Notable Events Throughout Falcon History
1862: Founding of the Czech Falcons movement in Prague.
1865-1878: Forming of the early Czech Falcons groups in America.
1866-Feb. 7, 1867: Founding of Polish Falcons' Alliance in Lwow, in Austrian-ruled Poland.
March 9, 1879: First public performance of Polish Falcons gymnasts in Lwow.
August 17-19, 1884: Rally of Czech Falcons in Krakow, a major stimulus to the expansion of the Polish movement.
June 12, 1887: Founding meeting of the first Polish Falcons group on Chicago's near north side; Frank Stefanski is chosen as its first President and Felix Pietrowicz at its first Secretary.
August 12, 1888: Formation of Nest "number 1" of the Falcons on Chicago's south side; this second Nest is headed by Casimir Zychlinski.
June 5-6, 1892: First Polish Falcons' rally held in Lwow on the 25th anniversary of the birth of the movement. About 1,000 members take part in gymnastics exercises. The event pushed forward the formation of the Galican (Austrian) Alliance and led to the organizing of Falcons groups in the German and Russian ruled zones of the country.
October 7, 1893: The Falcons participate in massive Polish Day observances at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
January 7, 1894: Founding of the Polish Falcons Alliance in America at a meeting in Chicago of representatives of four Nests; Zychlinski becomes the first President.
May 1, 1894: State of Illinois formally approves the charter of the "Alliance of Polish Turners of the United States of America;" later charters are approved in 1914, 1924 and 1928, further defining and expanding the aims of the movement.
September 2, 1894: First rally or gymnastics meet (zlot) of the Polish Falcons Alliance in Chicago.
September 1, 1896: Appearance of the first issue of "Sokol," the publication of the Falcons; initially a monthly, it was edited by Stefan Barszczewski in Chicago.
May 1, 1899: Falcons take part in the preparing of a memorandum addressed to the President of the United States, William McKinley, in favor of Poland's independence prior to American participation in an international Peace Conference at the Hague called by the Tsar of Russia. On this same day was the formation of the first all-women's Falcons Nest, Number 100, located in Chicago.
July, 1899: Project of a "Confederation of Young Poland" proposed to link the Falcons, Singers and Young Men's Alliance with the Polish National Alliance (PNA). The project progresses to its high point in July of 1900 when delegates from the three youth organizations agree to form the confederation at the national convention of the Young Men's Alliance. The plan eventually fails.
July 1901: At the Falcons' fifth convention, South Bend, Ind., replaces Chicago as the national headquarters. G.W. Kalczynski, Editor of the South Bend newspaper Goniec Polski, becomes President.
July 2-5, 1905: At the Falcons' seventh convention, the delegates unanimously agree to join the Polish National Alliance as an autonomous department of the PNA; Sokol goes out of existence with the PNA promising to include a section on Falcons' activities in its weekly publication, Zgoda. Boleslas Zaleski of Chicago is elected President and the Falcons' national headquarters returns to the "Windy City."
January, 1906: The first public call is given for Falcons to organize military training exercises in addition to their traditional physical fitness and gymnastics programs; this action is a response within American Polonia to the widespread unrest throughout Poland following the outbreak of a spontaneous revolution against the Tsar in Russia.
September, 1906: First convention of dissidents in the "Union of Polish Falcons" in Northhampton, Conn., in opposition to the Falcons' merger into the PNA.
September, 1908: Arrival in the U.S. of Wlodzimierz Swiatkowski, a physical education instructor from the Galician Polish Falcons Alliance invited to America by the PNA-allied Falcons organization.
July, 1909: Split in the Flacons Alliance at its ninth convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Emil Elektorowicz is elected President of the "Free Falcons" at the dissidents' convention. The headquarters of the new movement and its newspaper, the Solol Polski, are established in New York. John Wleklinski is elected President of the PNA-allied Falcons.
May, 1910: First Congress of Polonia in Washington, D.C., following the dedication of monuments to Kosciuszko and Pulaski by President William H. Taft. PNA-allied Falcons leaders take part in the Congress along with delegates from partitioned Poland; the Congress is dominated by the nationalist and progressive elements of the organized Polish American community.
