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MEMBER NEWS
100 YEARS AT NEST 118
Nest 118 in Pittsburgh, PA,
celebrated its milestone 100th
anniversary on Sunday, October
24. Celebrants participating in
this event are featured in this photo
montage. Further information
on the Nest’s Centennial
Celebrations can be found in
the Nest 118 Report on page 15.
1
v
w
x
y
z
7
8
1) Patty Lawrence, Chris Puskar, Angelo Capozoli, Barb Chervenak, Patty Capozoli, Carol Kuczma, Gina Capozoli, Charlotte Bartus, Betty Kolano all
receive awards at the 100th Anniversary celebration. 2) The Kaminskis and the Bartus’ enjoy the celebration of Nest 118. 3) A table of cousins of the Chervenak, Capozoli, and Puskar families. 4) Debby Hojonski and her sisters and Cindy Talerico are a great support group of Nest 118. 5) The Junior Tamburitzans
share bread with all of the guests in attendance. 6) The Junior Tamburitzans entertained all with dancing and singing. 4) The Lawrence girls, Patty, Kathy, Ruth,
and her daughter Jessica enjoy celebrating Nest 118 as a family. 8) Nest 176 ladies are always on hand to help all the Nests in District IV celebrate a milestone.
1,180 POLISH ANGELS
Yes, there are 1,180 Polish angels living, growing and thriving throughout the
United States! These “angels” were all once living in Polish Orphanages. Over the
past 21 years they have, little by little, been adopted by US citizens through
Huminska’s Anioly. These angels came to their families as sibling groups of four,
three and two children or as a single child. Some came as toddlers, some as infants and most as school-aged children knowing only that they wanted a family to
love them. The one thing they all have in common is their God-guided path from
Poland to their current “family”. This mission of Huminska’s Anioly, to create families for the orphaned children of Poland, was set before Mimi Huminska in 1989
when she and her husband adopted their own angles from Poland. Their path to
adoption was a long and arduous one which lasted eleven years. As Mimi says,
“Looking back, we now realize that God was preparing us to accept His plan for
our lives. By saying “yes” to a small request by a Polish Attorney to help “a few
families with documents,” her entire life was laid before her. She continued to take
one step at a time going from a wife – to finally a mom – in 1989, from helping a
few families over the dining room table to becoming a fully-accredited charitable organization. Huminska’s Anioly is now an adoption agency that is fully accredited
by the Polish government and Approved by the Hague Convention for the protection of children around the world. Being devoted only to one country, besides the
1,180 Angels with their families, Mimi Huminska continues to help those still in
Poland through support and education programs. If you would like to learn more,
visit Huminska’s Anioly web site atwww.adoptionspolish.com If you are interested
in Adopting Children from Poland or have a friend or family member who might be
interested, please request an information packet by calling (724) 506-1181.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
Photos this section (above and left): Some of
the 1,180 Polish orphans placed in American
families thanks to the work of Huminska’s Anioly.
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 13
MEMBER NEWS
Nest 208 Celebrates
100th Anniversary
On November 14, 1910, a new Nest was born into the Polish Falcon
Family. It was named Polish Falcon Alliance Nest 208, Derby, Connecticut.
From the beginning, Members took an active role in Falcon History. A
convention held in Derby established District V. For most of its existence, it
had participants compete at both National and District Zlots and a Member
who took part at the Zlot in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Members have always have taken an active part in both National and
District Conventions. Over the years, members have been elected to various District Officers from President to Assistant Instructor. Presently two of
our Members have been elected to National Office. John Kowarik as
National District Director, and Frania Tracz as District Representative to the
Legion of Honor Commandery.
The Nest has sponsored sport activities - baseball, football, basketball,
volleyball, bowling, gymnastics, track & field, close order drills, marching etc.
being a Member of the Falcons helped many who had entered the Armed
Forces as they already had been trained to march and how to shoot and
take care of a rifle.
In 1930, a group of ladies organized Nest 733. They had a good working
relationship with Nest 208. In 1993 the Members of both nest voted to merge
into one Nest and we became Nest 208.
Seventy years ago the Members started the tradition of attending Mass on
Palm Sunday followed by breakfast at their hall, with the ladies preparing
and serving the breakfast. This was carried on for approximately fifty years,
then it was changed and the Members attend the Saturday Vigil Mass for
Palm Sunday followed by supper served in the church hall.
Well, here we are one hundred years later and to celebrate our Anniversary, we planned a full day of activity. On Sunday, October 24, the day
began with Nest Members along with Falcons of District V and National Officers attended the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Michael's Church. Leading the procession into church, was the Nest Flag carried by Druh Robert Kowalski and
escorted by Druh Stanley Zaprzalka with organist and Nest Member Marc
Garofalo playing the Falcon Hymn Ospaly i Gnusny. Chaplain and Pastor
Rev. Roman Gorowski, C.M. was the celebrant, Lector was Druhna Maryann
Stochmal, Eucharist Ministers were Druhna Frania Tracz and John
continued on page 20
Top Left: Nest flag being carried into the Thanksgiving Mass at St. Michael's Church
by Robert Kowalski and Stan Zaprzalka. Second Left: The dignitaries (Standing):
Nest 208 President Peter Lenart; District V Commandery Chairperson FraniaTracz;
District V President Phil Zambrello; Nest 208 Financial Secretary/Treasurer Helen
Wlodek. (Seated): District V Representative John Kowarik; National President Tim
Kuzma; Nest 208 Chaplain Rev. Roman Gorowski, CM; National First Vice President
Trish Del Busse. Third Left: Druhny Eve Turaj, Silver Legion of Honor recipient (left)
and Bernice Lesnick, Gold Legion recipient (right) with Mary Mazur, chairperson
emeritus of the District V Legion Commandery (center). Photos courtesy Druhna
Marianne Stochmal Heffernan.
Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh
Kidz Bowl for Kidz
On November 7, the fourth Annual Kidz Bowl for Kidz
Bowling Outing was held at Princess Lanes in Whitehall, PA.
Once again, it was a very successful day with the group
raising over $3,000.00 to donate to Childrenʼs Hospital in
Pittsburgh. This year, the Polish Falcons was represented
by youth Members from Nests 8, Pittsburgh and 146, New
Castle. It was wonderful to have so many of our kids there;
hopefully, next year, there will be a few more!
Thank you and Czolem!
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 14
MEMBER NEWS
Chaplain’s Corner
By Rev. Canon Joseph Sredzinski
PFA National Chaplain
The K+M+B Blessing
The above marking was quite familiar years ago
in many of our Polish-American homes. Encircled
by the year 20+K+M+B+11 clearly indicated that
believing people resided therein, the dwelling was
blessed and the solid principles put forth by Christ
were to be observed and promoted.
In past decades parish priests visited families
and individuals to bless dwellings for the New
Year. Today, individuals can pray and make the
traditional marking. Thus, reminding all of internal
convictions and the need to live them with honor
and dignity.
As we move into a new calendar year, may not
only your homes be marked, but more so your
lives with words and deeds radiant of your internal
and deep convictions. As the Christ Child came
to bring peace, joy and love, as He in His public
ministry taught the necessity of love, first of God,
the Neighbor, then Self, let all know by your words
and deeds that for you, that is the proper order of
Nest 118 Report
ported all to the Polish Embassy in D.C. for an
educational and social experience and singing on
“Sto Lat.” Finally on Saturday, yours truly celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the gym
with tremendous participation in true Falcon style.
