Archives for March 2015

Plan obchodów

Sobota 18 kwietnia 2015

Polonijna konferencja społeczno-historyczna. Rozpoczęcie o godz. 9.00

W niedzielę 19 kwietnia 2015 roku

w Amerykańskiej Częstochowie odbędą się uroczystości z udziałem przedstawicieli rodzin katyńskich i smoleńskich, polskich parlamentarzystów, przedstawicieli polskiej ambasady, naukowców oraz amerykańskich polityków i przedstawicieli lokalnej administracji.

Program obchodów:

On Thurday, April 9, at 7:00 pm a Mass will be celebrated at St. Faustina Church in Warren (14025 E Twelve Mile Rd, Warren, MI 48088) to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Smolensk Polish Aircraft Victims. The Mass, organized by the Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress, will also pay tribute to Katyn Massacre victims. Fr. Bogdan Milosz, the pastor of St. Faustina Parish, will celebrate the Mass.
The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on April 10, 2010, when aircraft crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people onboard. These included Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, former President Ryszard Kaczorowski and other officials and members of Polish clergy. The flight was conducted for the purpose of taking many high ranking Polish officials to ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre.
The Katyn massacre was a series of mass executions of Polish nationals carried out by the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), the Soviet secret police, in April and May 1940.

Anna Bańkowska was elected the President of the Polish American Congress Michigan Division (PAC-MI) at the annual membership meeting on Saturday, March 14, at the PNA Hall in Hamtramck.

Bańkowska was the only nominated candidate for the position of PAC-MI President. Mariusz Szajnert, who was the PAC-MI President for the last eight years decided not to run.

Bańkowska is following the footsteps of her father, Kazimierz Olejarczyk, who passed away last year. Mr. Olejarczyk devoted his entire adult life to Polish American Congress (for 16 years her served as the President of the organization).

The election of officers and board members was conducted by the Nominating Committee led by Hon. Judge John Chmura.

Barbara Lemecha was elected Executive Vice President, while Barbara Gronet and Christopher Adamczyk were elected as Vice President for American and Polish Affairs. Tomasz Wolski will again serve as the Treasurer.

Anna Huk-Glaeser was elected Recording Secretary (for Board Meeting) and Donna Bielecki will assume the position of the Recording Secretary (for Membership Meetings). Jolanta Bujny will serve as the Corresponding Secretary.

19 individuals were nominated for the position of State Directors. They all accepted the nomination. Barbara Gronet, while accepting the nomination for VP for American Affairs, withdrew her nomination for State Director position. And since the by-laws of PAC-MI states that the body of State Directors comprises of 18 individuals, there was no need for voting. The elected State Directors are: Władysław Bańkowski, Joan Baritche, John Baritche, Jerzy Czaja, Frank Dmuchowski, Anita Dul, Andrzej Jakobek, Stanisława Jakobek, Richard Lapham, Edward Nizienski, Francine Nizienski, Jerzy Różalski, Thomas Schemanski, Stella Szczęsny, Jane Tylenda, Mary Ellen Tyszka, Mirosław Wawrysz i Stefan Żmuda.

The Audit Committee (comprising of five people) received only two nomination (Anita Dul and Edward Maska) in the time permitted. The nominating committee asked for nominations from the floor. Richard Lapham, Jane Tylenda and Waldemar Raczkowski were nominated. They accepted the nominations, thus becoming the members of the Audit Committee.

The PAC-MI is allowed to have three National Directors (based on organizations that are members of PAC-MI). There were six nominations received. Through the voting process three with highest number of votes were: dr. Zdzisław Jurek, Jerzy Różalski and Thaddeus Radziłowski.

The newly elected Officers and members of the Board will officially take their positions on March 28 during the swearing-in ceremony at the PNA Hall in Hamtramck. The event, which starts at 1:00 pm, will also include a presentation of PAC Awards.

(courtesy of “Polish Times”)