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 Current newsletter

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FOR FEBRUARY  2009

 

    Phone: 602-275-9329

We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization,

all donations are tax deductible

 

 

 

  

Remember, food is served at all our dances.

Please note:  bands, dances, times, etc. are subject to change.

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*President s Corner*

 

Dear Fellow Members and Friends,

 

January was a busy month for our club as we had four functions including our, now traditional, New Year’s Day Polka Jam Party and potluck on January 1st. We had a great turnout and everyone had a great time to the music of The Varitones, Sam Pecorilla, John Filipczak and many more, who took their turns on the stage.  That’s like having three or four bands at one event.

Well, February is going to be no less exciting as we are having a dance on Feb. 8th, Feb. 15th – our Valentines Dance and than the last weekend of February, we are again having our Big Polka Weekend with Jerry Darlak and the Buffalo Touch. 

This will be another three day extravaganza, starting off on Friday night with Meet-n-Greet for the band members and followed by a dance on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

We had a great turnout for this event in 2008, and hope to get even more folks come and join us for this year’s Buffalo Touch visit to our club.

This event is, again, sponsored by our own Polka Godfather, Eugene Swick from California. Thank You Gene!

Of course, all this will be happening after the Superbowl game, on February 1st, with our own Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Congratulations to the Cardinals, who are making their first ever appearance in the Superbowl Game. Who knows, we could be having a Superbowl Championship Parade, through the streets of Phoenix, during the first week of February?

David Bonczkiewicz, our Board of Directors Chairman is planning a Superbowl Raffle for 2010, when we will have a drawing for a big screen TV. Raffle tickets will be only $5.00 and will be available all year at our bar so please plan on buying a ticket at least once a month and get lucky and win a 42”, high definition television.

Let’s all come out and support our club and have lots of fun while enjoying the variety of bands and food we have to offer.

Your President, Casimir Kosinski

 

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*OFFICERS 2009-10*

PRESIDENT:                     Casimir Kosinski      623-487-9821

1st Vice President:          Chez Falkowski        480-892-0737

2nd Vice President:         Halina Kosinski        623-487-9821

Sergeant At Arms:           Norm Fritchie            623-974-4435

Recording Secretary:      Princess Bonczkiewicz    480-380-8887

Financial Secretary:        Dennis Pachura        480-802-0775

Treasurer:                         Mary Kiselus             602-526-7321

 

*BOARD OF DIRECTORS*

CHAIRMAN: David Bonczkiewicz     480-380-8887, ends 12/31/10

Bruno Klus                               602-558-2626, ends 12/31/12

Frank Kanios                           480-423-9480, ends 12/31/09

Bob Keith                                 602-510-7435, ends 12/31/10

          Frank Tomaszkowicz               480-539-1995, ends 12/31/10

 

 

*TRUSTEES*

Shane Prosser                                480-814-9240, ends 12/31/10

Paul Chojnacki                                480-961-4180, ends 12/31/09

Henrietta Nemecek                          602-955-5509, ends 12/31/11

 

*COMMITTEES*

Publicity:                                 Paul Chojnacki      480-961-4180

Sunshine:                                Shirley Sztuk         480-964-8275

Entertainment:         Chair       Halina Kosinski      623-487-9821

                                                Rose Pachura       480-802-0775

                                                Rose Offerman      480-373-9910

*NEWSLETTER*

 

Editor/Publisher:  Chez Falkowski   480-892-0737, 

                                 E-Mail:  chezf@yahoo.com

 

*WEB SITE*

Original Web-Designer:Sylvia Kosinski  beatnikcrab@google.com

                         

Webmaster:                            Casimir Kosinski 623-487-9821

                                          

E-Mail Pulaski Club: PulaskiClubAZ@yahoo.com

 

www.PulaskiClubAZ.org

 

Pulaski Club Phone: 602-275-9329

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1st VICE PRESIDENT - Chez Falkowski:

  I would like to welcome Nanyelith Valenzuela, the new member of our Club. Nanyelith, I hope you will enjoy our Club. We have a few people who have been formally approved for the membership but have not taken an oath yet. We are planning the swear-in during the membership meeting on March 8, 2009, at 12:30pm.

