This past weekend I attended the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) Ontario Provincial Council’s Trillium awards. These medals are awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated many years of dedicated service to the Ukrainian community, often unrecognized by the greater Ukrainian “hromada”, yet without whose efforts and dedication our Ukrainian organizations and Ukrainian community life in general would be poorer by far.
Most of us who read Ukrainian papers, or watch the Ukrainian programs on TV, or regularly attend events at our local Ukrainian halls, are probably familiar with the prominent national and provincial Ukrainian leaders and activists. They get most of the media attention and recognition, most of it well deserved. Yet, there are countless individuals in the smaller towns and cities who toil in the shadows so to speak, who you will seldom see behind a microphone or mentioned in the papers or social media, but who play an indispensable role in maintaining the Ukrainian culture and identity strong.
They fulfill the organizational roles that no one else wants to take on. They volunteer endless hours in the kitchens making the varenyky and cabbage rolls that finance the ongoing operations of our halls and all the affiliated organizations that use them. They teach in our Ukrainian schools, direct our dancing groups and choirs, organize fund-raising events, commemorations of Ukrainian feast days, historical events and holy days. They manage the organizations’ finances and prepare the minutes. They willingly work on the countless committees and sub-committees that are the engine that keeps organizations going. They do this, day after day, year after year, and often decade after decade. Most of the time they are not officially recognized or rewarded in any significant way, though most of them are OK with that. They do what they do, not for glory or reward, but because it is necessary and the right thing to do.
I remember my mother was one of those people. She was a quiet person who shied away from the limelight yet was one of those people that was a pillar that kept the UNF Hall in St. Catharines going for so many years. She did her part making countless thousands of those varenyky and cabbage rolls on which the hall’s profitability and viability depended on. Eventually, she wound up becoming the chief cook and kitchen manager for many years. You never saw her as a head table guest at the hall, or a speaker behind the microphone, but she was as indispensable to the continued existence of the hall and all it represented as any of the hall’s executive leadership.
In any organization, we tend to focus on the official leaders that are the outward face of the organization and fail to recognize that without all those silent volunteers and worker bees toiling in the background, very little would get accomplished. No doubt, the leadership component is vital and important, but you also need a strong and solid base of contributors below that do most of the work, and without whose dedication and generosity, nothing much would get done.
I have to admit, that as a Ukrainian community and organizational leader for most of my life, I have had more than my fair share of reward and recognition. I have been awarded the Shevchenko medal, and the wall in my office is filled with medals, certificates, achievement awards and more than a few “Hramoty” as Ukrainians certificates of appreciation are called. Yet I cannot but feel somewhat guilty over the fact that I have worked with so many people in the Ukrainian community whose efforts are in no way less than mine, yet who have never been properly recognized for their own contributions towards Ukrainian community life.
I think that all too often, Ukrainian organizations tend to take people’s contributions of time and effort too much for granted. We are not very good at showing our gratitude to anyone except the “Hetmans” and those prominent few in the public spotlight. I am therefore immensely pleased that the Ontario Provincial Council of the UCC decided to inaugurate the Trillium awards that focus on the local heroes that make our Ukrainian communities strong. Perhaps local UCC Branches could take this even a step further and create annual awards to those in their immediate community that have made outstanding lifetime contributions to the Ukrainian cause.
We should strive to make sure that our invisible local heroes are made visible and get a tangible thank you and pat on the back for their dedication and generosity.
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