Parents and guardians can be assured that the
competitors were covered religiously and culturally and that too, is a marking.
As we move deeper into the New Year, let our
markings be seen, known and yes, imitated.
After all, we are Polish Falcons and we have a
class and a marking.
Zycze wam wsystkim duzo lask Bozych poprez
Caly Nowy Rok.
Z Panem Bogiem i Czolem
Father Joseph
Please Note: Photos from the Nest 118 100th Anniversary Celebration can be found on page 13.
January gives us time to reflect on the passing
year as well as pledge ourselves to new resolutions.
Nest 118 reached its milestone 100th anniversary with a beautiful celebration on Sunday, October 24. The day began with mass St. Adalbert's
Church, Pittsburgh's second-oldest Polish Church.
The many in attendance enjoyed and sang along
with the several Polish hymns. Nest 118 President Carol Ann Kuczma and Gold Legion of Honor
holder Betty Kolano presented the Offertory gifts.
The liturgy was highlighted when Nest 118 VicePresident/ District IV Legion of Honor President
Nancy Marcuson-Capozoli and PFA National
Physical Eduction Director Christine Puskar lit the
Memorial Candle to honor the many members
who have created and passed on the the high
standards of Nest 118 since 1910.
The luncheon banquet at Amici's Ristorante
was attended by Falcons of seven District IV
Nests, as well as National C.F.O. John Kuzmirek,
Representatives of the P.N.A., P.W.A, the Alliance of Poles and Pittsburgh City Councilman
Bruce Kraus. The wonderful meal was complemented by a special dessert, the Kremowka-- a
cream filled cake that was a favorite of the late
Pope John Paul II.
The day's program included a Papal Blessing
Letter from Pope Benedict XVI, a written proclamation from Allegheny County and a verbal
proclamation presented by Pittsburgh Councilman
Kraus, which not only praised Nest 118 as an exemplary fraternal in Pittsburgh with its proud Polish heritage and tradition, but also designated
Sunday October 24, 2010 as Polish Falcons of
America Nest 118 Day.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
love and of life. All peoples everywhere are to
absorb and live by that message, and for Falcons,
that is especially true.
In the PFA, we too, are marked. We have our
noble motto, A Sound Mind in a Healthy Body.
We have fraternalism with concerns, outreaches,
needs to be met, and responsibilities are for one
another and of course the honor of our organization.
This was quite evident at the 2010 Zlot conducted in Washington D.C. this past August.
While adults were responsible, and the youngsters well behaved, our fraternal was quite sensitive in exposing the competitors to both or
religious and ethnic roots or dimensions. There
was a specially arranged prayer service at the
Pope John Paul II Cultural Center on Sunday with
hymns, Scriptural verses, a blessing with holy
water and distribution of Polish and American
flags to all participants. On Tuesday, buses trans-
Entertainment was provided by the South Hills
Junior Tamburitzans. This group of young girls and
boys performed Polish folk songs and dances.
(check website!!)
The Mistress of Ceremony, Druhna Nancy Marcuson-Capozoli introduced both John Kuzmirek
and National Director, District IV/Past National
President Wallace Zielinski. Each extended their
congratulations and good wishes with words of
praise and appreciation of Nest 118's history of
participation at both District IV and national levels. District IV Legion of Honor Commander representative, Ted Kokoski, was asked to join Druh
Kuzmirek and Druh Zielinski, along with druhny
Betty Kolano and Bernice Radzanowski, both
Gold Legion Holders for the 'presentation of
medals'. Nest 118 President Carol Ann Kuczma,
Nest 118 Treasurer Patti Mae Lawrence, District
IV President Christine Puskar, Charlotte Bartus
and Barbara Chervenak received their Gold Star
of Merit. Angelo Capozoli was elevated to the Silver Star and her daughter, Gina Capozoli, Nest
118 Recording-Secretary, received the Bronze
Star of Merit.
With many cameras witnessing the eventful
day, the many pictures and slideshow can be
found on the PFA Nest 118 webpage at www.polishfalcons.org/aboutus/nests/118.
Please take the time to enjoy 'our special day'
as much as we did!!
Each in attendance received a Polish Spa gift
favor to imbibe a drink of vodka, enjoy some Polish candy when using the Polish bath salts.
The next Nest 118 meeting is scheduled for
Monday January 10, at 7 p.m. at the Nest 8 location, our officers hope for new faces in attendance
at meetings, more support from our Members with
the fundraising efforts throughout 2011 and, as
always, the addition of new Members of any age
to our great nest! Make a resolution to sign-up
'someone special' soon!!
By the sixth day of this first month, Styczen, the
Catholic faith commemorates Twelfth Night--the
day the Three Wise Men honored the newborn
KING. Each gift, gold, frankincense and myrrh,
came to symbolize a unique page in the life of
Jesus. We, too, have the ability to give three
gifts of ourselves during this 'National Blood
Donors Month'. Be it whole blood, platelets or red
cell donations , our community hospitals always
have the need! Resolve to make time, schedule
an appointment to 'give the gift of life' at your
local blood bank just as many of Nest 118 Members do!
As midnight rings-in 2011, we, the Members and
Officers of PFA Nest 118, hope that all Polish Falcons around the world are blessed with happiness, good health and a prosperous New Year.
May God be with ur National Officers and office
staff each day; may their efforts make this a
greater and stronger fraternal. My family's personal heart-felt greetings go out to all the readers
this Sokol Polski. Let me hear about your special
resolutions and deeds done to help your communities, churches and nests at
[email protected] or call 412-481-0681.
I bid you peace and,as always, In God, we
trust
Czolem-Druhna Nancy Marcuson-Capozoli
PFA Nest 118 Vice-President
and Nest Correspondent
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 15
MEMBER NEWS
The Members of
District XIII met on
Saturday December
11, to celebrate our
annual Christmas
Wigilia dinner at
Nest 652 in Lansing, Michigan. Prior
to enjoying a traditional Christmas
dinner, the Members were busy with
numerous meetings. The Legion of
Honor Circle of District XIII started off
the deliberations
that morning, followed by the Ladies
Commission meeting and finally the District XIII meeting. After all of the discussions at these
meetings concluded, we began our Christmas lunch and celebration with a prayer, delivered
by District XIII President Bernard Wolny. The meal of fish, salad, broccoli and rice, herring,
noodles, and some truly delicious and decadent desserts was enjoyed by everyone along
with some Falcon camaraderie and conversations.
Many years ago in our District, Druh Edmund Pett began an elegant procedure to present
Legion of Honor awards at the awards banquets he attended. Because of the fact that everyone has come to appreciate this ceremony, Druh Dennis Zembrzuski continued this custom
by asking each member of the District to stand if they had received the Bronze Legion of
Honor. Then he asked that the Silver Legion of Honor members rise. Finally, the Gold Legion of Honor recipients were asked to stand and the audience was then asked to take note
of all the Members that were standing. Now it was time to honor District XIII President Druh
Bernard Wolny, by presenting him with the Gold Legion of Honor award for all of his years of
dedication to his Nest and to District XIII. He has been a very active Falcon member participating in events like the National Bowling tournaments, National Golf Tournaments, District
conventions, National conventions, Nest President, District President, and the numerous
other events in our district and on the national level. Druh Wolny was escorted to the podium
by Druhna Kathryn Borkowski and Druhna Janet Knauber, District XIII National Board of Director. Congratulations Bernie, you truly deserve this award and District XIII was honored to
be able to present it to you at our Christmas celebration.