   I appreciate your comments regarding this newsletter and my writing related to the Polish history and culture. Sometimes I am uneasy about distortions in all kind of publications. If you like Tom Cruise you probably saw his movie “Valkyrie”. Well, I like him too but I am not buying the “Resistance” by Germans during WWII. In my humble opinion the more appropriate term would be “Dissent”. Its members were aristocrats who despised the Fuehrer. They only discussed the possibility of removing Hitler and signing a separate peace treaty with the Western Allies and continuation of the war on the eastern front and that is what they conveyed to the British intelligence resident in Switzerland. They also wanted to keep part of Czechoslovakia and Poland as German spoils of war. It is a little known fact that Goering and Himmler made such attempts as well. Only Claus von Stauffenberg really did something. Unfortunately the coup was poorly conceived and executed as result Hitler survived and all involved parties and their families were butchered. Nevertheless, in those days it took a lot of personal courage even to discuss such ideas with friends.

  If we apply such definition of resistance to Poland under the communist rule in 1950s then there was a huge “resistance” of about 10 million people or so. I can hardly call “the resistance” just the hatred of the communism.

   Lately I read the book “Black Propaganda in the Second World War” by Stanley Newcourt-Nowodworski (ISBN# 07509 4207 X). It is based on facts and wide research. It is available in Polish as well. It makes some interesting points. Here are some of them. Allied “black propaganda” radio played American jazz and gave some comments in German dialects. It was very popular between Vehrmacht soldiers. About 30% of German civil population listened regularly to the BBC programs in defiance of orders by the Berlin authorities. Unfortunately they were so “politically correct” that they did not dare to discuss the BBC information even with a family.  It seems that Goebbels invented the expression “the terror fliers” to describe the allied airmen bombing the 3rd Reich. The Polish “Action N” was the most successful in the black propaganda. It was conducted under the occupation. In the peak of its secret activity “Action N” conducted action every two weeks. Here is an example of action - one weekend they sent 100,000 anonymous, false reports about anti-German activities on relatively loyal Germans. Gestapo dutifully investigated every report thus clogging their office time and undermining the trust in the government. And the funny thing is that the top Nazi echelon thought Poles were too inferior to conceive and conduct such actions.

TREASURER - Mary Kiselus

I am pleased to report that at yearend 2008 we were able to pay off all our remodeling expenses.  This will give us a fresh start for 2009 as we have a need for other necessary improvements as Case stated in the January newsletter.  In month of November 2008 our income totaled $12276.97, expenses of $8927.94 or a profit of $3349.03.  Month of December income totaled $8751.20, with high expense figure due to the remodeling payments totaled $11177.55 for loss of $2426.35.  See you all at the club at our February events and Thank You for your support.

SUNSHINE COMMITTEE - Shirley Sztuk:

On behalf of the Club I sent “get well” card to Albert Tomasik on December 16, 2008 and to Jan Gacek on January 21, 2009. Please, remember them in your prayers.

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Nickelcity Dave's

  News and Notes

 

 

 

BARTENDERS WANTED:  A schedule is posted inside the bar area. If interested ask the bartenders to sign you up we still have some openings. Or call me, and I’ll e-mail you a schedule.

David @ (602) 741-8214  (nickelcity_dave@yahoo.com).

 

RENT THE HALL:  The Pulaski Club is available for all your social events. Basic rental price is $1,200.00; this includes a 6 hr. rental, cleaning, $200 (refundable) damage deposit. In addition, we offer full bar service, a house “DJ” service (Nickelcity Dave), security, kitchen, and a list of available caterers. Call to reserve the HALL for your special event. (602) 275-9329.  For Polish language call Frank at 480-209-8525

 

Pulaski Club is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. 

All donations are tax deductible.

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2009 ACTIVITIES

 

NOTE: Band and times are subject to change without notice.

 

Special announcements

·        Polish Wedding Customs -  Dinner/Dance will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2009 At Country Club 25601 N. Sun Lakes Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ 85248;  5:00 – 5:30 pm cocktails  / cash bar; 6:00 pm Dinner / Polish Food Buffet; Music & dancing 6:30 – 10:30 pm; Admission $25 per person; Contact Rose & Dennis Pachura for tickets 480-802-0775; Proceeds after expenses go to the Phoenix Children Hospital.

