June - CSA Fraternal Life

Transcription

Journal
the
June 2016
Junior Bowl-O-Rama
Pages 17 - 19
Super
Celebrations
Page 30
Remembering Lidice
Page 13
On the Cover
This issue features facts and history about pearls. As featured on the cover, readers will learn how the pearl is created and admired worldwide.
2 — www.csalife.com - JUNE 2016
In this issue...
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4
5
6
7
8
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10
17
20
21
22
30
30
32
34
35
President’s Piece
Calendar of Events
Today’s Fraternal
We’re Fraternal
Message from the Secretary
Miss CSA
80th Annual Get-Together
Czechin’ In
Junior Bowl-O-Rama
District Council
Lodge Happenings
Scholarship Fund Report
Happy Anniversary
Fraternal Well Wishes
In Memoriam
Kropik Scholarship
Just Kids
President’s Piece
Renewed “Busy-ness”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Happy June to you all!
Coinciding with the summer months
upon us, the busy season here at CSA
has also picked up as well at the Home
Office.
Much of the renewed “busy-ness” began
in late April when CSA hosted 9 of our
Sales Representatives here in the
Chicago area for a 2-day session, in
which our Sales, Management, and
Fraternal team held training sessions on
a number of subjects. In addition, we,
of course, had time to have a couple of
social outings with our reps as well. It’s
been a few years since we’ve had our
agents out here at the Home Office in a
“formal” training session. Again, I’d
personally like to thank every one of
them for taking the time out of their
schedules to be with us. We look forward to continued relationships with
them, as well as a continued growth in
our Sales area…and ultimately more
agents out there closer to you, our members.
As the calendar moved into May, our
Executive Officers attended a few different meetings throughout the land.
One of which was centered on general
insurance and business management
related subjects such as investments, the
economy, regulatory issues, etc., while
the other conference was put on by the
American Fraternal Alliance, which centered in large part around governance
issues. We’re keeping on top of things
as much as possible to keep your money
and our Society safe and secure.
In past articles, I’ve written about the
American Fraternal Alliance. They
advocate for, and assist CSA as well as
other Fraternal Benefit Societies with
Governmental and Regulatory authori-
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ties. In addition, they assist in the continuing educating of our Board and
Officers…among many other things.
The discussion on the Governance was
timely in that, as I’ve also written about,
we here at CSA will need to be continuing the evolution of our By-Laws, not
only because it is the proper thing for
our 22,000+ members to have the proper
structure in place for the viability of our
society, but, in addition, the regulators
that oversee Insurance Companies/
Societies are much more cognizant of
how the Governance Standards are setup within organizations…as they should
be. For those of you who attended our
2014 Convention, remember, this was
discussed on the floor then. Needless to
say, within the relatively near future,
revisiting our Governance Standards
within our By-Laws will be not only
needed, but proper.
Soon after the AFA meeting, we had our
Board of Directors Meeting here in
Lombard. It’s always nice to have the
Board in to discuss how we’re doing,
and where we’re going from here.
All in all, its been a hectic (in a good
way!) time around here. The next thing
John J. Kielczewski
CLU, FLMI, President
you know, it’ll be Get-Together time!
Next month, you can pretty much guarantee that I’ll be writing about that. It’s
always a fun time….you’re not going to
want to miss it!
As always, be safe.
Until next month,
Your brother,
John J. Kielczewski, CLU, FLMI
President, CSA Fraternal Life
Attention:
Don’t forget to respond to the
Race to 100 Campaign
sponsored by the American Fraternal Alliance.
Your response is needed to assure the future of CSA and all
fraternals in America!
Go to: http://www.raceto100.org for easy instructions on
how to generate a letter urging your Representative in
Congress to support this important initiative.
JUNE 2016 — CSA JOURNAL — 3
Calendar of
Events
CSA Journal
Volume 126 No. 6 June 2016
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Bohemian National Annual Picnic
Noon – 4 p.m. Food, Potato Pancakes, Entertainment
Hosts: BNC Association Info: 773-539-8442
93rd Cesky Den (Czech Day)
DTJ Ceska Sin - Bohemian National Hall
DTJ Taborville, Auburn Township, Ohio
Czech food, music all day 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Donation: $5 at the gate
32nd Czechoslovak Festival Picnic
Free Admission - Ehlert Park, 4400 Elm Ave., Brookfield, IL
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Polka Band, Arts & Crafts,
Traditional Food and Drinks, Music, and Dancing. Bring a chair.
Booths from local Czech organizations.
Call Richard Grosser at 708-485-3357
Hosts: Czechoslovak American Congress
Friday, August 5 through Sunday, August 7, 2016
80th Annual CSA Get-Together
Memphis, Tennessee
Crown Plaza Memphis Downtown – 901-525-1800
• Group Rate is $132 per night (plus tax + fees)
Get-Together Registration
• Adult Fee - $125/Youth Fee (under 18) - $100
Sunday, August 14, 2016
82nd Obzinky (Harvest Festival)
DTJ Taborville, Auburn Township, Ohio
Parade at 2 p.m. Czech food, music, fun, all day 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Donation: $5 at gate
Sunday, August 21, 2016
United Moravian Societies Annual Picnic
Kiwanis Park, 8820 Brookfield Ave., Brookfield, IL
Czech beer, food and more. Bring a lawn chair.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
79th Annual Flower Show
1st Czech Garden Club of America. 1-3 p.m. – Free Admission
Liberty Cultural Center (Sokol Berwyn)
6445 27th Place, Berwyn, IL. Call Carol Kala, 708-484-3729
77th Moravian Days
-Saturday, September 24 - Welcoming Dance
-Sunday, September 25 - Mass
United Moravian Society
Folklore Program, Singers, Dancers
Music, Dancing, Food, Drinks, Raffle Prizes
Details to follow.
Sunday, October 23
Czech Holiday Faire
Moravian Cultural Society
Hinsdale Community House. Vendors, Crafts, Food, Drinks
Details to follow.
A Dynamic Magazine “Dedicated to Our
Membership”
ÚREDŃ I ORGÁN JEDNOTY CESKOSLOVENSKYCH SPOLKU V
AMERICE
Phone: 800-543-3272
FAX: 630-472-1100
Email CSA: lifecsa@csalife.com
Website: www.csalife.com
Editor-in-Chief, Gerri Romanelli
Editor: Cynthia Hall, CSAJournalEditor@gmail.com
Contributing Staff: Amanda Lovell
CSA MISSION STATEMENT
CSA Fraternal Life is a fraternal benefit
Society that provides families with financial
security while promoting community
involvement with volunteerism.
CSA Leadership
National Officers
John J. Kielczewski, President
Matthew Koski, Secretary
James Kovac, Treasurer
National Directors
Tom Ledvina
Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota
Ken Dvorsky and Adam Wilt
Northern Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin
Irma Farrell
California, Colorado, Kansas and Texas
Diane DiBianca
Northern Ohio and Michigan
Connie Wolf
Missouri and Southern Illinois
Terry Placek
Southeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania
Carol Tranter
Florida, Maryland, Virginia, D.C.,
Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey
Paul Vavrasek
New York State and Connecticut
Home Office Hours
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
CSA Journal (ISSN 0195-9050)
Published monthly—except bimonthly July/August by CSA
Fraternal Life, 2050 Finley Rd., Suite 70, Lombard, IL 60148.
Periodical Postage paid at Lombard, Illinois, and at additional
mailing offices. Subscription Rate: $12 per year, U.S. only.
Postmaster: send address changes to:
CSA Journal, P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148.
4 — www.csafra-
Today’s Fraternal
Pearls:
A Lesson in Problem Solving
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
The birthstone for the month of June is
a pearl. This may be why many June
brides choose pearls as an accessory to
their wedding ensemble. Pearls are
timeless, elegant, and appropriate for
almost any occasion. Women of any
age can wear pearls successfully; they
are not generation or age specific.
Pearls retain their value, luster, and
beauty for years. This Journal will
focus on various types of pearls, how
they are harvested, by whom, and
other interesting facts about these natural and cultivated gems.
Not only wonders of nature, pearls
are a metaphor for life. Think of them
as the lemonade of the gem world.
We’ve all heard the adage “When life
hands you a lemon, make lemonade.”
This old expression is a reminder of
the power and ability we possess to
transform a negative into a positive.
Pearls are the epitome of that
adage. Pearls, quite literally, are irritants. Consider the chronology: a
grain of sand enters an oyster (in rare
cases a clam or mussel) creating an
irritant which cannot be ignored. The
oyster is now faced with a big problem. This tiny alien invader will not
leave on its own and something must
be done. What does the oyster do? It
proceeds to make its own version of
lemonade. It begins to turn a negative
into a positive by working with what
nature has provided. Slow and relentless, the oyster does what all living
things do, it begins to protect itself.
Secretions peculiar to oysters coat and
coat that grain of irritant until a pearl is
formed. While the oyster’s solution to
the problem, the pearl, mimics the
shape of the original irritant, it has
transformed the invader into an object
of desire and value.
There are lessons to be learned
from our mollusk friends. They are
natural problem solvers. They do so by
combining determination, patience,
and inherent ability. They don’t need
lawyers or conferences or discussions
of the pros and cons. They don’t hold
back, lament their predicament or
ignore the problem. They get busy! So
should we. Almost every day we are
upset by someone or something in life
– a thoughtless remark, an unsympathetic ear, family problems – the list is
endless. These are our irritants. Like
oysters, we need to protect ourselves
and begin to solve the problem. It may
Gerri Romanelli,
CSA Fraternal Director
take time and concentrated effort, but
resolution will come. We, too, have
determination and inherent ability.
Our solutions, our responses, to these
irritants ultimately create our pearls,
unique to us, worn with pride, and the
luster of accomplishment.
Fraternally,
Gerri Romanelli
Fraternal Director and Editor-in-Chief
gromanelli@csalife.com
Source: www.tradingeconomics.com
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Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com
Message from the Secretary
Pearls of Wisdom
from living animals. All pearls have
unique characteristics and can range in
color from white, black, pink or gold.
Matthew Koski,
Executive Secretary/COO/CRO
Pearls are one gem that is perfected by
nature and were one of the earliest natural gems worn by man. The collecting
of pearls has been around for over 4,000
years. This prized gem is created when
a parasite intrudes the shell of an oyster
creating a hard, spherical mass. Pearls
are the only gemstones to be collected
There are additional “pearls” in life. Of
course, I am talking about pearls of wisdom. Pearls of wisdom can be
described as important pieces of information passed on to others that not only
impart wisdom, but also encourage one
to actually ponder and inspire soulsearching study. We are in the middle of
graduation season and many speakers
strive to impart their personal pearls of
wisdom into the minds of fresh graduates. Such a pearl of wisdom came from
Henry Ford stating, “Whether you think
you can or think you can’t, you are
right.” Henry Ford was passing on the
wisdom that the only thing holding you
back is yourself. Other times, pearls of
wisdom give you motivation to have
courage; “Courage is what it takes to
stand up and speak; courage is also what
it takes to sit down and listen.” –
Winston Churchill.
CSA was founded with three principles
Brief History of Flag Day
Squished between Memorial Day and Independence Day, we have Flag Day, which
doesn’t always get the respect it deserves. Flag Day encompasses the adoption of
the flag itself, an event that happened early in American history on June 14, 1777.
Although the American flag became the country’s official banner in 1777, it took
nearly 150 years for it to get its own holiday. There’s some debate over who first
suggested the holiday, but what is important is that a lot of people worked very hard
to make it happen.
Flag Day is not considered a federal holiday, which is why we don’t get a day off
of work or school. The flag coincidentally shares the same birthday as the U.S.
Army.
America isn’t the only country to celebrate the creation of their flag. Australia’s
Flag Day is in September, Argentina celebrates in June, and Canada honors their
own maple leaf on February 15th.
“The whole inspiration of our life as a nation flows out from the waving folds of
this banner.”
