The NFCA Proudly Recognizes "Fraternalists-in-Action"
Fraternal MVPs—Week of January 14, 2008
The National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) is proud to recognize the following individuals as Fraternal MVPs (Most Valuable Participants) for the week of January 14, 2008. 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.
JoAnn Parks
Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA)
Lodge Bratri Novych Hradu #141
Cadott, Wisconsin
JoAnn Parks is a problem-solver who develops projects and organizes volunteers to meet the needs of her community and the lodge. A case in point is the need of two students in her town of Cadott, who were nominated to the Wisconsin Ambassadors of Music European tour. The students needed to raise money to be able to go on a 16-day concert tour. JoAnn suggested that the lodge help the students by giving the proceeds of the scheduled pancake breakfast to the students. JoAnn organized the volunteers to help, advertised the event, applied for WFLA’s matching funds and helped keep things moving the day of the event. More than 400 people were served and the students, whom she involved in the process, are well on their way to meeting their financial goal.
JoAnn has helped to organize JOIN HANDS DAY projects by combining students from the Big Drywood Lutheran Church and lodge members to rebuild parts of the trail system on the Ice Age Trails.
JoAnn works tirelessly to help preserve the 100-year-old Bohemian lodge hall that is on the National Registry of Historical Places. She is involved with many of the lodge events that help make the hall the center for Czech activities in the region. She has spent many hours putting together the background history of the early Czech immigrants in the area for a CESA History Workshop.
One of her biggest accomplishments was to set up a continuing scholarship fund to be used for a lodge member or local high school student. To help raise funds for the scholarship, JoAnn has organized a booth at the Portage County Cultural Festival and UW-Eau Claire International Festival where she explains Czech customs and sells baked goods as a fundraiser.
JoAnn is the lodge correspondent, writing articles for her lodge for the WFLA monthly magazine. She has represented her lodge as a delegate at the District, State and National meetings. She is on the lodge and State Scholarship committee. She was honored this past year as the 2007 WFLA Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Fraternalist of the Year.
Besides being active in the lodge, JoAnn also is active in her community and her church. She has taught Sunday school and been on the Church Council. She is on the Town of Arthur Land Use Planning Committee. JoAnn is passionately involved as a member of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation (IAPTF), a non-profit volunteer organization to maintain the 1000-mile linear hiking trail. For her efforts she has received the local chapter “In the Mud Award” for volunteering on the trail. For two years she was on the IAPTF Ad Hoc Education Committee helping create an education curriculum for Wisconsin school children to learn about glacial history.
JoAnn and her husband, Greg, have been married for 31 years and have a daughter, Jamie, and son, Justin. She is a project manager with the Geographic Information System at Applied Data Consultants of Eau Clair. When the company received a contract from the Army Corp of Engineers to do computer mapping with the Hurricane Katrina Relief, she was the first to volunteer and go, and spent two months working on that project. She also is involved with the Wisconsin Land Information Association (WLIA) and has been on the GIS Certification Task Force within that organization. She also was on the CISCI Outreach committee for three years to promote professional certification of workers in the field.
Blanche Duffey
CSA Fraternal Life
Golden Gate Lodge #252
San Mateo, California
Blanche is Secretary of Golden Gate Lodge #252, and performs all secretarial duties including taking minutes and reading same, keeping track of attendance and noting membership discrepancies. She also acts as a substitute presiding officer, and creates and mails announcements for the monthly lodge meetings. In addition, she sends cards or phones members who are ill, and sends flowers to hospitalized members.
Blanche received the Alumni of the Century Award from Burlingame High School Alumni Association (BHSAA), and currently serves as the Historian of BHSAA and helps in BHSAA's fundraising activities. She is the second oldest member of the BHSAA and continues to work with its members whose age span ranges from 20 to nearly 90 years old. She also helps to fund the BHS sports program scholarship and attends presentations. She is an active member in AARP, an 18-year member of the San Francisco Turners, a German gymnastic organization, a member of Peninsula Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star for more than 52 years and was Vice-President of Catholic Charities and a member for 25 years. She also has been a member of Sokol for 67 years, including 35 years as instructor and currently serving as corresponding secretary. Blanche donates canned goods, packaged goods and blankets to Samaritan House. She supports the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association by contacting people for donations.
Since Blanche has macular degeneration, she attends Blind School meetings and shares her everyday experiences and the challenges of losing one's eyesight. She works tirelessly on a family genealogy. She offers help to all those who are interested in learning how to create, write and compile family histories. Blanche also houses foreign students while they are completing their higher education, and currently is housing a Taiwanese student.
William G. Cusac
Gleaner Life Insurance Society
Miami Valley Arbor
Troy, Ohio
William “Bill” Cusac loves to bake. He and his wife bake cakes and cookies for many friends, charities and fraternal organizations. He has been a Tyler in his Masonic Fraternity for more than 40 years and a member for 50 years. He is an active member in the Pamona Grange of Miami County. Ohio, and has served on the Executive Committee for six years. Bill is an active member and a Trustee of his Primitive Baptist Church. Bill was an active member of the PTA when his children were in school. He has served on various 4-H committees and advisor for over 40 years. Altogether, Bill volunteers more than 70 hours a month for his Gleaner Arbor.
Bill is always trying to get people involved, especially in recycling. When he helped with the park cleanup JOIN HANDS DAY 2006 project at a state park, he made sure that no one threw anything away that was recyclable, not even the pizza boxes. Bill has been a 4-H advisor for more than 40 years, setting an example for all of the youth to follow. He and his wife, Maryann, are very proud of all of the kids that grew up around them, from doctors, lawyers, engineers, housewives, mothers and fathers, farmers and everything in between.
Bill was recognized by the Troy, Ohio, Chamber of Commerce for his community service in 2002. He also has received the Hidden Heroes Award for Community Service in 1997, “Outstanding 4-H Alumni” in 1996, and a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Efforts in Recycling in 1992.
Kathleen T. Spilar
Catholic Order of Foresters
St. Mary Court #1640
Cleveland, Ohio
A lifelong member, Kathleen Spilar grew up attending Catholic Order of Foresters’ activities. She currently is St. Mary Court #1640 chief ranger and an Ohio State Court trustee, and previously served as Northern Ohio’s state youth director and Cleveland Central Chapter recording secretary.
Kathleen earned a masters degree in audiology and uses those skills to diagnose and fit people with amplification devices. She also works in a veterinarian’s office several hours a week. According to Kathleen, “I have a deep care and concern for both the elderly and animals. Both positions allow me to be involved in making their lives more comfortable and worthwhile.”
She holds the Community Beach Club’s treasurer position and, as an active St. Mary Church member, participates in parish ministries.
Kathleen lives in Euclid, Ohio, and has one son. Besides her fraternal involvement, she keeps busy caring for her two dogs and two cats.
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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