Another tradition in District XIII is to ask our Members to bring some canned goods for the
local food bank to the Christmas dinner as well as a few gifts from each nest, to be used for a
raffle. The raffle raises some much needed funds for the Ladies Commission, so they may
carry on their support for various projects in the District and to continue to support the youth
of our District. A special thank you to all the District XIII Members, who participated in this
function and to Pat Krawczynski, President of Nest 652, and all of the Members of Nest 652,
for hosting this special occasion.
DISTRICT XIII WIGILIA
polish your
Polish
HEALTH
Prepared by the
Polish Falcons of America
NOTE: The accent is on the next to
the last syllable which is in bold.
Jestem diabetykiem - I am diabetic. [male]
(YEHS-tehm dyah-beh-TIH-kyem)
Jestem diabetyczką - I am diabetic. [female]
(YEHS-tehm dyah-beh-TICH-kohm)
Mam anemię (Mahm ah-NEH-myeh) - I have anemia
Mam astmę (Mahm AHS-tmeh) - I have asthma
Mam epilepsję (Mahm eh-pee-LEHP-syeh)
I have epilepsy.
Mam uczulenie skóry - I have a skin allergy
(Mahm uh-chuh-LEH-nyeh SKUH-rih)
Mam uczulenie ... I have an allergy to ...
(Mahm uh-chuh-LEH-nyeh ...)
antybiotyki (ahn-tih-byoh-TIH-kee) antibiotics
aspirynę (ahs-pee-RIH-neh) aspirin
kodeinę (koh-deh-EE-neh) codeine
penicylinę (peh-nee-tsih-LEE-neh) penicillin
pyłki kwiatowe pollen
(PIHW-kee kfyah-TOH-veh)
produkty mleczne dairy products
(proh-DUHK-tih MLECH-neh)
pszczoły (PSHCHO-wih) bees
In Loving Memory
Druhna Marcella Swieczkowski
Druhna Marcella (Zdzislawa) Swieczkowski, 83, of Leavenworth, Kansas, passed away Monday, September 6,
2010. Druhna Marcella was born January 31, 1927 in
Zamosc, Poland, the daughter of Jan Manderski and
Stanislawa Elzbieta Kolodziejczyk. On November 8,
1952, she married Waclaw Swieczkowski, he preceded
her in death on June 4, 1972. She was also preceded in
death by her son, Edmund, her sister Stefania and
brother Anthony. Survivors include her brother, Joseph
Manderski and wife Stella, daughter, Basia Cassella and
husband Robert , her son Andrew Zawalinski and four
grandchildren, Sarah, Erica, Florian and Michael.
Marcella was twelve years old at the time of the German
invasion and occupation of Poland. She was a displaced
person in Wildflecken, Germany after the war.
Druhna came to the United States in 1951. She lived in
New Jersey for 43 years and has been a resident of
Leavenworth for the past 16 years. She was a member
of the Polish Falcons of America, Nest 104, Newark, N.J.
She was a joy and a blessing to her family and friends.
Inturment was at Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery in
Doylestown, PA.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 16
MEMBER NEWS
Nest 318, Beaver Falls, PA
73rd National Bowling
Tournament Announced
Greeting Falcon Bowlers The 72nd Annual National Handicap Bowling tournament will be held on April 29th and 30,
2011 in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Because we have a large amount of lanes for the
Friday events and a lesser amount of lanes for the Saturday events everyone (yes, everyone!)
will be bowling team events at the same time. If we are lucky and get more teams then we
have lanes available I will do some rearranging and get everybody assigned to squads for the
Friday event. I think it will be interesting to have all of the teams bowling at one time. We will
be bowling Singles and Doubles on Saturday with squads at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
The 12:30 squad has a limited amount of lanes and entries will be scheduled on a first come
first serve basis. So, if you need to bowl in the second squad, get your entry in early.
On Thursday, December 2, Members of Nest 318
Beaver Falls, PA, held their annual Election of Officers.
Following the election, a reorganization meeting was
held. The new slate of Officers and volunteers are
happy to announce the hours that the club will be open
are as follows:
Tuesday-Saturday-6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sunday-Noon until 6:00 p.m. (unless the Steelers
are playing a later game, then will remain open).
Different menu items are available on designated days,
stop down and grab a bite. Say hello and get reacquainted with your club!
The new slate of Officers for 2011 is as follows:
President: Phyllis Phillips
Vice President: Theresa Stowe
Financial Secretary: Raymond Bobin
Treasurer: Fred Knight
Recording Secretary: Kimberly Belczyk
Physical Education Instructor: Timothy Wilfong
Entries will close on February 28, 2011. If I receive any entries postmarked after February 28,
2011 there will be an additional charge of $20 that will go to Nest 907 charity of choice.
Bowling Alley: Stardust Lanes - 37 E. Lorraine Ave, Addison, IL 60101
Hotel: DoubleTree Suites - 2111 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Phone: (630) 971-2000
Rate = $85 / night + tax with full breakfast included. Ask for "Polish Falcons" rate when
booking.
THE APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE ON LINE AT: http://www.polishfalcons.org/activities/bowling.html
Hope to see many bowlers at the tournament. As usual, if you have any questions please feel
free to contact me.
Druhna Janet Knauber
Bowling Manager
586-677-1007 home
586-933-3874 cell
Nest 972 Honors
Deceased Officer
Pictured above is Druh Gary Kluka, President of Nest 972
in Bay City, Michigan, with Druhna Rita Urban, wife of
recently deceased Officer, Joseph Urban. Druh Joe served
as the Nest's Entertainment Chairman for many years, and
was in charge of all the Club's special events, dances,
dinners and holiday parties. He devoted most of his free
time to the Nest and will be greatly be missed by all.
In recognition of Druh Joe's commitment to Nest 972,
the membership voted to rename the Nest's Lifetime
Achievement Award to the "Joseph Urban Lifetime
Dedication Award." This award is presented each year to
a Nest Member who excels in dedication and promotion
of the Club. Druh Joe received the award himself in 1986.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 17
MEMBER NEWS
Falcon
Fitness
by Greg Gushard
Healthy Resolutions
With January 1st right around the corner, many of us are looking to the new
year to bring change. Good change. A change of pace. A change of
scenery. There will be a lot of change within the Polish Falcons organization
during 2011. You can accompany that change by setting a resolution for
yourself. I’ve compiled a list of resolutions to think about for the new calendar year.
Spending More Time with Family and Friends
Over the holidays, we get to spend a lot of time with family and friends. And
many of us may end up ending our holiday dinners by saying to our comrades, “We should do this more often.” Well maybe it’s time to listen to that
inner voice and get out a little more. A key ingredient to a healthy lifestyle is
surrounding yourself with good people, whom you cherish and care about.
Maybe you’ve been spending a couple of extra hours at the office. Maybe
you’ve been ignoring old friendships, or simply haven’t had the time to enjoy
the company of others. That’s one thing that is never too late to change.
Work shouldn’t always come first.
Get In Shape
Many of you probably attended the Zlot a few months ago and saw how talented our young athletes are. Maybe you watched them from online. Well
it’s never too late to join them and start getting active. Start an exercise and
weight-training routine, and maybe you’ll find yourself participating in the always-enjoyable “adult” relays at the next Zlot.
Weight Loss
With obesity at an all time high in the U.S. maybe it’s time to hunker down
and shed those extra pounds. Coming out after the holidays and doing this
is no easy task. Let’s face it, we all indulge in cookies, candies, and delicious foods during the Christmas season. Weight loss is tricky, but it can
easily be accomplished with repetition. Get yourself motivated by talking
with friends. A strong support system is important.
