HERALD Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded BENEVOLENCE
HUMANITY
VOLUME 53 — NO. 29
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. 0. Box 100, TEMPLE, TEXAS
12i
BROTHERHOOD
JULY 21, 1965
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER,
DON'T YOU QUIT!
Our districts are in the midst of planning and preparing their Youth Activity Days throughout the state. A couple of these have already been held, but the majority are still scheduled to take place. This might be a good opportunity to take a closer look at this activity and some of the ways in which it may be improved. • • Most of the districts start the various contests in the afternoon, which is a good idea, rather than having part of the contests in the morning and then finishing in the afternoon. However, this is possible only when the agenda is not crowded with other things, or if there are not too many contestants. If there are large numbers of the youth participating, it may be necessary to start some of the eliminations in the forenoon. Starting in the morning tends to make the day a little too long, and it's pretty hard on the contestants and the parents. The day gets rather long, and the people restless, if there is a two or three-hour break between the time the contests are finished and the coronation proceedings commence. Many people leave. Those who have travelled some distance are a more or less captive audience and have to mark time until the evening event. When it is suggested that no more than an hour and a half elapse between the two events, the rebuttal
When things are wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit — Rest if you must, but don't you quit! Often the goal is nearer than it seems To a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup, And he learned too late when the night came down How close he was to the golden crown! comes that it takes that long for the girls in the coronation to dress. We'll concede that they need time to ' look their very best, but that shouldn't require almost three hours. Oftentimes, nothing is planned for the intervening time period, and people get just plain bored. A reasonable time period should be allotted and then the coronation should get under way, regardless of the time. When it comes to youth activity days on a grand scale, District III stands in the forefront. Last year, there were
seven queen candidates who entered the district queen contests, as many as the rest of the districts combined. This year District III had 10 entries in the district queen contest. With their escorts and royal courts, this put the total number of participants in that contest alone at 40. District III is to be commended for their robust and energetic leaders and the parents' devotion to the youth's activities. A couple of more thInes Dead to be brought out regarding these youth activity days. These events are planned primarily for the youth. It is their day. The spotlight is on them and their talents. Nothing should detract from that.. The lodge bar should be closed during any and all of the competition. It is a serious injustice to the performing youth to be distracted by loud raucous laughter and conversation from the adjoining bar area. It is a matter for the local host lodge and its leadership and should not be overlooked. It should not be necessary for the MC to continuously plead with the audience to get quiet. The adults, in turn, should know better. Another thing that has come to our attention: the condition of some of the pianos used in the talent contests is rather poor. In some cases, they are out of tune. In others, the ivories have been peeled off. In still other cases, some of the notes are dead. All of this takes away from the talent of the