2023 Convention, July 26 -29, Troy, MI
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of ACPC
by Barbara Lemecha, ACPC Director
The American Council for Polish Culture is the preeminent organization in America that promotes Polish culture, history, and traditions, and in 2023 year we celebrated the 75th Anniversary of our inception. The theme of the convention was: “Celebrating Our Rich Past – Looking to a Bright Future”.
President of the host organization Ryszard Tarnicki, Convention Master of Ceremonies Mark Szpak and Consul General of Poland in Chicago, Paweł Zyzak
To commemorate this event, a striking 4-color Convention Program Book of congratulatory letters and messages from many dignitaries, organizations, members, and Polish and American government officials, was an impressive recollection of our celebration as these Program Books are archived and preserved for future generations.
There were many memorable elements to this convention and to list the most notable, we visited the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, MI to pay homage to “Halerczycy”, the memorial honoring Polish-American World War I Veterans of General Józef Haller’s Blue Army, and we toured the beautiful grounds of the Orchard Lake Schools, a gem that is Polonia’s heritage where we were welcomed by Dr. John Radzilowski, Director of the Polish Institute of Culture and Research. Dr. Radzilowski proudly informed all the visitors of the amazing history and legacy of Orchard Lake.
It is an annual ritual that at every convention we are entertained with a concert by the winner of the Marcella Sembrich Vocal competition. Hence, we were charmed and inspired by the enormously talented Dorothy Gal with her angelic soprano voice, with Dr. Jarosław Gołembiowski at the piano, followed by an “afterglow.”
The convention opened on July 27 with welcome greetings by American Polish Cultural Society President, Richard Tarnicki, followed by the keynote speaker Dr. Paweł Zyzak, Consul General of Poland in Chicago, who in his speech was so very complimentary of the achievements of the organization and thanked all delegates for continuing the legacy of our predecessors.
Henrietta Nowakowski, Ray Glembocki, Celia Larkin and Cecilia Glembocki
First Prize Winner, soprano Dorothy Gal
Every year, we end the convention with the Awards Banquet, where we honor, celebrate, and recognize people of merit for their contributions to promoting Polish culture and traditions; and 2023 was no different where five awards were given out to highly deserving nominees.
2023 ACPC Awards were given to:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Henrietta Nowakowski
The Distinguished Service Award
Drs. Barbara and Waldemar Niklinski
The Cultural Service Award
Krzysztof Zimowski
Founders Award
Carol Surma
Brian Malski
