POLISH AMERICAN news April / May 2015 “P.K.M.” Celebrates Its Wesley Musial 2015 100th Anniversary Pulaski Parade Grand Marshal The Polish American Congress, On Saturday, May 16, 2015, the Polish Eastern PA District, is proud to Intercollegiate Club, better known by its announce that Wesley Musial will be the Polish initials, PKM, will celebrate its 100th Grand Marshal of the 2015 Pulaski Day anniversary at the Associated Polish Home Parade. Ballroom, 9150 Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia. Wesley Musial is serving his second term as the Censor of the Polish Our community has celebrated centennial anniversaries for many National Alliance, America’s largest Polish organizations and churches in the Delaware Valley in recent national fraternal organization, which years, institutions founded because of the difficult circumstances was founded in Philadelphia, PA in of the officially “stateless” Polish people at the dawn of the 20th February, 1880. He was selected by the century. Collectively, their mission was to nurture a Polish Polish American Congress in recognition heritage in exile, to teach the language and traditions of Poland of his many years of participation with and, in essence, to fill the cultural and spiritual void in the Polish the Polish American Congress, Eastern PA District, the Pulaski Day soul. Therefore, given the history of the origins of Polonia in the Parade in Philadelphia and supporter of organizations in Polonia. Philadelphia area, we cherish and admire the milestone of these great founding groups of our community that have maintained Wesley will lead the Pulaski Day Parade in Center City their existence for over 100 years. However one of the most difficult Philadelphia on Sunday, October 4, which is one of the many concepts to accept is the reality that the Polish Intercollegiate Club events in the Philadelphia area held in recognition of the National of Philadelphia, an organization known for its eternal youth and Celebration of Polish American Heritage Month. exuberance, has now also reached the centennial mark. For more information about Philadelphia’s Pulaski Day Parade, The concept of a Polish collegiate group in the Philadelphia area visit the front page of the PolishAmericanCongress.com or was actually born as early as 1903 with a group of 5 students from PulaskiDayParade.com. For additional information, you can call the the University of Pennsylvania. However it was not until 1915 Polish American Congress office at 215-739-3408. Email address: that a sustainable group could be formed when 12 students met [email protected]. in Port Richmond and founded what was to become the Polskie Once again, the officers and members of the Polish American Kolko Miedzykolegjalne or PKM. They joined with another group of Congress, Eastern PA District, along with the entire Polonia, offer students from the Thomas Jefferson Medical school, which had been their congratulations to Wesley Musial, Philadelphia’s 2015 Pulaski meeting for over a year. The purpose of the new group was to unite Day Parade Grand Marshal. college students of Polish descent for participation and support in social, intellectual and cultural activities. The group met in several locations around the city and even owned its own clubhouse before finally settling at the Associated Polish Home. In addition to participation in Polish community events, PKM was active in putting on plays, amateur nights and musicals and for many years published an informative and entertaining PKM Polish American Cultural Center gazette. The group was active in supporting charities and sponsored Museum Exhibit Hall grants for eligible students. Traditional activities included formation of competitive sports teams, hayrides, Christmas caroling, Wigilia 308 Walnut Street gatherings and the annual selection of Miss PKM. Featuring Polish History and Culture Today we think of PKM as primarily a folk dance group, a group Open 10 AM to 4 PM that has performed in an impressive list of venues all over the FREE ADMISSION country and in Poland, but is actually a more recent addition to PKM, historically speaking. PKM in today’s day and age continues January through April to be a positive, lively force in the Polish American community whose Monday to Friday members are upstanding and good spirited role models to the youth of Polonia. I am proud to have been associated with this group for May through December nearly 40 years and I wish the group another “Sto Lat”. On behalf of the organizing committee, I invite everyone to help celebrate our Polish American Monday to Saturday “first 100 years” on May 16th, 2015 at the Associated Polish Home. Cultural Center Gift Shop is Open During For more information, please contact Maryann at 267-679-0624, 308 Walnut Street [email protected], or call Diane at (856) 912-1393. Regular Exhibit Hall Hours Philadelphia, PA 19106 Dr. Stephen S. Skorczynski (215) 922-1700 The entire Polonia extends congratulations, best wishes and Closed on Holidays much success to PKM on its 100th Anniversary! Dwiescie Lat! See more about P.K.M.’s 100th Aniversary on Internet at: PolishAmericanCenter.com pages 8-9 of this newspaper. Let Everyone Know You're Polish American Congress Eastern Pennsylvania District Newsletter 308 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: (215) 739-3408 PolishAmericanCongress.com April / May 2015 Join the Polish American Congress Read the Polish American News Online at: Eastern Pennsylvania District PolishAmericanNews.com April / May 2015, Polish American News - Page 2 Museum’s Historic Refl ections Project “P.K.M.” Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary April / May The Polish American Cultural Center Museum in Historic Philadelphia presents Historic Refl ections from Polish and Polish American history on the Polish American Radio Program. The refl ections are organized in a daily format. Some of the dates may be the birthday or death date of a prominent person. Other dates may celebrate a milestone in a prominent person’s life such as a career promotion, invention date, or some accomplishment that contributed to science, medicine, sports, or entertainment history. Other dates may be an anniversary of a historical event in Polonia or Poland’s history. For your information, we have listed a brief outline of historic refl ections for the months of April and May. April 1, 1939 - Phil Niekro (Born) Phil Niekro was a proud Polish American and well-known pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was one of the most successful knuckleball pitchers of all time, with 318 career victories. Niekro was inducted P.K.M. Polish Folk Dancers, Polish Harvest Festival “Dozynki”. into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. April 2, 2005 - Blessed John Paul II (Died) Pope John Paul II, the beloved Cardinal of Krakow, Poland, was elected to be the shepherd of the Universal Catholic Church in October, 1978, and served as Pontiff until his death on April 2, 2005. During his 27 years as Holy Father, he was recognized as a true son of Poland and an international leader of faith and justice. He was beatifi ed on May 1, 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI. April 3, 1849 - Juliusz Slowacki (Died) Juliusz Slowacki was a poet and playwright who wrote “The Trilogy of Polish History”. Pope John Paul II quoted Juliusz Slowacki’s works on more than one occasion. Slowacki had an infl uence over other great Polish poets such as Krasinski, Norwid, and Ujejski. His ashes were laid to rest in the Royal Crypt in Wawel Castle. April 4, 1989 - Round Table Talks Ended The Round Table Talks took place in P.K.M. Polish Folk Dancers performance from 1963. Warsaw, Poland, between February 6th See more about P.K.M.’s 100th Aniversary on pages 8-9 and April 4th in 1989. As a result of the of this newspaper. Round Table Agreement, Solidarnosc became a legal political party, free elections would be scheduled and massive changes for the better began to take place in Poland. It was the beginning of the fall of Communism in central Europe. April 5, 1804 - Vincent Dziewanowski (Born) Vincent Dziewanowski was an American pioneer who established the city of Pulaski, Wisconsin. This was the beginning of many schools, bridges, roads and towns named after General Casimir Pulaski. April 6, 1953 - Janet Nowicki (Born) Janet Nowicki is well known by her stage name, Polish American Cultural Center Janet Lynn, a champion fi gure skater who won fi ve consecutive United States Women’s National Skating Museum Gift Shop Championships. Open During Regular Exhibit Hall Hours April 7, 1890 - Adam Styka (Born) For an order form, call the Gift Shop, Monday through Friday Adam Styka was a world renowned painter, born in between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. and a form will be mailed to you. Poland in 1890. Styka’s paintings of the Wild West are regarded by some critics as the best Western If you are on the Internet, there is an order form you can download. paintings ever painted by an artist. His religious Visit the Museum Gift Shop on the Internet at: paintings are located in churches in Europe and the United States. He is buried in the Alley of Merit PolishAmericanCenter.com at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa Items are shipped United Parcel Service or Priority Mail in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. April 8, 1909 - Helena Modjeska (Died) For more information call (215) 922-1700. All Major Credit Cards are accepted. Consider the Gift Shop Helena Modjeska was a Polish actress of international fame who immigrated to the United for that special gift for a family member or friend. States in 1876. She became a star of American stages for many years with her portrayals of Shakespearian characters. Modjeska was the mother of Ralph Modjeski, the builder of the Benjamin Franklin and Tacony Palmyra Bridges in Philadelphia and several others across America.