Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897 HUMiNITY
BENEVOLENCE
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send orm 3579 to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P.O. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76501 VOLUME 63, NUMBER 47 NOVEMBER 26, 1975
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK We attended the District 1 meeting at Lodge No. 13, Dime Box Sunday, November 16th at 1:30 p.m. There was a short youth program and the business session was taken care of in a rather brief correct manner. The officers made their reports and they were also to the point and brief. SL President Morris and SL Secretary-Treasurer Mikeska each addressed the assembly pertaining to their departments. Brother Jerry Bakulas, Jr. from SL Financial Secretary Ben Zabcik's department was also present. We plan to have some of the pictures of the meeting in the next issue. Due to the fact, in part, that deer season had just opened on that weekend, the attendance was rather small, however, the business was taken care of as usual. Lodge 13 President Brother Claude Flippin and all of the Lodge 13 membership proved to be genial hosts. * * We would like to call your attention to the date of Sunday, December 7th, when we will have the Grand Opening and Dedication of another new SPJST lodge building — the new home of Lodge Jan Zizka No. 18, Elgin. The program is on page 3 of this issue of our Vestnik and gives everyone an opportunity to plan their day and attend this event. Your presence
FOOD FOR THOUGHT One of the most serious thoughts that life provokes is the reflection that we can never tell, at the time, whether a word, a look, a touch, an occurrence of any kind, is trivial or important. —E. V. Lucas The improvements of ages have had but little influence on the essential laws of man's existence. —Henry Thoreau * * Progress is always the product of fresh thinking, and much of it thinking, which to practical men, bears the semblance of dreaming. —Robert Sprout there will help Lodge No. 18 Elgin begin a good start and have a successful future. This lodge's members, as were those of Lodge No. 13, Dime Box, were listed among those of the original 25 lodges, founded in 1897 and were the beginning of what is now our SPJST Society. We in our Society wish them much success in their endeavor. * * Since this issue of the Vestnik in all probability will reach some of our readers a day or so late, due to the postal holiday, we will wish you a belated Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you and yours had a happy, joyous Thanksgiving! * * (On the front page of our Vest-
nik, the issue of October 15th, 1975, was a picture of the SPJST Lodge No. 88 Houston Czech Concert Orchestra. Here is a history of the origin and progress of the orchestra as written by Brother Rudy Dybala, director). The SPJST Lodge 85 Czech Concert Orchestra had its beginning in early 1973 with a letter in the Vestnik by Brother Raymond Zapletal asking musicians to come to the lodge for a rehearsal. Six musicians showed up, so you see it has been a hard struggle but, little by little, we have been growing and getting better as we rehearse each Wednesday night at the lodge. We perform at SPJST functions as well as other functions such as church celebrations, Sokol festivities, Czech Day at the Texas State Fair, Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities at the Albert Thomas Convention Center, TV appearance on Station KVRL TV, Channel 26, and many others. We intend to grow still larger and better so all you musicians, young and old, who love our beautiful Czech music, come and join us! —Rudy Dybala * * True happiness is to understand our duties toward our fellowmen; to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient; for he that