Official Notice for PAC-MI Annual Meeting and Election
January 20, 2022 by
OFFICIAL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO ALL PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS BELONGING TO THE MICHIGAN DIVISION OF THE POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS
In accordance with the by-laws of the Polish American Congress, Michigan Division, a call is issued to all members in good standing for nominations of officers, directors, and auditors who will be elected for two-year terms of office at the Annual Meeting and Election at Our Lady Queen of Apostles parish hall (Fr. Ted Blaszczyk Hall) 3851 Prescott St. Hamtramck, MI 48212 on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 1:30pm.
Written nominations for all elective offices shall be submitted to the Nominating Committee not less than thirty days before the date of the annual meeting.
Nominations must be postmarked or hand delivered, by Saturday, February 23, 2022, or personally delivered by, to the Nominations Committee, PAC Michigan Division office at 11333 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck 48212.
In each nomination, submitted by any member or organization in good standing, the name of the candidate and the office for which he or she is being nominated must be written.
Elective Offices
The PAC Michigan Division will be electing new individuals to govern, guide and manage the Division locally for the next two years. The offices for which elections are to be held are as follows:
Executive Officers: President, Executive Vice-President, Vice President for American Affairs, Vice President for Polish Affairs, Treasurer, Recording Secretary for Membership Meetings, Recording Secretary for Executive Board Meetings, Corresponding Secretary.
3 National Directors and one Alternate to represent the Division at National PAC meetings around the country.
12 Michigan Board of Directors, at minimum, to represent local organizations and institutions and give advice to the Executive Board
3 Audit Committee Members Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility of candidates for election to all offices in the Michigan Division is as follows:
1. The candidate – either an individual member or a delegate of an organizational member – must have been a member of the PAC Michigan Division for at least one year prior to the date of the election (i.e., prior to April 23, 2021)
2. Candidates are members in good standing by having all dues paid through December 31, 2021. In addition, candidates for the Executive Offices must have attended at least one quarterly membership meeting during the 12 months preceding the date of the election meeting.
The Nominating Committee shall verify the eligibility and willingness of each candidate nominated. The Nominating Committee shall then make its report and present a list of nominations at the annual meeting where elections are to be held.
Voting
There will be no nominations from the floor unless there is no nominated candidate for a position. If there are 2 or more candidates for a position, voting is by secret ballot. Each member in good standing will receive a voting card to vote when registering in for the meeting. To be eligible to vote, a member is considered in good standing if his PAC-MI 2021 membership dues have been paid.
Ann Bankowski, PAC-MI President Hon. John M. Chmura, PAC-MI Election Chairman
PAC MI Communication with President Spula on National Directors Forum
January 14, 2022 by
Urgent News
January 8, 2022 by
POSTED BY JOHN CZOP
Dear Friends of Ukraine,
The threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and security are multi-faceted, including the potential completion of the NordStream2 political pipeline. Given the continued threat of Kremlin aggression against Ukraine, the NordStream2 project is still active and we must pursue all measures to halt its future operation.
To raise the profile of the NordStream2 pipeline sanctions, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) urges you to contact your senators to support S.3436, the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Implementation Act. The vote for the bill in the U.S. Senate is scheduled for no later than January 14th. An article about the bill is provided in a link below:
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/588837-democrats-cruz-set-for-showdown-over-russian-pipeline
Please contact your senators’ offices and express your deep concern about the security vacuum which would occur should the NordStream2 project be operational. Below (and attached) please find an Action Item and sample letter for your convenience. To contact your senators, please visit www.senate.gov.
Your communication with your senators will denote the importance and urgency to stop the completion of the political pipeline.
#StopNordStream2
Sample Text to Senators
Dear Senator (name):
As a constituent, please support S.3436, the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Implementation Act, a bill that enhances sanctions against the completion of Russia’s NordStream2 political project. Current Russian threats against Ukraine, including the completion of the NordStream2 pipeline, threaten the security of a Europe “whole, free, and at peace.”
Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
(name)
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) at: unis.sawkiw@gmail.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Sawkiw, Jr.
UCCA Executive Vice President
and
Director – Ukrainian National Information Service
(Washington Bureau – Ukrainian Congress Committee of America)
Ukrainian National Information Service
311 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
tel: (202) 547-0018
fax: (202) 547-0019
e-mail: unis.sawkiw@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram: @UNISdirect
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ukrainian-National-Information-Service-UNIS/198575390157933
Visit us on the web at: www.ucca.org
—
John Czop
Director of Policy Planning
Polish American Congress
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20006
Tel.: (202) 296-6955
Fax: (202) 835-1565
Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Polish-American-Congress
Join us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polishamericancongress
—
John Czop
Director of Policy Planning
Polish American Congress
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20006
Narodowe Święto Niepodległości
November 8, 2021 by
Polish Independence Day
Serdecznie Zapraszamy Całą na uroczyste obchody
Narodowego Święta Niepodległości!
Kongres Polonii, wraz wydziałowymi organizacjami, serdecznie zaprasza całą Polonię do uroczystych obchodów Niepodległości Polski przez udział we mszy św. w kościele Matki Bożej Częstochowskiej w niedziele 14-go listopada o 1:00pp oraz w Towarzyskim Kominku zaraz po mszy na Sali Jana Pawła II-go. Wszyscy są gorąco proszeni- młodszi i starsi, weteranie, parafianie, członkowie chórów, rodzina harcerska, oraz każdy który odczuwa jaki kolwiek patriotyczny sentyment.
Przewidziany jest śpiew i ciekawy program. Zapraszamy!
Polish American Congress along, with its Divisional organizations, invites you to celebrate Polish Independence Day on Sunday, November 14, with Mass at 1:00pm at Our Lady of Częstochowa Church, 3100 18 Mile Rd. in Sterling Heights and a celebratory gathering to follow in the parish hall, featuring singing of patriotic songs and an interesting program for all to enjoy- young and old .
We invite everyone in Polonia to join us!
November 8, 2021 by
An Invitation and Earnest Appeal to Come Together ~ First Sunday, Polish Mass at Orchard Lake
September 22, 2021 by
Dear PAC Officers and Chairpersons!
I extend this invitation on behalf of PAC-MI and all who care about our beloved Orchard Lake.
There is commotion within Polonia re OLS and the Seminary closing. There is much controversy, many emotions, and many opinions being expressed. However we feel there is one very positive and important way we can come together- in prayer.
I attach the invitation for each of you to join Polonia on Sunday, October 3, 2021 for 1:00 pm Polish mass at the St. John Paul II Shrine on the OLS campus.
Our appeal to you: Let us fill the Shrine Chapel!
Please come and let others know of this opportunity for us to come together and make our supplications known to our Lord. May He hear us and direct us in the right direction.
Sent from Mail for Windows
” src=”blob:https://www.pacmi.org/f7177539-e958-4f1a-a523-f87693632ef8″ alt=”October 3 Polish mass at OLS_info.pdf” type=”application/x-apple-msg-attachment” class=”Apple-web-attachment” style=”font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: ArialMT; background-color: rgb(254, 254, 254); opacity: 1;”>An Invitation
Windfall Legislation in the 117th Congress
July 25, 2021 by
Polish American Congress is urging everyone to call their representatives as more congressional cosponsors are needed for to the proposed bill known as the Social Security Fairness Act 2021. It will help to ensure that a person receiving a pension from 2 government sources, such as US and Poland, is not penalized and their pension is not unjustly reduced, as now is the case.
- CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN IN WASHINGTON, DC THIS WEEK
- IN YOUR PHONE CALL, STATE THAT “IF YOU WANT MY VOTE AS A POLISH AMERICAN VOTING CONSTITUENT, SIGN ON AS A CO-SPONSOR OF H.R. 82 THAT IS KNOWN AS THE ‘SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS ACT’.”
