Toronto UCPBA Lacks Vision and Foresight

By Wolodymyr Derzko

Last Wednesday evening I attended the annual kick-off meeting of the Ukrainian Canadian Professional and Business Association (UCPBA), Toronto. The UCPBA is the only Ukrainian Canadian organization that spans the country from Halifax to Victoria and the Toronto association is the largest branch. The recent event is one that I have looked forward to every September since my student days.

But, this year, I was disappointed by the poor turnout and the lack of vision and foresight presented by the newly elected board (in effect, the old board slightly reconstituted).

The Toronto UCPBA, often fondly called the Ps & Bs, is sadly not reaching its potential. In its heydays, the issues-saddled 70s and 80s, the association had up to 500 members, compared with today’s 300, of which only 50 showed up to the kick-off. Considering that 17 were running for the new board, it was indeed a poor showing.

The association used to have great success in motivating members. Its leaders in the 1970s and 80s turned a stodgy “old boy’s” business club, into a vibrant organization, ready to take on issues that other organizations did not have the capability to address. In addition, it invited professionals, women and the younger generation, who had been excluded by the old guard.

What tangible efforts has the last board made to attract new members?  At the recent kick-off, they introduced only three new members. Furthermore, there were only a handful of 4th-wave immigrants, mostly previous supporters. Similarly, there were only a couple of recent graduates. What are the Ps & Bs offering prospective young members, the university and college students and recent graduates who flocked by the thousands to the Ukrainian consulate on Bloor Street during the Orange Revolution? Wine Tours. Obviously such events do not challenge or motivate enthusiastic, issues-driven young people into community action. They keep existing members networked but do little to grow an organization.

Furthermore, it seems no one is being groomed as a future president. The current board had a mandate from the last general meeting to find a new candidate for president within one year, which they ignored. The association adopted a stop-gap measure, amending the association’s bylaws last year to allow the current president to stay on, past his normal tenure of office, instead of trying to attract new blood to ensure the future viability of this vital organization. Clearly, the current board is demonstrating a lack of foresight, succession-planning and accountability. Despite the hard work and enthusiasm of the current president, there comes a time for change in every organization.

Why are there not more recent graduates sitting as transition board members, being groomed as future presidents? Past presidents have had active mentoring programs. They groomed leaders such as Ihor Bardyn (president from 1975-79) Jaroslav Kinach (1979-81) John Gregorovich (1981-85) and Eugene Zalucky (1985-87). This inviting environment brought in new leaders and allowed the organization to continually reinvent itself.

In those days, the association was also much healthier financially. During the 70s and 80s, the association organized events where it was not uncommon for over $20,000 (in 1970’s dollars) to be raised in a night. Compare that with the paltry $50,000-$60,000  that the organization now has for donations to community groups.

In decades past, the Ps & Bs were instrumental in establishing important community organizations, such as the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto, the Canada Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies and others. What lasting legacy will this current board leave behind?

As Ukrainian Canadian Professio-nal and Business Federation President Mykhailo Wawryshyn said at the kick-off, Ukrainian Canadians are a founding group in Canada and we should be taking our fair place in leadership roles in the country, instead of viewing ourselves as disenfranchised victims. The Ps & Bs are an ideal vehicle for promoting this goal, yet I do not see evidence of the fruits of our past efforts nor of our influence in national issues.

The lack of leadership and professionalism is systemic. Volunteer groups with many professionals in their ranks do not sufficiently incorporate proven management techniques.  This is the case not only with the Ps & Bs, but others too, including the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. 

Our organizations should be taking a more pro-active leadership role and implementing anticipatory-management concepts and succession-planning techniques, which are used by professionally managed organizations, including not-for-profit groups. The use of horizon scanning, scenario planning and issues management to anticipate emerging opportunities and sudden threats is crucial in ensuring a strong membership base and an organization’s very existence.

Maybe our community needs its own Orange Revolution to re-invent itself for the coming decade?