Enjoy Yourself
Everyone’s lifestyle is hectic nowadays. Seemingly, we have to be everywhere at every time. Our Blackberries, iPhone’s and Droid’s are connected
to our hip, ready at a moment’s notice if the office calls, or if a deadline
needs to be met. Do you enjoy this fast-paced, stressful lifestyle? The answer is probably no, but there is little you can do about it. After all, your job
is on the line if you don’t answer that 7:30 a.m. call from the boss. Luckily,
we can counteract these stress reactions by filling our lives with activities.
Something as simple as an evening bike ride when it gets cold out, or a new
Nest 52 in Rochester, New York, takes the opportunity to share our Polish
culture with the community each year during Polish Heritage Month by donating books to a school or library. This year, President Gerry Wilson and
Second Vice-President Darryl Blaszynski presented their books to Nativity
Preparatory Academy, a Catholic middle school for boys and girls in the
city of Rochester. The children will now have a chance to learn about
Copernicus, Marie Curie and Pope John Paul II and the impact they have
had on the world.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
hobby, such as astronomy or fishing. Always make sure that you have a
stress reliever in your life.
Quit Smoking/Drinking
Both of these are very tough to accomplish, and, while a glass of wine with
dinner or a bottle of beer after a long hard day are not as bad as you may
think, consumption of massive quantities of alcohol will have it’s negative
affects later in life, if it hasn’t affected you currently. Smoking is another
thing to watch out for. Your lungs and heart do not need the horrible chemicals that are included in tobacco. There are many programs to help you quit
smoking these days, including medication, gum and patches. Going back to
what we said earlier, the most important thing in quitting smoking is a support system. With friends that don’t smoke, you’ll find yourself smoking less
and less if you make an effort to quit.
Learn Something New
One of the best things I did was pick up a self defense class last year, just
for the fun of it. I met a lot of great people, and learned a lot of great things
that I didn’t know before. You don’t have to take my word for it, explore local
classes for yourself. Yoga, self defense, art, computer, science, there is literally a community course for everything if you know where to look. One of
the most important aspects of this is meeting new and interesting people.
Break Bad Habits
In conjunction with smoking and drinking, we all have old habits and old
ways that just never seem to go away. An extra glass of wine after dinner,
with a cigarette to accompany it. Perhaps, an extra sandwich or a little bit of
extra meat on your lunch. Break these habits, and you’ll find yourself on the
fast track to healthier living.
In closing, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday. As we move
into 2011, be sure to check out the changes to the Polish Falcons webpagea.m.. Our focus will be on providing you, the Member, with a great online experience to help move you into the digital age.
On the beautiful and sunny morning of October 17th, Nest 79 Southgate, MI, Members took to the streets to run in the Detroit Free Press
Marathon. Team "Polish Falcons" ran as a five person relay team and
finished in about 4 hours. This epic run took place in the various
neighborhoods of Detroit along with a trip across the bridge to Windsor
Canada and back through the tunnel. Members of the team include
brothers John and Ron Pawlukiewicz and their sons, Scott, Michael
and David. Congratulations on a run well done!
JANUARY 2011 PAGE 18
MEMBER NEWS
Polish-American Genealogy
Paul S. Valasek
[email protected]
Trip of a Lifetime
-Transatlantic Migration
PART 4
Continued from last month’s issue of the Sokol Polski.
6. What was the voyage like?
Druhna
Mary Many people often ask, “What were the voyages like on board ships crossing the Atlantic
Koczela to America?” Well, much depends on what years these sailings took place, as well as to the
An essential publication
for Anyone interested in
the history of the Polish
Armed Forces, Particularly
the involvement of Polonia
and Polish-Americans
Fighting in the Allied Effort
In World War I.
Cost: $40
(includes $5.00 S/H)
Hallerʼs Polish
Army in France
Order from:
Dr. Paul S. Valasek, 2643 W. 51st Street
Chicago, IL 60632-1559 [email protected]
WHATʼS IN YOUR
(POLISH) NAME?
What does your Polish name mean?
Have you ever wondered what your Polish last name meant?
Andrzejczak, Stasiak and Jakubowicz started out as patronymic
nicknames to indicate who one’s father was and their. English
equivalents of Anderson, Stanson and Jameson. Other describe
someone’s native village: Wiśniewski from Wiśniewo/Cherryville
and Brzeziński from Brzeziny/Birchville.
For a custom-researched analysis of the meaning and derivation
of your last name, how many people share it, where they live and
whether a coat of arms goes with it (illustrations of the coats of
arms are provided), please airmail a $16 check or money order
(adding $10 for each additional surname) to:
Robert Strybel
ul. Kaniowska 24
01-529 Warsaw
Poland
You will also get a bonus contact sheet including links to
genealogical groups, professional researchers, Web sites and
data bases which many PolAm root-tracers have found helpful in
ancestral exploration. For more information on this, please email
Mr. Strybel at: [email protected].
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
type of ships used.
Let’s take some time to examine different possibilities.
When ships were powered by sail, (100% prior to 1819), they were fully dependent on the
nature of the wind. If the winds were favorable, the ship made excellent time and all was
good. If the weather was stormy or had no winds, the doldrums, the ship could easily be
blown off course by several hundred miles or even more than 1000 and many times, the
ships could be destroyed in hurricanes, nor’easters, or severe ice storms during winter. As a
result, travel during the winter months to North America was limited and not as popular as
when the seasons turned to spring and summer. For South American travel, and yes, Poles
did go to Brazil and Argentina but not to the degree as New York and Baltimore, the seasons
being opposite posed a different time frame or for equatorial passages, no difference as the
heat was always prevalent.
Regardless, the ship was always at the mercy of the weather. In 1819, the Savannah, an
America ship set sail from the US to England carrying a steam engine and paddlewheels, as
many lake or pond boats would possess. Before the advent of engines, there was no mechanical propulsion as sails were the driving force for the ship. Now with paddlewheels, a
more constant and even form of power came into being, though for many years, this form of
propulsion was in constant need of refinement and development as the engine on board the
Savannah was incapable of sailing the ship all the way to Europe under steam power. In
fact, the engine was only used for a number of hours, as the ship was not large enough to
carry the required fuel, wood or coal, to make the entire journey under steam. It has often
been said that to do this, the ship would have had to burn all furnishings and part of the
wooden ship itself for fuel. So sails played a major role aided by steam.
Further development of steam powered ships produced greater paddlewheels for propulsion. This form of driving force was excellent for small lakes, and some rivers, but for the
ocean and its turbulent waves, many a time the ship would be rolling with one paddle wheel
spinning uselessly in the air while its opposite member spun deep in the ocean water. For
this reason, the propeller became the favored mechanism for force.
With the use of manmade power, the shipping schedule could now become more predictable as no longer was it needed to wait for favorable weather. When the ship was full
and ready to go, off it went. Crossings took from weeks to months when under sails only and
unfortunately for many, never completed as ships fell victims to storms. Now with steam, the
Atlantic crossing could be made in the matter of about 2 weeks for most ships. Eventually at
its zenith, steamships could cross from England or France and arrive in New York in just
over 4 days.
