The President's Letter

May is a special month with much to commemorate -- Poland's May Third, 1791 Constitution, regarded as the first in Europe and the second oldest modern constitution in the world. Also in May, we honor Mary, our spiritual Mother, Queen of Poland, and our own Mothers, who gave us life and are the keepers of our rich Polish culture heritage. And as of May 1, we are now able to call our beloved Karol Wojtyla, Blessed John Paul II.

Before too long, I'm sure we'll be calling him Saint! And, if you haven't yet seen the documentary film, Nine Days that Changed the World, be sure to do so. Produced by Newt and Callista Gingrich in cooperation with Citizens United, the film recounts John Paul II's historic nine-day pilgrimage to Poland in June, 1979, and why this visit was the turning point for defeating Communism in Eastern Europe. This year, 2011, marks the 100th anniversary of Maria Sklodowska-Curie's Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 90th anniversary of her first U.S. visit.

She discovered two new elements: polonium (named in honor of her homeland, Poland) and radium; was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes -- in Physics and Chemistry; was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize; the only woman thus far to have won the Nobel in two different fields; was the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne; created the theory of radioactivity; she also coined the term.

Marie never patented her radium-isolated process so that the scientific community could perform unhindered research. And while our mission is to foster an interest in our rich cultural heritage and to showcase the talents and accomplishments of Poles and Polish Americans, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Polish American Congress leadership role in seeking support of visa waiver legislation. Our united efforts can bring about positive results. Go to the Polish American Congress website: www.pac1944.org to answer the appeal of the Polish American Congress.

And speaking of websites, check out our website: www.polishcultureacpc.org

There's a wealth of information included there -- new and ongoing projects, board meetings, our upcoming annual convention in Cleveland, and five lesson plans: the Polish Experience at Jamestown; Pulaski and Kosciuszko; Perspectives on Fear; Nine Days that Changed the World; and Linking Cultures and Enriching Lives. And, ACPC now has a page on Facebook, thanks to Director, Ilona Frederick.

Check it out and spread the word. Finally, thank you all for your warm congratulatory messages on my inauguration as Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I couldn't have done it without you and the American Council for Polish Culture!

Debbie M. Majka