Mount Saint Marys College - Eagle Yearbook (Orchard Lake, MI)

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PULISH AMEHIII FHATEH AL UHBA IZATIU S The history of the fourteen leading Polish American fraternal organizations reviewed in this yearbook dates back to the nineteenth cen- tury. Chronologically speaking, the first to appear was the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, which was founded in 1873. The next fifty years saw the rise of the remaining thirteen fraternals, with the United Polish Women of America, which was established in 1932, being the youngest. Eight of the fraternals were started in the nineteenth century: the Polish Roman Catho- lic Union of America Q18731g the Polish National Alliance Q18801g the Polish Fal- cons of America Q18861 3 the Polish Union of the United States of America Q18901g the Alliance of Poles in America Q18951g the Polish Womenis Alliance of America Q18981g the Polish Beneficial Association Q18991. Five fraternals were established during the twentieth century. Four of them appeared before World War 1: the Polish National Alliance of Brooklyn Q19031g the Associa- tion of the Sons of Poland Q19031g the Pol- ish Alma Mater of America Q19'101g and the Polish Union of America Q19171. Only two fraternals were founded after the war-the Union of Polish Women in America Q19201 and the United Polish Women of America Q 19321. Illinois and Pennsylvania are the birth- place of eight of the fourteen fraternals. Five-the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, the Polish Falcons, the Polish Women's Alliance of America, the Polish Alma Mater of America and the United Pol- ish Women of America were founded in Illi- nois. Three others-the Polish Beneficial Association, the Polish National Alliance of America, and the Union of Polish Women in America-were organized in Pennsylvania. Two were founded in New York: the Polish National Alliance of Brooklyn and the Pol- ish Union of America. The remaining four appeared in as many states: the Polish Union of the United States of North America Qin Minnesota1, the Polish Association of America Qin Wisconsin1, the Alliance of Poles in America Qin Ohio1, and the Associa- tion of the Sons of Poland Qin New Jersey1. The multiple objectives of the fourteen or- ganizations are very much alike. Their com- mon purpose is insurance, or the sale of in- surance policies. However, insurance is not the only purpose. The other purposes may be summed up as follows: Q11 to unify immigrants of Polish and Slavic descent by means of religious, moral and material aid in time of needg Q21 to foster among them a new love for their adopted country, as well as to keep their old love for their fatherland, their language, cus- toms and cultureg Q31 to develop in youth a better understanding of American patriotism and loyalty, and help them to become better citizens, conscious of their obligations and fulfilling them honorablyg to inculcate in men and women alike the finest ideals of the Polish heritage. The Museum and Archives of the Polish Roman Catholic Union are among the finest in the United States and hold the episcopal robes and vessels of the Servant of God, Archbishop John B. Cieplak.

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Taken together, the fourteen fraternals have a membership of 754,528 members grouped in 5,4-95 lodges. Heading the list as regards both membership and lodges is the Polish National Alliance which has a mem- bership of 338,124 members and 1,625 lodges. Next comes the Polish Roman Catho- lic Union of America which has 176,850 members, in the number of lodges, however, it stands third, since the Polish Womeifs Al- liance of America has 1,196 lodges compared with the 1,04-'I lodges of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America. The members of the fourteen fraternals live throughout the United States but more than half reside in Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. In Illinois there are 162,205 members, in Pennsylvania there are 136,529 and in New York there are l09,519. ln the fiscal year 1955 the assets of the fourteen fraternal organizations amounted to 3154-,24-4-,76il.60 with the Polish National Alliance having a share of fS73,985,567. The current liabilities of the fourteen organiza- tions for the same year amounted to 354,861,- 329.00. The benefits paid to the holders of insurance policies reached a total of 3573,- l50,346.68 during that year. The activities of the fourteen Polish Amer- ican fraternal organizations are very much the same, a combination of insurance and so- cial service. There is only one exception. The Polish Association of America deals strictly with insurance and is engaged in 110 other activities. Though organized as insurance companies, the thirteen other fraternals also sponsor var- ' 1-- Each of these organizations considers a youth section a must for its growth and development. in. -. ..-.,.,-:IL ' 1 5i f-'a fl t i R 1 N 1 .5 9 ??. ,,?-. ,A Y Y: f ' RQ? 'fs -Lj,,9lg,'f,, Y.. . --:--. ,',..'-f. . : ' Ii '5a4,f ,. .ff-55 wsmuszvw - ' -.' - e v, .g g ' V' ' V - . - ' -5? - - -V1 97-52:-' L'. N- 's:fi '-'-rx On May 11, 1910, the Polish National Alliance presented to the U.S. Government a monument of General Thaddeus Kosciuszl-to which stands in Washington. ious activities: the publication of Polish pa- pers, HDziennik Zwiazkowyi' and 'izgodaf' fthe Polish National Alliancej, 6'Nar0d Pol- ski fthe Polish Roman Catholic Unionj, 6'Kuryer Zjednoczenian fAlliance of Polesj, and the Jednosc fPolish Beneficial Asso- ciationj, the maintenance of summer camps for boys and girls fP.R.C.U.J, and the offer- ing of scholarships fPolish Union of the U.S.J. The Union of Polish Women in America interests itself in juvenile deliquency. It sponsors youth entertainment and social gatherings. The Polish National Alliance of Brooklyn has a special committee to combat communism. The Polish National Alliance supports a private college and a technical in- stitute. Special mention should be made of old age homes, and choral and dramatic groups lcoritinued on page 21 li Religious, political, and cultural rallies sponsored hy the Polish-American Fraternal Organizations draw hundreds of thousands of participants.