The Society of Saint Casimir for the Education and Care of Young People (, ) was a society of the Lithuanians living in Vilnius (Wilno, Vilna) Region which was controlled by the Second Polish Republic but claimed by the interwar Lithuania. Established in 1925 to promote the Lithuanian national identity and Catholicism, the society organized chapters and reading rooms in various towns and villages and organized various cultural events, mostly amateur theater performances. It had chapters in 482 locations in total and about 20,000 members in 1935. It cooperated with the Lithuanian Education Society Rytas which maintained Lithuanian schools in the region. Activities of the Society of Saint Casimir were increasingly restricted by the Polish authorities. Most of its chapters were closed in 1936 and the society itself was closed in December 1937. It was briefly reestablished in 1939–1940. History Establishment Vilnius Region was captured by Poland after the Żeligowski's Mutiny in October 1920 and officially incorporated into the Second Polish Republic in April 1922. Lithuania claimed the region and declared Vilnius (Wilno, Vilna) as its capital leading to a prolonged dispute. In early 1922, Lithuanian priest proposed to establish a society for the education of the youth. He proposed to name the society after Saint Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. The society likely received advice and support from the Society of Saint Casimir which operated in Kaunas since 1905. Other priests, including Petras Kraujalis, , and , supported the idea but the Polish authorities refused to register the society. Revised documents with new names for the founders were submitted in late 1922, but they were rejected again. After complaints and appeals to the Polish Ministry of Interior, the society was finally registered on 5 October 1925. The founding meeting took place on 22 November 1925 in Vilnius. The meeting elected the first board, which was chaired by priest . Other members included Ignas Budzeika (treasurer), Konstantinas Aleksa (secretary), Domicelė Palevičienė, and Nikodemas Raštutis. However, its charter had to be corrected. The new charter was approved by the Polish authorities on 10 February 1927. Therefore, from 1925 to 1926, the society was not very active. The society received financial support from the Lithuanian government via the . In 1932–1935, it received 99,420 Polish złoty. It also was funded by membership fees (one złoty per quarter), donations, and proceeds from ticket sales to cultural events. In July 1932, Viskantas was