The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) is proud to recognize the following individuals as Fraternal MVPs (Most Valuable Participants) for the week of December 18, 2006. Fraternal MVPs are "Fraternalists-in-Action" who volunteer their time, energy and compassion to strengthen their communities through participation in local lodge activities and other charitable endeavors.

Constance (Connie) Fox
Royal Neighbors of America (RNA)
Camp #8798
Stockton, California
Connie has been a member of Royal Neighbors for 52 years.  She has held almost all of the offices, including State Oracle and State Recorder, in addition to holding national offices.  She was named Chairman of the 2004 RNA National Convention in San Diego and was Chair for several of the California State Conventions.  Connie also has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the California Fraternal Congress for 12 years.  In this role, she coordinates the California Fraternal Congresses’ Annual Meeting, handling all the logistics for the event.  She also collects monies for their fundraisers—their largest being $95,000 for the “Garden of Angels.”

Connie tries to help her neighbors and family in any way that she can.  Connie’s biggest job is maintaining the existing camps of RNA in her area and keeping them active.  She works with the camps by helping them plan meetings and various functions, as well as installing the camp officers in January each year.  Connie is a member of several local groups, including Supreme Council SPRSI, Saint Bernadette’s Ladies Guild, and the “40’s Girls” (all graduates in the 1940’s).  She has volunteered at Hospice of San Joaquin for the past five years, and has been on a fundraising committee for the Hospice House.  She also volunteered at the Alex Spanos Golf Tournament, which benefited Hospice San Joaquin. 

Connie has participated in JOIN HANDS DAY every year since it began in 2000, working with a youth group called the Stockton Youth Advisory Commission.  Connie recruits other fraternal benefit societies to work with her and her RNA Camp on a breakfast for seniors at the Oak Park Senior Citizens Center.  She also helped plan a JOIN HANDS DAY project in which 50 teens repainted a community center, with the help of the local Home Depot that supplied all the materials.

Martha A. Iskra
First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association
Branch #172
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Martha serves as Treasurer of the FCSLA Branch #172 in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.  Since the establishment of FCSLA’s 10th District, which is named in honor of her sister, Magdalen I. Iskra, she has held the position of Public Relations Director.  She also volunteers as a photographer for the District, as well as for Branch #172.  Martha has been instrumental in arranging Senior Branch #172 and other Junior Branch #362 activities, including a flea market and a scholarship awards party.  She has been the outstanding individual behind the scenes in organizing the annual Junior Branch #362 Christmas party, which now has grown to include participation by three other junior branches in the District.

Martha participated in JOIN HANDS DAY with her District, visiting St. Vincent DePaul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre to assist in the preparation of food for cooking, setting tables, serving a hot nourishing meal for some 200 patrons, and cleaning of the facility afterwards.  The District sponsored the Day of Hope to satisfy hunger with its services and a monetary donation.

Martha is a member of the Luzerne County Historical Society, supporting its activities and projects.  One of the projects included publishing a coloring book to teach young children their local history.  As an active member of Sacred Heart of Jesus – St. John’s Parish, Martha volunteered her services at the annual bazaar and is an active and contributing member of the Altar and Rosary Society.  She also serves on the Cemetery Committee of the parish.  In 2004, Martha donated her time to help with the Dear Neighbor Campaign—a program of the American Heart Association for saving lives by funding research and educational programs. 

Martha’s contributions to her community include promoting the Mountain Mission Development Corporation in Kentucky by donating useful items, religious articles and clothing—where clothing stores are a vital force in the community and provide free and/or affordable clothing to Appalachia.  Martha also supported the Catholic Pastoral Team in South Dakota with donations of clothing and other gifts to benefit the Sioux and Crow Indian reservations.

Gary Cepko
National Slovak Society of the USA
Bonita Springs, Florida
Gary’s fraternal involvement began many years ago when he joined the First Slovak Wreath of the Free Eagle and the Slovak Catholic Federation.  Prior to this time Gary had been involved with the Pittsburgh Slovakians Dance Ensemble and many other Slovak activities.  

His fraternal involvement has included holding both local and regional offices, such as Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Fraternal Activities Director.  Through these offices, Gary has volunteered many thousands of hours for fraternal activities, which have not only benefited the members, but the community in which he lives.

Gary moved to Florida two years ago to continue his career as a registered nurse, taking care of kidney dialysis patients, which he has been doing for 17 years.  After the move to a new city and state, he has found that many members of the Society live and work in the South West Florida region, as well as many new immigrants from the Slovak Republic and around the world. Because of this new frontier, he presently is establishing a new Assembly in the area with hopes to perhaps also establish a Region, so the local Assemblies can work together and to encourage new members to join the National Slovak Society and his fraternal family.

