January 2015 News of the Czech Center Museum Houston in the

January 2015 News of the Czech Center Museum Houston
in the Museum District
4920 San Jacinto Street
Houston, Texas 77004
713.528.2060
Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm
czech@czechcenter.org
www.czechcenter.org
The Rosene Family is expecting a visit from our dearest
Where: CCMH
friends in the Czech Republic who are native Czech speak- When: January 17, 2015
Time: 5:30pm
ing and is honoring them with a reception to meet our
Texas Czech/Slovak speaking friends. We will meet Jarek
and Annie Slichta and Marta Pekarekova from Hlohovec,
Moravia. By special invitation only.
From the Heart of Europe to the Heart of Houston,
The Czech Center Museum Houston
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Traveling Exhibition at CCMH
Czech Center Museum Houston
PRESENTS THE EXHIBITION
TEXAS CZECHS
ROOTED IN TRADITION
JANUARY 26–APRIL 25, 2015
Opening Reception: January 24, 2015 (6.00-8.00pm)
Free; RSVP required to attend
Texas Czechs: Rooted in
Tradition is an exhibit that
highlights cultural traditions
through multimedia projects designed to educate and
inspire. Czech culture has
played an instrumental role
in shaping the iconic Texas
landscape after Czech immigrants brought with them
dance, food, music, language
and other cultural traditions.
The Texas Czech community maintains and passes on
its sense of identity by continuing to practice those traditions and by creating some
particular to Texas Czechs.
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The exhibit uses photos, text
and short films to speak to
a wide audience about the
sights, sounds, tastes, language and history of a rich
culture that has united Texas
communities for generations.
The exhibition will be on
display in Pilsen Hall on
CCMH’s third floor from
January 26 – April 25, 2015.
Admission is free with museum entry: $6 for adults,
$3 for children 6 & under,
and free for CCMH Members.
Several special events will be
held throughout the run of
the exhibition to showcase
aspects of traditional Texas Czech culture, including
food, clothing and music.
Watch our website (www.
czechcenter.org) and Facebook page for event dates
and times!
If you have any interest in
sponsoring this exhibition with
funding or the donation of your
services, please contact us at
713-528-2060 or
museum@czechcenter.org
to learn more about
Benefit Levels for our donors.
January 1st-Day of Recovery of Independent Czech State
Since 2001, January 1st in the Czech Republic is celebrated
not only as the New Year Day, but also as a national
holiday - Day of Recovery of the Independent Czech State.
This holiday marks the date in 1993, when Czech and Slovak Federal Republic split into Czech Republic and Slovak
Republic.
“The Velvet Divorce” in 1993, followed the 1989 “Velvet Revolution” and fall of the communist regime. When the general elections of June 1992 failed to resolve differences within the federation, Czech and Slovak political leaders agreed
to separate their states into two fully independent nations.
The decision was made by
politicians, and not voted on
by the people of the CSFR.
National Emblems through History
Czechoslovak
Socialist
Republic
Czech and
Slovak
Federal
Republic
Czech
Republic
Slovak
Republic
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Czech Republic
Historic Highlights
Basic Facts
Before the arrival of the Slavs in the 6th
century the area was inhabited by Germanic
and Celtic tribes. Many rulers and kings lead
the people in Bohemia from the 7th to the
19th centuries.
Location: Central Europe, between Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria
Under the reign of Charles IV (1346-78),
King of Bohemia and the Holy Roman emperor, Prague grew into one of the largest
cities in Europe. In the second half of the
16th century, under emperor Rudolf II, it
was made the seat of the Habsburg Empire
and experienced great prosperity.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Bohemia was still part of the Habsburg Empire (Austrian Empire). Full independence
from the Hapsburgs was not achieved until
the end of World War I, when on November 1st, 1918, a union of the Czech lands
and Slovakia was proclaimed, and the Czech
nation became part of the newly formed
Czechoslovakian state.
During World war II (1939-1945) German
troops occupied Czechoslovakia. After an
election in 1946 the Communist party ruled
the state for 43 years.
In 1989, the Velvet revolution ended the
communist reign and a newly named Czech
and Slovak Federal Republic started its way
to democracy. On January 1st, 1993 the
CSFR split in two new independent states Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Reference: www.cia.gov
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Capital:Prague
Area: total: 78,867 sq km, land
1,620 sq km water
Lowest point: Elbe River – 115 m (Czech:
Labe)
Highest point: Sněžka – 1,602 m
Krkonoše Mountains, state border between
Czech republic and Poland
Population: 10,627,448 (July 2014 est.)