As ships became larger, so did the need for propulsion. The added strength came from
using 2, 3 or even 4 propellers spinning and creating thrust through the water. Usually made
of bronze, these propellers could withstand tremendous wear and tear, but there was always
the possibility of breaking the connection between blade and shaft. If such an accident occurred, the ship was “dead” in the water and had to wait for help via other ships or if close
enough to port, tug boats.
Along with the advent of steam came the need for funnels to vent the heated excess
moisture created from the boilers. Thus, many ships can be categorized by size according to
how many funnels they had. The smallest ships would have 1, the largest would have 4.
There were only 14 four funneled ships built and 2 of the most famous were the Titanic and
Lusitania. Even though Titanic had 4 funnels, the 4th structure was only a dummy funnel
used for ventilation, but humans being human, it soon was decided by immigrants and travelers, the more funnels a ship had, the faster she was, thus the addition of Titanic’s 4th funnel.
Along with a functional purpose, the funnels were the ship companies’ billboards advertising their company colors. Each ship’s funnels were painted in the color scheme of the home
office and thus, a ship passing by could easily be identified simply by the colors of its funnels, much as we do with professional sporting teams today. I often look at the colors of the
Holland American Line and think of the Green Bay Packers, the colors – green, white and
yellow. For our readers in the Pittsburgh area, the White Star line used a golden cream and
black color scheme.
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 19
MEMBER NEWS
Nest 8 Greets Santa
Nest 208 Anniversary
continued from page 14
Kowarik, Altar Servers were Billy Kowarik and Lucas Stochmal. Following the Mass, a Champagne
Reception was held in the church hall. A large display of our history was set up by Druhna Kathleen Perez in the church hall, and another smaller one at Grassy Hill Lodge. Also contributing
some articles were Druh Kowalski and Druh Lenart.
Later in the afternoon, a banquet was held at Grassy Hill Lodge. It started with hot and cold appetizers followed by dinner. President Peter Lenart greeted everyone present and turned the program over to Toastmaster Druh Joseph Lenart. Accompanied by the band, everyone sang the
Polish and American Anthems. The Invocation was given by Fr. Roman. Dinner was then served,
and the choices were: prime rib, stuffed dhrimp or chicken cordon bleu.
After dinner, a short program continued. President Lenart presented to Fr. Roman a monetary
gift to the Parish Organ Fund in the name of all living and deceased Members. Also instead of giving a token to everyone, a donation in the name of everyone present was given to the Organ Fund.
A very short speaking program followed with remarks from District President Phil Zambrello and
the Main Speaker National President Tim Kuzma. Druhna Helen Wlodek introduced the Nest who
were present. They were Nests 36, 88, 519, 580 and 208 - Introduction of District Officers 1st
Vice-president Frania Tracz, 2nd Vice-President Jerry Kennedy, Treasurer Danny Michalak, Instructor Joe Choromanski, National 1st Vice-president Trish DeBusse, Former Mayor Marc Garofalo, and Former State Senator Eugene Skowronski. Also in attendance were 101 year young
Druhna Mae Rabovsky and Druhna Mary Mazur.
The highlight of the afternoon was the awards ceremony. Druh Kuzma read the diplomas and
Druhna Tracz pinned the awards. Receiving the Bronze Star of Merit were Druhna Terri Lenart
Wadsworth and Druh Robert Kowalski. Silver Star of Merit were Druhna Maryann Stochmal and
Druh Peter Lenart. Gold Star of Merit were Druhna Kathleen Perez, Druhna Dorothy Kopchik and
Druhna Sophiann Oliwa.
The Silver Legion of Honor was bestowed on the Nest Flag and to Druhna Eve Turaj. Gold Legion of Honor recipient was Druhna Bernice Lesnick.
The program concluded with the band playing our Falcon Hymn Ospaly i Gnusny followed by a
loud “Czolem.” Music for dancing and listening pleasure was provided by Dennis Polisky and The
Maestro's Men.
Nest 8, Pittsburgh PA, held their annual Children’s Christmas party on Sunday, December 5th. The kids showed up
with eager anticipation of a wonderful afternoon. They
were able to color, make a craft, get a temporary tattoo
and they even got to watch the holiday classic Rudolph the
Red Nosed Reindeer! With a buzz of excitement in the
air, the man of the hour, Santa Claus showed up! Making
sure each and every child received their gift along with a
bag of Hershey Kisses that has been a long time Nest 8
holiday tradition. The children sang Jingle Bells and finally
before Santa had to leave to get ready for Christmas, he
was able to break Oplatki with the children and wish them
all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Submitted by Druhna Stephanie Stroz
MOVING?
Don t forget to let us know. So that our records are up-todate and that the Sokol Polski is delivered to you without interruption, please use the form below when you are changing your
address. Also, if a member of your family (who is also a PFA
member) is moving, please use the same form.
Name____________________________________________
Nest No. _________________________________________
Old Address ______________________________________
New Address______________________________________
New Phone No.____________________________________
E-mail ___________________________________________
Please return completed form to Sokół Polski, 381 Mansfield
Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15220-2751. You can also let us
know of your address change by e-mail at [email protected].
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
Czolem,
Druhna Frania Tracz
Nest 208 Publicity
Nest 725
continued from page 11
ent (Audrey Fix); Miss Mistletoe – North Pole
Secretary (Chris Borek); Miss Icicle - North
Pole Building Manager (Breanne Hassman);
Miss Bright Star – Deaconess (Stephanie –
Parent); Miss Stargazer – Assistant to Mrs.
Claus (Deanne Hassman); Miss Holly Berry –
The Baker (Clarissa – Parent); Miss Snowbird – Stable Manager – (Alicia Hmielewski);
Miss Tooty Fruity – Recreational Organizer
(Sue Zareczny); Ms. Sweet Candy Cane –
Runs the Candy Factory (Lisa Wood); Ms.
Jingle Bells – Santa’s sister-in-law – (Jessa
Wood); Rudolph (Jacob Fix) & Mrs. Rudolph
(Alyssa Bielicki); Santa’s Head Elf (George
Wortz); Santa Claus (Steve Blicharz)
You really need to see all these costumed
characters in person to really appreciate the
full spectrum of colors and the quality of workmanship of all these costumes! Many thanks
also go to those who helped behind the
scenes. As I was very busy I just know I am
bound to miss some people, but thanks to the
parents and volunteers who, without their
help, it would be difficult to pull off such a
large production. Thanks go to Angela Fischer for her work in the kitchen and taking
photos, Instructress Shannon Borek for all her
work with the kids, Karen Urban for her help
serving food and drink, Loida Wood for costume help and hair, and many thanks to our
cast of characters who also helped out in any
area in which they were needed!
I would also like to humbly thank those
board members and officers who thought I
was worthy to receive the Nest 725 Falcon of
the Year Award.
After the program, one would think that
would be all for the year. Not here at Nest
725! Just two days later we held a Christmas
Craft and Gift Making Workshop! Shannon
Borek did a great job organizing and running
this workshop, with the help of George Wortz,
Chris Borek, Sue Zareczny, Karen Urban and
myself (well, I mostly took pictures, munched
on food and sweets). Sue’s daughters Bree
and Dee, were nice enough to also come and
do the bulk of the wrapping of the gifts as well
as helping out where needed. Alyssa and
Michelle also stopped by to chat and hang
out. It was an excellent turn out with 16 kids
participating: Anthony, Andru, Ana, Colin, Isaiah, Hailey, Jeremiah, Madelyn, Scout,
Marissa, Skylar, Anya, Cheyenne, Alexa,
Emily, and Jayna. It was really nice to see all
the kids working intently on a craft or gift for
the family they love!
