The AWPL conference and honoured strongmen of “Wileńszczyzna”

The annual conference of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania took place on 30th January in the House of Polish Culture in Vilnius. Its main part was the ceremony of honouring the seniors – parties’ leaders.

Before the ceremony Wanda Krawczonok, the chairman of the Vilnius Division of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AWPL) [Polish: Akcja Wyborcza Polaków na Litwie; translator’s note] and a member of the Lithuanian Parliament, recounted the story of how the list had been created and introduced the people gathered to the criteria of selecting the activists specified by the party’s General Council.

“Drawing up of this list was quite a task, as deserved people constitute a huge number. On a meeting of the party’s Council the criteria were established. First, we decided to honour the leaders, so people who were leaders within the AWPL framework; I mean General Council and executive committee members, as well as people who occupied managerial positions in local governments. The next important criterion was the thing that those people have been with us to this day – that they have not left us in difficult moments and have stuck to our unity. And as we know that part of the deserved people is still occupying positions or working within our framework, we decided that they will be included in the list later,” Wanda Krawczonok said.

Valdemar Tomaševski, the party chairman, gave the deserved activists thanksgiving diplomas, flowers, and gifts in person.

The diplomas granted to the deserved in the realm of Polishness read as follows:

“Work is a man’s moral obligation both towards God
and people; both towards one’s family
and towards one’s nation – the society to which one belongs…”
(St. John Paul II)

“Following the words of our Great Compatriot, we would like to express our gratitude for the personal work involvement of many years within the AWPL framework for the good of the “Wileńszczyzna” [a territory that once was part of the Republic of Poland and is still inhabited by Poles among others; translator’s note] inhabitants.

“You belong to the generation that got consciously engaged in the Poles’ national rebirth in Lithuania, thus taking on the responsibility for our mutual fate here. Today, looking back at the hardships and obstacles that we overcame together, we can be glad with all the things we managed to achieve and do it with clear satisfaction. We owe it to your earnest and devoted, sometimes actually unappreciated, work involvement, as well as very hard and important effort for the mutual benefit.

“Thank you for your all-important understanding, which reflects in the social engagement for the benefit of the Wileńszczyzna inhabitants; for the sacrificial commitment of your own time and energy to the region; and for the active attitude and hard work, which will still serve as an example to the young generation.

“Expressing this great gratitude, we wish you and your families endless health, cheerfulness, and joy with the feeling of a rightly fulfilled duty towards the Motherland –Vilnius land!”

THE LIST OF THE HONOURED IN THE ŠALČININKAI REGION

1. Antropik Michał – a long-standing elder of Pabarė in the Vilnius region
2. Bocewicz Józef – a long-standing elder of Kalesninkai
3. Borkowski Henryk – a Presidium member of the AWPL Šalčininkai Region Division, a long-standing chairman of the club in Kalesninkai
4. Jankiełajć Wacław – a long-standing elder of Dainava and Presidium member of the AWPL Šalčininkai Region Division
5. Jankowski Antoni Edward – a long-standing head of the education department in the Šalčininkai-region local government
6. Jankowski Edward – a long-standing elder of Butrimonys in the Šalčininkai region
7. Lewkowicz Stanisław – a member of the AWPL-founding initiative group, a former councillor of the Šalčininkai-region local government
8. Szyłka Wojciech – a long-standing councillor of the Šalčininkai-region local government and vice-chairman of the AWPL club in Butrimonys
9. Wasilewska Maria Danuta – a long-standing elder of Jašiūnai in the Šalčininkai region
10. Więckiewicz Piotr – a long-standing councillor of the Šalčininkai-region local government, a former member of the AWPL General Council and Division Presidium
11. Witukiewicz Stanisław – a member of the AWPL-founding initiative group, a former member of the AWPL General Council
12. Zdończyk Franc – a long-standing councillor of the Šalčininkai-region local government

THE LIST OF THE HONOURED IN THE VILNIUS REGION

1. Aleksandrowicz Mirosław – a long-standing elder of Kalvelių in the Vilnius region
2. Auziak Anatolij – a former councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
3. Awłosewicz Bernard – a long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
4. Charyton Edward – a long-standing control-service inspector of the Vilnius-region local government
5. Giedwidź Jan – a former elder of Zujūnų in the Vilnius region
6. Kisielowa Halina – a former long-standing member of the AWPL General Council, a long-standing chairman of the AWPL club in Lavoriškių, and a Presidium member of the Vilnius Region Division
7. Kotwicka Anna – a long-standing elder of Riešės and former councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
8. Kozak Antoni – the AWPL co-founder in the Vilnius region
9. Krasowski Jan – a long-standing elder of Lavoriškių
10. Kułakowski Tadeusz – a long-standing elder of Rudaminos
11. Leonowicz Lech – a long-standing councillor and chairman of the rural development committee in the Vilnius-region Council
12. Matukanskienė Teresa – a long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
13. Moroz Halina – a long-standing head of the general department in the local government of the Vilnius region and former vice-director of administration
14. Paramonowa Teresa – a former mayor and long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
15. Pietkiewicz Tadeusz – a long-standing elder of Mickūnai in the Vilnius region
16. Sapkiewicz Leonarda – a long-standing elder of Rukainių and councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
17. Sieniuć Teresa – a former elder of Kalvelių in the Vilnius region and a long-standing chairman of the AWPL club
18. Stankiewicz Stefania – a long-standing head of the social-care department of the Vilnius region
19. Śnieżko Anastazy – a former elder of Zujūnų in the Vilnius region
20. Świetlikowski Stefan – a long-standing head of the Vilnius-region local government, the author of the AWPL Statute project for the party’s Founding Conference

