Polanie Club of Minneapolis, Minnesota records

In 1927, the Polanie Club began as twelve women living in the Twin Cities convened to enjoy sharing their Polish background with each other and to enrich their knowledge of the language, music, literature, food, history, art, and folklore. Their first constitution, published in 1933, states the purpose of the invitation-only women's club was to perpetuate Polish culture, spread the knowledge of it, and encourage higher education among people of Polish descent. Each year a program of study was printed, with events aimed at teaching themselves more about Polish traditions. A library of books on Polish subjects began to grow, and the members soon found themselves acting as a resource for others on Polish subjects.

The club was also interested in publishing their own materials, culminating in their 1942 publication, Piesni Lodowe, a booklet of 110 Polish love songs. Their 1948 publication, Treasured Polish Recipes for Americas, was released to honor their twentieth anniversary and quickly became their most successful publication ever. More publications followed, including 1950's If the Branch Blossoms, short stories from Monica Krawczyk, and 1952's Treasured Polish Songs with English Translations. The income generated from these publications went to merit awards such as the Marcella Kochansky Sembrich Vocal Competition, scholarships for Minnesota students of Polish descent attending higher education, and for a fellowship in graduate work at the University of Minnesota on a Polish subject. The club sponsored annual conventions of the American Council of Polish Culture in 1960, 1996, and 2003, providing Polanie Club with the opportunity to have a wider audience. The year 2000 heralded a fresh energy to a longstanding Polanie tradition: a Wigilia celebration, open to the entire metropolitan community, was held with traiditional Polish food, decorations, singing and dancing. The Club closed down its operations in 2014.