Ethnic groups: Czech 64.3%, Moravian
5%, Slovak 1.4%, other 1.8%, unspecified
27.5% (2011 est.)
Languages: Czech 95.4%, Slovak 1.6%,
other 3% (2011 census)
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Legal system: in 2014, a new civil code
will replace the existing civil law system,
which is based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory amended
40 times since the Communist regime fell
in 1989
President: Miloš Zeman
Prime Minister: Bohuslav SOBOTKA
Currency: Czech crown (CZK)
Volunteering and What & Who is a Volunteer
What is a volunteer? Commitment; A heartfelt activity; the face and the heart of the Czech
Center Museum Houston; its past, present and future; the answer to loving hospitality; the
reason visitors come and return!
• A volunteer is Paula Pizzitola, who on hearing and seeing immediate need of CCMH she
came to the Museum and worked three long consecutive days until the work was done
completely, and at the end she was still smiling and glowing!
• A volunteer is Rev. Paul Chovanec, bringing love and music to the CCMH house year after
year, including St. Nicholas, for all to celebrate. He, even standing out front with his entourage, the Angel and Devil, waving Christmas Greetings to the traffic passing by, his
beautiful white beard shimmering above the Bishop’s vestments!
• A volunteer is a Wesley Pustejovsky who brings multiple generations of Pustejovskys and
friends to CCMH events!
• A volunteer is Terese Wagner with her husband Gary collecting all those red poinsettias
and gold lame cloths for the tables in Prague Hall, as well as the Bishop’s sidekicks, Angel
and Devil!
• A volunteer is Allen Livanec, Carol Triska Vacca and her cadre of Santa’s elves to decorate
our CCMH house in all its Christmas season finery!
• A volunteer is Herman Vacca who, as the great piano artist he is, always supplies us with
his piano artistry when there is a need and there always is.
• A volunteer is Eva Maria Campo returning from her Colombia trip to help in administration daily for what is needed!
• A volunteer is Ginny Stoner returning from her granddaughter’s Nutcracker ballet debut
performance outside Fort Worth and returning the next day to her Gift Shop volunteer
duties, always working long hours after the events!
A volunteer is each and every one of you with a special reason you care to volunteer James, Bill and I too! Where else could we have such fun and be among such a great
people?!
And what do volunteers do to have fun? They get together with fellow volunteers over cake
and whatever reason! An official reason is not required!
We cannot ever thank volunteers enough, although we try. Therefore, we thank you
once again!
Effie and Bill Rosene on behalf of CCMH
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Volunteering
From the Chairman and C.E.O. Effie M. Rosene
January Newsletter is introducing information on an important segment of CCMH
Membership Volunteers and Volunteeering.
WE REMEMBER AND HONOR THOSE FIRST VOLUNTEERS TEAMS AT CCMH!
The earliest volunteers:
Our volunteers have been with us from the very begining! We started out at the 2315 Del
Norte address, moved to North West Mall, and finally came to our present home at 4920 San
Jacinto in Houston’s Museum District.
