Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum's Marjorie Mierzejewski Named NFCA Fraternalist of the Year Bayonne resident recognized for volunteer efforts with top fraternalist award by the NFCA.
09/06/08
OAK BROOK, IL – The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) announced that Marjorie Mierzejewski, a member of the Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, Versatility Council #2501, from Bayonne, New Jersey, is the 2008 Fraternalist of the Year. Mierzejewski was recognized at the Celebration of Fraternalism luncheon at the 122nd NFCA Annual Meeting, September 4-6, in Washington, D.C.
“Marjorie epitomizes the high level of volunteerism that our members perform in their communities, without fanfare and with great humility,” said NFCA President and CEO Joseph Annotti. "Marjorie's humble response to being honored for the huge impact she has had on her neighborhood, church and school, shows that community involvement is truly a way of life for our members." The national award is given annually to recognize the nation’s top volunteer among the almost 10 million members affiliated with the NFCA’s member-societies. The award goes to a fraternal benefit society member who has provided outstanding volunteer service in his/her community and excellent leadership in his/her local chapter throughout the past year. Mierzejewski received a commemorative trophy and a $1,000 donation to the charity of her choice.
This year, Mierzejewski has elected to donate her award, to a foundation established by the Altar Society of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church for the creation of an outdoor shrine honoring Pope John Paul II.
"Marjorie volunteers willingly and through her untiring good deeds, countless people, near and far, have been helped by her kindness and benevolence," said Cynthia Macon, Fraternal Director, Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum. "Marjorie is a wonderful fraternalist, compassionate humanitarian, and friend to all who meet her."
In 1989, Mierzejewski graduated with high honors from Rutgers University while working full-time with the FBI. There, she was a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society and Vice President of the Student Government, coordinating student activities with the dean’s office. She continued her work with the FBI in management of all non-investigative support activities for the FBI in the state of New Jersey, rising to Administrative Officer, and receiving the Director’s Award for Excellence in Management. She has been an active volunteer all her life but her 2001 retirement from the FBI after 40 years of service has allowed her to volunteer full-time.
Mierzejewski is a Trustee of Versatility Council #2501 in Bayonne, where she serves on the community welfare, junior, finance, public relations and membership committees. Mierzejewski assists in social and community service programming and recruiting new and youth members. She led the council’s effort for the Companion Animal Rescue and Education which has a goal of building a shelter and adoption service in Bayonne. She is the organizer of the council’s Easter Gift Basket project which collects new baby items for orphanages in Eastern Europe.
Mierzejewski volunteers in her community as well, through her parish, Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, serving on the Altar Society, Guild, Honor Guard, Steward and Parish Life Committee. The Dinner Roman Style and Mardi Gras events she chaired raised funds for a new outdoor shrine. She coordinated The Giving Tree Project to benefit St. Ann’s Residence for Seniors, Several Sources Home for Mothers in Need, Hudson Hospice and St. Joseph’s Home for the Blind. She also chaired the parish’s first “giant weekend flea market” which raised funds for scholarships, winter coats, suits and dresses for underprivileged communicants and others in the community needing assistance due to tragic circumstances. Her work on the Parish Life Committee included the huge parish picnic day and the Oplatek celebration, a traditional dinner to uphold Polish family Christmas traditions.
She is a member of the Tri-State General Casimir Pulaski Memorial Committee, representing Bayonne delegation for the October parade in New York City, helping with Constitution Day observances and the Youth Essay Writing Contest. She volunteers each Memorial Day weekend with the Auxiliary of the American Polish Veterans, preparing a brunch for veterans from nine posts and their families. She is also active in the Rutgers University Alumni Association; the Society of FIC Alumni, Newark Chapter; and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.
All of this service is on top of her four-day-a-week volunteer job as a teacher’s assistant in the nursery and pre-K classes at Mt. Carmel Grammar School.
Click on the "play" button below to view a brief video on the 2008 NFCA Fraternalist of the Year, Marjorie Mierzejewski.
2008 Fraternalist of the Year Runners-Up The NFCA also announced the runners-up for the 2008 Fraternalist of the Year Award. For more information, click on the links below:
First Runner-Up Ruby Carsone, Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society
About the Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum The Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1877, on the values of virtue, mercy and charity, is a family fraternal benefit society, general in nature, with councils (chapters) throughout the United States and Dominion of Canadian. The society maintains a progressive portfolio of permanent and term life insurance products and annuities for today’s consumer and furnishes fraternal benefits, including scholarships, educational grants and loans, family events and a quarterly magazine. The Royal Arcanum, through its International Fraternal Service Program and council activities, upholds its distinguished, time-honored tradition of volunteer community service and support of charitable causes internationally. For more information, visit www.royalarcanum.com.
About the NFCA The 123-year-old NFCA unites 73 not-for-profit fraternal benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The association represents 10 million fraternalists in 37,000 local chapters, making it one of America’s largest member-volunteer networks. Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteer-service opportunities. Combined, the NFCA’s member-societies maintain more than $343 billion of life insurance-in-force and, in 2007 alone, contributed almost $418 million to charitable and fraternal programs, and volunteered over 95 million hours for community-service projects. These statistics demonstrate the commitment that fraternals make to those in need and exemplify the true meaning of the NFCA signature phrase: Joining Hands to Touch Lives.
To download a copy of this press release as a WORD document, click here.
OAK BROOK, IL – The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) announced that Marjorie Mierzejewski, a member of the Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum, Versatility Council #2501, from Bayonne, New Jersey, is the 2008 Fraternalist of the Year. Mierzejewski was recognized at the Celebration of Fraternalism luncheon at the 122nd NFCA Annual Meeting, September 4-6, in Washington, D.C.
Mierzejewski volunteers in her community as well, through her parish, Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church, serving on the Altar Society, Guild, Honor Guard, Steward and Parish Life Committee. The Dinner Roman Style and Mardi Gras events she chaired raised funds for a new outdoor shrine. She coordinated The Giving Tree Project to benefit St. Ann’s Residence for Seniors, Several Sources Home for Mothers in Need, Hudson Hospice and St. Joseph’s Home for the Blind. She also chaired the parish’s first “giant weekend flea market” which raised funds for scholarships, winter coats, suits and dresses for underprivileged communicants and others in the community needing assistance due to tragic circumstances. Her work on the Parish Life Committee included the huge parish picnic day and the Oplatek celebration, a traditional dinner to uphold Polish family Christmas traditions.
