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Official Organ Of the Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897. HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 57 — NO. 42
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE SPJST, POB 100, TEMPLE, TEX 76501
OCTOBER 15,1969
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK For the first time in 72 years 1897 to 1969, since it was organized, it seems that our Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas (SPJST) will build, own and use, as its headquarters, a building designed to fit our needs! I attended the Supreme Lodge meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 8, and, also, the opening of the bids for the construction of our new headquarters building. There were five bids offered in varying amounts. and the apparent lowest bid was $557,000 by the Tem-Tex Construction Co. of Temple. The company also offered to build an additional extension of the basement, which the Supreme Lodge officers and directors felt was necessary, for an additional $12,500, which made the overall bid amount to $569,500. The company agreed to make the final bid $569,000. This, of course, is in excess of the amount voted on, however, it really comes as no surprise when we study the rising trend of costs since our convention. The meeting of the executive body was interesting and proceeded in an orderly, expeditious and fraternal way, until adjournment at 5 p.m., when your editor had to return to West. I may even add that it was somewhat of a soul-searching meeting, for it was very visible that everyone in the meeting was doing his best to reduce the over-all cost. In a way, it could have
MY HEART IS LIKE THE SOARING OF A BIRD My heart is like the soaring of a bird That finds the space of sky immense and free; The joyful crying of my heart is heard Horizonward, beyond the farthest sea. My heart is like a brilliant looking glass; It smiles at me and echoes my delight In all the shifting images that pass Before me to infatuate my sight. My heat is like a subtle tide of ocean that barely stirs the anchor of a shell And draws in its tranquility of motion An irrestible but gentle swell. When you are gone, my heart bird is caged, The glass is broken, and the tide emaged. --Nancy Bickel been accomplished, however, allow me to give you an example: There were some alternatives they could have accepted, i.e., a much smaller basement, no elevator, much cheaper and less desirable material, etc. I took one of the bid tabulation sheets with me and after figuring ALL of the deductions the executive body could have taken the amount would have still exceeded $500,000 by quite some thousands of dollars. Frankly, I arti sincerely glad that they chose to go by the decisions they made.
Of course, as the body decided, they will poll all of the delegates (not a referendum) of the last convention for their and their members' and lodge's opinions, and guide themselves by the will of the membership through the delegates. While in the meeting, I was reminded of the man I knew in Houston, a friend of mine, who was building a $12,000 home. I stopped by to see him at the site one day and he told inc that he had already spent $11,700 and would have to spend another $1,600 before he would be through. He said, "But what can 1 do? I cannot afford to stop now, or put cheap material in the house. It will be somewhat of a hardship on me, but, at least I will have what I wanted." One thing is certain, when you start building, you can rest assured it will be MORE rather than less. This is up to all of us members to let our sincere opinions known, especially the delegates who have received the letter from the Supreme Lodge. • • We wish to call the attention of our contributors of written material to he published in the Vestnik to the new deadline on page 2, bottom of column 2. Our sincere thanks for your cooperation. • • Life insurance policyholders are living longer andare keeping their life