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Effie Rosene, R.N. and former Hospital Administrator, longtime volunteer with Houston Symphony, Grand Opera, also School substitute Nurse/Teacher, and English Second Language Teacher at
IIEH, longtime volunteer at CCMH, also CCMH CEO and Chairman
Bill Rosene, UT graduate, Economics Major and long time City of Houston employee, an airport
management employee, then longtime volunteer at CCMH as V.P. Administration
Lindsey and Sherry Rosene Pierce, graduate of U.T. Austin, MD Anderson Leukemia Research
employee of 30 years
Sarah Pierce, now age 28, graduate of the University of Texas at Austin in Economics, lives and
works in New York City, CCMH’s first and youngest volunteer
Matthew Anderson, age 27, St. Edwards University of Austin graduate in Economics, works for
Texas State Land Office
Larry and Cathy Rosene Anderson, Cathy is a UT Austin graduate, R.N. at V. A. Hospital, 25 years
in Baylor Hypertension Clinical Research
Christopher Anderson, now 25, Texas A&M graduate, engineer working with Shell Oil and Gas
Co. in Houston
The Rosenes, Johnsons, Andersons and Pierces attended all Galas and scheduled events to register
and greet the visitors. The children most often guided visitors to their assigned seats. Otherwise
the boys as well as parents would help clean up after events, and replacing tables and chairs. The
boys continued to do so when on college leave
Dana Ermis worked the Gift Shop as manager
James Ermis – Accounting – Treasurer – Vice Chairman
Henry and Barbara-Kahanek Hermis – Henry was a former Boardmember and their two sons
Bryan and Kevin with their lovely wives volunteered work at all our early galas, auctions and events
Nina & Ray Vitek and their lovely daughters Ashley and Mary worked all our Galas and Auction
events as parents still do
Gladys and Leslie Kahanek, both deceased, stalwart volunteers especially in the Gift Shop, plus
Cecilia and Bob (deceased Forrest) also worked the Gift Shop
Lynn Chernosky Swaffer, (daughter of Allen and Dorothy Chernosky) especially kept the Gift
Shop beautiful
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Another Junior Volunteer, Cliff Malek, grandson of Cliff and Barbara Malek, student at St. Thomas High School
Frank and Mary Pokluda, were Senior Ambassadors and Greeters to our members and the public
Dorothy and Allen Chernosky (both deceased) for which we never held an event the two of them
did raid their front and back yards to fill our lovely halls full of beautiful fresh flowers!
Cliff Malek, Robert Dvorak, Charlie Pavlicek, Chris Hlavinka, Frank Smith, Marta Latisch, Carol
Williams, Rudy and Jerrydene Kovar, helped at Gift Shop plus Lillian and Bob Kokas, Brian Emr
– assisted with all around duties
“Nana you remember I was CCMH’s very first volunteer at age 9, your first mail-out
stuffer and I even learned to trifold newsletters”
Sarah Pierce (Rosenes’ granddaughter)
Great People All! We Love Them!!!
CCMH Staff & Volunteers
Clockwise from the back: Bill Rosene, Paula Pizzitola, Renata Odom, Ginny Stoner, Terese Wagner,
Lucie Harmachova, Lenka Horakova, Carol Vacca, Eva Maria Campo Bartoskova, Allen Livanec,
Juana Wilson, Stephanie Vanicek, Diana Sanchez, Effie Rosene
Sandra Pickett & James Ermis
Carol & Herman Vacca
Rev. Paul Chovanec
Marie Mann
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Thoughts and Thanks to Special People
From the Chairman and C.E.O. Effie M. Rosene
On December 29, 2014 Dr. Sally Miller presented on behalf of the CCMH Board of
Directors, the volunteers and the three Administrative staff a beautiful handcrafted Japanese freshwater pearl bracelet symbolizing
The Road to Recovery.
Thank you from my heart. Thank you, special
people. As my fingers flutter over the various sized beautiful various colored pearls it
is reminiscent of the use of a Rosary. It is
a thoughtful, caring gift from good friends.
I must admit its symbolism was somewhat
overwhelming and so I shed some tears as
I looked upon it. Thank you and thank you
again!
On January 2nd, we had lots of company;
daughter Christie Johnson from Cuero, Texas and cousins from Frydek/Sealy. Gerry
Sliva Hamil and Filothea (Phyllis) and husband Gene Eschenburg who have an Insurance business in Katy. From our house they
went to Dickinson to visit more cousins from
my tiny Czech grandmother Cecilie Smahel
Lezak of Frydek originally from Moravia in
Czechoslovakia (Luzice) and (Chrudim,village in Bohemia). The Dickinson cousins
were of my grandmother’s sister Antonia
Tonka Smahel Salisbury originally living in
Galveston for many years.
Recovery Bracelet
It starts with a perfect white pearl,
which symbolizes the whole and
healthy person. Next is the clasp, the point at which something
breaks. It can be a health issue, a loss, an emotional crisis…From the
clasp there is a progression of freshwater pearls growing in size and changing
in color. Each pearl along the way represents a stepping stone to recovery.
The different colors represent changing emotions and new tasks accomplished
in the process. They continue to get bigger as healing takes place
until reaching the original bright white pearl, signifying a return to full health.
The bracelet is a comforting reminder that recovery
and renewal is one step at a time.