–Unknown
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/57255/brief-history-flag-day
in mind: Equality, Harmony and
Fraternity. When our Czech and Slovak
ancestors formed CSA, they wanted to
provide financial security for their families while creating a society for those to
cultivate their heritage. The three principles can be thought of as pearls of wisdom for use today. Equally together,
harmoniously we come together in the
bonds of fraternalism to help each other
and those in need. Let’s strive to
remember and live up to those principles.
Fraternally,
Matthew Koski
Secretary, COO, CRO
CSA Privacy
Policy
You can access our Privacy
Policy at www.csalife.com
on right side of our Home page.
Hard copies are available upon
request.
Medicine
Bottles
We are collecting clear,
clean amber medicine
bottles,
buttons and unusual,
foreign or limited edition
stamps.
Send your items to:
CSA Fraternal Dept.
2050 Finley Rd., Ste. 70
Lombard, IL 60148
Miss CSA
First of all, allow me to apologize for not writing last
month. With all of my classes
winding down, there was barely enough time to think, let
alone do, anything worth mentioning. But it is all over now.
Grades have been submitted
and project reports have been
turned in, and may I say that if
I never see another crab shell,
I will be a happy girl.
Graduation was on May 7,
2016, and it was an awesome
experience. I was able to
attend the school-wide commencement as well as a smaller department ceremony. It
was a beautiful weekend here
and watching my friends walk
across the stage was very emotional. I spent so much time
hoping that this day would
come that I didn’t stop to think
about how I would miss seeing
them every day in class. I
think my journey can be
summed up with one of my favorite quotes.
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I
have ended up where I needed to be.”- Douglas Adams
I found this quote several years ago when I was trying to
pick out something witty for my senior quote in high school,
and while it didn’t make the final cut, it has stuck with me.
Five years ago if you would have told me that I would be a
Miss National CSA who was living happily in North Carolina,
having just graduated from NC State with a degree in food
science, I would have called you a liar and probably some
other things that are unfit to be printed. This just shows how
wrong I am capable of being. I am happy, I am proud of the
person I have become, and I am incredibly grateful for the
chances I have been given.
Finally, I want to wish you all a Happy Belated Mother’s
Day and a Happy Father’s Day!
Fraternally Yours,
Alex Stupka
What Takes Place at
a CSA Get-Together?
The CSA Get-Together is the marquee social event for
CSA Fraternal Life, America’s Oldest Fraternal Benefit
Society. This event takes place each summer in a different
location. Each Get-Together provides CSA members and
friends a chance to get together for a weekend of activities,
discussions, remembering old memories and making new
ones.
Each host location puts its own spin on the event by
including activities, local trips and entertainment that feature the local flair of their respective city.
Following check-in upon your arrival at a Get-Together,
you are welcomed by the Hospitality Room where you will
have your first chance to meet others and enjoy refreshments. Then after a short break, the first evening banquet
begins and plays host for the ever popular Miss National
CSA Contest. This feature provides an opportunity for
members and guests to learn more about the best and
brightest young female CSA members from around the
country. Then entertainment will make for a lively
evening.
A Get-Together Saturday includes fun trips for both adults
and children in the late morning/early afternoon. These
trips are an opportunity for members and guests to not only
experience local sites, but to do so while spending time
getting to know others who are united by the CSA values
of Equality, Harmony and Fraternity. These interactions
are where lifelong friends are made.
The Saturday evening banquet is highlighted by recognizing the amazing efforts of CSA members throughout the
year and then features the coronation of the upcoming
year’s Miss National CSA. Now that all of the attendees
have had the opportunity to spend quality time with one
another, they will have even more fun with another night
of entertainment.
The Sunday morning of the Get-Together provides some
fun programming and discussion. The weekend wraps up
with farewell breakfast/brunch that provides attendees time
to exchange contact information to keep in touch until the
next Get-Together. We hope you will join us for this tradition starting on Friday, August 5 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Be sure to register ASAP either at www.csalife.org or
using the registration form in this issue of The Journal.
Fraternally,
Sister Maria Breidenbach and Sister Lauren Wilt
GTG
2016 CSA Get-Together Details
Crown Plaza Memphis Downtown – 901-525-1800
• Group Rate is $132 per night (plus tax + fees)
Get-Together Registration
• Adult Fee - $125 • Youth Fee (under 18) - $100
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Czechin’ In...
Letters to the editor...
We are happy to present this interactive forum for our
members. A few things to keep in mind when submitting a
letter to the editor:
•Comments must include your name and lodge name. No
anonymous comments will be published.
•Responses should be concise and timely; don’t wait three or
four months to comment on an article or feature.
•Due to space constraints or policy, not all suggestions can be
implemented.
•We welcome all opinions. We not only want to hear compliments, but suggestions as well. Comments deemed unsuitable
will not be published. Remember, the Journal is sent to other
fraternal organizations, libraries, politicians and Czech sister
societies.
We will print as many of your letters as space allows.
Comments can be sent to csajournaleditor@gmail.com or
gromanelli@csalife.com or faxed to 630-472-1100.
Gerri Romanelli, Editor-in-Chief
Dear Gerri,
I enjoyed the (April) money issue of the CSA Journal - what a
clever idea to use that as a topic when we are paying our
taxes. Please thank those who are doing the research to find
all those unusual facts about the varied topics. Really fun!
Marge Sladek Stueckemann,
Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377
Thanks, Marge.
Gerri
Charles Courtney, President of Lodge Anton Cermak No. 99,
sent a thoughtful and well researched article about money to
our Czechin’ In column. This is in response to our April issue
dealing with the many facets of currency. We are reprinting
his response in full.
Gerri
Dear Editor:
Money like man can be viewed from different perspectives.
For an economist, it is a weight or measure obviating the double coincidence of wants, a unit of account and a store of
value. Hagel gave the best definition: “…as for the services
to be exacted, it is only if these are reduced to money, the really existent and universal value of both things and services,…in
fact, however, money is not one particular type of wealth
amongst others, but the universal form of all types so far as
they are expressed in an external embodiment and so can be
taken as “things.”1
Money measures the exertions embedded in a good or service thereby producing a price. The heart of any contract is
its price produced by man’s natural ability to transform his
environment while gravity and electromagnetism are natural
forces arising from man’s quest to discover Nature’s secrets.
Money from the historian/philosopher’s perspective is a
symbol of the nation/state that illustrates the principles, persons and events a culture deemed worthy to bequeath to future
generations. Liberty, not equality, has appeared on American
coins.
The American historian Bray Hammond recognized the
change an irredeemable paper currency brought to our monetary system: “As money the greenbacks were another example of what had been done before in falling back on government credit in the last resort. But as an exercise of sovereignty they advanced the national government’s powers far beyond
what had ever been ascribed to it before.” 2
His statement is incorrect since the Constitution specifically gives Congress the authority to determine appropriate
weights and standards. 3 Congress can make whatever it
wants money. It does not mean it will work.
Money gets debased due to the State’s inability to charge
the proper taxes funding its operations. The Germans used
cigarettes as money upon the conclusion of World War II while
Russians reverted to salt and bread due to the Bolsheviks’
deliberate debasement of the currency.
Don Taxay, author of books on the U.S. mint and commemorative coins asserted that money, while recording history,
also makes it. Lincoln’s appearance on the cent commemorating his 100th birthday in 1909 means liberty is no longer an
abstraction. He paid the ultimate price so other men could be
free. It also heralds the rise of the American nation to world
prominence. Rating the Presidents based upon the length of
time their likeness has appeared on circulating coinage puts
Lincoln in the pole position, followed by Washington,
Jefferson and FDR. Money has a story to tell assuming we
know how to read it.
Fraternally,
Charles R. Courtney, Lodge Anton J. Cermak No. 99
1. The Philosophy of Right, (Oxford paperback, 1967): 194195. T. M. Knox translation
2. Bray Hammond, Sovereignty and an Empty Purse,
(Princeton, 1970): 227
3. Article 1, Section 8, Fifth paragraph reads: to coin money,
regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the
standard of weights and measures.
Five Surprising
Benefits of Dad
We all have our personal reasons why dad is so great, but now,
science is uncovering some reasons, too. Various studies have
been conducted, and this is what has been found:
Boosting Daughters’ Careers
Fathers who actively complete household chores raise daughters who pursue careers and lifestyles beyond stereotypical
gender roles. “It’s important to not only talk the talk when it
comes to gender equality at home, but walk the walk, because
daughters seem to be watching.”
Story Time Success
In one experiment, parents were given wordless picture books
to “read” to their children. Speakers who use longer sentences
and fuller descriptions raise children with bigger vocabularies
and higher test scores. It turns out that dads in particular have
a larger impact on their kids’ development, which outdoes
mom.
Genetically, We Are More Like Dad Than Mom
We inherit DNA (almost) equally from each parent, but we
actually “use” more of dad’s genes. Mice, and likely humans,
are more genetically similar to dad. More research work could
help scientists to better understand how ailments like diabetes
or heart disease develop – and aid efforts to fight them.
Roughhousing Builds Life Skills
Did you know that rough-and-tumble playtime is actually a
great learning experience? Studies have explored how creative
roughhousing helps kids to evaluate risk, solve problems,
learn their personal limits, manage excitement and aggression,
and read others’ emotions – all in a safe environment where
(hopefully) nobody gets hurt.
Dad’s Diet Influences the Kids’ Health
Of course, expectant mothers need to be aware of what they
eat, but research suggests that dad’s diet influences the future
children’s health as well!
Male mice with insufficient
folate, or Vitamin B9, produced nearly 30% more
birth defects than the mice
with sufficient folate. For
all those future dads out
there, pay attention to what
you’re putting in your body
and what vitamins or nutrients you may be lacking.
Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/1506
18-fathers-day-nation-culturedads-science-holidays/
Czech Radio
24 Hour Polka Place
Elsie, Michigan
91.3 FM
Live Stream: www.ovidelsie.org WOES FM
Czechoslovak Sunday Radio Hour
Cicero, Illinois - Sundays 9 a.m. - 10 a.m.
WCEV 1450 AM
www.wcev1450.com (click on surfer network)
New Czech Voice of Cleveland
Sundays 3:03 p.m. – 4:03 p.m.
Simulcast: www.whkwradio.com (Click “Listen”)
WHKW 1220 AM
New Host: John Sabol
Cedar Rapids Czech Radio
Sunday Morning Polka Show - 9:05 a.m. – Noon
KMRY 1450 AM 93.1 FM
Streaming audio at www.kmryradio.com
Host: Dave (Kralik) Franklin
Czech, German, American music by request.
The Polish Polka Program
St. Louis, MO - Sunday 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
WEW 770 AM
Polish and Czech Polka Favorites
The Polka Showcase with Rich Biela
Wheeling, WV, Ohio Valley Area
Czech, Polish & Slovenian Favorites
Sundays, 9:05 a.m. - 10 a.m. E.S.T.
AM 1600 or AM 1370
Stream online: www.watchdognetwork.com
Or listen live via the Tunein Radio App on your smart
phone or tablet.
We Need Your Help
In order to communicate more effectively with our lodges,
Home Office management is requesting that each lodge provide at least one email address of an officer or active member.
In this way, directives or urgent messages can be received by
lodges in a timely manner in order to better inform their members on matters of importance or interest.
An email address can be sent via our Website homepage at
csalife.com, see “Member Email Request” on the right side of
the page, or emailed to:
gromanelli@csalife.com or
alovell@csalife.com or
phoned in to the Fraternal Department at 800-543-3272.
Your response is very much appreciated.
Ceska Beseda Installation Luncheon
On Wednesday, April 20, 2016, the
ladies and gentlemen of Ceska Beseda
met in Riverside, Illinois, for their annual installation luncheon. Guests were
treated to lunch catered by Rose
Zapletal of Rose’s Catering, assisted by
her husband and two daughters. Lunch
entrée consisted of spicy bar-b-que ribs,
baked potatoes and coleslaw. Dessert
was an authentic and delicious tiramisu.
