weeks prior to the Convention.
5. Approval of changes to the Bylaws proposed by the Bylaws Committee shall be made by a 2/3-majoruty vote in the presence of at least 2/3 of the registered delegates to the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention.
6. To approve corrections from the floor to changes proposed by the Bylaws Committee, or to approve changes to the Bylaws not touched upon by the Bylaws Commission, requires a ¾ majority vote in the presence of 2/3 of the registered delegates to the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention.
7. The Bylaws Committee is the only body authorized to interpret the resolutions in the Bylaws.

Section IX

National Audit Committee of the UCCA

1. The National Council of the UCCA at its initial meeting elects a seven member Bylaws Committee which serves until the next round of elections.
2. The Audit Committee is the audit body of the UCCA and presents the findings of its audits to the National Council of the UCCA and the Convention. The Committee reviews the activities of the UCCA, audits the budget and financial statements as well as the execution of decisions of the ruling bodies of the UCCA no less than once a year.  If necessary, the Audit Committee of the UCCA can audit the activities and execution of work plans of UCCA Branches.
3. The Audit Committee shall submit yearly presentations at meetings of the National Council and at the Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention. It shall also determine whether to issue a vote of confidence.
4. The Chair of the Audit Committee or his appointed representative from the Audit Committee may take part in sessions of the Executive Board of the UCCA in an advisory capacity.
5. Audit Committee’s decisions can be made only in the presence of at least four (4) members including the Chair or his appointed representatives.

Section X

National Mediation Court of the UCCA

1. The National Council can, at the request of one of its members and with a 2/3-majority vote, suspend any member of a UCCA ruling body for violating a statute of the bylaws or for actions damaging to the UCCA. The suspended member has the right of appeal to the Court, which has the final say.
2. National and central organizations may recall their representatives in UCCA leading bodies and recommend, to the National Council, candidates for their replacement.
3. The National Council shall fill vacant posts in UCCA leading bodies in the event of death, resignation or suspension of a member choosing a new member from among candidates proposed by the given organization.
4. Each UCCA ruling body passes resolutions at its meetings by majority vote in the presence of a majority of its members, including the Chair or Deputy Chair, unless otherwise resolved.
5. Interested parties have the right to appeal any Court decision to the full National Mediation Court composed of at least five of its members.
6. The National Mediation Court is obligated to investigate and resolve a given issue to later than three months from the receipt of documentation.

Section XI

General Resolutions

1. The Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention elects members of the National Mediation Court in the form of a Chair and six (6) members.
2. The National Mediation Court investigates and resolves misunderstandings which occur in the course of UCCA Activity: between organizations/members of the UCCA; between State Councils; between individual members of ruling bodies of the UCCA, as well as issues presented by the UCCA ruling bodies for investigation and resolution;
3. The National Mediation Court investigates and resolves deviations from rulings by UCCA Branch Mediation Courts.
4. Each UCCA ruling body passes resolutions at its meetings by majority vote in the presence of a majority of its members, including the Chair or Deputy Chair, unless otherwise resolved.
If a majority of the authorized members of the Congress, National Council, Executive Board or Committee do not arrive punctually at the appointed time for the meeting, then the Congress, meeting of the National Council, Executive Board or Committee shall begin one hour past the appointed time in the presence of however many members there are. However, any resolution shall then pass by at 2/3-majority vote of all those present. In such an event, the previously announced agenda for that meeting may not be altered.
5. In carrying out their functions, members of UCCA ruling bodies shall be neutral regarding the activities of any political party and no member of a UCCA ruling body has the right to associate the UCCA’s name with any political party.
6. Unless otherwise stated in the resolutions of the Bylaws, Congress of Ukrainians in America Convention and meetings of all UCCA ruling bodies are to be continued in accordance with the provisions of the new edition of “Robert Rules of Order.”
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