 

·        Polish entertainer Stan Borys will perform on Saturday, March 7, 2009 in the Pulaski Club; 6:30 cocktails  / cash bar;   7:30 pm performance; admission $20 per person; tickets at the entrance; more information in the next month newsletter and fliers in the Polish business; Stan’s home-page: www.stanborys.com

 

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February  8,  Sunday:

Dance – Sam’s Variety Gems  2-6pm

 

February 15, Sunday: 

“Valentine Day” Dance – Sylvia, Carl & Dick  2-6pm.

 

February 27, Friday:

“Meet & Greet” – Jerry Darlak & The Buffalo Touch

with DJ “Nickelcity Dave”  6pm

 

 

 

SPECIAL EVENT

February 28, Saturday:

Dance - Jerry Darlak & The Buffalo Touch  

6-10pm (door open @5pm, $10 admission)

 

March 1, Sunday:

Dance - Jerry Darlak & The Buffalo Touch  

1-5pm (door open @12pm, $10 admission)

 

April 4,  Saturday:  Easter Dinner & Dance

Dinner 1-2pm, Dance - Varitones  2-6pm

 

April 13, Monday: Dyngus Day Polka Dance, 

Varitones 5-9pm,  kitchen open 6pm

 

April 26, Sunday: “April in  Paris” Dance, 

Dinner 1pm, John Smolz  2-6pm

 

May 3, Sunday: Polish Constitution Day,

       Buffet Dinner 1pm, Dance – Varitones 3-7pm

 

 

 

 

 

Midwife at Auschwitz (part 1 of 2)

By Matthew M. Anger (Spero News, Friday, December 05, 2008)

The Story of Stanisława Leszczyńska
If anything can be said of accusations against the Catholic Church in World War II it is that they are as predictable as they are monotonous. Far more interesting (and revealing) is the heroism of thousands of ordinary Catholics who suffered and died at the hands of Hitler's reign of terror. The martyrdom of St. Maximillian Kolbe, who was put to death at the Auschwitz concentration camp, is well known. But such courage was not unique, as the revealed in the remarkable history of Stanisława Leszczyńska. The following is an abridged version of a study by Polish historian prof. Maciej Giertych which provides some inkling of the horrors which Polish Catholics, and other Catholics throughout Europe, underwent during the Second World War. Sadly, such accounts — though they are numerous — are generally disregarded by modern academia and the media.


Slave Factories for the Reich
Auschwitz had all sorts of facilities, such as sleeping quarters, offices, kitchens and latrines. It also had a "sick ward" where, in atrocious conditions, sick prisoners were looked after by physicians who were prisoners themselves. Anyone who appeared unlikely to get well was killed. Thus the physicians were constantly concealing serious cases by falsifying records to permit a longer stay to those who otherwise would have been sent to the crematorium. Almost all survivors of Auschwitz suffered from typhoid, a disease that qualified inmates for liquidation, but was never reported thanks to the courage of the physicians. They were risking their lives since the punishment for breaking any rule in the concentration camp was death. Auschwitz also had a "maternity-ward." Many of the women who arrived at the camp were pregnant. They were needed for work; their babies were not. One of the midwives working in the ward was Stanisława Leszczyńska.


Stanisława's Life
Born Stanisława Zambrzyska in 1896, she married Bronisław Leszczyński in 1916 and together they had two sons and a daughter. In 1922, she graduated from a school for midwives and began working in the poorest districts of Lodz. In pre-war Poland, babies were normally delivered at home. Stanisława made herself available at any time, walking many kilometers to the homes of the women she helped. Her children recall that she often worked nights but she never slept during the day.
   After the war, she returned to her job in Lodz. Her husband had been killed in the Warsaw uprising of 1944, but all of her children survived and, inspired by their mother's example, went on to become physicians. Stanisława supported their education, earning the family livelihood through a devoted service to childbirth.
   In March 1957, as her retirement neared, a reception was organized to commemorate her 35 years in the profession. Her son, Dr. Bronisław Leszczyński, remarked to her before the reception that she might be asked about Auschwitz. Until that time, she had said nothing about her work in the concentration camp. Her son began taking notes and later, during the reception when all the speeches were over, he stood up and told his mother's story. What follows is taken from Maternal Love of Life: Texts About Stanisława Leszczyńska, edited by Bishop Bejz, 1988.

 

The second part of this story will appear in our March issue.

 

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THE END

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