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

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148 ATIU AI. ALLIA IIE still - 9 93m CHICAGO, ILLINOIS :ff slr?--, L ' to unite into an alliance or federation under tbl' N f 5' ti' ' Sn- W I .I 4 sf, gi Pig ZfR t Qi Ll- f Another man who point- ed out the need of unit- ing all Polish American societies then exist- ing in the United States into one organization was Agaton Giller, a Polish exile living in Switzerland. His article O organizacji Polakow w Amerycef' which appeared in CHARLES ROZMAREK Presldent Polish newspapers both in Poland and Amer ica, inspired the formation of the Polish Na tional Alliance Zwiazek Narodowy Polski Gilleris plea was not in vain, for on Feb ruary 15, 1880, Julius Andrzejkowicz invited prominent Polish Americans residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to attend a meet ing. Mr. Andrzejkowicz stressed the neces sity for all Polish organizations in America the name 'cZwiazek Narodowy Polski fPol- ish National Alliancej. It was understood that each society which joined would retain its individual character. Messrs. Julian Szajnert, Julian Lipinski, Vincent Doman- ski, John Bialynski, Anthony Wojczynski, John Popielinski, John Blachowski, Teofil Kucielski, aIId Peter Beczkiewicz, co-f0und- ers of the Alliance, supported their confrere's proposal. Immediately, thereupon, an open invita- tion was published in the Polish Press asking all Polish American societies to join the pro- posed association. Societies from Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin responded immediate- ly. After the first draft of the Constitution was completed, Mr Andrzejkowicz designated September 20 1880 as the d rte for the First National Convention of the Polish National Alliance The place chosen was Chicago It was at the Convention that the Alliance s ob jectrves were defined, namely, to strrve for the moral and material betterment of Poles lrvrng rn Amer rea to assist the Polish rmmr grant to establish himself upon hrs arrival rn the United States, to make use of all puhlrc relations media rn order to better the polrtr cal, and economic srtuatron of the Polish people rn America ind Poland, and to com memorate national anniversaries Further more, the Convention decided to adopt the 4141 ,ylfff-it!-If 'V' The most laudable of P.N.A. purposes is to provide necessary funds for operational and capi- tal expenditures of Alliance Col- lege in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, which is accredit- ed by the North Central Associa- tion. Sf .

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X p sf' PULISH 13111.00 fi UP AMERICA PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA fisbr, ..- hw xx ,1- Wg, , ,isa-rf.. ' Q he first nest of the Polish Falcons of America fSokolstwo Polskie w Amerycel was founded in 1886 in the city of Chicago. In the ensuing four' years, several more nests were founded in other large cities. It was not until 1895 that the existing nests were united into what is known today as the Pol- ish Falcons of America, the first President of which was Mr, K. Zychlinski. In 1905 the Falcons became affiliated with the Polish Nrtronrl Alliance retaining however their rutonomy md rndrvrdual character Four years l rtcr due to the rapid increase rn mem lrershrp the Frlcons felt that the advantage ous moment had rrrrved to become once agrrn rn independent association Soon thererfter the Falcons drvrded into two na tional groups with headquarters rn Chrcago and New York In 1918 rn order to check member ship leakage the Falcons introduced an rnsurance program The arms of the Falcons then as now are 1 to foster rn its members a love for and partrcrpatron rn group calrsthenrcs thereby ding them with opportunities to learn e canrng of unrty obedience and stam ' to keep rlrve a love and attachment tl land relrgron and culture of its fore ears to help the Polish immigrant ad just rself to the American scene 4 to rcour rge the study and use of the Polish X Membership rn the Polrsh Falcons of rca as of January 1 1955 totaled 20 rch 6099 were social members n 1953 the Falcons boasted 199 lodges rn 954 197 ard rn 1955 194 'Ja Xt. .,--4 .Q .f -.,1 w- ,Ng dowment at 65, 20 year payment life, 20 year paid up, payable at the age 60, and 20 year endowment. The insurance distribution of certificates according to states is: Penn- sylvania, 6,1013 Connecticut, 3,2815 Michi- gan, 2,2503 Massachusetts, 1,196, and other states, 7,595. Adult benefit certificates in 1953 numbered 15,2035 in 1954- they num- bered 16,125, and in 1955 the number de- creased to 15,721. On January 1 1955 the assets of the Pol rsh Falcons of America amounted to 352 9442 785 18 lrabrlrtres 3524 385 94 reserves 351 863 432 contingent reserves S5150 000 and unassigned funds S5886 870 74 Besides its model program of calrsthenrcs the Polish Falcons also arranges and pro motes various actrvrtres as sport contests ex cursrons and the celebratrorr of important national holidays It also encourages dis CUSSIOH clubs singing circles as Well as lend mg libraries The Officers of the Polish Falcons of America in 1955 were Mr Walter J Laska Cco tnued on page 2127 tr? ft? PX ' J Insurance cer fggsjssue y eFa Z I ix f 35250 to its ooy0W Most t ese Fr nal or rzatro sponsor ny sports well s gymnastic and c X 2 . Q 2 A .. I , . . . 7 , . G 1 , , - z 2 ' ' i , ' ' '. ' ' ' . a a . 1. 2 A 1, .. - . - . 3 ' ' 7 . Q . . ,- .. , a . K. . . , , g , 7 1 4 i 1 w ' , . . r if ' a ' - . 1- 'a ' . . . . . . a i n , , . 2 . .7 .v . I , . . I 1 t , - 1 r 1 7 . .1 I 1 Q . - I 9 1 . , . . , . ' ' .M . , . 4 . I. - . . - , ' ' ' u , n I l . - - - ' ' . ' ' 0- - ' ' a - . . 9 : '. ' . , ' 5 . . . or . . . . . n i pl. 9 7 ' , .t - nl' J 2 1 vw i 1 1 2' -' 7 1 i I 1 l 1 . 1 if .-, U y . . . . eg, 4 F 1 ' 3 f 1 x X au f ,N 1 xx, ,H , h , , N . i qu ' ' ' ' ' r mr I l la C. I fl 1 Q . ii- . . . lr l T X Q l H r we . f . 7 ,- ,N 1 v. 1 ' ' . ' Q P, I' l 3 I 'a J 9 Q1 7 I I ' r, 1 y ai 11:1 1 9 i , ' X lf fi ' be . ' 1 ' ' iz '- in ' S ff ' . 1 f 147