THE LIST OF THE HONOURED IN THE TRAKAI REGION, VILNIUS, AND THE ŠVENČIONYS REGION

1. Adamowicz Marian Józef – a former member of the AWPL General Council, a long-standing councillor in the Trakai-region local government
2. Jankowski Henryk – a member of the AWPL-founding initiative group, a long-standing member of the AWPL General Council and councillor in the Trakai-region local government, a long-standing head of the Division
3. Jasiulewicz Kazimierz – a long-standing elder in Senųjų Trakų and Presidium member of the AWPL Trakai Division
4. Kondratowicz Janina – a long-standing councillor in the Trakai-region local government
5. Jemeljanow Walery – a former councillor in the Švenčionys-region local government, a long-standing Presidium member of the AWPL Division
6. Mongin Nela – a long-standing Presidium member of the AWPL Vilnius City Division and chairman of the Znicz club
7. Sobieski Daniel – a long-standing Presidium member of the AWPL Vilnius City Division and chairman of the club in Zaścianek
8. Stankiewicz Kazimiera – a long-standing secretary and Presidium member of the AWPL Vilnius City Division

The memory of the leaders who have already passed away

Some of the Polish community leaders have already passed away, and so their families had been invited for the celebration. Several hundred people gathered in the hall of the House of Polish Culture and with one-minute silence honoured those who had steadfastly continued the fight for Polishness but already passed on to eternal life.

Relatives of the departed received diplomas from Valdemar Tomaševski, the AWPL chairman, which read as follows:

“…our heritage is great, but it is hard as well.
We have to discover it again and again, deepen it and live it,
transfer it to those who come and will come after us.”
(St. John Paul II)

“With these words of thanks we would like to express our greatest respect and gratitude to the family members for their personal contribution to the mutual act, which is with the benefit for the Poles’ national rebirth in Lithuania; and for many years of involvement in the social work aiming at the good of the “Wileńszczyzna” inhabitants.

“The merits of the late leaders will stay in our memory forever as an expression of their active attitude and responsibility. Let the earnest and hard work, to which he/she committed his/her time, energy, and health, serve as an example for new generation – as a noble model of fulfilling the patriotic duty! May their memory be honoured!”

THE LIST OF THE HONOURED LATE LEADERS

1. Boroszko Stanisław – a long-standing elder of Medininkai in the Vilnius region
2. Charyton Kazimierz – a long-standing member of the AWPL General Council and Vilnius City Division Presidium, and chairman of the Calvary Club
3. Dawlidowicz Stanisław– a member of the AWPL-founding initiative group and Šalčininkai-region Division Presidium
4. Ejlak Wincenty – a long-standing chairman of the club in Medžiukai and Presidium member of the AWPL Širvintų Region Division
5. Jankowicz Wiesław – a long-standing chairman of the Nowoświecki club and Presidium member of the AWPL Vilnius City Division
6. Jan Jankowski – a long-standing director of administration in the Vilnius-region local government
7. Jusewicz Eustach – a long-standing Presidium member of the AWPL Trakai Region Division and chairman of the club in Solkienniki
8. Kabelis Konstanty Dionizy – a long-standing chairman of the committee on agriculture in the Council of the Vilnius-region local government
9. Kowalewska Jadwiga – a long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
10. Lachowicz Jadwiga – the co-founder of AWPL in the Vilnius region
11. Lachowicz Zygmund – a long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government
12. Mikonis Stanisław – one of the AWPL co-founders in the Šalčininkai region, the author of the AWPL Family Reunion anthem
13. Rakowski Antoni – a long-standing member of the AWPL General Council
14. Sadowik Stanisława – a former council leader of the Kalvelių eldership
15. Sasimowicz Józef – a long-standing member of the AWPL General Council, the founder and a long-standing head of the Švenčionių Region Division
16. Szabłowski Stanisław – a long-standing elder of Lavoriškių
17. Trombaczyk Witold – a member of the AWPL-founding initiative group , elder, and long-standing chairman of the club in Paluknys
18. Wasilewska Janina – the co-founder of the AWPL club in Dieveniškės

Teresa Paramonowa, the deputy mayor and a long-standing councillor of the Vilnius-region local government, thanked on behalf of the honoured for such a nice and cordial gesture. She proclaimed that despite their age, the honourable leaders were still willing to bring help and undertake activity when needed.