W sobotę, 19 października, w siedzibie michigańskiego wydziału Kongresu Polonii Amerykańskiej (KPA) w Hamtramck, odbyło się spotkanie polonijnych nauczycieli pracujących w lokalnych szkołach języka polskiego działających na terenie stanu Michigan. Podczas spotkania prezeska KPA, Anna Bańkowska, złożyła życzenia wszystkim nauczycielom dalszej owocnej pracy. Przypomniała także słowa prezydenta RP, Andrzeja Dudy, który w liście do nauczycieli polonijnych pisze m.in.: „Praca nauczyciela w polskiej szkole za granicą jest szczególną misją i wyzwaniem. Oprócz głębokiej wiedzy i wszechstronnych umiejętności wymaga pełnego zaangażowania w kształtowanie charakteru i ducha nowego pokolenia, często urodzonego i wychowanego poza Polską. Niesie wiele wyrzeczeń, wymaga poświęcenia. Za patriotyczną postawę służby ojczystemu krajowi i Rodakom należą się Państwu słowa najwyższego uznania i wdzięczności.” Każdy z nauczycieli otrzymał specjalny Dyplom Uznania, a po części oficjalnej zaproszono wszystkich obecnych na smaczny obiad. Spotkania było okazją także do omówienia zagadnień związanych z odbywającym się co dwa lata polonijnym Konkursem Języka Polskiego (najblższa edycja konkursu odbędzie się w pierwszej połowie przyszłego roku).
Animated History of Poland
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stEuQamTLXw[/youtube]
Courtesy of Polish Embassy in California. An 8 minute video, depicting the history of Poland through animation, prepared by Tomasz Bagiński for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.
DETROIT POLONIA CALENDAR
DETROIT POLONIA CALENDAR
Sponsored by the Polish American Congress / Michigan Division
EVERY MONTH
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS/MICHIGAN DIVISION OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 10am-2pm, Thursday 11am-4pm, Saturday 9am-2pm. 313.365.9400. 11333 Jos.Campau, Hamtramck
Saturday, October 29 – Polish Scouting Organization Fall Dance at JPII parish hall of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 3000 18 Mile Rd Sterling Hts, MI, 7 PM, lively music for dancing, tasty food for purchase, Tickets $35 (includes open bar)
Saturday, October 29 – FREE Health Screenings. 10 AM – 1 PM. Provided by the Detroit Medical Center. Blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol checks. Polish American Congress, 11333 Jos. Campau, Hamtramck. For more information, call 313-365-9400.
Saturday, October 29 – Zabawa. Klub Polonia, 2935 11th Street, Wyandotte. $20 per person. For more information, call 313.383.5180.
Saturday, October 29 – Club Filarets Dinner Dance. Doors open: 6:30 PM; Dinner: 7 PM. American Polish Cultural Center, 2975 W. Maple, Troy. Music by “Oni”. Details regarding tickets sales to be announced. For information contact Christine Kuczara at 248-689-6405.
Saturday, Oct. 29 – WSDPAHS Ninth Annual All Saints’/All Souls’ Pilgrimage, Prayer Service and Wypominki: Mt. Carmel Cemetery Chapel, 135 Superior Blvd., Wyandotte, 1:00 PM. Prayer Service with Rev. Gary Michalik; Feature Presentation with Rev. Canon Walter J. Ptak: “The Church’s Celebration of the Three Days of the Dead: All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’, and All Souls'”; optional luncheon afterwards at Polonus Restaurant, Wyandotte, 3:00 PM. (self-pay). 501(c)(3). 1/855-POLONIA
November 2016
Saturday, November 5 – Polish American Congress-MI annual radiothon on Polish Varieties radio program (WNZK, 690 AM) 7 – 10 AM.
Saturday, November 5 – Polish American Congress-MI radiothon luncheon at PAC-MI headquarters (11333 Joseph Campau Hamtramck) – 2 PM – all invited
Sunday, November 6 – Polish Independence Day Mass. S.W.A.P. 12 Noon Mass. St. Josaphat Church, I-75 at Canfield. Polonaise Chorale will perform.
Sunday, November 13 – Polish Scouting Organization Annual Polish Independence Day Banquet- JPII parish hall of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, 3000 18 Mile Rd Sterling Hts, MI 3 PM, more details to follow.
