The NFCA Proudly Recognizes "Fraternalists-in-Action"
Fraternal MVPs—Week of October 15, 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 October 15, 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.
 Janet K. Kuper
Modern Woodmen of America
Camp #4625
Malden, Missouri
Modern Woodmen’s 2007 Fraternalist of the Year, Janet Kuper, “is always involved in something that makes her community a better place to live, go to school and worship,” says retired district representative and friend Bonnie Selby, who presented the award at a recent camp meeting.
Janet also was recently named third runner-up for the NFCA’s 2007 Fraternalist of the Year award, recognizing the nation’s top volunteers among the 10 million members affiliated with NFCA’s member-societies.
To Janet, fraternalism is another word for community spirit or love of neighbor; she enjoys helping youth become more community-minded. A youth club leader for the past 16 years, Janet and her club members especially like to serve the seniors and veterans in their community. They adopt grandparents, visit nursing homes, do yard work, make seasonal cards, decorations and other crafts, and donate canned goods to the local senior center.
Janet has been secretary of Camp #4625 for the past seven years. The camp has raised money for a local nutrition center that serves the needy and homebound, renovated playground equipment and planted trees at the local park, distributed child ID kits and collected hats and mittens for children.
As a child, Janet attended St. Teresa’s School in Glennonville and later taught there 23 years. Having been school principal for over a decade, she serves on many boards and committees. Fellow youth club leader Patty Hirtz observes, “Being a principal in our small parochial school and community, it often falls on [Janet’s] shoulders to see that things get done.” She also helps out at wedding and funeral dinners, serves meals to the elderly at the local community center and works on local fundraisers.
Janet and her husband, Steven, reside in Malden and have four children, Stephen, Michael, Daniel and Julianna.
 Joan Kotas
Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA)
Saline Center #389
Western, Nebraska
Joan is her lodge secretary and correspondent, sending birthday and get-well cards to members and maintaining the scrapbook. She also helps at the lodge hall, cooking and serving meals, and sewing curtains. She has co-chaired the 50- and 75-year member recognition committee and the committee that creates and delivers plates of goodies to senior members at Christmas.
She has organized members to supply food for the local blood mobile and two daycare centers, and helps with the yearly roadside anti-littering project. She is involved with memorial services, delivering the floral sprays and sometimes speaking. She also is the WFLA Nebraska District #3 lodge secretary and attends all district meetings.
Joan is active in her community, volunteering at the Wilber Care Center by helping at the weekly bingo game, taking residents shopping and participating in The Willing Workers, crafting items to be sold to raise funds for the Care Center.
She honors her Czech heritage by volunteering at the Quilt Show at the Czech museum, making kolaches at the Sokol Hall and helping with banquets during Czech Days. She and her children participate in the Wilber-Clatonia Alumni Band, which marches in the Czech Days parade.
She is a member of Wilber United Methodist Church, a 4-H volunteer and president of the Northfork Cemetery Association.
 Michael E. Flood
Knights of Columbus
Council #5441
Sebring, Florida
“He’s the concrete foundation on which this council exists.” This statement is how members of Council #5441 respond when asked about Michael Flood. Michael has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for almost 40 years and is a mainstay in his council. He is always there when needed and if called upon, always delivers no matter what the task or challenge. Michael has always unselfishly devoted himself to bettering his church, community and council.
Michael is very involved in his council’s activities and administration. He has served as grand knight, financial secretary, commander of the color corps, and all of the officer positions in the fourth degree. He currently is the council’s Webmaster. Michael can always be found at all regular and special functions of the council. He not only arranges and cleans up the hall before and after the performance or activity, but also plans the entertainment and sometimes supervises the entire event. Michael also serves as the council’s bingo chairman and has revamped the program through new ideas and initiatives that have increased attendance and revenue. Michael performs as many shifts as possible at the drives for people with intellectual disabilities. He has aided the chairman in the free-throw tournament, participated in pro-life activities and assisted with the Special Olympics. He is instrumental in recruiting members, meeting attendance, and coordinating events for the 4th degree and color corps.
Michael’s involvement with the Knights arises from his deeply rooted connections with his church. Michael attends mass daily and assists when needed. At least once a week, Michael travels to nearby nursing homes to visit with the residents and distribute Holy Communion.
In the community, Michael volunteers at veterans’ affairs and helps collect, package and distribute goods to different veterans’ organizations. Michael also volunteers at the nearby library in their genealogical room. He presently is organizing and cataloging the collection of publications that number in the thousands, photographing all tombstones in the county, and is completing his fifth book on the Abstract of Land Records.
Michael enjoys devoting himself to the Knights and takes pleasure in seeing its success. Michael always is completely devoted to anything in which he becomes involved. Yet when any endeavor earns him publicity or attention, Michael always gives credit to the grand knight and his brother knights.
 Bertha V. Szeliga
Polish Roman Catholic Union of America
Society #2019
Trenton, New Jersey
Bertha Szeliga is a 64-year member, having joined Union of Polish Women in America (which later merged into PRCUA) in 1943. Not such a remarkable feat until one is told that she was 36 when she joined! Bertha will celebrate her 101st birthday on December 9. Her appetite for life drives her, living a happy, wonderful and fulfilling life. Every day she is picked up by bus and taken to the Lipinski Senior Center where she works as a volunteer. The center threw her a birthday party last year and she was up early that day, because she was helping cater her own party. She is so well-loved in her community that Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes proclaimed it “Bertha Szeliga Day.”
Bertha regularly opens her home to new immigrants and helps them to find jobs, learn English and she cooks for them.
With PRCUA, she has held the offices of group secretary, then president for many years. She was responsible for hosting fundraisers, running monthly bus trips and was noted for her delicious catering. She is involved in parish activities at St. Hewig’s Church as a member of the Alter Rosary Society and Mothers Club. She also volunteers at Mercer Geriatric Care Center and spends one day a week tending to the needs of her younger sister, who is 98 and not in good health.
If you ask any of Bertha’s friends and family they will tell you that she is a kind woman with a good heart and is known for always being ready to help whoever may need her, whenever she is needed.
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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