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

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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.

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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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ALLIA IIE UF PULE5 UF AMERICA CLEVELAND, OHIO 'Q A .fi '. 'i1 The Alliance of Poles of ance's Anniversary of Founding on Septem America QZwiazek Polakow w ber 22nd of each year. Ameryce1 was first established in October of 1895 and bore the title of Alliance of Poles of Ohiof' On September 22, 1895, the Alliance's first organizational meeting was held, and Messrs. Theodore Zolnowslci and Joseph Der- anek constituted the first membership roster. It was not until the third meeting that staff officers were elected, and they were: lVlr. Theodore Zolnowski, President, lVlr. Thomas Rutkowski, Secretary, and Mr. Joseph Der- anek, Treasurer. The Allianceis beginnings proved to be slow and difficult. Nevertheless, the Alli- ance was incorporated in the state of Ohio on December 22, 1895. In January of 1897, the Alliance of Poles of America held its First Convention, the place was St. Stanislaus Church, the mem- bership totaled 259. The same year saw the establishment of the first Alliance group out- side of Cleveland: the city was Lorain, Ohio. The aims of the Alliance are: Q11 to fos- ter unity among Americans of Polish and other Slavic extraction professing the Roman Catholic faith, Q21 to provide members with life insurance, Q31 to maintain cul- tural ties with Poland, Q41 to uphold a spirit of unity and cooperation with other Polish patriotic, educational, and social organiza- tions, Q51 to protect immigrants from ex- ploitation, Q61 to awaken in today's Polish youth the desire to study and love the lan- guage and culture of Poland, Q71 to publish a news weekly, and Q81 to observe the Alli- u. Of the thirty Polish dailies and weeklies published regularly in the U.S., nine are owned and operated by Polish-American Fraternal groups. The Alliance of Poles of America has a membership of 15,080, with 12,622 in Ohio 2,358 in Michigan, and 100 in other sections of the United States. ln 1955 membership was distributed among 96 lodges. Various forms of insurance issued by the Alliance are: whole life, 20 year payment life, 20 year endowment, 30 year payment and paid up at the age of 70 certificates from 3300 to 355,000 Certificates issued for Ohio number 12,622, for Michigan 2,358 and elsewhere 100. Benefit certificates for the year 1955 amounted to 15,080. Deaths per 1,000 benefit certificates for 1954 was 9.8fQ.. The mortality ratio for 1955 was 51.594, the interest rate realized was 2.99f4 The valuation ratio was 1l3.59CZp. The financial standing of the Alliance as of January 1, 1955, included assets of 352 Ccontinued on page 2121 rf , Jr ,Let . A- 11 49 ff' .1 X if ?