Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897. HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE VOLUME 59 — NO. 2
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 'with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE SPJST, POB 100, TEMPLE, TEX 76501
JANUARY 13, 1971
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK We have received a letter from SL .Vice President Joe B. Hejny calling our attention to the part of the January 6 editorial dealing with different settlement options for bendficiaries and informing us that some of them do not correspond with those of our SPJST Society. We regret that we did not check with him before publishing this. The article was written by the Institute of Life Insurance. We request our members and organizers to understand that only our SPJST options apply to our Society's members. On January 9, 1776, 195 years ago, a pamphlet was published which helped shape American history. ft s title AM r "Common Sense," anci. itv 'by Thomas Paine, an Englishman who had been in this country less than two years. It analyzed clearly the situation and grievances of the American colonies and called for a declaration of independence. Within three months after the publication of the pamphlet 120,000 copies had been sold. The total sale of "Common Sense" has been estimated at half a million copies — this in an America which at that time had only three million inhabitants. Six months after the pamphlet appeared, the Declaration of Independence was signed at Philadelphia. The past two years as your editor have • been pleasant for the most part,
GIVING 'WINGS TO SONG by Frank Ankenbrand, Jr. The soul Is but a captive Bird within cage of flesh. It has the freedom Of my being But cannot try it's wings Beyond this mesh. She is a wanton Soul, I know And makes Of my heart a nest And lays her songs, That singing spring From me and will not rest. A captive bird, though captive, Taught Aself to
Frt'ni dif',1c to dawn Found freedom By giving song a wing. although rather crowded. An earnest effort has been made to try to keep harmony in our SPJST even at the expense of our conscience, which, at times, told us we should inform the membership more fully and completely concerning certain matters. There are times when an editor of a fraternal organ such as our Vestnik feels he is on a tightrope — trying to be fraternal and harmonious on one side, and faithful to keep the membership informed, on the other side.
There have been occasions when your editor has written an editorial truthfully and informatively to our membership, then re-read it the next day, given it some more thought, and set xt aside for fear it would offend some mare sensitive person than yours truly. Here your editor has a. hard time deciding which was or was not the right course. As some events seem to evolve, 'there are times when one has to stop, and after some thought, realize that the effort for harmony is not being returned from the very sources about which, for harmony's sake, the criticism was withheld. The late Presi'T. 0. Masaxyk, first president of Czechoslovakia, once said that a person who reads very intelligently and 'carefully will glean more from what the writer is saying by reading between the lines than what is in bi gcl; on white. These past two years have beeo act de more pleasant, however, by the numerous letters from members and readers from all occupations and walks of life. Letters frem friends, leaders and hazy people who to,e time to write- letters and notes of encouragement to keep the ever-needed fraternal efforts the future. We have letters from state senators, representatives, (which have been printed), from the Mayor of Holland, Texas, from Rev. Hanacek of