After lunch, member Angie Bultas
was asked to host the installation ceremony. After a brief introduction, the
following members were installed:
President Barbara Ruska, 1st Vice
President Lois Satala, 2nd Vice
President Gladys Wheeler, 3rd Vice
President Yvonne Lindahl, Treasurer
Helen Vopenka, Courtesy Chair Mary
Bubenicek, and Guest Book Chair Pat
McGill. Children’s Party Coordinators
were also installed: Susan Kucera and
Janet Podczerwinski.
Following the installation, guests
were treated to entertainment by vocalist
Maureen Christine. Ms. Christine not
only sang tunes from Broadway shows
and movies, but gave a history of the
song, its composer and lyricist, and a
historical viewpoint of why and when
the song was popular. Guests were
encouraged to clap and sing along, and
she ended her set by asking everyone to
stand for “God Bless America.”
Submitted by
Gerri Romanelli
Introducing: Czechia
Countries change their names for various reasons, whether it be for ideological reasons, a break-up of regions, or
because of dictatorship. As for the
Czech Republic, it’s now for stylistic
reasons. Czech foreign minister,
Lubomir Zaoralek, suggested that
English speakers now refer to the country as “Czechia”. This request is at a
pending status with the United Nations.
President Milos Zeman has backed this
initiative. It is important to know that
the full name (Czech Republic) is not
changing, however, it is requested that
Czechia becomes the official shortened
name (just like “Russia” is short for “the
Russian Federation” and “France” is
short for “the French Republic”).
Czechs are hesitant of this change. In
fact, a 2013 survey by the leading Czech
daily newspaper, Mlada Fronta Dnes,
found that 73% opposed to “Czechia”.
The disdain for “Czechia” may reflect
on the mixed feelings towards “Cesko,”
which was proposed decades ago.
Unfortunately, to add to the list of cons,
the Olympic uniforms for competing
athletes have already been embellished
with the name “Czech Republic”.
In conclusion, we cannot forget to
mention what many others have discovered: Czechia sounds too similar to
Chechnya, a republic of Russia. Much
of the world is already ignorant of the
Czech Republic; should we really be
confusing them some more?
What do you think about this name
change?
Source:
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/
21697158-government-prefers-englishversion-name-reminded-vaclav-havelcrawling
Remembering the Lives Lost in Lidice
This month, let’s pay homage to the
tragedy that befell on June 10, 1942, in
Lidice, the peaceful farming village
northwest of Prague. In May of 1942,
SS-Obergruppenführer
Reinhard
Heydrich was attacked by Czech free
agents. Hitler was very fond of this officer, and many had assumed Heydrich
would go on to be his successor.
In retaliation, Hitler demanded that
30,000 Czechs be eliminated. Doing so
would severely impact the Czech labor
force. Over many days, thousands of
Czechs were arrested and/or executed,
but unfortunately, the tragedy does not
end here. On June 9th, the day after
Heydrich’s funeral, Hitler enforced his
plan of completely wiping out the village of Lidice. Troops entered the town,
gathered the villagers, and ransacked
homes for valuable items. A few hundred women and children were transferred to the Ravensbrück concentration
camp the next day.
Various children considered suitable
for ‘Germanisation’ were singled out
and given to SS families. The men of
Lidice were executed. The village was
completely destroyed. Houses were
burned, orchards dug up, and the graveyard desecrated. Troops were sent in to
plough the land flat. The SS filmed the
entire event. Only 143 women are
known to have survived Ravensbrück,
and of the 98 children who were separated from their mothers, 17 are known
to have survived by being selected for
‘Germanisation’. All others were gassed.
A sculpture entitled “The Memorial
to the Children Victims of the War” was
created in the 1990s by Marie
Uchytilová, and it stands overlooking
the site of the old village. It includes 82
bronze statues of children aged 1 to 16
to honor the young lost lives. A cross
with a crown of thorns marks the mass
grave of the Lidice men. Overlooking
the site is a museum and a small exhibition hall, and in 1955, a “Rosarium” of
29,000 rose bushes was installed.
References:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/lidice.htm
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/lidi
ce_1942.htm
June is National Accordion Awareness Month
We’re not kidding.
National Accordion Awareness Month was established in 1989
to help spread the word about the resurfaced popularity in the
accordion and to educate people about this instrument.
Accordions, like bagpipes, are a love ‘em or hate ‘em type of
instrument, and as many of us know, Czechs love ‘em!
In celebration, here are some fun facts:
• A blue-ribbon panel of experts named the accordion as the
instrument most likely to put a smile on your face (or a dent in
your head if someone drops one on you).
• The piano accordion is the official musical instrument of the
city of San Francisco since 1990. The first United States-made
piano accordion was manufactured in San Francisco in 1907
at the Guerrini Accordion Company.
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• Actress Lucy Liu plays the accordion, as well as Billy Joel
and Barry Manilow.
• The accordion is a member of the reed family, not the keyboard family.
• The accordion family includes Cajun button boxes, chromatic and diatonic button accordions, the concertina, the bayan,
and the bandoneon.
• China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of accordions
in the world.
Sources:
http://www.ladyofspain.com/naam.html
http://zydecocrossroads.org/2015/06/june-is-national-accordion-awareness-month/
Pearls: Timeless and Unique
Women love pearls. They have been a wardrobe staple for
centuries. Pearls are worn as necklaces of various lengths
composed of pearls of various sizes. They are worn as earrings, pins, broaches, bracelets, and accessories on clothing,
such as pearl buttons on blouses and pearl beading on dresses.
Men may wear them on tie-tacks and cuff-links. Pearls are
classic and are never out of style!
How are pearls formed?
Pearls are organic gems made by a living organism, a mollusk.
A small particle gets trapped inside its shell; the mollusk then
coats the particle with a secretion known as nacre. Pearls can
take anywhere from a few months to a few years to develop
depending on water conditions and the size and type of mollusk.
Natural pearls have been harvested from the Indian Ocean,
Persian Gulf and Red Sea for thousands of years. It is an
ancient and revered adornment.
Saltwater pearls are made by oysters; freshwater pearls by
mussels. The shell of the mollusk determines the color of the
pearl ranging from white, gold, pink/purple, and black.
What is the difference between natural pearls and cultivated pearls?
Natural pearls are accidents of nature. A particle invades a
mollusk and a pearl is created.
Cultured pearls are when a particle, or irritant, is injected into
a mollusk forcing the creature to form a pearl. Some mollusks, depending on their size and condition, can be injected
numerous times to create more pearls.
Symbolism and history
The pearl was named the official birthstone for June in 1912
by the American Association of Jewelers.
Pearls symbolize fertility, loyalty, and friendship. The ancient
Greeks believed that pearls were the hardened tears of joy
from Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Pearls were used in mourning or memorial jewelry during the
Georgian period.
According to Egyptian legend, Cleopatra once took one of her
pearl earrings, dropped it into a glass of wine until it dissolved, and then drank it for Marc Antony.
The earliest known piece of pearl jewelry was
found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess
dating back to 520 BC.
Like snowflakes, no two pearls are alike.
La Peregrina is one of the most famous
pearls ever found. It is pear shaped and the
size of a pigeon’s egg. It was discovered in
the Americas and has been owned by
Philip II of Spain, Mary Tudor of
England and Napoleon III. In
recent years, the famous
pearl was given to
Elizabeth Taylor by
Richard Burton.
http://jewelry.about.com/od/birthstonesbymonth/ig/Birthstone-Jewelry-June
The History and Symbolism of Pearls
As far back as ancient Greece, pearls have
been used in jewelry. Until the 20th century,
pearls were one of the most valued gems, if
not the most valuable, in many cultures. In
the Byzantium Empire, it was decreed that
only the Emperor could wear pearls. Many
other cultures and societies had rules about
who was allowed and not allowed to wear
pearls. The English even named a period of
their history after this gem – The Pearl Age –
which reflected its prestige and value.
Different cultures view pearls in different
ways. Many thought pearls symbolized the
moon and were imbued with magical properties. Ancient Chinese believed that wearing
pearls protected a person from fire and dragons. Often pearls are associated with purity,
chastity, and modesty. In Victorian England,
small seed pearls were used in mourning
jewelry to symbolize tears.
Pearls have always been a popular gift.
Consider the Arco Valley Pearl. In the 13th
century, explorer Marco Polo visited the
empire of Kublai Khan. There he presented
the Emperor with the famous pearl that
weighed in at 575 carats and is more than
three inches long! The pearl has since been
sold and resold, and its current whereabouts
are unknown.
During America’s Gilded Age (after the
Civil War Restoration), it was considered in
bad taste to wear “cold” pearls. Therefore, a
woman would hand her pearls to a ladies’
maid or servant to wear and “warm up”
before donning them for a formal dinner or
ball.
During the 16th century, Prince Phillip II
of Spain presented his bride with the famous
LaPeregrina pearl. This gem was a white,
pear-shaped saltwater pearl that had a series
of royal owners until purchased by actor
Richard Burton for his bride, actress
Elizabeth Taylor. Not content with
LaPeregrina, Ms. Taylor had a necklace of
pearls and rubies designed to complement
the “royal” gem.
Many actresses considered pearls their
favorite jewelry. It is said that Marilyn
Monroe’s most treasured piece of jewelry
was a simple sixteen-inch string of pearls
given to her by then husband, baseball slugger Joe DiMaggio, during their honeymoon
in Japan. Pearls were also a favorite of fashion icon and actress Grace Kelly, later to
become Princess of Monaco, who received
pearl and diamond jewelry from her husband
Taking Care of Your Pearls
• Never put pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner. The vibrations can damage the
nacre.
• Don’t use abrasive cleaners or rub
pearls with an abrasive cloth.
• Put your pearls on after you’ve
applied your make-up and perfume.
• Find a special slot in your jewelry box
for the pearls, or keep them in a soft bag
made from chamois or another nonabrasive material.
• Remove pearl rings while applying
lotions.
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http://www.brilliantearth.com/news/the-history-and-symbolism-of-pearl-jewelry/
Pearls are covered with nacre, a secretion from the originating mollusk. This
covering is fragile and can chip or crack.
A pearl can actually unravel if not treated carefully. Most pearls are strung; if
not treated in the appropriate manner,
the string can weaken and eventually
break.
Here are tips on maintenance and care:
Most pearls worn today are cultured
pearls. This means they were created
with the help of humans rather than
formed naturally by a mollusk. Pearls
can be natural, cultured, freshwater or
saltwater. No matter what type, they
need to be cleaned occasionally and the
method is the same.
Prince Rainier.
Pearls are unique among gemstones
because they don’t arise from the depths of
the earth but from the sea. They require no
special cutting or polishing to maximize their
lustrous beauty which has been treasured
since ancient times.
• Clean pearls with a mild soap and
water solution. Dry with a soft, lint-free
cloth. Allow pearls to dry before storing.
• Never clean your pearls with a solution
containing ammonia or harsh detergents.
• Store your pearls separately. Other
jewelry can cause scratches or other
damage.
• Your fine pearl necklaces should be
restrung periodically so that you’re sure
the silk or nylon cord holding them is in
good shape.
http://jewelry.about.com/cs/pearls/a/cle
aning
Pearls Around the World
Most people associate pearls with Japan.
After all, the Japanese divers and retailers
have been the preeminent purveyors of
these gemstones for decades. But, other
areas of the world have contributed to the
growth of the pearl industry as well:
Australia’s Pearling Industry - The
pearling industry in Australia was a major
economic factor for over 100 years in North
Australia and the business interests in the
South. Australia’s industry began long
before Europeans settled there. The
Australian native people, the Aborigines,
harvested pearl shell from the shallow
waters around the coast and established
their own trading network. More than any
other item, pearl shell traveled farthest in
Australia, sometimes over 500 miles from
its point of origin. The Aborigines established trade with fisherman from Indonesia.
This link was established probably 500
years ago with visits from Indonesian fisherman continuing until the 1970’s.
European immigrants were quick to recognize the value of the pearl fields.
