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5423967_3_1162.xml
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5423967_3_1162.xml
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<bibl><title>Rassviet (The Dawn)</title>,
<date when="1936-01-18">Jan. 18, 1936</date>.
<title level="a">Thoughts and Facts Concerning Our Day</title><title level="a" type="sub">by C. Volos</title></bibl>
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<publisher>The Newberry Library</publisher>
<pubPlace>Chicago, Illinois</pubPlace>
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<addrLine>60 West Walton</addrLine>
<addrLine>Chicago, IL 60610</addrLine>
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<note>Transcribed from digital images contributed to the Internet
Archive by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.</note>
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<item>RUSSIAN</item>
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<bibl><title>Rassviet (The Dawn)</title>,
<date when="1936-01-18">Jan. 18, 1936</date>.
<title level="a">THOUGHTS AND FACTS CONCERNING OUR DAY</title><title level="a" type="sub">by C. Volos</title></bibl>
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<p>During the period when Russian organizations were just beginning to appear on the stage of American life the average Russian did not attach much significance to such organizations. Russian intellectuals, particularly those who represented the political thought of the time, regarded all mutual aid societies as useless organizations, devoid of any ideals. At that time, the rank and file of the Russian colony and the great majority of its intellectuals were revolutionarily inclined and, of course, entertained different aspirations than the Russian colonists of today. National and constructive thought were smothered under various political dogmas and infatuations. To some members of the intellectual class, who played the role of representatives of those Russians who were saturated with revolutionary ideals--mostly to those intellectuals who were foreigners by birth and could speak Russian--the organizations of mutual aid were not agreeable, and presented, as it were, an obstacle to their political activity.</p>
<pb facs="5423967_3_1163.jpg" n="2"/>
<p>These people foresaw that among Russian colonists, organized around societies for mutual aid, national self-consciousness would grow and a desire would appear to defend and develop their own culture and traditions. Such a slant in thought among Russians could deal a severe blow to the political organizations existing at that time. For that reason, all possible means were employed to discourage and deter Russian colonists from joining nationalistic mutual aid societies.</p>
<p>The nonpartisan intellectuals, for some reason or other, also regarded the objectives of mutual aid with a certain degree of skepticism; but they, however, while not helping such organizations, did not engage in propaganda against them. The indifference of the nonpartisan intellectuals toward mutual aid societies may be explained, perhaps, by the fact that they considered them as nothing more than insurance companies, and that members of such societies would get benefit from them only after they were dead.</p>
<p>In their opinion, any Russian could insure himself in private insurance companies.</p>
<pb facs="5423967_3_1164.jpg" n="3"/>
<p>The same attitude toward mutual aid societies is observable even now among some Russian intellectuals. The same attitude is also observable among the intellectuals who came here during the post-Revolutionary years.</p>
<p>Due to such a curious misunderstanding of the principles of mutual aid societies on the part of intellectuals, Russian mutual aid societies have but few members of the intellectual class. Their members are mostly workers, and they are the ones who carry on their shoulders the entire burden of the organizational work. Thus it happens frequently that men of very limited education have to decide questions concerning children's schools and other matters which normally employ the judgment of educated men.</p>
<p>Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church at times helped the workers, and the clergy in connection with parishes organized several mutual aid societies--brotherhoods and sisterhoods. These organizations, small in the beginning, have grown since their foundation, and, at present, are the societies which are known under the initials R.I.M.A.S. [Russian Independent Mutual Aid Society] and R.C.M.A.S. [Russian Consolidated Mutual Aid Society].</p>
<pb facs="5423967_3_1165.jpg" n="4"/>
<p>In a number of cases, the clergy made the mistake of keeping their brotherhoods and sisterhoods from joining the large affiliations. Even if these small brotherhoods at times expressed the desire to merge with some larger organization, the Russian priests invariably directed them to join the existing Carpatho-Russian organizations. This led to impoverishment of the small brotherhoods, and prevented many small Russian organizations from joining hands in the formation of one solid, united family.</p>
<p>Many of the mistakes of the past are now, but only now, being recognized by many Russian organizations, for life has taught them a good lesson. It now seems clear that church brotherhoods affiliated with larger societies are prospering, and that those which have stood aside are slowly but surely dying.</p>
<p>At present, the rank-and-file members of many organizations are rapidly changing their views, having become convinced that engaging too much in politics does no good, but, on the contrary, sows seeds of dissension.</p>
<p>Consequently, many members of the Russian colony are beginning to join the ranks <pb facs="5423967_3_1166.jpg" n="5"/>of mutual aid societies. Thus constructive thought has come to replace theories.</p>
<p>Rassviet (The Dawn), Jan. 25, 1936.</p>
