The NFCA Proudly Recognizes "Fraternalists-in-Action"
Fraternal MVPs—Week of December 3, 2007
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 3, 2007. 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.
Doris Hynek
Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA)
Lodge Praha-Libuse #54
Wilber, Nebraska
Doris Hynek is a tireless worker for her WFLA lodge and the community who has made a difference in the lives of many. Doris plans, organizes and implements most of the lodge projects and activities. Last year, Doris contacted the volunteers and secured the snacks for the local Red Cross blood drive, in addition to working in the kitchen and serving blood donors. Doris organizes the volunteers who host the monthly bingo for the residents of the Wilber Care Center. She also purchases the prizes and works at the event.
The lodge has been involved with several youth projects, and Doris is the impetus behind many of these projects. The lodge sponsors a youth fishing contest and Doris makes all the arrangements and helps sign up the youth. For an “Earth Care” project, she assisted in educating children from the Wilber-Clatonia schools 4th-grade class about the history and importance of the untouched prairie ground at the Richard Kasl Prairie. In addition, she purchased and prepared 46 packages of goodies including a pencil-note pad, packages of seeds for each child. Doris assists with the bowling/swimming party for the youngsters in the community and the annual bicycle drawing. She organized the annual Halloween party at the Ginger Bread House Preschool, helped with the planning of the games and Halloween activities for the preschoolers and prepared refreshments for the youngsters. Doris organized members and Girl Scout Troop No. 133 of Wilber to assist in planning and implementation of the lodge’s JOIN HANDS DAY event. Together the lodge and girls planted the flowers in the window boxes and flowerpots at the Wilber Care Center. Following the activity, Doris served hot dogs, chips and pop to all who helped. Last year, the lodge participated in a Make-A-Wish fundraising event and Doris helped plan and prepare the dinner.
Doris also is active in the American Legion Auxiliary No. 101. She is on the calling-tree committee, serves on other committees when the need arises and has worked at many Auxiliary events.
Doris is the correspondent for the lodge, making sure the local and area newspapers and the WFLA Magazine receive information in a timely fashion. She organizes the lunches for each lodge monthly meeting. She helped organize the 50- and 75-year member celebrations in conjunction with another lodge. At Christmas, Doris made the Christmas gifts for all the shut-in members of the lodge. She also makes sure that all members receive get-well or sympathy cards. She attends not only lodge events but district, state and national meetings.
Doris was chosen as the 2007 Nebraska Fraternal Congress Fraternalist of the Year.
Irene Bentkowski
Polish Falcons of America
Nest #80
South Bend, Indiana
Even though Irene Bentkowski was an adult when she joined the Polish Falcons of America, she has certainly embraced the fraternal way of life. She is a member of Nest #80 in South Bend, and volunteers at Nest #80’s monthly fish dinners, promotes 50/50 sales and recently gave a presentation on “Poland, Polish People and Polish Customs” before a professional education organization.
An active member of the Nest #80 Booster Club, Irene is treasurer for the Sylvester & Tessie Kaminski Foundation’s Board of Directors, which awards monetary donations to Nests #4 and #80 in South Bend for their youth programs. In the past, Irene was Vice President of the district and served as a camp counselor at the annual district camp.
Along with her husband, Irene taught Polish Folk Dancing to the members of the district. She also participates in the Polish Falcons Annual Walking Program and encourages others to join her.
Aside from her Falcon involvement, Irene is an auxiliary member and volunteer at St. Joseph Region Medical Center, along with being Chairperson of the Copernicus Scholarship Committee. A supporter of the American Center of Polish Culture, Irene volunteers at election polls, leads a weekly senior exercise class and participates in the annual West Side Memorial Day Parade. In addition, she attends Oplatek and October heritage dinners, and takes part in annual fundraising walks for the Center for the Homeless and a local area food bank. She serves on the outreach team for St. Mary’s Parish and attended the National Mission and Evangelism Commission Workshop in San Antonio, Texas, which was held this past May.
Irene sponsors joint concerts with St. Adalbert’s choir, serves monthly dinners and helps organize the “Big T Toastmasters” Club. She also helped plan a JOIN HANDS DAY event at St. Mary’s Parish and assists at annual bazaars and monthly fish dinners, along with supporting a wide variety of Sunday-school programs. Irene has helped mobilize JOIN HANDS DAY by having youth and adult groups do a clean-up around the churches and surrounding areas; this is done several times a year.