Harvesting began in earnest in Western
Australia. By 1868 there were 16 pearling
firms operating on Thursday Island.
Queensland, recognizing the value of the
industry, annexed the islands in 1879. By
1910 more than 3500 people were fishing
for shell in waters around Broom, then the
biggest pearling center in the world.
Australian shells and pearls found a
ready market in the United States and
England, especially buttons and buckles.
Pearl shell and “mother of pearl” were the
main focus of the industry as the pearl shell
was used to make buttons, hair combs, jewelry items, art objects, and inlay for furniture. The industry attracted Europeans,
South Sea Islanders and Asians who came
looking for adventure and the promise of
work. Among the settlers were large numbers of Chinese who not only came as
pearlers, but also as cooks and shopkeepers.
Conditions in the pearling community
were often dangerous and squalid.
Attempts were made to regulate the industry and prevent abuse of the Aborigines and
Islanders. Many of the Japanese divers
were used as indentured labor, usually
working to repay their debt for transportation. Divers were paid by the amount of
shells collected and, because of the danger
involved, very few ever managed to work
off their debt. Regular encounters with
sharks as well as crippling bends may have
contributed to a mortality rate as high as
50%. Storms and cyclones added to the
death rate destroying boats and killing 300
men between 1908 and 1935.
Eventually, diving suits improved the lot
of the divers. Not only could they dive
deeper than ever, they could stay underwater longer and collect more shells and
pearls. These divers wore vulcanized canvas suits and massive bronze helmets and
were lowered over the boat to spend hours
underwater.
Despite significant economic and labor
setbacks during both World Wars, Broome
and the pearling industry survived and is
recognized as a “pearl capital.” Today
Western Australia has a well-established
industry, including hatchery and culturing
facilities, producing pearls selling in excess
of $150 million a year.
Qatar Pearl Industry - Arabs, Romans,
and Egyptians treasured pearls, and most of
them were harvested in the Persian Gulf.
Qatar was a perfect place to find pearls.
Because of abundant freshwater springs,
the water there is part salty and part fresh,
an ideal environment for nacre formation.
Pearl diving was one of Qatar’s main industries until the early 1940’s when oil
replaced it. After years of success, pearl
diving became a decaying profession after
the Japanese introduced oyster farms to
produce cultured pearls and the Great
Depression gutted the market, as people no
longer had extra money for luxury items.
Even though it is no longer a thriving
industry, pearl diving remains a revered
part of Qatar’s culture.
America - Folklore claims the first
American pearl was discovered by cobbler
David Howell in New Jersey in 1857. The
story goes that he collected a number of
mussels from the banks of the Notch Brook
River near Paterson. He then cooked his
favorite mussel dish and literally bit down
on a 26-gram pearl which he later learned
was worth about $25,000 (in 1857!) and
had not been damaged by cooking or his
teeth marks. Word spread quickly and soon
a “Pearl Rush” was on.
The next substantial gem out of Notch
Brook waters was sold to Tiffany’s for
$1,500. When no new pearls were found,
prospectors headed west. It is recorded that
many pearls were found being used as marbles by the children of farmers. Wisconsin
had a Pearl Rush of its own when a salesman visiting Prairie du Chein noticed barrels full of “strange colored balls” in a grocery. Taking a few back to his job in New
York, his boss recognized them as freshwater pearls and ordered him to return to
Wisconsin to buy all of the “marbles” he
could find. As news spread, so did
prospectors, and shortly thereafter millions
of pearls were found throughout the State.
Pearls were found in numerous lakes
and rivers in Ohio, Texas, Colorado,
Mississippi, and Wisconsin. The names
Sugar Apple, Rock Wisconsin, and
Mississippi River became famous for the
pearls which had been found in their
waters. In Arkansas, it was said that every
river contained pearls. Black River was by
far the richest.
Soon families were traveling from
Connecticut to Florida and west to the
Mississippi in search of pearls. Then, by
the end of the century, America’s pearl
industry was virtually dead. The cultivation of mussels as a resource had been
exploited and over-harvested. Pollution
due to the Industrial Revolution destroyed
entire populations of many waterways. The
American pearls were slightly irregular in
shape, making them less valuable than
those found in other parts of the world.
Future pearl discoveries were rare.
The American freshwater pearl was, of
course, a “natural” pearl formed when a bit
of shell or a parasite invaded the mollusk. A
pearl is formed as the shellfish covers the
object with a layer of nacre. The resulting
pearl will mimic the shape of the invading
parasite. Today we think of pearls as being
round, however, back then most were elongated. By 1920, the Japanese were looking
for a way to create a round pearl by using a
round bead (parasite). They found their
round bead in the American mussel. That
bead was then inserted into a mollusk and,
ultimately, a perfectly round pearl was produced. The Japanese had found their
answer.
Today there are four pearl companies
operating in the United States: the
American Pearl Company based in
Tennessee; the American Shell Company
headquartered in Knoxville; Cross Pacific
Pearls in California; and Hawaii Cultured
Pearls owned by Hawaii’s former Governor
and a Japanese partner with main offices on
the Big Island in Hawaii.
http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story
http://geography.about.com/od/culturalgeography/fl/Qatar-Pearl
http://www.islandpearls.net/article2.htm
Aquaculture Magazine, The Return of the
American Pearl “Three Feisty Farmers
Take on the Japanese,” by C. Richard
Fassler.
Who Are The Ama?
In a few fishing villages along the coast of
Japan, there are an amazing group of
women known as Ama. Ama, meaning
“sea women,” are divers who make their
living by diving for pearls using only their
skill and learned breathing techniques.
The “Sea-Daughters” or “Girls of
Shima” have a thousand years of diving tradition. The profession is passed on from
mother to daughter, generation after generation. Originally the wives of fishermen, the
Ama learned their trade to contribute to
their families’ survival. They are exceptional in their talent as well as their profession. In male-dominated Japan, it was
unheard of for women to be trained for a
“career.”
One of the reasons Ama are largely
female is said to be their thicker layer of fat
than their male counterparts which helps
them endure the cold water during long
periods of diving. Another reason is the
self-supporting nature of the profession,
allowing women to live independently and
foster strong communities. Perhaps most
surprisingly, however, is the old age to
which these women are able to keep diving.
Most Ama are elderly women (some even
surpassing 90 years of age) who have practiced the art for many, many years, spending much of their life at sea. In years past,
girls started to dive in shallow water as
early as age 11. By 17, they were able to
remain submerged for up to three minutes
while diving as deep as 10 meters (over 32
feet). Eventually, they could dive as deep
as 35 meters with weights attached to their
bodies.
Without the use of oxygen tanks or other
breathing equipment, the Ama would jump
into the water feet first and return to the
surface under an overturned wooden bucket. There they would control their breathing
which created a whistling sound known as
the “song of the sea” in Japan. When their
breathing was adequately controlled, they
would dive.
Before the 1900’s the primary job of the
Ama was the collection of shell. They were
considered pearl divers, but were really div-
Junior Bowl-O-Rama
ing for mother of pearl – the pearly material
lining the inside of the mollusk shells.
Mikimoto Pearl, famous the world over for
the sale of pearls, hired the Ama to collect
akoya shell from the sea floor. Akoya
shells were used, most often, to make what
we would consider mother of pearl buttons
and jewelry. These shells would be grafted
or harvested and then returned to the sea for
a period time before the Ama collected
them again. The Ama worked for
Mikimoto for many decades. The earliest
Ama dived naked or wearing only a loincloth, however, after foreign visitors were
shocked at the sight of nude women divers,
Mikimoto designed the white garb they
would eventually be known for.
Today the Ama are still active, but only
at the last remaining pearl farm that no
longer produces the pearls sold by
Mikimoto. The farm is now a tourist attraction and the Ama perform for the tourists.
http://gakuran.com/ama-the-pearl-diving-mermaidsof-japan/
Youth Bowling
Lodge Prokop Velky No. 137, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa - What a wonderful Sunday
afternoon! Seven youth members and
seven friends had a great time bowling.
There were two who became ill and could
not join us. Maybe next year.
Thanks to Kasey and Scott Szopinski
for taking over at the bowling alley. I had
a great time this year because I had no worries once we were at the bowling alley.
They have more patience with the youth. I
am getting too old!
The little ones could not do the three
games but they certainly had a good time.
After the bowling was over, our lodge,
Lodge Prokop Velky, treated them all to
pizza and a soft drink. Also, Kasey had a
bag of goodies for each bowler. They were
all winners!
Thanks to the Home Office for furnishing each bowler with a bowling pin water
bottle. The youth really enjoyed them. In
fact, my great granddaughter had hers for
school the next morning.
I hope next year we can encourage a
few more youth to bowl. Again, a big
thank you to the Szopinskis and the Home
Office.
Fraternally,
Dorothy Ditch
Lodge Secretary
Junior Bowl-O-Rama
Junior Bowl-O-Rama
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District Council
Enjoy Our Beautiful Summer
District Council No. 12 of Northern
Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana – It’s
hard to believe but we are almost at the
half way point of 2016. June, one of the
nicest months of the year, got its name
from the Roman word Juvenis (the god
of “youth”). Roses are blooming, graduation parties abound, numerous weddings are being performed, and all kinds
of vibrant, green vegetation are thriving.
Time to consider some important concerns: The Lidice Commemoration service is being held at Crest Hill, Illinois
on June 12. The program usually runs
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., refreshments follow. Why not take a nice weekend drive
to witness/take part in this service?
Father’s Day follows on Sunday,
June 19 – time to honor our dads for all
they have done for our families. The
80th Get-Together in Memphis (August
5 – 7) is fast approaching. Have you
finalized your plans?
Looking back briefly, we had about
30 delegates and friends attend the April
Recognition Awards Program. Ten of
our lodges received awards (three platinum and seven gold). Congratulations!
Keep up the fine work. On May 7, the
Join Hands Day volunteers did a great
job of cleaning the Bohemian National
Cemetery grounds, Gate House and
Columbarium. The Memorial Day
observance on May 30 was a very lovely and moving experience for all in
attendance.
This is the time we waited for all during our cold wintery days. The beautiful
summer days are here and it’s time to
get out and enjoy outings with family
and friends. The Bohemian National
Cemetery picnic will be held on July 24
(11 a.m. – 4 p.m). The Czech American
Congress Picnic will take place one
week later, July 31, at the Ehlert Park in
Brookfield, Illinois (11 a.m.– 5 p.m.).
Our local lodges are encouraged to
attend for an enjoyable time. Many will
want to come out and help with clean up
chores (a way to get recognition points).
Enjoy our beautiful summer; be active
and happy.
Fraternally,
Ed Slavik
(See DC bowling photos on pages 1719)
local Pizza Hut Restaurant courtesy of
District Council No. 9. Adult members
of Lodge Belmont were also there to
support our youngsters. Our children
had a great time! They really liked the
brightly colored “bowling pin” drink
bottle souvenirs provided by the Home
Office.
For the past several years, we have
made the Bowl-O-Rama a district activity. All of our members, especially our
youth, would like to thank Gary
Holubeck and the entire Holubeck
Family of the St. Clair Bowling Alley
for their extreme generosity. They have
always been very accommodating and
have made us feel welcome there. Gary,
a CSA member himself, even showed up
at our pizza party with trophies and free
bowling passes for the children so they
could enjoy another day of bowling in
the future. Thanks again, Gary! You
helped make the day even more special!
In closing, our children would like to
thank the Home Office staff for the awesome souvenirs, D.C. No. 9 for the pizza
party, and Gary Holubeck and the
Holubeck Family for their hospitality,
trophies, and bowling passes. We are
already looking forward to next year!
Thanks again!
Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell
Vice-President, District Council No. 9
Thanks for a Special Bowl-O-Rama
Elijah Lovell
District Council No. 9 - Southeastern
Ohio - The children of Lodge Kruh
Osvojenych Zen a Panu and Lodge
Bellaire (both of D.C. No. 9) bowled in
the CSA Youth Bowl-O-Rama held
Sunday, April 17, 2016 at the St. Clair
Bowling Alley in St. Clairsville, Ohio.
