Serbian National Defense is a good patriotic Serbian organization, and we just do not have too many Michael Pupins or Jovan Duchics, we must be patient with people we have
I was still the President of the S.N. Defense when I went to Chicago to participate in the work of this old Serbian Patriotic organization. My intention was to help my Secretary General in explaining the proposed new bylaws of the organization as proposed by brother George Jovanovic from Washington, D.C., who put a lot of effort in attempt to simplify them and make them reflect the reality of our membership as well as the new times and circumstances. Dobrana Komnenic and I spent many days and hours to prepare these new bylaws for the membership Convention, actually Dobrana was the one who spent the most time working on them. My intention was to resign my position because I took upon myself to be the President in order to save the organization from ceasing to exist. I did not think then, and I still do not think that our president should live far away from Chicago, practicability being the main reason.
Not only did the Convention not accept the new bylaws, some members suggested that we, Dobrana and I, might be prosecuted for our work! The Convention president allowed the attacks to continue for some time, and Dobrana and I could not wait to leave Chicago. I voted for the new President, and he (brother Vujosevic) was elected.
My health and my age helped me to decide to resign. The Serbian National Defense continued with its work, and I remained its member and friend. Some people criticized the work of the new board but there is always somebody who likes to criticize, especially those who contribute the least. Serbian doings!
Last Convention was held without me, and that is fine. I may not like everything that has been said and done there, but we did need the new blood. A 91 year old should not be at the helm of the organization. Some of our members, good people, called our new President a vojvoda u mantiji which is nothing new in our history. Just remember the late Vojvoda Djujic, a chetnik who saved many of our Serbs from the slaughter of the Croatian ustashe during the WWII. He was not my favorite person (mainly because of his role in our church split in early sixties of the last century), but give credit where credit is due.
Our new President is a fiery Serbian Orthodox priest from Omaha, Nebraska, a man of cloth who is brave (he is the father of five children!), a man who never counts to ten before he opens his mouth, but it would be unfair to question his motives. I understand, a priest is usually much softer and more thoughtful. Let him lead for one year. Nobody’s kingdom is forever, and if members do not approve of his decisions and leadership they can replace him at the next year’s Convention.
There are some good people on the new Board, younger people, and I wish them well. Serbian National Defense is a good patriotic Serbian organization, and we just do not have too many Michael Pupins or Jovan Duchics, we must be patient with people we have.
7.30.2025
