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HERALD Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded 1897. BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 54 — NO. 25
HUMANITY
BROTHER'UOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 35:9 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. O. Box 100, TEMPLE, TEXAS
JUNE 22, 1966
FROM WE EB 723 DESK OUR YADs Our districts are busy planning the details of the upcoming District Youth Achievement Days, which will soon be taking place around the state in the seven districts. District Three is the first to hold its activity on June 26th. Others follow in July and August. One of the great improvements that appears to have been incorporated in this year's events is the shortening of the break between the end of the talent contests and the time the coronation takes place. This has been a source of many complaints in the past. Those who had to travel some distance were a bit miffed at having to mark time for three or four hours between the two events. Many people left and simply did not come back for the coronation. The whole thing left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, spectators and participants. This year, there seems to be a concerted effort to shorten this time lapse considerably. In the case of District III, it has been limited to a maximum of two hours, with plenty of activity going on between. Let us also not lose sight of one other important fact: this is the day for the youth. This is their day! All other activities — selling of meal tickets, dance, refreshments, and other money-making projects, should be subordinated to the one task of making everything as nice and smooth for the
QUOTES . A taste of defeat should not kill the apetite. There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. —Clare Booth Luce 'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all. —Tennyson Wisdom is ofttimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar. —Wordsworth In idle wishes fools supinely stay; Be there a will, and wisdom finds a way. —Crabbe
youth as humanly possible. This means giving your absolute attention to the youth and whatever they may be doing; helping out and cooperating whereever and whenever possible. This requires the cooperation of the host lodge and its officres, the District Youth Director, and all the youth leaders, and certainly the young people themselves. In districts where there are large numbers of participants, the job becomes correspondingly tedious and difficult, and requires more work and attention to detail. It goes without saying that the smoothness of the
event depends on the local lodge, its PA system, microphones, lighting, etc. All of this should be checked out before the big day arrives. No one likes to be kept waiting in a situation like this. Pianos are almost always used, and they should be tuned and playable. This is only fair to the young folks who perform on them. One other word: These Youth Achievement Days are intended to be happy and joyous occasions for all, particularly the young people. Adults, however, should not feel that their own entertainment and pleasures should have precedence over the various youth activities. It has been the habit of some to go about their merrymakin,g as if the youth activities didn't matter one whit. This is not in keeping with the spirit of the occasion. We adults have our days — and plenty of them. Let's focus all attention on our sons and daughters on this very special day. Host lodges who regard this day as an opportunity to get rid of a lot of food and beverages likewise have the wrong conception of what the occasion is all about. True, no lodge likes to go in the hole on any undertaking, but Youth Achievement Day is not a day to make a financial "killing." You have 51 additional weeks in the year to do that. Finally, let us remember that the winners will automatically receive