Seven youth members and guests were
present for the event. The youngsters
were also treated to a pizza party at the
Lodge Happenings
“The Dog Ate My Homework!”
Lodge Paramount/Southgate No.
372, Bedford, Ohio – Welcome
new members: Duane Gibson Jr.,
Raymond J. Simon, Lisa Ashford
and Linda J. Stetz. We are looking forward to seeing you at a
meeting! A big thank you to Kim Peterka, daughter of lodge
member Charles Peterka, for the huge box of pill bottles she
sent for donation. They are going to be in town for Obzinky
in August. We hope some of our members get to see them
while they are in town.
Our Treasurer Diane DiBianca received the Lodge’s first
Platinum Star Award Certificate (our 15th award overall since
the program’s inception in 1991), a letter from Gerri
Romanelli, Fraternal Director, saying congratulations on this
remarkable achievement, and a $500 check. However, an
interesting thing occurred. Diane had left the envelope containing the certificate, check, and letter on the table and when
she came home, she found it chewed up! Her dog, Brewer,
had a light lunch! She called Gerri, they had a great laugh
about who would believe “The dog ate my homework!” story,
and she graciously had all the items replaced.
We went over the Lodge Recognition Program while completing the survey that was sent to the lodges.
The Bus Trip on June 22, 2016, to The Meadows is full!
A lot of people from last year have new people going.
They’ve heard about all the fun we have on the bus!
Our President Mary Ann Toncar reported on the joint BSA
Venture Crew 2265 and Aurora American Legion Post 803 &
Auxiliary Pancake Breakfast, see separate article. They also
sent the lodge a thank you note for our donation of the lottery
ticket board.
The lodge will conduct a Baby Naming Ceremony on
August 28, 2016, at approximately 4 p.m., for Grayson. Fran
Weiss will officiate. Our lodge meeting will be before the
ceremony.
Fran updated us about the DTJ-Taborville. They need some
help categorizing and sorting display items for their museum
and had asked if, as a Join Hands Day Project, could we help.
Lodges members who wanted to help met on May 14.
As always, we had a great lunch from the Center and
dessert from Mary Ann, then continued (a first) with the meeting. We had a very, very productive meeting!
We would love to see more of our members attend our
meetings at the Maple Heights Senior Center, which are: (note
the new dates and places) May 17, June 22 (on the Bus Trip),
July 20 (our lodge meeting will be after the District Council
Picnic), August 28 (our lodge meeting will be before the Baby
Naming Ceremony), September 22, October 27, November 17
and December 15, our Lodge Christmas Party.
Fraternally, Annette Reichman
Pancake Breakfast
The joint BSA Venture Crew 2265 and Aurora American
Legion Post 803 & Auxiliary Pancake Breakfast held on April
10th was a success! Food went so fast that Michael and John
had to keep running out to the store to get more supplies! In
the picture with the lottery ticket board that the lodge donated
are Johnny Weiss, Donna Stepka, Mary Ann Toncar, Gene
and Jan Dembowski. Not in the picture are father and son
John and Michael Wallette, who were busy in the kitchen
cooking and running out to get more supplies, and Michelle
Wallette, Venture Crew advisor and coordinator of the breakfast.
Fraternally, Mary Ann Toncar
Scholarship Fund Report
April 10, 2015 through May 10, 2016
IN MEMORY OF EVELYN FILOUS
Joseph A. Kocab
Anita Marie Schafer
IN MEMORY OF LODGE No. 151 DECEASED
MEMBERS
Lodge Betsy Ross, No. 151
IN MEMORY OF JEFFREY NEKOLNY
Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409
John & Joann Nekolny
IN MEMORY OF DOUG STEWARD
Lodge Independence Liberty Bell No. 408
IN MEMORY OF JULIA BOYER
Lodge Sionilli No. 170
IN MEMORY OF GLADYS VLK
Gail Keeler
Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219
Winifred M. Shima & Camille Shima
Dr. & Mrs. Dan Greenwood & Family
Adam & Sue Ryan
William Wayne & Eleanore Atkinson
Franco R. & Bessie G. Escondo
H. Daniel & Debra M. Drew
Salvo T. Simon
Rosanna S. Bautista
Arnulfo M. Bautista
Marlene Bautista
Bedrich Landfeld
Laura L. Landfeld
Steven G. Frantz
Janet L. Frantz
Patricia A. Tennant
IN MEMORY OF GLADYS VLK, Continued
Stefania Stefaniuk
Walter & Lillian Balawender
Therese Flis
Dorothy Zemanek
Dawn Telford
Ruth Walter
Marilyn Dosen
Charles & Carol Ehser
Cheryl Sroda
Lorene Frantz
John Latino
Eileen Zelesnik
Edgar & Mila Simon & Family
Mrs. C. Harper
Marilyn Haus
Joan Henderson
Bob & Kitty Atkinson
Jean Minerd
IN MEMORY OF JULIA PESEK
Lynn Boyd & Steve Boyd
IN MEMORY OF BESSIE POBUDA
Debbie & James Nemecek
Betty Cernohorsky & Janet Chappell
David Nemecek
Karen Buzek
Fran Weiss
Sue & David Nassary
Jack Novotny
Bill Morgan
Doris Novak & Kim
Leatrice Rose
TOTAL DONATIONS
Scholarships are an important
fraternal benefit!
$1962.00
Our CSA Scholarship Fund assists youths and adults
not only with their education,
but with their professional goals.
Lodge Happenings
T. G. Masaryk Building Corp. is 2016 National
Project
Lodge Harrison/Hus/Garfield, No. 378,
Cicero, Illinois– Let me congratulate our
Lodge’s four youth bowlers who participated in the District No. 12 Bowl-O-Rama:
Matt Howe, Will Howe, Abby and Gracie
Helfrich, and a big thanks to parents Sue
Howe and Jeanine Helfrich for helping with
our bowlers.
At our May meeting, 18 members and
two special guests attended. The lodge has
chosen the T. G. Masaryk Bldg. Corp as the
2016 National Project. Our lodge has been
meeting here since 1966 and has seen the
changes in the building, the increase in students using the building, and the pride of
the Board when talking about the building.
The accompanying photo shows our lodge
members presenting a very large check to
Andy Bultas, President of the Building
Corp., and Bill Hosna, Superintendent.
My thanks to Ray Capek for using his
computer skills to design the large check.
Also, Ray created a quiz for the members to
Lodge Kruh Osvojenych Zen a Panu No.
121, Dillonvale, Ohio - Busy, busy, busy...
the best word to describe the recent activities of our members! As a lodge, members
have been working diligently in two of our
local churches to fulfill requirements for
the 2016 National Project. Gary and Elijah
Lovell have been maintaining the grounds
at the Dillonvale Presbyterian Church–
including cutting grass, weeding, and minor
upkeep. Chuck and Mariann Ebright are
attending church committee meetings, ushering during church services, preparing for
communion, and setting up and cleaning up
after Family Fellowship Dinners. As the
church organist, I provide music for the
church services. Our lodge is maintaining
the display areas around the church. Most
recently, we decorated in red, white, and
blue for Memorial Day (May 30) and Flag
Day (June 14).
Delores Shinkarow, along with her
daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Bill
Wesley, have been cleaning the Maynard
Methodist Church. They have been providing this service for many years. They not
only keep the sanctuary and social area
clean, they do outside upkeep and assist
with the birthday and anniversary receptions held at the church. Lois Jean Kniszek,
along with son, Jay (an awesome cook!),
and daughter-in-law, Ashley, volunteer
hours at the Dillonvale Volunteer Fire
Department. Their most recent fundraiser
was a Mother ’s Day Spaghetti Dinner
where all three worked along with Sis.
Shelley Dulesky, our mayor.
Gary Lovell has been donating hours as
a Pony Baseball Coach for the Dillonvale
Destroyers. He has spent numerous hours
with other coaches and fathers maintaining
the ballfield. Gary and I donated work
hours and baked goods to a recent Steak
Fry Fundraiser for the Buckeye Local
Panther Football Team, who are raising
money for the purchase of new uniforms
and equipment for the upcoming season.
Elijah Lovell has been busy selling
fundraising items for his football and baseball teams and The Buckeye Local Panther
Band. He has also participated in Tag Days
for his sports teams and helped during
church dinners and doughnut receptions.
He recently walked in the March of Dimes
Walk in memory of a premature baby girl,
Haven, the infant sister of one of his best
friends.
Mariann Ebright and I, American Legion
Auxiliary members, baked cookies for the
recent Memorial Day Program in
Dillonvale. I donated desserts and Mariann
helped serve the meal in the city building
solve: What do the three men in our
Lodge’s name have in common?
Next month will be a ceremony for the
deceased and parents day; flowers will be
given out.
Members were informed of the
Memorial Day services at the Bohemian
National Cemetery and the Lidice service
on June 12 in Crest Hill, Illinois.
Meetings are the first Monday at noon.
Join us!
Fraternally, Ken Dvorsky
Volunteer, Volunteer, Everywhere!
after the program. Bro. Chuck Ebright,
along with fellow veterans, was instrumental in helping move a veteran’s monument
previously located at the American Legion
Hall to its new location in our town’s
“Knight Rider” Park. This was an enormous undertaking, but well worth the hard
work! Now, townspeople can enjoy the
monument while sitting on a park bench or
under the gazebo.
We all seem to have taken the CSA’s
motto: “Volunteering...it’s what we do!” to
heart! I guess that’s why you always hear:
“If you want something done, ask a busy
person.” We get inspiration from all of the
stories of volunteer work we read about in
the Journal. Let’s all continue to stay visible in our communities while promoting the
name of CSA.
Until next month,
Sis. Wendy Kurtz Lovell
Lodge Happenings
What’s In a Name?
Lodge Bratri od Sazavy No. 211,
Little Ferry, NJ - At a recent lodge
meeting, Sis. Blanche Bidnik read an
essay written circa 1981 by a man who
grew up in Little Ferry, NJ. It is a wonderful lesson in Czech vocabulary. The
title says it all. The article is presented
as written.
(Submitted by Carol Tranter)
What’s in a Name?
I was reared in the Borough of Little
Ferry, when it was predominately a
Czech Community.
The pleasing aroma of roast pork,
dumplings and sauerkraut filled the air
in most homes on Sundays. Goose,
rather than turkey, was usually the holiday bird, and houska and kolace the pastries.
Czech mushroom pickers would
roam the wooded areas in search of the
delicious morsels, and most of the pickers had their own secret areas for finding them.
Gradually the makeup of the town
changed and now those familiar Czech
Family names remain as a more pleasant
memory. Interestingly enough, many of
the names had specific meanings.
The names ranged from Kral (King)
to a little mosquito (Komarek). We had
a Forst (Senior Forest Ranger) and a
Forstik (Junior Forest Ranger). There
was also a Vosika (Aspen tree), Striska
(small portion of a tree or wood splinter), Korinek (a small root), as well as
Vorisek (a general term for any small
nut).
Audubon would have been pleased
with the variety of bird names. These
included Spacek (starling), Cejka (blue
jay), Papousek (parrot), Lastovka (swallow) as well as Cermak, Slavik, Stehlik
and Strnad. All of the latter are
European species. Ptacek indicates a
small or immature bird.
As for fish
and game, there was a Stika (fish of the
pike family), Jelinek (young deer), and
Vevera (squirrel).
Terrain also received a bit of attention. Hora (mountain), Horak (a mountaineer) and Lhotak (one living in a flat
sector).
In the vocational category, there was
Krejci (tailor), Kovarik (young blacksmith), Mlinar (miller), Sedlacek (young
farmer), Svec (shoemaker), and
Zahradnik (gardener).
Other interesting names included
Kobliha (doughnut), Kozich (fur piece),
Polevka (soup), Pytlik (bag), Trnka
(plum), Varecka (wooden ladle), and
Perina (feather bed).