- THANK THE PERSON WHO BRINGS YOUR MESSAGE TO THE ATTENTION OF YOUR CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN.
- WHEREAS IT APPEARS THAT WITH ONLY 19 MORE CO-SPONSORS LEFT TO ATTRACT THIS YEAR OR IN 2022 DURING THE FINAL SESSION OF THE 117TH CONGRESS, THE NUMBER OF SENATE CO-SPONSORS MUST AT LEAST BE PASSED BY THE SENATE VIA A “SIMPLE MAJORITY” (I.E., 51) WHICH CAN BE REACHED BY THE ADDED VOTE OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT WHO IS ALSO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AS OF TODAY, S. 1302 HAS ATTRTACTED 31 CO-SPONSORS.
- IN SHORT, IT APPEARS THAT BOTH BILLS WILL BE PASSED, MOST LIKELY IN 2022, PROVIDED THAT WE REMAIN RELENTLESSLY FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING THAT OBJECTIVE WHICH WILL REQUIRE THAT, ON ONE HAND, OUR DIVISIONS IN DE, FL, IL, IN, NY, AND VA EACH ENLIST THEIR 2 SENATORS, AND THAT AS WELL, MD, OH, PA, AND WI, EACH ENLIST THEIR SECOND
A REALLY BIG BIRTHDAY CARD – A 4th of July lecture by Zbigniew Kantorosinski
July 16, 2021 by
Last weekend as America celebrated the anniversary of this country’s founding and independence, the Kosciuszko Foundation made available a lecture online by Zbigniew Kantorosinski, who served as Chief of the Germanic and Slavic Division, Library of Congress. The lecture was about an unusual proof of friendship between Poland and the US. We were invited to hear about an earlier American birthday, 95 years ago, in 1926. That year a newly independent Poland celebrated along with Americans in very special way. To mark the 150th Independence Day, a congratulatory message signed by an estimated 5.5 million Poles on over 31,000 pages was presented to President Calvin Coolidge on October 14, 1926. It was a unique testimonial exhibiting gratitude and friendship of the Polish people for the United States.
The Library of Congress website, entitled “Emblem of Good Will: A Polish Declaration of Admiration and Friendship for the United States of America”, honors the 111 volumes gifted by Poland to the United States. Over a sixth of Poland’s population signed the declaration, thus expressing their esteem for American democracy. The books are sectioned into volumes of signatures, including those of municipal, societal, religious officials, university faculty and students, members of Polish organizations, as well as teachers and pupils of secondary schools. The Library of Congress website provides rich illustrations from the book and an excellent history of this gesture.
Because a presidential library system was not created until after Coolidge’s administration, all the volumes were transferred that same year to the Library of Congress and forgotten for 70 years, only to be discovered in the 1990’s.
Zbigniew Kantorosinski was involved in the meticulous effort to process and publicize this collection in the United States as well as in Poland. The collection has gained popularity not only among visitors to the Library of Congress, but with historians, genealogists, art lovers and anyone interested in Poland and Polish American relations as well.
This interesting lecture highlights a unique and enormous expression of friendship between 2 nations and provides a snapshot of life and spirit of the Polish nation at a time soon after regaining her independence. Their gesture joyfully pays tribute to freedom and democracy.
I encourage you to listen about this inspiring act of friendship by linking to the Kosciuszko Foundation website: www.thekf.org or the link below and hear this fascinating lecture. You will be impressed.
Thank you!
The Library of Congress website is entitled ‘Emblem of Good Will’: A Polish Declaration of Admiration and Friendship for the United States of America
http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/egw/polishex.html/
The Polish American Congress (PAC) is a U.S. umbrella organization of Polish-Americans and Polish-American organizations. Its membership is composed of fraternal, educational, veterans, religious, cultural, social, business, and political organizations, as well as individuals.