July, 1910: American Falcons take part in the 500th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Grunwald in Krakow; Zychlinski heads the American delegation. More than 10,000 uniformed Falcons rally for the event.
September-December, 1912: Process of reunification of the Falcons movement culminates at a special convention in December of 1912. Theophil Starzynski is elected President of the independent movement; the new headquarters is in Pittsburgh.
December, 1912: Immediately following the Falcons convention, delegates from the major Polonia organizations and the parishes unite to form the Polish National Defense Committee (KON), a patriotic independence-minded organization allied with the Polish national independence movement centered in Austrian-ruled Galicia.
September, 1913: 245 officers are trained under the Falcons' direction to lead a Polish American army to be organized for Polish freedom; enunciation of Czyn Zbrojny or "Military Action" as the first aim of the Falcons.
June 8, 1913: Collapse of Polonia unity in KON following the withdrawal of the conservatives; formation of the Polish National Council of America including the Catholic clergy and their fraternal allies such as the PRCUA.
November 11, 1913: Starzynski seeks President Woodrow Wilson's approval to create a separate Polish Army in America; this idea is ultimately rejected by the U.S. government.
July, 1914: World War I breaks out; Ignacy Paderewski and Henryk Sienkiewicz organize the Polish Relief Committee in Vevey, Switzerland.
September 1914: At the eleventh Falcons' convention in Buffalo, N.Y., more than 2,000 activists take part in military training exercises. A special Kosciuszko Fund is established to generate Falcons' support for humanitarian and military needs of Poland, as the organization withdraws from KON, Starzynski enunciates the policy of "Stac -- Czekac" -- Stand in Readiness and Wait.
October 2-12, 1914: Formation of the Polish Central Relief Committee in Chicago (PCKR); this organization becomes the central all-Polonia agency directing Polish American humanitarian (and later political efforts during the war.
January 1, 1916: Wilson declares the first "Polish Day" and urges popular support for charitable aid to war-ravaged Poland.
September, 1916: Formation of the Polish National Department (Wydzial Narodowy), originally a subcommittee on political action of the Polish Central Relief Committee. It gradually supercedes the PCKR as the major all-Polonia patriotic federation under the leadership of John Smulski and Paderewski.
November 5, 1916: Manifesto of the Two Emperors (of Germany and Austria-Hungary) in favor of a "Free" Polish kingdom united with them. The action is protested by most of Polonia.
January 22, 1917: President Wilson's first statement in favor of Poland's freedom.
April 3, 1917: At an extraordinary Flacons' convention in Pittsburgh, Paderewski appeals for the creation of a 100,000 man Kosciuszko Army composed of Polish Americans and fighting under Polish colors. The idea is eventually rejected by the American government. On April 6, Congress declares war.
June 4, 1917: The French government announces its approval of a Polish Army.
Fall, 1917: Formation of the Polish Military Commission in New York to direct the recruitment of selected American Poles for a separate Polish Army. The commission included Flacons' President Starzynski, Theodore Helinski and Alexander Znamiecki.
January 8, 1918: President Wilson's "Fourteen Points" justifying American involvement in the War and listing U.S. aims: Point 13 calls for an independent Poland.
February 12, 1918: Collapse of the pro-German Polish regency council in Warsaw. Polish American forces arriving in France; eventually more than 22,000 men will serve in Europe.
August, 1918: First Polish American Sejm or congress rallies in Detroit, Mich.
November 4, 1918: Polish Army in France formally recognized by the U.S. Secretary of War under the command of General Jozef Haller (1873-1960).
November 11, 1918: Pilsudski proclaims the new Polish republic in Warsaw as the War ends.
December, 1918: Starzynski resigns to enter the Polish Army in France and eventually sees service in Poland; Secretary Adam Plutnicki is chosen to succeed him.
1919-1921: Polish Army sees action in Poland; war breaks out between Poland and Soviet Russia culminating in Pilsudski's victory at Warsaw, gradual return of the army to the United States.
May, 1921: Founding convention of the Polish Army Veterans Association (SWAP) in Cleveland, Ohio.