Smetansky was derived from the
work smetana meaning cream, and
Zabransky from the word zabrana meaning security or guard.
There was also Kupp (a command to
purchase something), Kuss (a portion of
something), Nepil (someone did not
drink) and Nejezchleba (a directive
against eating bread). Interestingly
enough, a family with that name operated a bakery in town for years!
Svoboda is the word for liberty and
Vesely means happy.
Adding a bit of color, as well as an
international touch, there were families
named Sedivy (gray), Rysavy (brown),
Cerny (black), Cerveny (red), Modry
(blue) and Straka (mottled). There were
also Nemec (meaning a German) and
Turek (a Turk).
There existed a free Czech School
which conducted classes on Sunday
mornings. Czech heritage has left an
impact on the community. Perhaps the
best evidence of this is American Sokol.
This Czech gymnastic organization was
founded in Little Ferry in 1897. For the
past 83 years, it has not merely advocated, but practiced “Physical Fitness
through Gymnastics!”
Consequently, it has given thousands
of our young people a better start in life
over the years.
Incidentally the work “Sokol” means
bird or Falcon in the Czech language. It
is their emblem.
That sums up the long, Dlouhy, and
the short, Kratky, of my story!
Jerry W. Komarek
Little Ferry, New Jersey (1981)
Lodge Gets
Gold!
Lodge Bratri od Sazavy No. 211 –
Little Ferry, New Jersey - The April
13 meeting was held at the Little Ferry,
New Jersey home of John Chlodnicky.
While the lodge usually meets in Sokol
Hall, there are ongoing issues resulting
from Hurricane Sandy and the Hall is
still undergoing repairs. The Lodge will
meet at John’s home for the foreseeable
future.
Sister Carol Tranter presented
President Karel Choteborsky with the
Gold Award certificate.
Sister Blanche Bidnik led a discussion of the 2016 Lodge Recognition
Program and what requirements are
thought to be attainable. We are an
aging lodge and some of the requirements are beyond our capabilities. We
will, however, do our best!
We hope to see more members come
out to meetings. If you would like to
attend, please contact Sister Anne
Schiring, Lodge Secretary.
Fraternally, Carol Tranter
Lodge Happenings
Cole Hersch Wins State Championship
Loeta Hersch (l) receiving pull tabs
from Director Diane DiBianca
James Yaklin giving Victor Holubik
of Saginaw Valley No. 214 medicine
bottles
Lodge Central Star No. 411, Owosso,
Michigan – Greetings to everyone. We
have made donations to New Lothrop
Methodist Church Food Pantry and also
to the Junction Restaurant and are
applying for matching funds. We also
have made a good start on another charity for matching funds. We donated
amber medicine bottles to Saginaw
Valley Lodge No. 214 and thanks to
District Council No. 11 Board Member
Diane DiBianca, and her lodge, as they
donated some pull tabs for our collec-
tion to the Ronald McDonald House.
At our March meeting, we had
Caroline Birchmeier, who is with the
Twin Township Ambulance Service, as a
speaker on how they started and have
expanded from all volunteers to paid
paramedics and EMT’s. They now operate out of two locations.
On April 21, we did Join Hands Day
with the Chesaning Lions Club and
picked up trash along state highway
M52. On April 28, we hosted the
District Council No. 11 meeting at
which District Council Board Member
Diane DiBianca awarded our lodge with
the Gold Star Award for the Lodge
Recognition Program and our 18th overall since the program’s inception.
Cole Hersch, son of Brian and Joley
Hersch and grandson of John and Loeta
Hersch, qualified for the Division 4
Michigan State Wrestling Tournament
and won the State Championship at 145
lbs., and his team also took the State
Lodge Century of Progress/Bila Hora
No. 231, Cicero, Illinois – I had the
honor of accepting our 20th Gold Lodge
Recognition Award for our lodge on
April 28, 2016, at the District Council
No. 12 meeting. I gave a short presentation of some of the many things our
lodge did during the year 2015.
Here are some of the things we did:
sent Valentine letters with a gift of $5 to
our youth members, purchased a
Memorial Stone for the SS Eastland
Shipwreck Memorial at the Bohemian
National Cemetery, donated at least 8 –
10 full bags of groceries to the St.
Barbara Food Pantry six times during
the year, and donated to the Salvation
Army, American Heart Association,
CSA Scholarship Fund, T. G. Masaryk
School and many other worthy causes.
We also hosted Easter and Christmas
Bingo for the residents of Tabor Hills
and helped to clean the Bohemian
National Cemetery on Join Hands Day.
Championship for Division 4 for the
third consecutive year.
Hope everyone had a very nice
Mother’s Day and want to wish all the
fathers a Happy Father’s Day.
Fraternally,
Loeta Hersch
Many Activities in 2015 Earn Lodge Gold
Our lodge volunteers do a great job all
year helping out others.
We received thank you cards for the
Valentine gift from Joe, Tony, Victoria
and Matthew Klejko, Dana Bunting,
Olivia and Caroline Jeselak and Alexis
Cuda.
Have a good summer and grow some
flowers and vegetables!
Fraternally,
Loretta Paulus
Lodge Happenings
“The Girls Really Liked Their New Shoes.”
Lodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77,
North Riverside, Illinios - Our lodge
was honored to have one of our members, Chuck Michalek, give us a presentation on his trip to Haiti. He went with
a group called Chicago Metro
Presbyterian. The group visits an
orphanage that has 85 to 95 children. A
doctor also comes to give medical attention to the children. The group also
brings medical supplies, clothing, shoes,
and a water filtration unit.
“The little girls really liked their new
shoes.”
A company called Living Waters for
the World makes these special solar
powered water filtration units. Before
Providence House
Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219,
Cleveland, Ohio - My husband and I
and eight other family members just got
in yesterday from a fabulous seven day
Caribbean cruise! We celebrated our
40th wedding anniversary and my sister,
Karen Buzek’s (a CSA member ’s),
birthday. We came from 86 degrees temperature to 46 degrees last night! What
a shock!
Our next Pork or Chicken dinner,
will be held on June 22, 2016, at the
Ceska Sin Sokol Hall. Contact June for
reservations. Freddie Shima will donate
the raffle gift for the Chinese raffle at
the dinner. We celebrated Maria
Zanzano’s birthday at the meeting.
Janet Mix and Jan Russell provided a
delicious lunch, followed by Bingo. Jan
Russell will step-in to be our Recording
Secretary until November when she
goes back to Florida for the winter.
Our June 14, 2016, meeting will be a
Mother’s/Father’s day luncheon at the
Cracker Barrel on Tiedman Road. Ten
dollars will be provided for each chapter
member.
April 17, 2016, was our Junior-BowlO-Rama. It was a lot of fun and the chil-
the trip, they had to attend classes on
how to re-assemble the unit that is
assembled in the states. The people at
the orphanage are trained how to sample
the water and maintain the unit. Their
unit should deliver 250 gallons a day.
With the completion of the unit, everyone has a toast with the filtered water.
Chuck and his group accomplished this
installation in eight days. The group
stayed at a base camp and had to travel
to the orphanage every day. The accommodations and food where basic but sufficient. This was Chuck’s seventh visit
to Haiti.
Our Lodge was well represented with
nine bowlers at the Junior Bowl-ORama. Chuck Michalek stated, “We had
a great time. The kids enjoyed it, and the
adults had even more fun observing the
kids’ bowling skills.”
Fraternally, Mary Ellen Janda
The winners of the year were
my team, The Minions!, Joan
Saap, Ray Fisher and Judy
Genco.
dren loved it. About seven of our members went to Willowbrook, Illinois for
the National Tournament. They had a
great time bowling, and some members
even went to a casino.
We have picked Providence House
for our other project (eliminating the
Wounded Warriors organization, due to
some public controversy). Remember,
Ceska Den’s picnic is on July 20, 2016,
at noon, at the Bedford Reservation
Park.
Humor of the Day: “Wrinkles are
hereditary. Parents get them from their
children” – Doris Day.
Fraternally yours,
Judy (Sevcik) Genco
Lodge Happenings
Platinum Award
Planting lettuce and spinach seeds
“The Intern” at the Clements Center
Lodge Mile-Hi Czechs, No. 432,
Lakewood, Colorado - The Payer’s once
again took part in the CSA Youth BowlO-Rama in April. Vera, Peter, Jennifer,
Zakk and Cassidy bowled and ate pizza
at Boondocks in Northglenn, Colorado.
They all had a great time; not sure if the
bowling was better than the pizza.
The May 5, 2016, lodge meeting was
a busy one. The lodge held a paper
shower for The Ronald McDonald House
and our lodge members were very generous. Everything was delivered on Join
Hands Day.
Irma Farrell announced that the lodge
had won the Platinum Award for 2015.
Our members worked hard to receive this
award and a check for $500.00. Way to
go. We are hoping to repeat and win it
again this year.
Motions were made and passed to
take out an ad in the CSA Get-Together
program and to make a donation to the
American Red Cross for the Houston,
Texas flood relief program.
The 2016 CSA Get-Together will be
held on August 5 through 7 in Memphis.
Ron and Dorothy Fox and Irma Farrell
are planning on attending. They should
have fun.
We had a great speaker, Sally
Like us on Facebook
Paper shower for Ronald McDonald House
Blanchard who is a Master Gardener, at American and Mexico coast to Long
the meeting. She spoke about growing Beach, California. Highlights of the 17lettuce and spinach in the Rocky day cruise were Port arenas, Chile, crossMountain region. She helped members ing the equator, Nicaragua, and Cabo San
plant seeds to be taken to the Abby of St. Lucas. They had perfect weather, good
Walburga in northern Colorado. Several food and missed the March snow storm
of our members asked Sally questions at home.
about their yards and gardens. It can be
Mary Lou Bennington and a friend
hard at times to grow plants on our high took a two week Panama Canal cruise.
desert and high attitude. Not to mention, They ended their trip in Florida where
in the spring we can have snow one day they stayed another week with friends.
and the next day it’s 80 degrees out.
Mary Lou has been taking some wonderAdella Schulz remembers the County ful trips the last couple of years.
Poor Farms that were scattered throughJanet Farrar has been hiking her way
out the country in the early 1900’s. This around the world. She spent 16 days in
reminded her of riding with her parents Vietnam to start the year off. Some of
to Lincoln, Nebraska on frequent shop- the time rather than hiking she was bicyping trips from their home near cling. March was the aurora borealis
Valparaiso, Nebraska. En route, upon a seen in Iceland. The northern lights were
hillside, stood this enormous white stone a wonder to see. Now, she is leaving for
house with barns and a silo on the a month to hike and visit her way through
grounds. Her father would tease her Slovakia and Poland. Way to go, girls.
mother that if she wasn’t careful spendTom, Nick and Jack Strunc celebrated
ing their money, they would end up in the Tom’s 22nd birthday with a long weekPoor Farm. As a small child, it sounded end trip to Pullman, Washington. That is
frightening to her. Upon she and her hus- where Jack is attending Washington State
band Bob’s recent trip to the area, she and playing baseball.
thought of her parents and said, “So, here
Ron and Dorothy Fox celebrated their
we finally are at the Poor Farm.” Only 59th wedding anniversary in April at
this time, they had to pay to stay. It is their favorite restaurant, “The Fresh Fish
now operated as a bed and breakfast.
Company.”
Congratulations to the Schulz’s. They
On May 9, 2016, lodge members had
are now great-great-grandparents for the lunch and attended “The Intern” movie at
fourth time. Lilyanna was born in the Clements Center. The lodge provided
March, so they now have four sons, the lunch. There were seven for lunch
seven grandchildren, five great-grand- and nine for the movie. Lunch was great
children and four great-great-grandchil- and the movie was funny.
dren. What a great family tree.
