Polskosc by J. Majcher
July 22, 2024
Joseph Majcher
Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents OLS
Orchard Lake Schools
3535 Commerce Road
Orchard Lake, MI 48324
Subject: Thank you for your interview and clarification on priorities for Orchard Lake Schools.
Dear Vice Chairman Majcher:
In 1885, the Polish Diaspora created and sustained Orchard Lake Schools for almost 140 years. The Polish Community was and is vitally interested in how this institution reflects Polish values and Polonia's interests.
In 1972, today’s organizational structure, including the Board of Regents, was created. This was done with the hope that members of the Board would follow their fiduciary duty by displaying values of honesty, morality, ethics, faith, and hard work toward the well-being of the institution and society. Your interview proves that none of the above is true today.
Should we be surprised that you finally addressed the topic or question you had avoided for so long: who owns the Orchard Lake Schools?
You are telling us that Orchard Lake Schools (OLS) is a private, religious, non-profit corporation, and its Regents, in fact, own OLS.
You clearly stated that the Wikiera Foundation fully funds the Polish Institute of Culture and Research.
Does this mean that OLS today has nothing to do with its founder, Fr. Dąbrowski, and the Polish Community, which sustained it for all those years?
You also defined what “Polskość” means, emphasizing the Polish Language.
You are missing the most critical factors: the history or the type of virtues a person displays by their actions as an unquestionable foundation of anything connected to the word “Polskość” or Polishness. In other words, to be Polish, you do not have to speak only the Polish language; your actions must speak for themselves.
Your actions tell us you are against everything of value or dear to our hearts. Even worse, you pretend you represent us; you talk on our behalf, but none of us assigned this privilege to you.
The tragic fact is, because of your attitude and your actions, you excluded yourself from our Polish Community.
You and the Board of Regents of OLS forgot who founded and sustained this institution. They and you do not share the values of the founder, Fr. Dąbrowski, or Polonia. Regents are certainly not honest, transparent, or ethical and consider only their interests while making vital decisions for this corporation.
As you stated, OLS is not spending a single dollar to support “polskość” on its campus. Wikiera Foundation does. OLS is benefiting financially from this foundation and is using it while attempting to improve its image in our eyes. God forbid, but one day, the Wikiera Foundation will decide to move to a different institution to promote Polishness. Will we have any “Polskość” left at OLS?
You shared with us your deep disappointment that the archdiocese did not step in to help OLS save the Seminary. This disappointment is a reflection of our collective concern about the current OLS leadership's priorities. Why should the archdiocese intervene? As you have made clear, OLS is a private, religious, nonprofit corporation that prioritizes only High School and sports, not the will of Polonia, Polishness, or its timeless missionary character of the Catholic Church.
We deeply regret the need to make this clear, but until you fundamentally reevaluate your approach to our values, we cannot, in good conscience, align ourselves with your vision for the future of the Orchard Lake Schools.
Sincerely yours,
Ambassadors for Orchard Lake
Joseph Majcher
Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents OLS
Orchard Lake Schools
3535 Commerce Road
Orchard Lake, MI 48324
Subject: Thank you for your interview and clarification on priorities for Orchard Lake Schools.
Dear Vice Chairman Majcher:
In 1885, the Polish Diaspora created and sustained Orchard Lake Schools for almost 140 years. The Polish Community was and is vitally interested in how this institution reflects Polish values and Polonia's interests.
In 1972, today’s organizational structure, including the Board of Regents, was created. This was done with the hope that members of the Board would follow their fiduciary duty by displaying values of honesty, morality, ethics, faith, and hard work toward the well-being of the institution and society. Your interview proves that none of the above is true today.
Should we be surprised that you finally addressed the topic or question you had avoided for so long: who owns the Orchard Lake Schools?
You are telling us that Orchard Lake Schools (OLS) is a private, religious, non-profit corporation, and its Regents, in fact, own OLS.
You clearly stated that the Wikiera Foundation fully funds the Polish Institute of Culture and Research.
Does this mean that OLS today has nothing to do with its founder, Fr. Dąbrowski, and the Polish Community, which sustained it for all those years?
You also defined what “Polskość” means, emphasizing the Polish Language.
You are missing the most critical factors: the history or the type of virtues a person displays by their actions as an unquestionable foundation of anything connected to the word “Polskość” or Polishness. In other words, to be Polish, you do not have to speak only the Polish language; your actions must speak for themselves.
Your actions tell us you are against everything of value or dear to our hearts. Even worse, you pretend you represent us; you talk on our behalf, but none of us assigned this privilege to you.
The tragic fact is, because of your attitude and your actions, you excluded yourself from our Polish Community.
You and the Board of Regents of OLS forgot who founded and sustained this institution. They and you do not share the values of the founder, Fr. Dąbrowski, or Polonia. Regents are certainly not honest, transparent, or ethical and consider only their interests while making vital decisions for this corporation.
As you stated, OLS is not spending a single dollar to support “polskość” on its campus. Wikiera Foundation does. OLS is benefiting financially from this foundation and is using it while attempting to improve its image in our eyes. God forbid, but one day, the Wikiera Foundation will decide to move to a different institution to promote Polishness. Will we have any “Polskość” left at OLS?
You shared with us your deep disappointment that the archdiocese did not step in to help OLS save the Seminary. This disappointment is a reflection of our collective concern about the current OLS leadership's priorities. Why should the archdiocese intervene? As you have made clear, OLS is a private, religious, nonprofit corporation that prioritizes only High School and sports, not the will of Polonia, Polishness, or its timeless missionary character of the Catholic Church.
We deeply regret the need to make this clear, but until you fundamentally reevaluate your approach to our values, we cannot, in good conscience, align ourselves with your vision for the future of the Orchard Lake Schools.
Sincerely yours,
Ambassadors for Orchard Lake