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The present headquarters of the P.N.A. in Chicago, Illi- nois, was dedicated on May 8, 1938. policy of Non-Denominationalism. This it did in order to be consistent with the Arti- cles of the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1792 and the American Constitution, both of which respect their citizens, choice of reli- gion. lt was stipulated, however, in the Al- liance's Constitution that the religious part of all formal Polish National Alliance cele- brations are to take place in a Roman Catho- lic church. Ever since its formal establishment, the Polish National Alliance has sought to bett rf' the educational level of Poles livingxin-. . - r- ica. One important step magic? ' accomplishment of this was the founding of the Alliance College in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. President Taft in his speech on the occasion of the College's dedication fOctober 26, 1912i said that the United States of America was proud to have a group of immigrants so interested in its newly adopted country as to establish a center of higher education for its own constituents. The President further commented on the neces- sity and utility of such an institution as the Alliance College which would instruct Poles, not only in the history, literature and culture of America, but also in that of Poland, there- by preparing better and more useful citizens of the United States. Noteworthy is the fact that long before the establishment of the Alliance College, the Polish National Alliance was already inter- ested in supporting centers of higher learn- ing. As early as 1886, the Alliance placed a special assessment on its members for the purpose of creating a fund which was des- ignated to aid in the construction and main- On the North East corner of Lafayette Square in the city of Washington stands the Kosciuszko tenance of the Polish Seminary in Detroit, now located at Orchard Lake. The social, charitable, and cultural are not overlooked by the Alliance in its log of activities. It gives financial assistance to its poor and destitute members, maintains a li- brary and archives, a museum, sports clubs, choral societies, amateur dramatic circles, folk dancing groups, and publishes Zgoda, a weekly, and Dziennik Zwiazkowy, a daily. It also sponsors summer camps for boys and girls as well as supplementary schools for the teaching of the Polish language. While still in its infancy, the Polish Na- tional Alliance recognized the necessity of a Mortuary Fund, but it was not until a decade later that an adequate insurance program was devised. lcontinued on page 2133 .QA i ' i I' ' , 3 I fl at , J lt L i . 1 .1, f. ' ,til . U F Fra -27 d X for NX HJ Wflmi Kosciusz KO Mcmw. M 'Will vwuq, www i 44' 'WV Wil gi ff 'Q u, X K fl I I . l l u X i im I I . Q 31 l ' ' WIA , I M, ff i ' 'WMM' 'CQ A P' it X Z 4! x 1 ' l s ,rl ' I ., gm N M 'tix i .if . J SARATUBA Monument which was erected by a d a ' expense of the Polish Na 'anal X , P KZJQLLJ , , A ,