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To CCMH Members and Friends
Personal note from the chair and C.E.O. Effie Rosene
Thank you from my heart
for your prayers and well wishes
extended to us by telephone calls, greeting cards, letters, emails and visits.
Bill and I are so happy that we are able to continue to work for CCMH
on a daily basis even though, we are not on site as much as we wish to be.
We enjoy attending so many of the scheduled events,
it is so good to see each of you at these events.
We encourage you to join us for upcoming events – they are each special.
Once again, we thank you, yours & CCMH,
we hope you received our Christmas greeting
and we are wishing you, yours & CCMH
good health and the best in the
New Year 2015.
Yours Effie and Bill Rosene
Effie’s Birthday at CCMH
Movie Night at Pilsen Hall - CCMH C.E.O. &
Chairman Effe Rosene & CCMH V.P. Bill Rosene
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Happy New Year!
Sally Miller’s : Sixteen – Bean Soup
“Original Ozark Recipe”
Wash 1 ½ cups of bean mixture. Cover with water, add 1 Tblsp. salt and soak for 3 hours or
overnight. Put beans in 2 quarts water, and add the following:
1 lb. ham pieces
1 clove garlic
1 can tomatoes
1 whole large onion
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 pod green or red pepper
Cook all day (at least 4 hours). May be kept in covered container in refrigerator. Flavor improves with age.
Contents of Package:
1. Red kidney beans
2. Black-eyed peas
3. Garbanzo beans
4. Green split peas
5. Yellow split pea
6. Baby limas
7. Large navy beans
8. Small navy beans
9. Barley or rice
10. Large white butter beans
11. Speckled limas
12. Field peas
13. Pinto beans
14. Black beans
15. Pink beans
16. Red beans
17. Lentils
Bon Appetit!
Dobrou chuť!
Thank you Sally for the soup
and recipe!
Effie and Bill Rosene
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What makes Czech Czech?
We continue from December with 100 things that are typical for the Czech nation. Please forward your
ideas to events@czechcenter.org with the subject line “Newsletter”. They include the following:
3.Madeleine Albright
was born in 1937 in Prague.
As a child, she left Prague
with her family for the
United States. She studied
at Wellesley College and
Columbia University.
In 1993, M. Albright became
a U.S. representative of the
United Nations, and three
years later she was appointed
as the United States Secretary
of State - the first woman to
serve in that position for the
United States. She held the
distinguished post for until
2001
“I do not believe that things
happen accidentally;
I believe you earn them.”
“As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.”
4. Krteček (The Mole)
Krtecek is a character created
by animator Zdenek Miler.
This series of cartoons is on
TV for over a half century
not only in Czech republic
but also in Germany, Scandinavia, Japan and China.
Czech lessons at Czech Center Museum
Starting on February 4th, 2015
Hello / goodbye (casual)
Ahoj (AH-hoy)
I'm sorry
Promiňte (PROM-min-teh)
Yes / No
Ano (AH'noh) not OH
NO/ Ne (Neh)
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Special Thanks
for the generous support of all our Members and Friends:
DONORS:
Adelma C. Graham
John & Betty Orsag
David Miller,M.D.
Sally Miller, P.H.D.
Dr. Glenn F. Sternes
Emil E. Kovalcik
Cynthia A. Miskell
Joy Balderach
Lillian Dulaney
Johny J. & Linda Veselka
Mildred F. Borden
Emma Montgomery
Ray & Nina Vitek
Movie Night
Get ready
for our second
movie night
on January 30th, 2015
at 7:30pm!
Come for free popcorn
and Czech comedy,
stay for cash bar
and cool people!!!
Yale Slavic
Chorus Performance
Save the Date
for Thursday, March 19,
2015 at 7pm
CCMH is proud to announce an upcoming
performance by the Yale
Slavic Chorus, Yale’s oldest
all-women’s vocal ensemble, as part of the group’s
Houston tour. Tickets are
$10 each.
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Jere & Sue Ann PokludaWallace
Joseph M. Hybner
T.P. & Burnette J. Boyett
Roger F. Mechura
Cecilia Forrest
Emil A Stavinoha
Effie & Bill Rosene
We are also currently looking for underwriters and
donations of any amount
to go toward this event
– a great way to show your
support of Slavic culture
and future performances by
travelling/musical groups at
the Czech Center Museum
Houston!