History
The creation of the Canadian-Polish
Millennium Fund was accepted as one of the aims of the commemorative
celebration of the Millennium of Christian Poland at the General Convention
of representatives of the Polish community in Canada, which took place on
May 7 and 8, 1960.
The Convention was attended by the
representatives from all the significant Polish Canadian organizations and
all the Polish parishes, both Roman-Catholic and others. Thus the Convention
was truly representative of the whole Polish-Canadian community.
The Convention appointed "The Canadian Polish
Millennium Committee in Canada" for the purpose of carrying out the aims of
the Convention. On June 3, 1961, this Committee created the Polish-Canadian
Fund under the name of "Fundusz Wieczysty Milenium Polski Chrzescijaniskiej",
the English name being "Canadian Polish Millennium Fund", (also known as
"The Fund").
The specially appointed Commission drafted the
bylaws of the Fund. The funding concept was that of the Foundation serving
the whole Polish-Canadian community in an effort to promote the Polish
culture in Canada and to preserve the Polish language. It was
intended that the administration of the Fund be carried out with the widest
possible representation of the Polish Canadian community.
The Fund was created by Letters Patent issued on
June 17, 1964 under reference number 175899.
Structure
On the basis of the bylaw the following
constitute the membership of the Fund:
-
The Canadian Polish Congress, Head Executive
Board;
-
Conference of the Polish Roman Catholic
Clergy in Canada;
-
Representatives of the Canadian Polish
Congress Branches selected by the Head Executive Board of the Canadian
Polish Congress with the approval of the Conference of the Polish Roman
Catholic Clergy in Canada from the list of candidates elected at the
Plenary Meetings of the Canadian Polish Congress Branches.
Each of these membership groups has the right to
delegate 9 trustees (27 trustees in all who elect 9 directors to administer
the Fund, 3 directors from each group).
The Directors are not entitled to remuneration
for their activities. They may be reimbursed only for actual expenses
incurred with respect to their participation and attendance at meetings or
other duties carried out on behalf of the Fund.
The Board of Directors meets regularly, with 2
meetings during the year devoted to effecting distributions
in accordance with the objectives as outlined in the Letters Patent issued
on June 17, 1964.
Objectives of the
Fund:
The aims and objectives which the Perpetual Fund
is to pursue as registered by the Secretary of State, are as follows:
-
To promote and support interest in, and the
study of culture in general and of Polish national and religious culture
in particular;
-
To aid and encourage education among people
of Polish descent and origin;
-
To assist new Polish immigrants in Canada in
their adjustment to the Canadian way of life;
-
To establish and/or support scholarships and
fellowships for students and graduates of Polish descent and origin;
-
To provide financial assistance to needy
students of Polish descent and origin in order to enable them to buy or
otherwise acquire books, publications and/or assistance essential to the
continuation of their studies;
-
To finance and publish scientific and
literary works related to Polish history and culture;
-
To establish, equip, maintain and operate
libraries, collections of books and other scientific publications,
cultural exhibitions and reading rooms and to provide other educational
assistance;
-
To facilitate the mutual
exchange of students and educators;
-
To sponsor and assist organizations of young
Canadians of Polish descent and origin in activities beneficial to the
community;
-
To do all such things as are incidental and
conducive to the attainment of the above aims and objectives.
-
The Fund is a charitable organization
incorporated under the Canada Corporation Act and donors may deduct
donations to the Fund from their Income Tax citing registration number:
0392316-59-13.
