Summary Information
Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America. Council 8: Records
1920-1980
- Polish National Alliance of the United States of North America. Council 8
Milwaukee Mss 42
2.0 c.f. (1 record center carton, 1 flat box, and 1 oversize folder)
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Records of one of two Milwaukee councils of the Alliance, a fraternal and mutual benefit society for Americans of Polish ancestry. Council 8 was formed in 1905, composed of seven individual PNA lodges in the southern part of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Records include minutes of meetings (1921-1937 and 1952-1978); records of receipts and disbursements (1932-1972); a record of contributions to the Home Building Fund from the early 1920's; a record of receipts and disbursements of the Council's Alliance Home, purchased in 1942 for use as a meeting hall; and other records.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mil00042 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The Polish National Alliance of America (Zwiazek Narodowy Polski) had its origins at a meeting of Polish refugees and immigrants in Philadelphia on February 15, 1880. An organizational hierarchy of regional Districts, local Councils and individual Lodges was later formed throughout the United States. The PNA is a fraternal and mutual benefit society for Polish-Americans, selling insurance and providing sick benefits to members, conducting war relief efforts during World War II, and providing various educational, youth, and social programs for the Polish community.
Two PNA Councils were formed in Milwaukee, both of which were affiliated with District 14; Council 8 was organized in 1905, composed of seven individual lodges in the southern part of Milwaukee County, while Council 115 represented lodges in the northern area. The women's division was instituted in 1932. Through its history Council 8 members have been active in Red Cross and Polish War Relief work during the second World War, conducted youth group meetings and sports and social events, maintained adult sports teams and the Echo Choir, and participated in other activities. In 1942 the Council purchased its own “home” or “Dom Zwiazkowy,” the former Polonia Hall on West Burnham Street, for use as a meeting hall. The Alliance Home, as it was later named, also provided the Council with meeting and bar facilities to rent to other groups. The Home was sold late in 1980, although Council meetings continued to be held in the building.
Scope and Content Note
The records of Council 8 of the PNA have been gathered from three sources, in part reflecting the sale of the Alliance Home and dispersal of its furnishings. Both Records of Council 8 and Records of the Alliance Home of Council 8 are present in the collection, although neither series is complete.
Records of Council 8 consist of minutes of meetings, financial records, and a few programs. There are two volumes of handwritten and typed minutes of meetings, in Polish, 1921-1937; also included in the volumes are scattered financial records, correspondence, and newspaper clippings, which were pasted onto the pages of the volumes. A third volume records receipts and disbursements, 1932-1972, of the Council. Contributions to the Home Building Fund are listed in a separate volume, and date primarily from 1920 to 1922. Two folders in this series contain miscellaneous receipts of the Council and programs of Council meetings. The minute books and some of the printed programs were presented by Walenty Wozniak, and the financial records and other programs were presented by Ted Sobanski, who was elected Council president late in 1980, and to whom fell the responsibility of disposing of items remaining in the Alliance Home.
The Records of the Alliance Home of Council 8 were presented by its secretary, Darlene Zaren, with the inclusion of one volume of financial records from the donation of Sobanski. Alliance Home records include articles of incorporation and by-laws; typewritten minutes of board of directors meetings, with year-end financial summaries; fragmentary correspondence and other papers; financial and business correspondence, primarily concerning rental of Home facilities; insurance policies; stock certificates; and tax returns and records. Most of the records date from the 1970s.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Walenty Wozniak, by Ted Sobanski, and by the Alliance Home of Council 8, via Darlene Zaren, all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1980 and 1981. Accession Number: M81-174, M81-178, and M81-369
Processed by Menzi Behrnd-Klodt, September 1981.
Contents List
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Series: Records of Council 8
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Oversize Folder
1
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Charter, 1942
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Minutes of Meetings
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Box
1
Volume
1
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1921-1932
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Box
1
Volume
2
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1932-1937
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Box
2
Volume
3
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Financial Records, Receipts and Disbursements, 1932-1972
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Box
1
Volume
4
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Contributions to the Home Building Fund, 1920-1922
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Programs and Miscellany, 1970-1981
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Miscellaneous Receipts, 1971-1972
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Series: Records of the Alliance Home of Council 8
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, 1942-1956
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Correspondence and Other Papers, 1972-1975
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Box
2
Volume
5
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Financial Records, Receipts and Disbursements, 1947-1975
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Financial and Business Records and Correspondence, 1972-1978
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Insurance Policies, 1977-1979
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Minutes of Board of Directors Meetings
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Box
1
Folder
7
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1952-1970
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Box
1
Folder
8
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1971-1978
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Stock Certificates and Stubs, 1942-1972
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Box
1
Folder
10
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Tax Returns and Records, 1966-1976
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