Monday, November 14 – Wayne State University FLTC Film Nites “The King of Life” (“Król zycia”, 2015, dir. Jerzy Zielinski, 90 minutes) In this new Polish comedy, work in a corporation is tough, heartless and soulless. A car accident however, changes the priorities in the life of the main character, who starts seeing alternatives and a way out of his misery. 5:30 PM, in 358 Manoogian Hall. Film is in Polish with the English subtitles. A short discussion will follow the screening. Suggested parking at WSU: Parking Structure 2, 5150 Lodge Service Drive, Detroit. Price: $7.50 (payable by credit card; no cash accepted)
Saturday, November 19 – Polish Genealogical Society of MI General Membership Meeting. 2-4 PM. Caroline Kennedy Library, 24590 George Ave, Dearborn Heights, MI. For more information, visit our website: www.pgsm.org
Sunday, November 20 – Polish monthly mass for the intention of PAC and Polonia. 9 AM. St. Ladislaus (chapel of St. Florian’s), Caniff just west of Jos. Campau, in Hamtramck. Coffee to follow mass, everyone is invited to come.
December 2016
Saturday, December 3 – PAC-MI general membership quarterly meeting at 10 AM at PAC-MI headquarters (11333 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck)
Wednesday, Dec. 28: WSDPAHS Annual Opłatek. St. Colette Catholic Church, 17600 Newburgh Rd., Livonia, 2-5 PM. Honoring Friends of Polish Art. Concert and Kolędy Sing-Along: Filarets Mixed Chorus led by Director Piotr Szawieła. Musical program begins at 2 PM in Activities Center followed by sharing of opłatek and light reception. Handicap-accessible. To offset the cost of the Filarets Choirs and the reception a free will offering will be collected and greatly appreciated. All are welcome! 501(c)(3). 1/855-POLONIA
All events are open to the public except where stipulated. $$ means there is a charge for attendance. There is NO CHARGE for listing an event on this calendar. The calendar will be updated bi-weekly and will be available on the PAC/MI website ( pacmi.org ), will be regularly emailed to members with their email addresses on file in the PAC/MI Office, and will appear in and on Polish Media in Detroit. PAC/MI, its officers and members are not responsible for any errors that occur in these listings. We will strive to make this the most accurate and up-to-date event listing possible.
For more information or to list an event:
– Call the PAC/MI office at 313-365-9400
– Email information to DetPoloniaCalendar@Comcast.net
– Mail the information to: PAC/MI Calendar, 11333 Jos. Campau, Hamtramck, MI 48212
Please include a phone number if we need more information.
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS MICHIGAN DIVISION ANNUAL RADIOTHON
Dear Friends, The annual Polish American Congress of Michigan Radiothon is here! It is scheduled for Saturday, November 5th on WNZK Radio (690 AM) from 8:00 – 10 a.m. Donors who pledge through November 5, or call 313-365-9400 with a pledge on that day, will be publicly recognized during the Radiothon.
The PAC-MI is a non-profit umbrella organization, part of the national PAC organization, which brings together organizations and individuals to work toward the civic, social, cultural, and educational betterment of all Polish-Americans.
For over 70 years our mission has been to promote and preserve Polish heritage and culture, to protect and defend the good name of Americans of Polish descent and of Poland, to empower Polish-Americans to achieve success in life, to facilitate interactions and information- sharing among Polonia organizations and the community.
The Michigan Division sponsors the Annual Polish Day Parade in Hamtramck, our Scholarship Committee awards thousands of dollars in scholarships, the Charitable Foundation supports events that develop future leaders for Polonia; PAC-MI’s Political Action Committee strengthens Michigan Polonia’s influence on the local political scene.
On a regular basis, PAC provides free legal services with specialized designated attorneys and free health screenings, assists with translations and certain immigration services, maintains a Detroit Polonia events calendar, and showcases our culture and heritage at various venues in the larger community.
We own our own building in Hamtramck since 1978 and retain a paid administrative assistant to facilitate the division’s work.
We truly need your financial assistance to continue and to expand our projects. Your generosity, as in the past, is crucial. We are counting on your support of the Radiothon, but we also ask that you remember the Polish American Congress – Michigan Division in your will.
If you are not a member, please join us by calling the office for an application; annual dues are $35.00. Your interest and talents are most welcome. For more information please visit our website: www.pacmi.org, like us on Facebook, or call (313) 365-9400.
Thank You and God Bless!
