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• tA kLID Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded 1897. HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 54 — NO 15 -
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE, SFJST, P. 0. Box 100, TEMPLE, TEXAS
APRIL 13, 1966
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER The spring meeting of District II was a howling success. One fact stood out above all others: out of the 13 lodges in the district, 11 were represented. Also, out of 44 members who were to receive their 50-year pins, 19 were present. This must, indeed, be a record. Would that we had such representation in all our districts. In researching material on events that happened 39, 40, 50 years ago, in talking to some of the "old timers," one must really wonder why attendance at some of our functions ranges from very poor to very good. A long time ago, (and not so long either), our members eagerly looked forward to any and all gatherings in their community, and SPJST meetings were no exception. It was truly a source of mutual exchange of ideas, information, and just plain old visiting. They enjoyed it, and they didn't mind staying a little longer once they got there. And all of this was despite the lack of roads, or certainly good roads, automobiles, and other means of communication. In those days, traveling only a mile or two was a major undertaking, especially in rainy weather. Under such conditions, even the horse and buggy had rough going. But they went, and they enjoyed it. e • Today, with fast automobiles, excel-
THOUGHTS . . . It takes much longer to develop a skilled manager of men than it does to build a machine, yet we often approach the training of supervisors much more haphazardly. • When you like a man on first meeting, there is a strong human tendency after that to see only those things that reliforcte the original impression. • • The truly wise are always simple — simple friendliness, simple decency, simple goodwill between man and man. It is the little mind that spins complications. lent highways, short distances amount to nothing, and longer distances are conquered in an hour or two. None of our functions are hardly ever over two hours away, oftentimes less. Yet, somehow, with all these conveniences, ease of travel, speed, comforts, we have a hard time getting our members to attend our functions. Across the board, I'm sure attendance averages about one-third of the total member-. ship. Why was it that in the old days, when getting anywhere was almost a hardship, people eagerly met the challenge and went, whereas, today, when movement has become no problem at all, we find it difficult to devote a
couple of hours a month to fraternal activities? Is it because we have been so completely and deeply immersed in our own comforts, that we are taking less and less time to devote to things dealing with our neighbors? It would thus appear that modern advances have "spoiled" us. If this is true, it simply means that we must continue to explore more and newer ways to keep the members interested and more of them coming to our functions. Another thing: members ought to have enough interest in the business matters of their lodge and district to stay a little longer, and not "hightail" it from the meeting as soon as the youth program is over. This is a practice that is very discouraging to the conducting officers, to have to try to do business to an empty house. In short, let's 'make our business sessions as brief but complete as possible, stay until ALL business is taken care or, and, above all, come and contribute something. All of these functions will be as productive and as good as the members make them. I am reminded that back around 1912, when Brother Robert Cervenka was first elected to a post in the Supreme Lodge of the SPJST, left West around midnight on a train that resembled the comic strip "Toonerville Trolley" more than it did a train,