<p>The old leaders who pretended to be able to teach the world all things had not learned anything themselves. They were left as generals without soldiers and as leaders without followers. Gradually they began to join those organizations which not long before they had vehemently denounced. Of course, not all of them went over to camps to which they had formerly been hostile with sincere hearts and good intentions. Many of them still retained some of their clannish partisan hostility. They began to enter the ranks of mutual aid societies, mostly for tactical reasons, for the purpose of caring from within, finding a following, and then swinging the whole organization under their ideological control. But sober national thought and recollections of past experience are so strong and vivid in the memory of our compatriots that those with international inclinations themselves <pb facs="5423967_3_1167.jpg" n="6"/>fell under the influence of healthy national thought and began to think along national lines. Ultimately some of such men became useful workers for the all-Russian cause. Sometimes, even the reproaches of their old partisans could not divert these men from the course they finally took.</p>
<p>However, the Russian Independent Mutual Aid Society, due to the carelessness and indifference on the part of the rank-and-file members, has succumbed, and fallen under the influence of Bolsnevik politicians, and ceased to exist as a Russian organization.</p>
<p>In the footsteps of the rank-and-file members follows in the same direction, the mass of Russian colonists. With their strong gravitation toward mutual aid societies. In this trend the common man was often joined by intellectuals who had stood on the side lines, totally inactive for a long time.</p>
<p>Heretofore, small independent brotherhoods, while seeking salvation from their difficult situation and desiring some assurance of financial stability and solvency in meeting their obligations, had often joined the trend and affiliated with the large societies. If such tendencies toward amalgamation and affiliation <pb facs="5423967_3_1168.jpg" n="7"/>had been present among us Russians twenty years ago, by now the entire Russian colony would be one solid Russian unit, organized and closely bound together on the basis of mutual aid.</p>
<p>Had this unification been accomplished, the economic and spiritual needs of the Russian colonists would be now receiving much better and larger services than they are. The Russian colony would at present have a single unified representation in the social life of America. To what degree such unification is valuable and beneficial is revealed in the fact of the very rapid growth of Russian societies of mutual aid--of the R.I.M.A.S. in the Middle West and the R.O.O.V.A in the East. The value of the cultural and educational work carried on by these organizations for the benefit of the present and future generations one can hardly overestimate. No other organization of any other complexion can compare with these in this respect. The R.I.M.A.S. has been in existence for twenty-four years. During this time, many attempts have been made in various directions to undermine the Society and paralyze its activity. But the organization, despite all obstacles, continues to grow and prosper. Ultraconservative elements saw in the Society a Bolshevik organization; and the extreme radicals called it a white Guard Society.</p>
<pb facs="5423967_3_1169.jpg" n="8"/>
<p>There was none in those two extreme groups who could perceive in our organization a beacon light and a nursery of the national Russian spirit. In course of time the Society gained these titles by its work and activity devoted to the Russian cause and to the Russian people in a foreign land. The R.I.M.A.S. while remaining a nonpartisan organization and entertaining no aspirations to remake the world, has done very much for material improvement and spiritual uplift of the Russian people. The main factor in the rapid growth and spread of the idea of mutual aid is the fact that societies of mutual aid develop in their members national consciousness, a very important adjunct for our people who live abroad among strangers.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that the R.I.M.A.S. has carried on its work under conditions of constant interference and attempts to disrupt it, the Society has been growing from year to year. As a matter of fact, during the last few years its growth has been even more rapid than in the beginning. Prior to 1922, the organization had but fifteen branches, whereas, toward the end of 1935, it had twenty-eight. In the beginning, the activity of the Society extended over but three states; at <pb facs="5423967_3_1170.jpg" n="9"/>present, it operates in the territory of several more states. Only recently representatives of the Society organized a new branch in Kenosha, Wisconsin. For a long time our compatriots in Kenosha had carried on an independent existence and had a small brotherhood, not affiliated with any large organization; a brotherhood which for a time served their purpose. However, with each passing year the requirements of their colony grew, particularly those relating to the needs of the young Russian generation born in America. A small, poor organization was not in a position to satisfy any longer their needs. This is why our brothers in Kenosha resolved to join a large financially strong organization pursuing the same aims. They decided to affiliate with the R.I.M.A.S., which is able to serve the needs of both young and old.</p>
<p>Who are these people who so correctly weighed their present and future? They are our brothers in Branch No. 28, in Kenosha. They are all members of St. Nicholas Church, which is the center of the Russian colony in that city.</p>
<pb facs="5423967_3_1171.jpg" n="10"/>
<p>There is no doubt that conversion of the small brotherhood into a branch of a large organization advances the interests of the parish, of its members, and of the Russian national cause. All apprehensions on the part of people little acquainted with the activity and aims pursued by the R.I.M.A.S. are baseless and should be disregarded. One should not cry when he hears happy tidings. The coming together of our people in Kenosha and Chicago can frighten only the international demagogues striving to prevent by any means the realization of unity among our people on a sound basis; not the Russian people bent on building a firm national foundation for the young generation.</p>
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