ACPC Fall 2013 Board Meeting - St. Louis, MO

by: Peter J. Obst

Opening the meeting (l. to r.): Tom Payne (2nd Vice-president), Mary Ellen Tyszka (1st Vice-president), Camille Kopielski (President),
Marcia Lewandowski (Recording Secretary), Greg Biestek (Treasurer)

During the weekend of Nov. 8-9 the ACPC Board met in suburban St. Louis at the Hilton Frontenac Hotel.

Several important decisions were announced. The Spring Board meeting is scheduled to take place in Savannah, GA (see separate article) Feb. 28-Mar. 1, and the ACPC convention will take place in Buffalo, NY (see information elsewhere in this issue). The board viewed a presentation about the National History Day Competition for grammar and high school students narrated by Debbie Majka with a view to have the ACPC encourage the participants to use events from Polish and Polish-American history. This is already happening to some extent as last year's student projects included the Solidarity Movement and Polish immigrant participation in early US Labor Union activity. Another presentation referenced the work of Barbara Myszynska who is proceeding with her documentary about bridge builder Ralph Modjeski. A contribution was approved in support of this important film project. Incidentally Ms. Myszynska and here film crew was in Washington DC on January 27th doing research and gathering audio visual materials at the Smithsonian Museum of American history which has an extensive Modjeski archive.

Final preparations were concluded for the National Conference for the Social Studies (NCSS) that took place in St. Louis on Nov. 22-23. Cecilia and Raymond Glembocki were assisted by Honorary Consul of Philadelphia, Debbie Majka and the Honorable Edward and Mrs. Brzezinski of the St. Louis chapter affiliate of ACPC (see sepatate report).

Grants of $500 were awarded to the American Institute of Polish Culture of Tampa Bay, FL for The Wall Speaks project and to the Polish Heritage Club of Syracuse, NY to organize an archive of historical documents at the local Polish Home.

On Saturday evening, our hosts, the Polish American Cultural Society of Metro St. Louis, held their annual Polonez Ball at the Sunset Hills Country Club. Present at the ball was the Consul of the Republic of Poland from Chicago Paulina Kapuscinska with her husband. Two groups performed, the Alexander Ballet with an excerpt from Coppelia, and and the Lajkonik Folk Dancers with a repertory of traditional Polish dance.

Our thanks to The Polish American Cultural Society of St. Louis and Robert J. Szydlowki, president, for hosting the Board Meeting.