UASC – Tryzub’s year has been marked by dramatic improvements to its home base. The second front field along Lower State Road has been leveled and seeded to regulation standards in anticipation of establishing a second “Majors’ Field”. It is expected that a turf specialist will be retained to assist in this development. He will also restore and renovate the Center’s existing fields and place them on an annual repair and maintenance program. The area behind the garage has been graded into a parking lot and “hook ups” to public sewer and water are being established. 

On the cultural side of the ledger, a grand performance stage has been added to the picnic grove, in order to further enhance the quality of our many festivals and other fund-raising functions. Record-breaking crowds attended our annual Ukrainian Festival, as we celebrated the Center’s Horsham facility’s 25^th anniversary. “Tryzubiwka”, as our home is called in Ukrainian, is quite pleased with its attractive features and allure. 

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Nationals sports program has established more milestones. Our Club has no less than twenty flourishing youth teams, many of them with championship caliber. Our Majors team continues to impress, capturing the Ukrainian USCAK Cup as the best Ukrainian soccer team in all of North America . Our swim and tennis teams matched this accomplishment, even as our golf tournament doubled in its size from last year. Fledgling volleyball and Old Boys’ soccer teams are showing great promise. We are truly proud of all of these great accomplishments and even more so of all of the outstanding players, managers, coaches and parents who continue to broaden and to enhance the exemplary sports tradition that is team Tryzub. Our future is bright and continues to flourish.

The Future Challenges Us to Perform

Although Tryzub’s accomplishments in the new millennium have been outstanding, they, needless to say, have been extremely costly. To the losses associated with capital expenditures must also be added the fact that annual costs of operation have risen by nearly 40% in the last four years, even as the base of volunteers and the free time that they offer to the organization continues to decline: More is now expected from less. Although Tryzub, champion that it has always been and always will be, has met the challenges of the modern world successfully, the stresses and strains of the load are beginning to show in the faces of “the players”. The time has come to address the challenges of the future, through creativity and imagination. Our management and fund-raising strategies -- the game plan -- must be modified.

First and foremost we must show courage in the face of adversity. We cannot and will not adopt cost-saving measures that endanger our bright and flourishing future. We all rely upon “Tryzubiwka’s” charm and dare not do anything to detract from it. We must continue to maintain her and to keep her in the best shape possible. This administration is convinced that smart, timely capital improvements will ultimately pay multiple dividends by attracting and keeping teams, members and profitable sporting, social and cultural events and festivities.

Second, we must broaden the base of members who are willing to dedicate their knowledge, labor and expertise to the administration of the facilities and its fund-raising activities. An active search for talented, energetic people of good will is underway; we encourage all of you to participate in our Club as actively as you can. Dynamic cooperation between the Center and its sports teams and programs has always been the hallmark of our success and will always be the ultimate guarantor of a bright, flourishing future.

Third, Tryzub must come to the realization that a staff of paid workers is an inescapable reality. We will hire a resident manager and a bar and social activities manager in the fiscal year 2004-2005. This will not only lighten the load on the volunteers, but will give them an opportunity to think of innovative solutions to existing fund-raising concerns. A calm collegial atmosphere is also essential to maintaining Tryzub as a model social environment within which sports and cultural pursuits can prosper.

Finally, we must continue to explore alternative avenues for raising funds. Government and public and private corporate and foundation grant opportunities must be identified and harvested. Our events planning must be updated to exploit modern methods; existing events must be enhanced with more efficient venues for income.

The difference between a utility player and a champion is almost always very simple. The former avoids challenges and works only to achieve short-term survival; the latter accepts hard work as a norm and seeks out and exploits challenges as opportunities for success. A champion’s good fortune is a joyous communion between his or her preparation and challenges. As champions, Tryzub and the Ukrainian Nationals view their challenges as a call to action through which we will insure a bright, flourishing future.

            MNOHAYA BLAHAYA LITA!   MANY HAPPY YEARS!

                                                                                   Eugene A. Luciw, Esquire

                                                                                                President