PNA Lodge 30 Hosts District III Yearly “Sejmik”
NEW YORK – This year, PNA Commissioners, Helen Kostecki-Pater of Valley Stream, NY and Marian Wiercioch of Cohoes, NY summoned a meeting of Councils and Lodges of Polish National Alliance of the U.S. of N.A.’s District III on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Roman Catholic Church Hall located at 101 East 7th Street in Manhattan. Lodge 30 from Council 17, headed by Denis Kubiak, hosted the convention. Five delegates representing 5 Councils plus 13 delegates representing 6 lodges were in attendance.
Honored guests of the convention were Wesley Musial, PNA Censor from Philadelphia, PA; Irene Grabowy, Vice-Censor from Bristol, CT and Walter Tokarz, Director of Region A of Rehoboth, MA. Each greeted the delegates, offering suggestions on the importance of reaching out to Polonia for increased membership activity. The official representative for PNA and main speaker was Wesley Musial.
The delegates attended the 10:30 am Polish Mass celebrated by St. Stan’s B & M’s Pastor, Rev. Tadeusz Lizonczyk, OSPPE. Father Lizonczyk warmly welcomed the delegation of District III’s Sejmik and referred to PNA at least five times not only in his homily but throughout the celebration of the Holy Mass, thanking the members for their dedication and encouraging continued work for the betterment of Polonians.
After Mass, the delegates and guests visited the Pilsudski Institute of America’s museum of paintings and archives located at 180 2nd Avenue in NYC. A volunteer who has been dedicating her time at the Institute explained the time consuming progress being made to digitalize the collections and archival memorabilia relating to Pilsudski and Polish treasures displayed in the museum room. She spoke about the need to find a new location for the Institute’s materials which take up three floors of the building at 180 2nd Avenue. To contact or donate to the Institute, call Patricia Bury – 212-505-9077; visit info@pilsudski.org.
After the visit to the Institute, business sessions continued with cares and concerns of local councils and lodges. The delegates not only were greeted upon arriving at 8:00 am by a “Polish-style Breakfast”, but later they enjoyed a scrumptious lunch buffet prepared by Denis Kubiak and his committee. All those present experienced a culinary delight from beginning to end.
Commissioner Marian Wiercioch greeted all and announced that Stanley Buczek was chosen “Man of the Year”. Since Stanley was unable to attend the gathering, Marian will make certain that Stanley receives his plaque for his many years of devotion to the PNA.
Commissioner Helen Kostecki-Pater honored all female delegates who were in attendance by presenting each with a bouquet of red poppies – which will never die – for the devotion and dedication to their respective PNA Councils and Lodges.
As chairman of the committee, Edward Blyskal read the Resolutions of the 2014 Convention. Other members of the committee were Leszek Gensiorski and Halina Kalitka.
The next District III convention will be held in April of 2015 hosted by Council 84 of South Brooklyn, NY.
For everyone’s information, the Lodges and Councils of District III are looking to the future and invite Polonians and friends of Polonia to become members of the PNA of the U.S. of N.A.
For details and further information about products offered by PNA, call Commissioner Helen Kostecki-Pater at 516-568-0367 or Commissioner Marian Wiercioch, 518-235-5549.
Submitted by Barbara Blyskal