Anna Bankowski, President
Your monetary contributions can be send to: Polish American Congress Michigan Division, 11333 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck, MI 48212.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES POLISH AMERICAN ADVISORY COUNCIL
NEW YORK, NY – Today after meeting with the Polish American Congress in Chicago, Donald J. Trump is pleased to announce his Polish American Advisory Council. The women and men on the council are grassroots leaders who will engage with the Polish community on relevant issues.
“I am proud to have the support of the hard working Polish American community that shares the American values of love of freedom, independence and respect for family. This council will continue to advise me on how best to maintain and increase the strong ties between Poland and the United States,” said Donald J. Trump.
The Polish American Advisory Council for Trump includes Dr. Lucja Swiatkowski Cannon as chair, seven co-chairs and a growing number of council members, five of whom are announced today and others forthcoming. Polish Americans from 10 states are represented by this council. These leaders have already advised Mr. Trump and Governor Pence on a number of related issues.
Dr. Lucja Swiatkowski Cannon, the council chair, is a scholar/consultant most recently affiliated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Dr. Cannon stated, “I support Donald Trump’s insistence on a stronger commitment by all NATO members for the common defense. Of 28 NATO members, Poland is one of only five countries fulfilling Mr. Trump’s call for balancing NATO’s budget by meeting the goal of 2% of GDP for defense spending. It is peace through strength.”
Roman Korzan of McLean, Virginia is Co-Founder of the Federation of Polish Americans. Korzan stated, “As a legal immigrant, I see the similarity between Mr. Trump’s common sense refugee vetting policies and those of Poland, where the Chair of Poland’s leading party said in May: ‘After recent events connected with acts of terror, we will not accept refugees because there is no vetting mechanism that would ensure security.”
“As a person of faith, I appreciate Mr. Trump’s policy of creating a safe zone for Christians and other faiths in Syria. Poles understand the dangers of religious persecution” said David Targonski of Gastonia, North Carolina, a Reagan and Bush appointee.
A historian and journalist, John Czop, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, said: “Poland shed blood as our key new NATO ally in Iraq and Afghanistan. Poles were responsible for both the South Central Zone of Provinces (over three million Iraqis) and 9000 square miles of Ghazni Province in Afghanistan. Moreover, Polish Special Forces, known as GROM, won well-merited praise from American army officers for their intrepid raids against enemy positions.”
Former Regional Director for ACTION Eugene Pasymowski of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, says “Every one of our communities is safer right now because Poland is contributing to the NATO antiterrorist efforts by providing fighter planes and Special Forces instructors to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq.”
“I’m proud that my birthplace of Poland is a stalwart ally of my new country and contributed to peacekeeping missions in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at the side of the United States,” says filmmaker Witek Rosowski of Glendale, New York; President of Solidarni 2010.
Eve Neterowicz of Portage, Wisconsin, a Reagan and Bush appointee, reminds us: “Poland and America were friends from the beginning. Poland adopted a modern Constitution on May 3, 1791, shortly after the adoption of the US Constitution. Generals Kosciuszko and Pulaski fought for freedom and independence of both Poland and the United States.”
Additional members of the council will be added in the future.
Polish American Advisory Council:
Chair:
Dr. Lucja Swiatkowski Cannon, New York
Co-Chairs:
Jerzy Bogdziewicz, Florida
John Czop, Ph. D., New Jersey
Roman Korzan, Virginia
Eva Neterowicz, Wisconsin
Eugene Pasymowski, Pennsylvania
Witek Rosowski, New York
David Targonski, North Carolina
Members of the Advisory Council:
Carolyn L. Bonkoski, Pennsylvania
Ed Baran, Illinois
Denise Kuchta, Maryland
Nancy Ordowski, Arizona
Joe Sliwka, Maryland
Polish American Congress Michigan Division President Ann Bankowski’s Letter to the President of Saginaw Valley State University
September 6, 2016
Office of the President
Saginaw Valley State University
Wickes Hall 349
7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710
Dear President Bachand,
It is with great concern that I am writing to you in regards to the subject of Polish studies offered at Saginaw Valley State University. I know personally that classes of Polish language, history, and culture enjoyed much popularity among students over several decades, thanks much to the efforts and dedication of Professor Anna Dadlez. Over the years she communicated regularly with my late father, Kazimierz Olejarczyk, who was president and very active with the Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress, an umbrella organization of organized Polish Americans, which speaks out on issues of concern for the community statewide. I have continued contact with her even after my father’s passing in 2014. Her commitment to create relevant courses in this area has never wavered. We always were happy to hear about her successes and achievements (though not always easily won) at SVSU and appreciated that she was truly filling a need among the student population with the classes she taught. I understand that she has turned to you entreating that Polish culture courses be returned to SVSU.