Speaking of love and family, you will not
want to miss our upcoming articles for the
New Year! They will be sure to stir your emotions and perhaps remind you of your own
nests as we ponder the past, the present, and
the future in recognition of all the generations
of wonderful people who led the way and who
shall lead the way for Nest 725 in the years to
come!
Czolem,
Druh William Bielicki
(Webmaster Bill)
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 20
POL-AM NEWS
NEWS BRIEFS
FROM POLAND
New Science
Center
Thrills Visitors
Central Europe can
now boast its first ultramodern, multi-million
dollar science museum
in the Polish capital of
Warsaw, a city that
already draws tens of
thousands to Europe’s
biggest annual outdoor science fair.
After a spectacular, multi-media official opening on
November 5, thousands stood in line for hours to
visit the center over its debut weekend, with hundreds more turned away for lack of capacity.
The Copernicus Science Center is impressing its
first visitors with a robot theatre, hands-on laboratories and the promise of a state-of-the-art planetarium next year for star gazers. Director Robert
Firmhofer told reporters, “Our science center is the
largest and the first such modern facility east of
Berlin.”
The Center is named after Nicolas Copernicus
(1473-1543), the Polish-born Renaissance father of
modern astronomy, who first put the sun, rather than
the earth, at the center of the universe and who is
still regarded by Poland as its greatest scientific luminary.
The Copernicus Science Center was inspired by the
success of the annual “Science Picnic” presented in
Warsaw by public broadcaster Polish Radio. Starting as a humble affair that drew just a dozen institutions and 3,000 visitors in 1997, the “Picnic” has
since grown into Europe’s largest outdoor popular
science event, attracting displays from 20 countries
and over 100,000 curious visitors in one day.
Costing $131 million, the Copernicus Science Center was co-financed by the city of Warsaw and the
European Union. “The allocation of $68.7 million in
EU funding allowed the center to be built, and built
very rapidly,” Firmhofer said.
Construction of the 215,000 sq. ft. facility began just
two years ago. It is perched on the west bank of the
Vistula [Wisła] river, which cuts through Warsaw.
With a total 454 displays, its facilities include handson chemistry, physics and biology laboratories and a
novel theater where humanoid robots are the actors.
Another attraction where cutting-edge technology
joins the arts is Elektrobalt, a robot poet inspired by
a character created by another native son, the late
writer Stanislaw Lem, known for his sci-fi classics including Solaris.
Smoking Ban
Poland implemented a ban on
smoking in all public
places, including
hotels, pubs, clubs,
restaurants, sporting venues, workplaces, trains,
children's playgrounds and even in company cars,
as of November 15. However, the ban will not be
total. Owners of venues larger than 1,075 sq. ft. will
be able to set aside a separate room for smokers.
The room must have its own ventilation and must be
totally separate so that no smoke permeates into the
rest of the establishment. Moreover, smoking rooms
will be reserved for smoking only and food may not
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
be served in that area.
The reaction from bars and clubs to the ban have
been mixed. Most clubs and restaurants have chosen to forgo the expense of setting aside a smoking
area. But, the Warsaw student club, Indeks, put up a
sign that read “Indeks is against the ban on smoking
tobacco in bars.”
Individuals who choose to ignore the restrictions
could face a fine of $165, while businesses that fail
to comply with the new legislation may be fined up
to about $665.
Tea Time?
British trade unions have criticized the relocation of
its Twinings tea factory in North Shields, England, to
Poland, pointing out that it will mean 400 workers in
the UK will be made redundant. Britain’s The Daily
Telegraph reports that there will be two waves of
employees from Poland visiting North Shields to
familiarize themselves with operations there in the
near future. One trade unionist told the paper that
expecting workers who are about to lose their jobs
to train their replacements is like “rubbing salt into
the wounds.”
Easy forYou to Say...
A “comedian” drunk driver, who tried to give officers
a false name after crashing his car into a ditch, was
arrested on November 12. Marek Sornat of Ketrzyn
told police his name was in fact “Zenon
Brzeczyszczykiewicz” in an attempt to baffle them.
“Some Polish names are hard to pronounce, but
when he struggled to say his, we suspected he
might be lying,” said one of the officers. The man
now faces up to two years in prison.
HENRYK GORECKI, FAMOUS
POLISH COMPOSER DIES
As condolences poured in from far and wide
following the death in Katowice of Henryk
Mikolaj Gorecki on November 12, the EU
Commissioner for Education and Culture Andrulla Vassiliou was one of the many public
figures who has paid tribute to the famous
Polish composer. He had been ill for some
time. “Poland lost one of its greatest sons,
but his beautiful music will live on,” Vassiliou
said in a press statement.
Gorecki’s international reputation grew
through his work with orchestras such as the
London Sinfonietta and the Kronos Quartet,
in the years after he resigned his post as
professor of composition in Katowice, in
protest against the communist authorities’ refusal to welcome a visit by the Polish pope
John Paul II.
He had been regarded as a pioneer of
modernism in his own country, though later
adopted a more pared-down, minimalist style
and became noted for religious music.
The announcement of his death was made
by Polish Radio 2, which interrupted its
regular programming and continued with the
“Third Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,” the
work which made the composer famous
around the world in the early 1990s.
He was born in 1933 in Silesia, in south west
Poland, to two talented amateur musicians,
and first studied violin. He studied composition and then joined the staff of the state
academy of music in Katowice, where his
students regarded him as brilliant but
extremely demanding. When they asked him
what and how to write, he later recalled, his
reply invariably was: “If you can live without
music for two or three days, then don’t write
– it might be better to spend the time with a
girl or with a beer.”
In October, Gorecki received the Order of
the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state d
istinction. He is survived by his wife, Jadwiga, a pianist, and two children: a daughter
Anna, who has developed a successful career as a pianist and a son, Mikolaj, who is
also a composer.
Prepared and Distributed by the Polonia Media Network
PETITION DEMANDS STOPPING USE OF “POLISH CONCENTRATION CAMP”
The Kosciuszko Foundation (KF) has posted a petition on its website, demanding that the media
stop using historically erroneous terms “Polish concentration camps and Polish death camps to describe Auschwitz and other Nazi extermination camps built by the Germans during World War II.” It
has been sent to Polonia publications and news services, including the Polonia Media Network and
a great number of individuals. By November 11, 2010, Polish Independence Day, over 35,000 persons and organizations had signed. The petition reads as follows:
“WHEREAS the media uses the historically erroneous terms "Polish concentration camp" and "Polish death camp" to describe Auschwitz and other Nazi extermination camps built by the Germans
during World War II, which confuses impressionable and undereducated readers, leading them to
believe that the Holocaust was executed by Poland, rather than Nazi Germany,
“WHEREAS these phrases are Holocaust revisionism that desecrate the memories of six million
Jews from 27 countries who were murdered by Nazi Germany,
“WHEREAS Poland was the first country invaded by Germany, and the only country whose citizens
suffered the death penalty for rescuing Jews, yet never surrendered during six years of German occupation, even though one-sixth of its population was killed in the war, approximately half of which
was Christian,
“WHEREAS educated journalists must know these facts and not cross the libel threshold of malice
by using phrases such as "Polish concentration camps."
“BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the undersigned request that The New York Times, The Wall
Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Associated Press, include entries in their stylebooks
requiring news stories to be historically accurate, using the official name of all ‘German concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland,’ as UNESCO did in 2007 when it named the camp in
Auschwitz, ‘The Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (19401945).’”