Fraternally,
Pat Kenning and grandson Peter
Maryellen Hruska Vialpando
Campe took a cruise along the South
Lodge Happenings
Thanks and Congratulations
Lodge Prokop Velky No. 137, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa - Prokop Velky held their
May 4, 2016 spring meeting with a nice
potluck enjoyed by 31 people in attendance. Our guests were Tomas Slepicka
from the Czech Republic and his wife
Maggy from Cedar Rapids. They are
proud owners of the Czech Deli and
Bakery here in Cedar Rapids in the New
Bo Market Place. Tomas made Czech
open faced sandwiches and kolache for
all of us to enjoy with our potluck. After
dinner, Tomas told of his Czech background and why they decided to come to
America and start this new business. He
decided Cedar Rapids was in need of
some authentic Czech food and has been
pleased with this decision. He demonstrated how he makes these fancy sandwiches that are so common in the Czech
Republic. The extra sandwiches were
boxed up and a drawing for door prize
winners took place. Thank you, Tomas
and Maggy, for joining us at our meeting.
Congratulations to all in Prokop
Velky for being presented the Platinum
Award in the annual CSA Lodge
Recognition Program. This is Lodge
Prokop Velky’s 25th award they have
received since this program was started.
The nice certificate and check received
for this recognition will make us work
even harder in our communities and
spread the word that CSA is the greatest
fraternal organization.
We received a nice thank you note
from the Boy Scouts of America for our
donation.
Congratulations to our youth member and CSA Scholarship winner,
Garrett Carlson, who won an award
from Kirkwood Community College for
the outstanding work he has done this
past year. We will feature his story for
next month.
Many thanks to Prokop Velky members who worked hard on May 7 for Join
Hands Day. Much was accomplished to
help make the Czech National Cemetery
look nice.
A special thank you to Marj Nejdl
My time in Minsk is coming to a close
in a few short weeks. The month of
May saw Spring finally make an
appearance. Flowers started blooming,
heavy overcoats started being
exchanged for lighter jackets and even,
in some cases, people began to feel
comfortable wearing just shirt sleeves.
May is an important month in Belarus,
especially on Victory Day (May 9). A
big parade with high-stepping marching
units and with displays of weapons
highlighted the celebration of victory
against the Nazis on May 9, 1945.
During the month, I was able to attend
an American football game featuring the
Minsk Litvins against the Moscow
United team. Despite a large number of
penalty flags, the team from Minsk prevailed in the end, 29-13. Due to the
unknown nature of the game, admission
to the game was free, in an attempt to
encourage attendance.
The Russian class had an interesting
excursion to the Yanka Kupala Museum.
Yanka Kupala is one of the first
Belarusian poets to write in Belarusian
during the Soviet period. I found his
poetry to be very good, and wonder
sometimes why he is not so widely
known in the West. He also wrote some
prose and even wrote several plays.
During the excursion, the students were
asked to read one of Kupala’s poems in
Time in Minsk is Ending
for the nice spring trip we had in April.
We traveled to Rock Island, Illinois, on
a new bus to attend the CIRCA 21
Dinner Playhouse to see the play, “Shear
Madness.” A nice luncheon was served
and then the play. This play got its start
in Germany and has played in major
cities all over the globe. It has won
many awards, including being the
longest running non-musical play in
American history. The audience participation was fun and makes certain that
that the ending is different each time
you see this play. What fun was had by
all! Many thanks, Marj.
At the May 4, 2016 meeting, Sonny
Hartl won the membership drawing and
will give winnings to his favorite group.
Thanks, Sonny.
Our next meeting will be July 6 at
6:00 p.m.
Happy Father’s Day!
Fraternally,
Barb Edmunds
their native language. I was chosen to
read the poem in English, while other
students read in Japanese, Korean,
German, Arabic, Chinese, and
Bulgarian.
This is a wonderful time for this lifelong supporter of the Cubs! I will get
up at 3 in the morning sometimes to
look on the internet to see how the Cubs
are doing. Hopefully, everyone will stay
healthy and the Cubs will finally make a
World Series appearance after 71 years
and win the World Series after 108
years. Go, Cubs, go!
Tom Michalek
Lodge Happenings
We Made a Difference!
Our members at the Join Hands Day volunteer day at Bohemian National
Cemetery.
Lodge R.T. Crane, Jr. No. 7, North
Riverside, Illinois - As summer
approaches, Lodge Crane is ready for
its most active time of the year filled
with volunteer events, picnics and more.
The past few weeks have brought
excitement, as always.
After receiving the Gold Star Lodge
Recognition award every year since its
inception, we are proud to announce that
we were awarded the Platinum Star
Lodge Recognition Award in its first
year of availability! This was our 25th
overall award and it could not have been
possible without the careful planning
and coordination of our members. Over
the past year, we participated in educational, cultural, and social activities and
we are so proud of our accomplishments.
In May, we had members participate
in the Join Hands Day volunteer project
at Bohemian National Cemetery. We
made a difference by washing windows,
Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No.
409, Lombard, Illinois – Our Lodge
members participated in Join Hands
Day by cleaning the Columbarium at
Bohemian National Cemetery. They
were part of a group of over 30 District
No. 12 lodge members to participate in
the event. Thanks to Matt and Heather
Koski and Lyn and Dale Burton who
swept and dusted and cleared debris in
order to ready the building for a
Mother’s Day celebration scheduled for
the next day.
Fraternal Coordinator, Amanda
Lovell, joined the cleaning crew and did
her part to make everything spic and
span.
The lodge is looking forward to its
first Movie Night featuring the film
“Bridge of Spies.” Treats will be served
and members from other lodges are certainly invited to join the fun on the 27th
of June at the Home Office.
Members Helenka and Jerry
Gaydusek have returned from a month’s
stay in Idaho visiting their family – Jim,
Sandy, Jackie and Jada- all Lodge No.
409 members. Congratulations to Jada
Hanson on achieving 2nd place in her
age category for our annual youth activity Bowl-O-Rama. Good going, Jada!
Other youth bowlers included Blake and
Brendan Albert, Jon Osborne, Kenton
Nelson and Ian Krasnodebski. All
enjoyed bowling, the bowling-pin water
bottles, and pizza party!
We meet the third Monday of the
month at 6 p.m. at CSA’s Home Office.
We hold a meeting, discuss our plans for
Lodge Recognition and the National
Project, and always enjoy refreshments.
Please join us!
Fraternally,
Gerri Romanelli
Lodge Planning Events
June Novalich at The Morton
Arboretum
cleaning bathrooms, and dusting many
surfaces. It was a slightly cold and very
windy day but we all enjoyed joining
together to give back to our community.
Members June and Helene Novalich
shared stories and pictures from their
recent visit to the Morton Arboretum in
Naperville, Illinois. They were able to
see all of the daffodils in bloom and
walk around Meadow Lake, where there
was a display of many giant frog statues.
Sounds like a beautiful visit!
Fraternally,
Alix Wilt
Lodge Happenings
Summertime, and the
(Platinum) Picnic-ing is Fun!
Super
Celebrations!
Lodge Minnesota No. 210,
Owatonna, Minnesota - Al Peterson
and Evelyn Kaplan both recently
turned 90 years old. Al is our current
lodge president. Evelyn is a current
trustee. Evelyn has held positions of
the secretary and president for the
lodge. Evelyn has been a member of
Lodge Minnesota No. 210 for 89
years!
Al and Evelyn have been very
active in the lodge throughout the
years.
CSA Lodge Minnesota No. 210
recognized them with a beautiful potted plant from Souba Greenhouse.
Congratulations, Al and Evelyn, on
your milestone birthdays!
Happy Anniversary!
June 12, 1976
Janice (Popoff) Litwin &
Michael Litwin
Married in Livonia, MI
Lodge Pingree No. 366
June 18
Ed and Gina Kupinski
Lodge Estlian No. 404
Our cemetery clean up crew.
Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377,
Lombard, Illinois - Come on out to
our annual Recognition Picnic! This
year, we celebrate having “gone platinum” in the Lodge Recognition program: our 25th award overall since the
inception of the program, and a step-up
after 23 years of “being gold-en.” We
are working on requirements in this
year’s recognition program, and hope to
have another stellar year!
The picnic will be on Sunday, August
21, at the North Pavilion of Katherine
Legge Park (5901 S. County Line Rd.,
Hinsdale). We plan to gather at noon,
and will fire up the grill and have meats
ready at 12:30-ish. There will be games
and competition – all in good fun, for
the young and the young-at-heart alike.
Please join us for this very special annual event! We provide the entrée and a
variety of beverages. We ask that you
bring a favorite side or dessert to share.
It helps my planning if I know how
many will attend. Please email or call to
let me know, not later than a few days
before the picnic. Hope to see you there!
As usual, our lodge had a great turnout of members to participate in the
annual DC No. 12 clean-up day at
Bohemian National Cemetery. A big
shout-out to our members – six of us on
that day – as well as those from other
DC No. 12 lodges, who spent their
Saturday morning scrubbing and polishing the chapel, Columbarium, and
Gatehouse in preparation for visitors to
the cemetery. I was so proud of the work
we had done when I heard the exclamation, “It looks brand-new!” What a
compliment that was, honoring the busy
hands and the big hearts of the whole
group, who take such pride in this
National Historic treasure. I’m happy
that we continue to be part of the effort
to keep the cemetery and its historic
buildings looking their finest.
Fraternally,
Jean Hemzáček Laukant
hemzacek.j@gmail.com - 630-279-7894
Fraternal Well Wishes
Delores Clark, Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219
Jada Hanson, Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409
MaDonna Hardl, Prokop Velky No. 137
Sue Mihal-Melvin, Prokop Velky No.137
Joseph Richter, Lodge Central Star No. 411
Kim Silhan, Lodge Brookfield No. 475
Lodge Happenings
First Time He Had Seen It Happen
Charlie and Jack Dean and Mason
and Tanner Jones bowled with
enthusiasm.
Lodge Golden Gate No. 252, San Jose,
California – This year’s Junior BowlO-Rama was a first for our lodge.
Everyone agreed it was a lot of fun.
There were several unofficial awards:
McKayla for her style; Owen and Colin
for their form; all four of our pre-teens,
Tanner, Mason, Jack and Charlie, for
their enthusiasm.
Everyone agreed having the
bumpers for the pre-teens was a great
idea. There were several strikes and
spares that came after the bowling ball
rolled off the bumpers. That also
allowed for another first. One of our
pre-teens rolled the bowling ball slowly
down the right side of the lane. After
knocking over the seven pin, the ball
There were plenty of “High Fives” to
go around.
Colin and Owen Mastalir displayed
the form.
turned back and slowly began to move.
It finally reached the bowler after what
seemed like several minutes. The attendant at the desk had to help us reset the
pins. He later remarked it was the first
time he had seen that happen.
Afterwards, we went out for New
York style pizza and (root) beer. Some
of the kids ended up making new
friends. It was a great event. We hope to
participate again next year.
At our May meeting, we discussed
the night out at the ballpark for those
who were not able to attend. It was a
good baseball game, but it was a little
late by the time the fireworks ended
afterwards. We also made plans for our
Off to a Great Start
Lodge Brookfield No. 475, Brookfield,
Illinois - It appears as though Lodge
Brookfield has gotten off to a great start
on another busy year. At the Bowl-ORama on April 17, 2016, we were happy
to sponsor six youth bowlers. And
while we did not field an entire Lodge
Brookfield team for the National
Bowling Congress this year as we have
done in the past, we did nevertheless
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participate.
We reported on last year’s activities
to the other lodges in attendance at the
District Council No. 12 meeting in
April, and were honored to be presented
with a platinum award for 2015.
The early hours of May 7 threatened
cold and rain but by the time our Lodge
Brookfield hedge trimming crew was
ready to get down to work on Join
McKayla Martinek bowled with style.
bocce ball tournament and end of summer picnic and swim party.
Lodge Golden Gate meetings are
held in the homes of our members. If
you would like more information on our
meetings and activities, please contact
Shelle, our secretary at (408) 528-9434
or email our lodge at:
csalodge252@yahoo.com.