September, 1922: At the 14th convention, Chief Instructor Pawlak calls for the reinvigorating of the physical fitness activities of the movement and plants the seed that will later become the Commandery of the Falcons Legion of Honor.
1924: A new central headquarters and printery are dedicated in Pittsburgh.
September, 1924: Starzynski elected President succeeding Roman Baczynski, who had followed
Plutnicki in 1922; Abczynski had favored the "Americanization" of the Falcons as a fraternal, social and youth organization.
December, 1924: Treasurer J.J. Kalka proposes a life insurance program for the Falcons organization.
April, 1925: First congress, in Detroit, of the Polish Welfare Council in America (PROSA). This federation replaces the Wydzial Narodowy and is primarily concerned with domestic problems facing Polonia, rather than Poland. The Falcons participate in PROSA, which proves to be relatively ineffective, however.
July 31, 1925: Landing of the first Falcon-sponsored visit to Poland, at Gdynia. Four hundred people make the trip.
1925-1928: Adoption of an insurance program following an extraordinary convention held in Detroit (November of 1925). At the organization's regular convention in Erie, Pa. (September of 1926), a new official name is approved, the Polish Falcons of America, for the purpose of winning approval from state authorities to sell life insurance. This approval, in the form of a charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is given on March 30, 1928.
At the Detroit convention, the Falcons establish the Commandery of the Legion of Honor (kapitula legii honorowej) to recognize the past heroism of Falcons to the cause of Poland's independence and their service to Polonia. Romuald Ostrowski is chosen to be the first Grand Master of the Commandery, which continues to the present time. Its members include longtime Falcons and Polonia activists.
At the end of December, Chief Instructor Pawlak resigns and is replaced by Gustav Pieprzny of Chicago. Pieprzny continues in that office with one short break until his death in 1970.
October 11, 1929: Celebration of the first Pulaski Day by an act approved by Congress and President Herbert Hoover.
1930: Former President Calvin Coolidge and his wife attend the 19th convention in Toledo, Ohio; "Silent Cal" praises the work of the Falcons.
Establishment of the Falcons women's division in every District within the national organization under the leadership of Vice President Korpanty. These division of Sokolice (or Falconettes) go on to play major roles in the athletic, cultural, charitable and social activities of the movement.
Summer, 1931: More than 400 Falcons travel to Poland for the annual visit to the old homeland, this despite the impact of the Depression on the economy.
1933: Deaths of John Chrzanowski, second President of the Falcons, and Emil Elektorowicz, President of the Free Falcons between 1909 and 1912 and one of the promoters of Czyn Zbrojny.
1934: Dedication of the new national headquarters in Pittsburgh at 97-99 South 18th St. The building had been purchased from Nest 8 in 1930 and been extensively renovated. It served as the national home office of the Polish Falcons of America until 1984. The building is a State Historical site in recognition of Paderewski's speech to the Falcons in April of 1917 where he called for the formation of a Polish army to fight on the side of the Western Allies in support of Poland's independence.
Polonia's participation at the Second World Congress of Poles from Abroad in Warsaw (August); the American delegation declines to join. Falcons' delegate Stanislas Osada dies in route to the meeting; M.J. Wasilewski succeeds him as Editor of the Sokol Polski and continues in that capacity until 1979. The Falcons leadership opposes American Polonia's position on membership in Swiatpol.
October 1, 1936: Starzynski calls for creation of a special "Fundusz Obrony Narodowej" to raise American money in support of the military equipment needs of Poland, threatened by Nazi Germany.
1937: Twentieth anniversary of the formation of the Polish American Army prompts Polonia ceremonies in recognition of the efforts for Polish independence; active participation by Flacons in these matters, including an effort to honor various Falcons with military promotions from Poland for their services; e.g., Lt. Col. Starzynski is proposed for "Marshal" of the Polish American Army.
The first-ever National Falcons Bowling Tournament is held in Auburn, N.Y. Although only seven members participated, attendance quickly grew over the years, and by the tenth Tournament in Muskegon, Mich., there were 215 participants.
June 23-26, 1938: First Polish American "Olympics" under Falcons' leadership held in Pittsburgh.
August 19, 1939: Thousands of people gather at the Polish pavilion at the New York World's Fair to express their solidarity for Poland, despite a driving rain storm; Falcons lead the rally.
