Good morning, Officers, Board Members, Delegates and Guests.

 It is an honor to be allowed to speak before you, but you also know that as Polish Museum of America President, there will be emphasis on the PRCUA and PMA partnership in this presentation, which I promise will be brief.

 First, I would again like to thank those delegates who were able to attend Saturday evening’s reception at the PRCUA and the PMA. It was our pleasure to have you in the PMA sections, especially the beautifully renovated Paderewski Room; we hope you sensed our pride and enthusiasm.

 The Polish Museum of America owes its existence to the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, an existence that remains a great source of pride to both institutions. Our amazing Archives are filled with photos and documents of this historical, successful relationship. We can never thank the PRCUA enough for founding the PMA, for expanding the space of the PMA as artifacts were acquired, and for today’s continuation of the PMA residing within your Home Office. There is not one day that gratitude to the PRCUA is not expressed in some way, whether to visitors or among the staff and volunteers. The PMA has a PRCUA Society, our Director, Jan Lorys, and Head Librarian Malgorzata Kot, continue to be Convention delegates, and staff and volunteers are manning the PMA Hospitality Room, which I encourage you to visit (# 704). Just as many PMA staff, volunteers and members are also PRCUA members, so is the PMA grateful that the PRCUA, several societies, and PRCUA members are PMA members at every level. PRCUA employees volunteer their time to PMA events and workshops, and PMA employees and volunteers support PRCUA events.

 PMA Archivist, Halina Misterka, found documents in Polish which recorded the words of then-PRCUA President Joseph Pranica, In a presentation to the delegates at the 49th Quadrennial Convention in 1966, he and the Museum Committee presented five points which they had drafted: 1.)  They reaffirmed PRCUA support of the PMA.  2.) The PRCUA has a special obligation to the PMA. 3.) Documents of all Polonian organizations in the US should be housed at the PMA. 4.) The PRCUA must take the lead in maintaining an independent PMA for all of Polonia and the world. The PMA is to remain a center of  studies, culture, and  art of the Polish past in America, continuing the vision of the first PMA Curator, Mieczyslaw Heiman,. 5.) The PMA always is to be considered and included in any future PRCUA plans.

 Please know that the PMA Board, staff, and volunteers understand the reasoning behind the suspension of the annual $100,000 subsidy to the PMA. The uncertain economic times demand that the PRCUA’s first responsibility is to its membership . But also please know how much this generous subsidy meant to us.  For one month in every quarter, we were confident that the salaries of the full and part time employees would be paid, as would be the medical and dental benefits of the full time employees, thus allowing funds to be placed toward other important areas. Please also know that our dedicated staff, which works for low salaries, but has high devotion, is proficient in each area of designated responsibility, and is daily called upon to answer inquiries of callers and visitors from the US and all over the world. In the almost 6 years of my PMA presidency, I continue to marvel at the face that we present to the world. Our increased membership appeal (which the majority of our staff devoted free time to), assistance from the Polish Senate Committee for Poles Abroad, Wspolnota Polska, support from the Polish Consulate in Chicago, estate gifts, and donations have somewhat helped to fill the loss of the PRCUA subsidy, for which we are very grateful; yet, it is not enough as to when your kind support was in effect.

 Several projects and programs founded by PRCUA First Lady and PMA volunteer , Joann Ozog, to whom we are grateful, remain in place, and new programs, outreaches, and approaches have been instituted. All this contributes to our staying power, and we are  committed to remaining as strong as we can in these uncertain times. It is a matter of the importance of Poland and Polonia’s rich history and culture, and the pride in helping to retain the documents and artifacts of the same.

On behalf of the PMA Board, staff, volunteers, I wish your successful deliberations, decisions, and elections, and most especially to us, discussion on the future of the historical partnership of the PRCUA and the PMA, and PRCUA support of  the PMA. Thank you so very much!

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