HAMTRAMCK, MI – Anna Bańkowska was elected the President of the Polish American Congress Michigan Division (PAC-MI) at the annual membership meeting on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at the PNA Hall in Hamtramck.

Bańkowska was the only nominated candidate for the position of PAC-MI President.  It will be her second term as the leader of the Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress.

Bańkowska is following in the footsteps of her father, Kazimierz Olejarczyk, who passed away three year ago.  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 re-elected Executive Vice President, while Barbara Gronet and Christopher Adamczyk were once again 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.

Jerzy Rozalski, Zdzislaw Jurek and Henrietta Nowakowski (with Barbara Lemecha as alternate) were elected as National Directors.

18 members were elected State Directors. They are: Wladyslaw Bankowski, Joan Baritche, Janusz Dabrowski, Frank Dmuchowski, Chester Szczotka, Stanislawa Jakobek, Richard Lapham, Jerzy Rozalski, Alicja Karlic, Thomas Schemanski, Stella Szczesny, Mary Ellen Tyszka, Miroslaw Wawrysz, Richard Konrad, Joseph Kalankiewicz, Gena Jurek, Marcia Lewandowski and Stefan Zmuda.

The individuals elected to the Audit Committee include Waldemar Raczkowski, Edward Nizienski and Richard Lapham.

The newly elected Officers and members of the Board will officially take their positions on Saturday, April 8, during the swearing-in ceremony at the PNA Hall in Hamtramck. The event, which starts at 1:00 pm, will also include a delicious dinner and a presentation of PAC Awards.  The PAC will honor organizations marking significant anniversaries and individuals that contribute to Detroit’s Polish American community.  The awards will be presented to the Polish Falcons of America Nest 31, Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish, Friends of Polish Art, Polish Century Club of Detroit, Polish American Veterans Association District VI, Saint John Paul II Polish Language School, Rev. Jozef Dabrowski Polish Language School, Klub Polonia, Stan’s Grocery, Jolanta Gmurowska, Carolyn Wietrzykowski and Ludwik Zabicki.

Tickets for the Installation of Ceremony and Award Ceremony ($40) can be reserved by calling PAC office: 313-365-9400.

The February edition of the National Polish American Congress newsletter featured a story about activities of our Division.  This time, we submitted a story about our planned events commemorating the bicentennial anniversary of the death of Tadeusz Kosciuszko.  Click on the link below to read the story (and to read many other interesting articles featured in the newsletter).

http://www.pac1944.org/NewsLet/PAC-NL-1702.pdf

The exhibition “Pride of Poland” will be on display at the American Polish Cultural Center (2975 E. Maple Road, Troy, MI 48083) on Saturday, February 11, 2017 (during the annual Polish Folk Dance Festival).

The exhibit, created by the Grand Rapids Polish Heritage Society, celebrates Poland’s historical, scientific, military, cultural and sports contributions to America and the world, including:

• winged warriors who routed the Turkish invaders at Vienna
• the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win the prize twice, in two different sciences
• fliers and aircrews that defended England in the Battle of Britain
• the brilliant mathematicians who broke the Nazi Enigma system
• famous Polish American sports and entertainment figures

Learn much more about Poland, its history and its influence by visiting the “Pride of Poland” Exhibit in the east hallway of the American Polish Cultural Center.

A new program for parents and guardians with children suffering from dyslexia, hyperactivity, problems with concentration, delayed speech development.  Read the flyer and call Agnieszka Ubysz, MS, to find out more information (586-244-9205).

We invite you to read the new national PAC newsletter, which this time features a story about our Division’s activities.  We have submitted an article about one of our recent events – honoring teachers of Polish language schools in our area – and the editors of the national newsletter chose to include it in that publication.  You can read the story and the entire December 2016 PAC Newsletter by clicking on the link below:

http://pac1944.org/newslet/PAC-NL-1612.pdf

Zapraszamy cala Polonie na swiateczne koncerty chorow Klubu “Filareci”.  Klub to trzy chory: zenski, meski i mieszany.  Chor ma na swoim koncie wiele sukcesow, w tym zwyciestwa na krajowych konkursach polonijnych chorow w Ameryce Pln. organizowanych w ramach konwencji Zwiazku Spiewakow Polskich w Ameryce.  Swiateczne koncerty to stala pozycja w kalendarzu Klubu juz od wielu lat.  Koncerty, na ktore skladaja sie najpiekniejsze polskie i amerykanskie koledy, ciesza sie ogromna popularnoscia.  Podczas najblizszego tournee (grudzien 2016-styczen 2017) zapraszamy wszystkich, ktorzy jeszcze nie mieli okazji posluchac koled w wykonaniu “Filaretow”, jak i ich stalych fanow.  Jak zawsze, bedzie to niezapomniane wydarzenie i kazdy po koncercie wyjdzie w radosnym nastroju.  Gwarantujemy!