Sir,

I am most pleased with the change in the format making the newspaper far more representative by presenting articles of interest to our entire community. Your article by Jim Saunders, the first president and a founding member of the United Macedonians is most informative and in that context I respectfully would like to add my observations.

First and foremost the United Macedonians was founded specifically to unite the community and to offset anti-Macedonian propaganda by the pro-Bulgarian (at that time) “MPO” dominated churches and Greek propaganda emanating from the so called Pan Macedonian organizations. To be effective and to establish an identity as a viable part of this Canadian community, out of sheer necessity we had to be non-political. This was, and should still be in my opinion a prime directive. Being a member of the United Macedonians was never contingent to any other association, religion or political party. Founders such as: Jim Saunders, Spiro Bassil, Bill Clatsoff, Don Pappas, Pando Papaliya, Mike Tallin, Chris Vasil, Bill Dundas, Don George, Simo Temovski, to name a few, were all adamant in their desire that the newly formed organization be representative of the communities needs and rigidly as a non-political association.

Early in 1960 I was asked to join and immediately elected executive secretary and managing officer and director. For the next ten years between the years of 1960 and 1970, I was primarily responsible for: calling all meetings, maintaining records, correspondence, contracts, initiating the constitution, initiating the emblem (designed by Simo Temovski), edit several publications, team secretary of the United Macedonian National Football (Soccer) League, initiator and organizer of the Hamilton, Windsor, Detroit, Gary, and Rochester branches of the United Macedonians. The climax of my association with the United Macedonians was as its presiding officer and main speaker at the international convention held 1970 at the Inn on the Park in Toronto.

Respectfully, Pete James Kondoff, Toronto

Ps. If the above is of interest to you and your readers I would like to continue with my observations.

Editor's note: Thank you for the kind words and the informative letter. Yes, we are interested for more similar letters and articles that cover aspects of "United Macedonians" history. We would like to use this occasion to make an appeal to all members of the "United Macedonians" to write the "Memoirs" of their involvement in the Organization as well as the wider Macedonian community in Canada. Send us your pictures and documents (we will return all of them back) so that we can collect more materials for next year's book "40 Years United Macedonians".

Please include your name, address, phone number and e-mail.
The Macedonian Herald reserves the right to edit, condense or reject letters.

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