Irene was President and voted “Woman of the Year” for the American Business Women’s Association. She helped organize the “Big T Toastmasters” Club and was voted “Outstanding Officer of the Year.” She also has served on the South Bend Ethnic Festival Committee.
Irene belongs to three senior-citizen church groups, serving on numerous committees at all of these churches.
Bernadetta Yencha
First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association (FCSLA)
Branch #172
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Bernadetta is the Secretary of FCSLA Senior Branch #172 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She volunteers at all the Branch #172 functions, including visits to St. Vincent De Paul and other activities such as luncheons sponsored by the branch. She prepares the programs for most of Branch #172 and Junior Branch #362 functions. She also prepared a presentation and exhibit on Slovakia for a JOIN HANDS DAY project for FCSLA Senior Branch #615.
Bernadetta is the corresponding secretary of the Slovak Heritage Society of Northeast Pennsylvania (SHSNEPA) and volunteers at all of the SHSNEPA functions. She prepares all the flyers for SHSNEPA activities and serves as the Webmaster for the SHSNEPA Web site: www.shsnepa.org. She leads the singing at the yearly Christmas Slovak Hymn-Sing and the Lenten Slovak Hymn-Sing, sponsored by SHSNEPA. Bernadetta also led the Hymn-Sing at the 2007 Pilgrimage of Faith sponsored by the Slovak Catholic Federation. She formed a choir that led the singing at mass held at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Slet in Dallas, Penn.
Bernadetta participated in the Ethnic Festival held at King's College and in exhibiting Slovak artifacts and pictures at the Wilkes-Barre bicentennial. For King's College Ethnic Community Outreach Program, she gave a lecture on Slovak folk customs and traditions, and was a member of the roundtable discussion, "Northeastern Pennsylvania: Ethnicity Alive and Well?"
Bernadetta volunteers at the Jankola Library, where she serves as a member of its advisory board. She also volunteers at the Slovak Museum of the Sisters of St. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Penn. She is a member of the Telecom Pioneers, which is an organization of telephone-company employees that do voluntary projects. She also is a member of the St. Mary Immaculate Conception Church Choir, the St. Joseph Slovak Church and is a cantor for Sunday mass and funerals, in addition to helping out at other activities sponsored by the church. What is more, she is the program director for the Slovak Vilija held at St. Joseph's Slovak Church.
Bernadetta currently is retired. She worked for Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania (now Verizon) in the accounting department as a manager for 37 years.
“Being a member of the lodge has given me the opportunity to meet and associate with new friends,” Bernadetta said. “It gave me an opportunity to use my various talents for the organization.”
Jack Taphorn
Catholic Order of Foresters
Gonzaga Court #1572
Cincinnati, Ohio
As a new Catholic Order of Foresters (COF) member, 14-year old Jack Taphorn didn’t waste time getting involved. Within a year, he was Gonzaga #1572’s youth court chief ranger and held officer positions until entering the military. Upon returning home, Jack again resumed his COF involvement and has served in numerous officer capacities at the local and state levels. He is currently Ohio State Court chief ranger and active in the Ohio Fraternal Congress where he served as president and received Fraternalist of the Year honors.
As Gonzaga’s chief ranger, Jack helped man a court booth supporting a community-wide fundraiser. Each year, he volunteers time discussing his firsthand Vietnam War experiences with Mother of Mercy High School history classes. He also plies his construction and maintenance expertise while assisting at school fundraisers and volunteering at his parish’s annual festival and on the church renovation committee.
Jack, while serving as Gonzaga’s youth director, inaugurated a highly successful annual father/son campout weekend that still draws a large turnout after more than 30 years. He earned COF’s highest recognition, Legion of Honor Third Degree, for his dedicated service as a chair or committee member for activities including holiday get-togethers, ice-skating parties, tri-state bowling tournaments, summer picnics, golf outings and fundraising events.
Jack resides in Cincinnati and is Mother of Mercy High School’s maintenance supervisor.
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 week's MVPs, click here.
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