September 1, 1939: German invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II; Soviet forces enter the country from the East on September 17 and Poland is partitioned.
May 24-25, 1941: Starzynski speech at national meeting of Rada Polonii in Washington, D.C., in which he calls for creation of a new Polish American Army, to be organized in Canada. Efforts fail and following the U.S. entry into the conflict, the Canadian camp is closed in April of 1942; only 722 volunteers enlisted in all.
June 29, 1941: Death of Paderewski; the burial is at Arlington Cemetery. Paderewski, despite his advanced age, had played a part in the activities of the Polish government established in France, which was later moved to London and headed by General Wladyslaw Sikorski.
July, 1941: Falcons participate in forming of Pulaski Foundation to propagandize Poland's cause in America.
1944: Forming of the Polish American Congress in Buffalo (May). This political action federation is committed to working for an independent postwar Poland. Starzynski is elected a national Vice President and five of the top P.A.C. officers have Falcons' ties. Despite its efforts, Poland falls under Soviet-sponsored Communist rule in 1945.
At ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Polish Falcons Alliance at the organizations 23rd national convention in Pittsburgh, a highlight is the appearance of the organizations very first Secretary General, Leon Nowak and the last surviving officer from 1894 (August).
Falcons surpass $1 million for the first time (November).
July, 1948: Membership drive over the previous four years brings in 6,000 new members; a new headquarters for the Falcons is proposed at a cost of $250,000.
At the Falcons 19th Zlot in Hamtramck, Mich., swimming, basketball, tennis, ping pong, volleyball and golf are played along with traditional track, field and gymnastics events.
1949: Death of Grand Master Ostrowski; he is succeeded by Michael Milonski of St. Louis, Mo.
June 9, 1952: Death of President Starzynski; he headed the Falcons for 34 years. At the 25th convention of the Falcons a month later, he is succeeded by Treasurer Walter J. Laska.
July, 1952: The 25th Falcons convention approves new maximum life insurance limits of $5,000, replacing the old limit of $2,000 that was available without an examination. The first dividends are paid to insured members. Arthur Waldo is commissioned to write the first full history of the organization.
1953: First instructors courses organized in Middletown, Conn., and Jackson, Mich.
August, 1955: First Falcons' excursion to Miami, Fla., a popular event in the organization for several years.
July, 1956: At the 26th convention in Buffalo, several improvements in the insurance program of the Falcons are adopted including an increase in the commissions earned by Nest secretaries. President Laska calls for an end to the admitting of non-insured or "social" members. A revitalizing of the athletic and sports programs of the organization is approved.
March 16, 1957: Death of Vice President Maria Korpanty, an activist in the Falcons from 1914 and Vice President from 1925; she also served as acting President of the Falcons following Starzynski's death until the 25th convention. She was chiefly responsible for directing recruitment. Following Korpanty's death, the office of Woman's Vice President is left vacant until the 1960 convention, when it is filled by Genevieve Hartman.
A major recruitment drive in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Falcons yields 1,757 new members and new insurance sales totaling $1.2 million.
September 29, 1957: In Jamestown, Va., the Falcons sponsor a commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the first permanent English colony in what was to become the United States. A plaque in honor of the first Poles to honor of the first Poles to settle in the Jamestown colony in 1608 is dedicated.
1959: Death of Grand Master Milonski; he is succeeded by Henry Kolakowski of Meriden, Conn. In
1968, Edwin Kalczynski of South Bend, Ind., becomes Grand Master, followed in 1976 by Zygmunt Gonglewski of Meriden.
1958-1960: Bernard Rogalski, President of Nest 336, Jackson, Mich., is recognized as the Falcons' "champion sponsor" for having personally recruited 232 insured members into the movement. He is elected Vice President in 1960.
In April of 1960 the Falcons National Headquarters in Pittsburgh is recognized as a State Historical site; later that year, Falcons celebrate the appearance of a U.S. postage stamp honoring Ignacy Paderewski as a "Champion of Liberty."
1961: A new Falcons uniform is approved in line with the resolutions that carried at the 1960 convention in Newark, N.J. The new uniform is more modern and resembles the cut of American military dress outfits of the day.