Unfortunately her age and the need to care for her husband have forced Professor Dadlez to retire in December 2015 from the teaching that she so loves. She expresses great disappointment that Polish classes of any sort are not being continued, now that she is gone from the teaching staff. She has made recommendations of 2 very able teachers and Polish culture experts on the SVSU staff, both of whom are willing to continue the program. Even though I find that the university’s course catalog still lists several Polish classes, Dr. Dadlez insists that they are no longer being offered by the university.
The cancelling of Polish studies would negatively affect the Polish American population whose taxes contribute to the flourishing of SVSU. The fact that such courses would “fill up” so quickly in the past demonstrates that there is both a great interest and a need to learn more in this area of study. I understand that past educational exchange programs with Poland were quite successful. Dr. Dadlez has expressed willingness to be of help and with advice to anyone who could continue such courses. Poland has been on the world stage recently (World Youth Day in Krakow and the NATO summit in Warsaw this past summer) and any classes that bring current modern day Poland to the forefront, as well as its language and heritage to your students, especially of Polish ancestry, would be both valuable and informative to many. Michigan is a state with over 1 million persons of Polish ancestry and the thumb area is particularly rich in Polish immigrant history.
I plan to share these concerns with the Polish American Congress- Michigan membership at our next quarterly meeting in September. I only hope that you will reflect on both the need, interest, and the assets available for continuing such studies at SVSU, and look forward to learning that in the near future Polish studies classes will be re-instated at your prospering institution. I also hope to place your response on the Polish American Congress division website (www.pacmi.org) as interest in this subject seems to be on the rise.A copy of this letter is being sent to some groups who may be interested in our communication on this issue.
With best regards,
Ann Bankowski, President
Polish American Congress- Michigan
11333 Joseph Campau
Hamtramck, MI 48212
Cc:
Tri-City Polish Heritage Society, Bay City
Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Bay City
Polish Legion of America Vets, Bay City
Polish Falcons of America, Saginaw
The Polish Mission, Orchard Lake
The Polish Weekly, Rochester
Friends of Polish Art, Royal Oak
United Polish Society, Saginaw
WE INVITE YOU TO POLISH DAY PARADE
Join us (either by walking with us, or cheering us from the sidelines) for the annual Polish Day Parade on Labor Day, September 5, at 1:30 pm, in downtown Hamtramck. The annual parade is organized by the PAC−MI Parade Committee, and this year will honor the Polish American Federal Credit Union celebrating its 40th anniversary. The parade Grand Marshal this year is Mr. George Lukowski (pictured), a local businessman and philanthropist.
A long, rich history is associated with the founding of the Polish Day Parade. In the 1930s, the roots of the present day Polish Day Parade took hold with the May 3 Polish Constitution Day observance held on
Detroit’s Belle Isle. The Polish Day Parade evolved into the Pulaski Day Parade and was held in the fall of each year in downtown Detroit.
In 1977, Paul C. Odrobina, as president of the Polish American Congress, Michigan Division, and as city council member saw the need for the Polish Day Parade to continue in Hamtramck. Odrobina said, “I was happy to continue the tradition in the city of Hamtramck by having the parade committee agree to stage the parade on Joseph Campau Avenue during the city’s annual festival.” He continued, “The Polish Day Parade is an annual tradition that celebrates Polish American life. The parade brings out all that is good about one’s Polish heritage. We all should be proud of who we are and what we contribute to America.”
For more information, call 313−365−9400.
We invite you to Polish Novena at St. Anne Catholic Church
The Michigan Division of the Polish American Congress is hosting a Polish Novena on Wednesday, July 20, at 7:00 pm, at Ste. Anne Catholic Church in Detroit (located at 1000 St Anne St, Detroit, MI 48216; near Ambassador Bridge). The Polish Novena is a part of the week long Novena dedicated and sponsored by various Detroit ethnic groups that begins on July 17 and concludes on July 26, the feast day of Ste. Anne and Joachim. A 9 day novena to Ste Anne has been a tradition at this parish for over 105 years.
Ste. Anne is the oldest Catholic Church in the state of Michigan, and only second oldest in the country. Established two days after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landed at Detroit on July 24, 1701 and began construction of Fort Ponchartrain.
For more information, call: 313-365-9400 or visit www.ste-anne.org.