HERALD Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded 1897.
BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 55 NO. 45
HUMANITY
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE, SI'JST, FOB 100, TEMPLE, TEX. 76501
NOVEMBER 8, 196'7
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK TILE DISTRICT III MEETING
THOUGHTS . . .
Last week in this column we gave the highlights of the five fall district rneetin,gs held so far this year. This week we will give the highlights of what transpired at the District III fall meeting, held at Lodge 6, Cottonwood Oct. 29th.
The tightest monopoly in the world can't make progress without the goodwill of its customers. • • The world is governed more by appearances than by realities, so it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as it is to actually know it. —Daniel Webster • The highest reward for man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. —Ruskin • • People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do.
Events at Cottonwood took a rather startling turn when it developed that Legal Adviser Bro. August Kacir had dispatched letters to district officers and Supreme Lodge officers about 24 hours before the meeting to the effect that, in his opinion, the election of a new rest home director at the spring meeting at Elk was null and void. Brother Kacir's brother, George, of West, represented him at the meeting. Brother George Kacir stated that after lengthy consultation by phone with his brother in Temple (who was meeting with the By-Law Committee in Temple) the letter was drafted and sent. The salient point of Brother Kacir's letter was that since the entire membership had voted in the election of a new rest home director, the election was null and void, according to Art. 63h of our SPJST By-Laws. Article 63-h states as follows:
"Delegates of the previous convention are the representatives of the local lodge in all district meetings." Brother Kacir interpreted this to mean that only delegates to the last convention have the right to vote on a rest home director, district officers, and to vote — period. The Weather Man was also angry with us that afternoon and sent violent rains and thunderstorms over the Central Texas area, knocking out power lines in the West-Cottonwood area. This didn't help matters any. What business there was was conducted by the light of two candles and a Cole-
man lantern (thanks to Bro. Joe Sumbera and his lodge workers). It was pointed out by the presiding officer at that spring meeting that what was done was done after consultation with our Legal Adviser, who was present and helped count ballots. Article 12 was invoked, but that article applies to special conventions called by the Supreme Lodge and does not apply in this case. It was also pointed out that our SPJST By-Laws are silent when it comes to mentioning our rest home or its directors. Not a word about them appears in our by-laws, yet, we have been electing representatives to that body since about 1954, after the home was completed. In all seven districts, election of a rest home director has always been by the members at district meetings. According to the latest interpretation, this method was illegal. Allegedly, this method of election was never challenged or contested. Nevertheless, the opinion of the Legal Adviser was given, and final action was deferred until the spring meeting in 1968. This decision opens a Pandora's BoX of questions as to exactly what procedure will be followed in this matter until it is completely cleared up by the by-law committee and the coming convention.