1962: Mary Malinowski, James Sopata and Joanne Zielski were awarded the first scholarships in memory of former National President Dr. Theophil Starzynski in the amount of $250 each. Initially, these scholarships were awarded to college students specializing in the physical education field. This scholarship fund was set up after Starzynski's death through donations and continues on to this day.
On the occasion of the Falcon's 75th anniversary, the organization opens its museum in the Pittsburgh home office under the direction of Sokol Polski Editor Wasilewski.
February, 1965: U.S. government issues a special stamp on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Falcons movement in America. In ceremonies in Washington, D.C., attended by representatives of the Polish Falcons of America, Post Master General John Gronouski is the main speaker.
1967: At the Falcons' 80th anniversary celebrations, baseball great Stan "The Man" Musial is honored with a life membership in the organization. Musial participated in Falcons athletic programs as a youngster in Pennsylvania.
July, 1968: At the Falcons convention in New Haven, Conn., President Laska announces that membership in the organization is the highest in history, with 28,449 belonging to the movement, with 24,819 as insured participants. At the convention, an annual golf tournament is approved to go along with the popular yearly bowling competitions and the folk dance, sports and athletic meets sponsored by the organization.
November 11, 1970: Death of Chief Instructor Gustav Pieprzny, head of the athletic and physical training programs for many years and a hero in the Polish Army, which fought in France and Poland between 1918-1920.
1972: One of the most successful bowling tourneys sponsored by the Falcons is held in Toledo; 227 teams participate.
July, 1976: At the 31st Falcons convention in New Britain, Conn., Genevieve Hartman retires after having served 16 years as national Vice President. Prior to that, Hartman had been a national director for more than 20 years. She is succeeded by Leona Kozlowska and in 1984 by Charotte Sikora Trella.
At the 1976 convention, Harriet Bielanska of Chicago becomes the first woman to serve as permanent chairman of the conclave. Bielanska went on to chair the 1980 and 1984 conventions as well.
May 20, 1979: Death of Editor Mieczyslaw Wasilewski after 45 years in that post. During his tenure, the Sokol Polski remained a heavily Polish language newspaper and became a bi-weekly 1954 instead of a weekly. Wasilewski was interested in the development of the Falcons Museum and assisted in the publishing of several volumes of the Falcons' history undertaken initially by Arthur Waldo.
July, 1980: Bernard Rogalski succeeds Walter Laska as President, winning over Alphonse Makowski and Joseph Dolegowski in a lively contest. Laska had previously announced his decision to retire, having completed 28 years in the presidency preceded by 19 years as Treasurer. Laska passed away on May 22, 1984.
July, 1984: President Rogalski reported the assets of the Falcons as amounting to $13,167,655 on
January 1, 1984, with 27,776 insured and 1,952 non-insured members. During the previous four years, total assets of the Polish Falcons of America had grown by 20 percent and the fraternal had achieved an A+ rating.
May 25, 1985: The new national headquarters of the Polish Falcons is dedicated. The building, located at 615 Iron City Drive, is in the Green Tree district just outside of Pittsburgh.
1989: The Polish Falcons begins issuing Annuities.
1989: The Polish Falcons of America Fraternalist of the Year Award program began with the first-ever Falcon Fraternalist of the Year being Mary Jo Wojton of Nest 159, Ford City, Pa. A total of 26 members were nominated for that year's Award.
1990: The PFA Walking Program is established.
1992: Insurance records/system is completely computerized and direct billing begins.
1995: In support of the building of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, the Falcons began a fundraising drive to help provide funds for this structure. Ground-breaking for the John Paul II Center began in October of 1997. The Polish Falcons of America is named as a Center trustee.
1997: The first-ever Pietrowicz Awards are sent to Nests. The Pietrowicz Award is for any Nest that attains its yearly goal for signing up new members.
1999: The first Richard C. Gorecki Outstanding Scholar Grant is awarded to Matthew Baker of Nest 247, Donora, Pa. Four other grants are awarded yearly for specific fields of study with funds donated by the estate of Druh Gorecki.
2004: Marian Wesolowski retires after 24 years as National Physical Education Director. |