To add your name to the petition visit http://www.thekf.org/events/news/petition.
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 21
FALCON YOUTH
My Trip to Poland
It seems that Drum Barry Pelosi has been
a busy young man all of his life. He has
been a Member of Polish Falcons Nest 6
Buffalo, New York, since the age of 2 months
old. Since that time, he has attended gym
classes, participated in volleyball tournaments, bowling tournaments, attended summer camps and competed in National Zlots.
In addition to recreational and sporting
events, Barry has always been a worker willing to help out in anyway that he could and
you can probably see him as a volunteer at
many functions in Polonia. He is a member
of the Polish Heritage Dancers of Western
New York where in participates in performances, parades, and festivals. Besides being
an excellent dancer, he volunteers to help
the group in other ways. He decorates the
float for parades, cooks and serves food at
Packi Day, and plays the king in the Christmas Pageant. His favorite holiday is Dyngus
Day where the dance group performs at
many celebrations in the area. He is a member of the Polish Arts Club Of Buffalo and
honorary member of the Pulaski Police
Association of Western New York.
Barry received the AmPol Eagle Citizen of
the Year in the Youth Category for 2009. He
is also a member of the Victorian Dance Society of the Amherst Museum and a re-enactor with the 49th Company B New York
Volunteer Infantry. Barry attended high
school at Cheektowaga Central where he
worked as a volunteer in many community projects, on the school stage
crew and on various athletic teams.
An outstanding scholar, the Young Falcon was enrolled in the Young
Scholar's Program at Clarkson University in the summer of 2009 and now is
attending Clarkson University to study aeronautical engineering. Druh
Barry, we are proud of you and of all of your many accomplishments. We
hope that you will to continue to develop your leadership skills for the benefit of the community and, hopefully, become a future leader in the Polish
Falcons of America!
Nest 6 Super Star
Catherine Kasianowicz, a Falcon
Member of Nest 6 in Buffalo, NY, since
2002, helped lead her Mount Mercy
Academy volleyball team to a fourth
place finish in the ten school Monsignor
Martin League. The senior class president and National Honors Society member was also named to the above
all-league team for the second consecutive season.
Catherine has been a three year starter for her Mount Mercy varsity volleyball team and will also play her third year of varsity softball this spring. She
will be graduating in June of 2011.
Attention Nest 42 Youth Members
Polish Falcon Nest 42 Auxiliary in Chicago Heights is proud to offer two
youth scholarships, in the spring of 2011, the Auxiliary will award (2) $500
scholarships for Nest 42 youth Members.
Applications will be accepted from February 1 - March 15, 2011. Requests
for application, the criteria, and/or questions can be direct to Emily Repking at
[email protected], or you may call Lorraine Kozlowski at
708-758-7340.
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
by Billy Kowarik, Nest 208
In this time of thankfulness, I want to talk about my trip to Poland and how
thankful I am that the Polish Falcons gave me this opportunity. My name is
Billy Kowarik. I’m fifteen years old and in my sophomore year at Notre
Dame High School in West Haven, Connecticut. I live in Derby, Ct and I’m a
member of Nest 208 and participate in gym class at Nest 36. This past summer, I was very lucky to attend a thirteen day tour of Poland. I was the only
one from my family going (though I’m not sure if that made me happy or
nervous). The plane to Poland was flying out of O’Hare in Chicago, so, on
Sunday, July 18, my father and I flew out of JFK in New York to O’Hare.
We got to O’Hare and we finally found the meeting spot. I was surprised
that there were about thirty kids going. We said good-bye to our parents and
we walked all the way to the other side of the airport and waited at the loading area of our plane to Warsaw, Poland. When we got on the plane, the
pilot told us that it was a nine and a half hour flight. I was only planning on
eight hours, but I didn’t mind that much. When we landed, I got my first
glimpse of Poland.
We landed in Poland on August 19 at 10:00 in the morning. We got on a
shuttle to the baggage claim and then we met one of our tour guides. She
spoke pretty good English for only having been learning it for three years.
She led us to the bus which took us to our castle in Pultusk where we would
be staying for most of the trip.
Day One: We exchanged names and found out where everyone in our
group lived and our birthdays. Two things surprised me: two girls lived in
Connecticut (like I do) and ten people had birthdays in February (like I do).
We wandered around the castle and just relaxed. Day Two: We had a gondola ride on the river in Pultusk that was fun and really beautiful. Day Three:
We went into town and exchanged some of money into zloty. One dollar
equaled three zloty. It was this day that I tried Polish ice cream. It was the
BEST ice cream I ever had. American ice cream is not as good and will
never be good enough for me again. After trying the ice cream, we went on
an hour long story of the area. At least I think it was about the area but I’m
not sure because the story was told in Polish and I don’t understand Polish.
Day Four: We went to Warsaw. First we went to a mall that was five stories
high. Then we went to a holocaust museum. The museum was really interesting and sad. We went back to Pultusk at the end of the day in Warsaw.
On Day Five we went to a local beach. All the guys in Poland wear
speedos at the beach and most small children go swimming naked. Luckily,
we didn’t have to wear speedos. Day Six: We went on a hike through Pultusk. Poland is so clean. No one ever throws garbage on the ground. But
the water tastes different than American drinking water. So, if you go to
Poland, be warned that the water does not taste good (at least it didn’t taste
good to me). Day Seven: We went to Torun. There I found out that you had
to pay to use the bathrooms. Then we went on a ferry boat and learned the
history of Torun. We went to a bakery that was supposed to be the best in
the world... or Poland, I don’t remember which it was. We made gingerbread
cookies that we weren’t supposed to eat…I ate it… they told us not to eat
them in Polish so I didn’t know. I guess they were just supposed to be decorations. The next morning I had a stomachache.
On Day Eight we hung out in Pultusk, playing in and around the castle.
Day Nine: We went to an indoor pool that had a lazy river, racing lanes, a
kiddy pool, a hot tub and a water slide. Day Ten: We went to our Lady of
Czestochowa. It was pretty cool to learn about the history of this landmark.
There were so many people going to visit the Church and the grounds and
the picture. They had a big ceremony where they uncovered the picture and
then covered it up again. Day Eleven: We went to the salt mines. I was so
excited because everyone had told me how awesome the salt mines were.
The salt mine was my favorite part of the whole trip. We went into the mines
where there are chapels and sculptures and scenes built out of salt. It was
amazing. Day Twelve: We toured Krakow and then walked around the city
ourselves and visited all the shops. Day Thirteen: We made it back to Warsaw and back home. It was a great trip!!!
Editor’s Note: Billy’s trip was coordinated by the Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation (PACCF) and subsidized by the Polish Falcons
and the PACCF.
JANUARY 2011 PAGE 22
POL-AM NEWS
A Polka Celebration
By Peter Danielczuk
Nest 36, Southwestern Conn.
January is National Polka Month. Please support your local DJ's and IJ's and try to attend a
Polka dance in your area. Spread the word to
friends that Polka music is great and good exercise.
The Texas Polka Music Museum recently held
it's grand opening to a large crowd, which also included many musicians and polka DJs. The museum is located at 625 North Main St. in historic
Downtown Schulenburg, Texas, which is at the intersection of I-10 and US 77. The museum is a
non-profit dedicated to preserving the history of
Texas Polka Music of European ancestry, namely
Czech, German and Polish. Histories and pictures of polka bands polka DJs and other memorabilia is on display in the museum. The museum
is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and special occasions. The
museum's phone number is 979-743-4752.