Fraternally, Walt Strach
Hands Day at Chicago’s Bohemian
National Cemetery, the temperature was
cool but mild and the sky was blue.
What a perfect day for an outdoor volunteer project!
Lodge Brookfield meets at 5:30 p.m.
on the third Wednesday of each month
at the CSA Home Office in Lombard.
And please don’t forget to look for
Lodge Brookfield No. 475 on Facebook.
Fraternally,
Kimberly Silhan
Claim
51668
51675
51681
51690
51634
51677
51628
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51659
51673
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51680
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Name
Lavern F. Wood
Julia A. Butteri
Robert A. White
Beverly Cabe
Larry Mcpherson
Steve Nelson
Earlene J. Horodnik
Sheila A. Lee
Milka Rechtoris
Frances M. Richardson
Helen K. Fill
Walter R. Cooks
Mary M. Sebesta
Alberta R. Marcinik
Blanche A. Baillie
Evelyn S. Lipp
Alice R. Dabkey
Raymond L. Paul
Leslie Sienknecht
Jacqueline Watson
Carolyn L. Duncan
Frederick Planey
Frankie J. Sabo, Jr.
Rhonda L. Robinson
Roxie L. Carter
Mildred J. Studnicka
Bessie F. Pobuda
Donald G. Sirovatka
Joseph P. Marino
Marie P. Meier
Rose M. Knarr
William Pesek
Julia Pesek
Barbara R. Seykora
Mary F. Samuels
Edward J. Horick
Carmen Arocho
Mildred Jenks
Farkhandah Malik
Martin J. Palla
Edna E. Stump
In Memoriam
Lodge
1
4
4
13
91
91
170
181
210
211
211
211
211
219
219
230
231
277
279
302
306
310
310
366
366
372
372
378
378
378
419
422
422
422
428
429
450
458
463
479
484
Place of Death
E. CARONDELET, IL
PITTSBURGH, PA
MCKEES ROCKS, PA
IRON RIVER, WI
CHICAGO, IL
MAYWOOD, IL
LIBERTYVILLE, IL
ROCK ISLAND, IL
WASHINGTON, DC
COLUMBUS, NJ
LITTLE FERRY, NJ
MERCHANTVILLE, NJ
WILMORE, KY
CLEVELAND, OH
MARBLEHEAD, OH
PRINCE GEORGE, VA
GRAYSLAKE, IL
HOUSTON, TX
CLUTIER, IA
CHICAGO, IL
SHREWSBURY, PA
BELLAIRE, OH
NEFFS, OH
WEIDMAN, MI
DETROIT, MI
SEVEN HILLS, OH
STRONGSVILLE, OH
BERWYN, IL
BERWYN, IL
DOWNERS GROVE, IL
KNOX, IN
MASSPEQUA PK., NY
SETAUKET, NY
PACE, FL
LEXINGTON, SC
WATERVILET, NY
BROOKLYN, NY
PHOENIX, AZ
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL
HARRISON CITY, PA
HARRISBURG, PA
Date
02/20/2016
03/29/2016
04/18/2016
04/22/2016
03/22/2016
04/14/2016
03/08/2016
04/09/2016
04/08/2016
03/13/2016
04/18/2016
04/23/2016
03/23/2016
12/27/2015
01/04/2016
01/24/2016
04/06/2016
11/19/2015
04/05/2016
03/31/2016
04/06/2016
04/03/2016
04/22/2016
04/09/2016
03/21/2016
04/05/2016
04/17/2016
02/19/2016
04/02/2016
04/04/2016
03/27/2016
04/05/2016
03/20/2016
04/23/2016
04/24/2016
04/10/2016
03/29/2016
02/24/2016
03/01/2016
04/01/2016
03/13/2016
Age
83
77
90
81
64
67
83
62
96
85
90
76
93
95
91
88
88
59
89
40
74
75
74
57
70
95
96
83
70
95
82
76
93
85
90
70
84
85
74
91
90
In Memoriam
Bessie F. (Sevcik) Kobylak Pobuda,
Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372
and Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219
was born on February 19, 1920 to Frank
and Barbara Sevick. Bessie, along with
sister Helen Martanovic and brother
Frank Sevcik, was raised on West 43rd
and Clark Avenue close to Clark Hall
where she started her 90-year participation with Sokol Nova Vlast (later Sokol
Greater Cleveland).
A member of CSA Fraternal Life for
81 years, she belonged to two lodges
and was active in both. Bessie served
on many committees and was President
of Lodge Paramount for many years.
She bowled with the CSA Ladies and
Men’s East Side League and later the
West Side League. She attended many
CSA Get-Togethers, the last one being
in Pittsburgh in 2014.
In June 1940, Bessie married Majo
Kobylak and the couple joined the DTJ
English Speaking Unit. She served as
prompter for their plays. Bessie and
Majo were chairman of the Fish Fry and
Clambake committees which raised
money to build the DTJ barracks for
young gymers to enjoy every summer.
Transferring to DTJ Mt. Pleasant, they
helped to get their newsletter started,
and Bess served as Treasurer until her
death.
After Majo’s passing in 1965, Bessie
married Jerry Pobuda and they resided
in Chesterland. After 10 years of marriage, Jerry passed and Bess and sister
Helen decided to live together which
they did for over 42 years. Bessie
enjoyed her life with her family, clubs,
lodges, and the nine couples that were
CSA/DTJ/Sokol members and friends.
Bessie passed on April 17, 2016. We
will miss her smiling face, good nature,
and most of all, a forever friend.
Submitted by
Fran Weiss
Lodge Estlian No. 404, Fairview
Heights, Illinois - Hello to all! While
looking for items at an estate sale, Yally
Zaruba and daughter, Barb, found six
very small dresses. Barb decided to keep
these for her granddaughter expected on
June 20. That means the new little one
will be wearing dresses made by her
great-great grandfather for her grandmother.
Evelyn Hammel just returned from a
trip to Silver Dollar City’s “World Fest”
where the New Czech Republic
Children’s Folk Band, Osmi Ninja, per-
formed. It featured the Czech National
Champion Bagpiper. The band was from
the Taussegora National, primary art
school of Prague.
Happy Anniversary on June 18 to Ed
and Gina Kupinski who have been married 56 years.
We are pleased to announce our
newest member, Lucy Lewis Kupinski,
born November 10. She is the daughter
of Stacey Kupinski, granddaughter of
Don and Linda Kupinski, and greatgranddaughter of Edward and Mary
Kupinski. We welcome our new little
member.
Kevin and Jason Haney were in town
over the Mother’s Day weekend for both
Mother’s Day and the graduation of
Jessica Fowler. Jessica is now a fullfledged Registered Nurse (thank you for
the CSA scholarships which were
awarded her) and will be working at
Memorial Hospital in the cardiac unit.
All for this time.
Fraternally,
Sandy Haney
Scribe
Baby Wears Dresses Made By Her
Great-Great-Grandfather
Babi, We Need Your Help - Miss CSA Pageant
Do you have a granddaughter or great-granddaughter who
would like to compete in our annual Miss CSA contest?
Would you like to see her be our Queen for the coming year?
NEW FOR THIS YEAR: The Home Office will cover the
cost of Get-Together registration and the cost of one room
(based on double-occupancy) for three nights for two family
members.
NEW FOR THIS YEAR: All contestants will receive $150
in spending money and the chance to win $2,000 if chosen
Miss CSA!
Application forms can be obtained on our website csalife.com - or call the Fraternal Department at 800-5433272.
If so, give her a call. Tell her we’ll be meeting in Memphis
the first weekend in August and that all expenses will be paid
for her to join us.
Our Get-Together and Miss CSA Contest is a wonderful way
to connect with old friends, make new ones and enjoy all that
Memphis has to offer!
Lodge Happenings
Join Hands Day at Sokol Camp
Lodge Washington No. 30, St. Louis,
Missouri - CSA members connected
with Sokol members for another productive Join Hands Day at Sokol Camp in
May. We cleaned the kitchen, washed
windows, mopped, swept and hosed
down floors, and checked a lot of items
off the to-do list. Lodge Washington
provided the greenery to freshen up the
planters at the top of the driveway, and
with the recent rains in the area, those
flowers should be blooming pretty soon.
Sokol Camp will be the location of
District Council No. 13 picnic later this
summer, and we are glad to help get the
facility ready for the season.
At our last meeting, the lodge voted
to send President Jenny Zeman and
Vice-President Deborah Zeman to the
Get-Together as our delegates. As
always, we wish a lot of success to the
committee, and we look forward to
some glowing reports from Memphis.
Congratulations to Sean Joseph
Bartlow, who graduated in April from
Northwest Missouri State University,
The group is (left to right) Mike Wolf, Maria Breidenbach, Connie Wolf,
Deborah Zeman and Marla Breidenbach.
Summa Cum Laude, with a degree in
chemistry with an emphasis on
biochemestry. He went to work right
away at a job in Lenexa, Kansas. Sean
is the son of Bill and Mary (Eichner)
Bartlow.
Happy Father’s Day! Til next time –
Fraternally,
Mildred Zeman
Stamps submitted to the Home Office should be foreign
and
commemorative stamps only.
There is an abundance of
U.S. stamps and other stamps are needed.
Thank You!
Kropik Scholarship Available
mer Vice President and General Counsel, Charles T. Kropik,
is based solely on the applicant’s level of activity in CSA
functions and activities-both on the lodge and national level.
This award is given once and is not renewable. However,
previous applicants may re-apply.
The Fraternal Department is now accepting entries for the
2016 Kropik Scholarship. This $1,000 award will be given
to a CSA member enrolled full-time at a college, university
or trade school. The scholarship, in memory of CSA’s for34 — www.csalife.com - JUNE 2016
To enter, write an essay detailing your CSA activities
through the years. Include your lodge name and number and
the approximate date you became a member. The deadline
for your entry is July 1, 2016. Email to gromanelli@csalife.com, or FAX to 630-472-1100 or mail to Kropik
Memorial Scholarship, CSA Fraternal Life, 2050 Finley Rd.,
Lombard, IL 60148.
A A H K B I N H Q I M E J Y T
Just
Kids
L
L S X T W D A H O N A E C O
Send Just Kids your stories, riddles, etc.
L
T K K G C O N C H O L O G Y
Sea Shells
O A L B U K P R S A N D Q R Q
S X L F A B V E H L K R E G E
C P E F H R D G Z J G B M H R
O V S O X G N H B L L N A G V
P W U I
L Z C E O J E R M X E
P W L R E A A S X C V S A K F
K
I L R E C J E E
J
Mail: Just Kids, c/o the CSA Journal,
P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148
Email to: CSAJournalEditor@gmail.com
Coloring Page
L T H E H
Y R O B H J C V X A Z A K E P
R T M Z N Z D A A W R I
I V J
N C O K C L N W T O W A C A D
P M U I U W H F C B G U L D Y
C M Q B H L J K B D K B C H G
BARNACLES
BEACH
BEACH COMBER
CONCHOLOGY
MOLLUSK
SHELL
OCEAN
PEARL
SAND
SCALLOP
SEA
TIDES
WAVES
Czech to English
Ta nevěsta má krásný šaty.
Ta nev-ěs-ta má krás-ný ša-ty.
The bride is wearing a beautiful dress.
Kolik stojí ty náušnice?
Ko-lik sto-jí ty ná-uš-ni-ce?
How much are those earrings?
Červen…………………………………………..June (Čer-ven)
Perla……………………………………………...pearl (per-la)
Perlička……………………………………small pearl (per/lič-ka)
Náhrdelník……………………………….necklace (ná-hrd-el-ník)
Náušnice…………………………………..earrings (ná-uš-ni-ce)
Náramek…………………………………..bracelet (ná-ram-ek)
Veselka……………………………………….wedding (ve-sel-ka)
Nevěsta………………………………………….bride (nev-ěs-ta)
Družička…………………………………..bridesmaid (druž-ič-ka)
Ženich……………………………………………groom (žen-ich)
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June - CSA Fraternal Life

Transcription

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