Clarence (Bud) Miller
Western Catholic Union
WCU LaSalle Branch #15
Chicago, Illinois
A member of the Western Catholic Union since 1991, Clarence “Bud” Miller joined the fraternal benefit society when he found that his personal agenda ran parallel with the fraternal benefit system. Tracing back more than 25 years of sharing and caring to make this world a better place to live for all people, Bud has been involved in Chicago Police Department-sponsored programs that closed drug houses and returned inner-city neighborhoods to their rightful and peace-loving residents.

During his volunteer career, Bud has been involved with the following:

• Was instrumental in raising funds for Green House Shelter, a domestic violence shelter in Chicago.
• Helped to assemble 100 bicycles sponsored by M & R Printing Company in the Chicago area.  Bikes were distributed by the Variety Club to needy children in the area.
• Helped to conduct a Christmas food drive sponsored by WCU LaSalle #15 branch in Chicago.  A donation was made of approximately 1,400 canned and packaged goods with a total of 820 cans.  Cash donations helped to buy extras needed to make a special holiday for 32 families.
• Helps raise funds each year for the abused women and children shelters in Chicago.
• Became a volunteer captain and started a group called P.A.C. (People and Community) in which he organized a 26-block club with the Beat Reps program—part of the Chicago Police Department. They were instrumental in the removal of main gang members by closing up drug houses with persistence and community court visits.
• Organized a neighborhood spaghetti-dinner fundraiser, when two houses in the community burned down and displaced about 30 people. The funds were used to buy clothing, furniture and food so the people could start over again.
• Received the Harold Washington Award, a Chicago Police recognition Beat rep program.
• Collected coats and food for the homeless. Food collected was stored at Bud’s home and food boxes were put together before Christmas for delivery. His house was filled with over 2,000 cans in three rooms.
• Has been involved with many organizations dedicated to serving mankind and specialized to helping those with speech and hearing disorders.
  
• Sponsored book drives for the Veterans Hospital.  He also collected books, which were sent to start a school for the deaf in the Philippines.  He was honored as Sertoman of the Year and received the Centurion Award.
• Provided the American Indian Center with clothes, toys, dishes and coloring books.  He also has initiated a program to provide computer training to single mothers.
• Collected various items for Sisters of the Good Shepherd, St. Vincent de Paul Center, Lyons Club, St. Stanislaus Kostka Soup Kitchen, St. Joseph Home of Chicago, Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, Pacific Garden Mission, St. Joseph Home and Irving Park Community Kitchen.
• Collects used uniforms for the Boy Scouts and gives them to dens, so everyone can have a uniform whether they can afford one or not.
• Received the State of Illinois Reach Out Award in 1993.
• As a member of WCU LaSalle Branch #15, helps to raise funds for burned children so they can attend summer camp at Camp Duncan.

David P. Grossklaus
Travelers Protective Association of America
Minnesota Division, Post AB
Richfield, Minnesota
David has been a member of Travelers Protective Association (TPA) for more than 15 years and has been active at the post, state and national levels.  He is currently serving as secretary of the TPA’s Post in Minneapolis-St. Paul.  Dave is active in many different organizations and takes his appointments seriously and does his best to be an active contributing member of any group he is associated with. 

In February of 2005, Dave was elected President of Christ English Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis, Minn., and they called a new pastor to their first call out of seminary.  In March of 2005, the church boiler unexpectedly broke and was beyond repair.  He worked with the trustees to replace the boiler and led the fundraising effort.  The congregation’s annual budget is about $110,000 with weekly attendance of about 60 to 70 members.  The fundraising campaign Dave developed involved a series of postcards with photos of the boiler in different phases of replacement.  They were mailed to members, organizations and businesses associated with the church.  They raised about 15% of the cost from organizations and local businesses, 15% from fundraiser events, and 20% from memorials of members who passed away, and the rest through increased offerings.  The boiler replacement cost was approximately $52,000; as of October 2006 they raised $46,000, and hope to pay off the loan in January of 2007.

Dave is also involved with Friendship Force International, a non-profit organization to build relationships between members of different countries.  These relationships are developed by members sharing their home with and hosting one to three individuals from different countries, for three to seven days at a time.  Dave and his wife, Jackie, have hosted 17 times in the past 15 years.  They have welcomed individuals from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Germany, Belarus and New Zealand.

The NFCA salutes these outstanding Fraternalists-in-Action for their dedication, kindness and generosity.  They embody the heart of fraternalism through their volunteer efforts and commitment to their communities.

To view previous weeks' MVPs, click here.