A Dance and Romance Weekend will be held
on February 11 and 12 at the Eagles Club, 1104
S. Oak Avenue, Marshfield, Wisconsin. On Friday
February 11, it is the great sounds of Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30
a.m. and on Saturday, February 12 it begins at
Noon and ends at Midnight. The bands on Saturday are Ampol-Aires, Twin Cities Soundz, Craig
Ebel DyVersaCo and Lenny Gomulka & Chicago
Push. It is sponsored by the Marshfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. Hotel packages are available. Go to www.visitmarshfieldwi.com or call
1-800-422-4541 for more information.
If you'd like to receive a catalogue of the late
great Frank Yankovic's tapes, CDs, videos and
sheet music, write to Ida Yankovic, P.O. Box 21,
Scottdale, PA 15683.
For the past holiday season, Chet Schafer and
Chicago Polkas released a new CD entitled "Hey
Koleda" by John Jaworski and the Polish Village
Musicians. It contains 14 Polish Carols (Old Forgotten Koledy). This is a great addition to you
Christmas and Koledy collection. Send $17 postpaid to Chet Schafer Productions. Box 410452,
Chicago, IL 60641.
The 50th anniversary of the Wurstfest in New
Braunfels, Texas drew record crowds of more
than 100,000 people. The largest crowd came on
Saturday November 6 with 22,454 who came to
hear Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra. The crowd
went wild and the rounding ovations throughout
his performances were deafening. Jimmy Sturr &
His Orchestra has been headlining this festival for
21 consecutive years. Next years festival will be
November 4 through November 13, 2011 and is
one of the largest festivals in the country.
Once again the Cheektowaga, NY Polish Festival Committee is proud to announce the live appearance of Pittsburgh, PA, Bud Hundenski and
His Corsairs Polish recording band at their 2011
festival. This marks an unprecedented first time
ever for any group to perform for three consecutive years. Polka bandleader Bud Hundenski was
born in Canonsburg, PA, also the birthplace of
Bobby Vinton and Perry Como, a schoolmate of
Bud's father. Thanks to Dad who bought Bud a
small used accordion in a pawnshop in Pittsburgh
and it was not long before young Bud was banging out tunes while listening to old Polka 78's on
SOKÓŁ POLSKI—POLISH FALCON
Dana Records. He was soon enrolled in private
music lessons and before long he was participating in solo amateur musical contests which resulted in first place awards and trophies. During
his Junior High School years, he formed a trio and
performed in many a local engagements. As a
17-year-old graduate, he was soon faced with a
major decision, which
had to be reached.
He had to either sign a
minor league contract
with the Philadelphia
Phillies or commit to
going on the road with
an eight-piece Pittsburgh based Polish
dance band. He
chose the latter that
resulted in touring the
eastern half of the
country and recording
for the next three years. After serving in the Marine Corps, he formed the Corsairs in 1967 utilizing many of his original compositions that he had
written over the past few years. The band first
recorded on a local label in 1969 but it wasn't until
1971 that the band's popularity would emerge on
the national level, with the recording of their first
album on the REX Label entitled "Polka That
Swing." During the 1970's, live guest appearances were made with the "Clown Prince of
Polkas", the legendary Walt Solek, who first
recorded with Bud's band in 1973 and again in
1978. In the 1980's he added another Polish vocalist Matt Wasielewski to his band and recorded
three albums with him. His latest recording, which
we told you about last month, features the vocals
of Eddie Biegaj. The reason why Bud's band has
remained on the polka circuit for more than four
decades is consistency. The band is comprised
of high quality musicians, the majority of which
have been together now, nearly the entire time.
Bel-Aire celebrates National Polka Month with
a Lucky Lottery Dance on Sunday January 30
with the music of Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones.
It will be held at the Gendora House 10225 S.
Harlem Avenue, Chicago Ridge, IL. Doors will
open at 1 p.m. with music from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30
p.m.. Admission is just $10 and everyone over 21
receives a free instant lottery ticket. Mary’s
kitchen will have a delicious menu available for
purchase. For more information call Bel-Aire at
708-594-5182.
The 6th Annual International Polka Association
Benefit Dance will be held at the Ludlow Polish
American Citizen's Club located at 355 East
Street, Ludlow, MA on Sunday, March 6, from 2 6 p.m. Music will be by Lenny Gomulka's
Chicago Push, Eddie Forman Orchestra and Dennis Polisky & The Maestro's Men. A special Big
Band musical tribute to IPA Hall of Fame Polka
Legend Gene Wisniewski and the music of his
Harmony Bells Orchestra will also be part of the
program. There will also be surprise celebrity
guests. Admission is $15 per person. Get your
tickets early, as this dance is usually a sell-out.
For tickets call Ed Szela at 413-567-1961 or
Freddy K at 908-707-1144.
The Polish American
Club of Hollywood, Florida will present Polka Dinner Dances at the Moose Club, 2907 St., Hollywood, FL beginning on Saturday, January 15 with
John Stevens & Double Shot. On Saturday, February 26 it will be Polka Family Band, on Saturday, March 12,, Duane Malinowski & Polka
Jamboree and finally on Saturday, April 2, John
Gora & The Gorale. Dinner is at 6 p.m. and dancing from 7 - 11 p.m. All are welcome and dinner
reservations are a must. Call Virginia at 954-9892385.
Mike Schneider is pleased to announce the release of Pint Size Polkas Volume Two: Dance the
entertaining and educational follow up to his
groundbreaking 2008 release. Dance! features
Uncle Mike and his Polka Band on 15 songs that
teach children about the alphabet, numbers, occupations, personal hygiene and manners, and encourages kids to get up and move to the happy
sounds of polka music. This CD includes polka
remakes of such children's classics as "Head,
Shoulders, Knees and Toes," and "If You're Happy
and You Know It," plus brand new originals. Each
track is aimed at educating kids on important concepts while entertaining the whole family through
Uncle Mike's happy polka beat. Since the release
of Volume One in 2008, Schneider has appeared
to discuss and perform his music on nearly twenty
major network TV affiliates in seven states, including ABC7 Chicago, schools and libraries in Illinois,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South
Dakota, and Wisconsin have hosted his Pint Size
Polkas program. In June 2011, Mike will travel to
Georgia for a two-week tour of the state's public libraries. For more information about "Pint Size
Polkas Volume Two: Dance” please visit
www.pintsizepolkas.com.
Nick "The White Eagle" Jablonski of the "Polish Freight" radio show in Cleveland recently
passed away after his courageous fight with Cancer. Jablonski spent 26 years and did approximately 1,400 shows.
Finally this month, I sadly report that Nellie
Guzevich (Mama Nelllie) of the Polka Family
Band, passed away on November 18, at the Pamona Valley Medical Center in Pamona, California. Originally from Perris, California, she was a
performer with the Grammy Nominated Polka
Family Band that she traveled throughout the
country. She was a great personal friend and will
be greatly missed. Nellie was preceded in death
by her husband Frank T Guzevich. She is survived by three sons, Fred, Hank and Greg and
their families, one daughter Alicia and her family.
She is also survived by 17 grandchildren, one
great grandson and three brothers and four sisters. Letter of condolence may be sent to Polka
Family Band, 24 Bridle Walk, Blommsburg, PA
17851. May her soul rest in peace.
Until next time, take care and God Bless. Remember, we are all one family, all one big polka
family. God Bless Poland and God Bless America!
Druh Peter
JANUARY 2011
PAGE 23
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