"CHANGING TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF FRATERNALISTS"
SPJST Herald Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897 BROTHERHOOD HUMANITY BENEVOLENCE Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 August 26, 1992 ISSN-07458800 VOLUME 80 NUMBER 33
Czech's contributions to Texas survive," Katz says. According to Katz, endowment pledges total nearly $1 million. The money and interest generated from the endowment will be applied in several ways:
Michael Katz, left, David Kolar and Hana Pichova discuss Czech program at UT. Not pictured is Brother Pokladnik, who was in Czechoslovakia when photo was made.
UT Czech
*To recruit a series of internationally recognized scholars of Czech language, literature and culture to come as visiting professors---for a semester at a time. One of these visiting scholars will eventually be chosen as the permanent holder of the chair. *To sponsor an annual series of lectures by distinguished scholars in Czech studies. *To sponsor an annual festival of Czech films to introduce Texans to Czech culture, and *To provide scholarship aid to deserv-
ing University students who wish to supplement their studies with a summer, semester, or academic-year program in Czechoslovakia. Already, as a result of the endowment, Dr. Igor Hajek, senior lecturer in Czechoslovak Studies and head of the Department of Slavonic Languages and Literatures at the University of Glasgow, Scotland has accepted a fall semester appointment to UT. Hajek will teach a graduate and an undergraduate course in Slavic literature. According to Brother Pokladnik, the CEFT continues to play a leading role in maintaining and building new interest in Czech language, society and culture. "We encourage the public to continue their strong support of the CEFT. In time, we hope to establish a second endowed Czech chair at another university," he concludes. ---BV
rn Ors Language, :ure C:asses
Fall Classes If you want to study Czech language or Czech literature and you're attending the University of Texas this fall, you're in luck. Classes begin on AuG ust 26 and students can continue to enroll until the end of the first week in September. That the University of Texas is offering the Czech courses is nothing new. The language has been a mainstay of the Department of Slavic Languages at UT since 1914. The arrival of Hana Pichova at the university in the fall of 1991 is a reassertion of UT's commitment to the program. Pichova, who teaches first-and second-year Czech, is a native of Prague. She immigrated to the United States in 1980 and previously taught at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. This fall, Pichova will also be instructing a course in contemporary Czech literature, highlighting the works of such literary figures as Capek, Kafka, Vaculik, Kundera and Havel. "First year Czech language classes meet five times a week and cover a lot of grammar during the first semester," Picha says. "In the second semester, the classes start reading Czech. Second year classes meet three times a week and the emphasis is on speaking and comprehension," she explains. In addition to studying the Czech language, both first and second year classes devote a significant amount of attention to the study of Czech culture. The University Czech Club---organized in 1909---supplements classroom instruction with additional study of the Czech language, literature, art, music and culture in general.
The Czech Chair In 1990, the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas (CEFT) selected the University of Texas as the recipient of its endowed chair for Czech Studies. The inspiration behind the Czech Chair were the late Brothers John and Joseph J. Skrivanek. For many years, Joe Skrivanek served as chairman of the CEFT board. The SPJST has been a leader among the many individuals and fraternal societies that have, over the years, contributed to CEFT for the establishment of the Czech Chair. Brother Cyrill "Sid" Pokladnik, District III Board Member and Supreme Lodge Board Chairman, was one of the original directors of CEFT in the late 1950s and currently serves as the group's president. "The drive to raise funds for the Czech chair has been successful only because of the wonderful support of so many dedicated individuals," says Brother Pokladnik. "Currently, credit is due to the past and present officers and directors of CEFT for all of their time, energy and financial contributions." He cites the continuing efforts and dedication of Austin architect and CEFT Chairman Roger Kolar. "Roger has been very active in promoting and directing the course of CEFT and in working with UT officials to help define Czech chair objectives." Chairman of the Department of Slavic Languages Michael Katz gratefully acknowledges the commitment CEFT, Czech Texans and members of the SPJST have made to keep UT's Czech program strong. "The endowment is a kind of guarantee that the
A group of teachers have something in common. All of them teach the Russian language in schools and colleges throughout the United States including Texas which include Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, Brownwood and states including New York, New Jersey, Florida, Kansas, Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, Oklahoma and Missouri. The purpose of their tour was to visit and locate people and places of ethnic background and view any displays of cultural heritage items. They enjoyed the SPJST museum displays. Several of them could speak Czech, Polish, German, and Russian.
District FACs' Workshop held at Home Office. Standing, L to R: Newlyelected District VII Director Bob Bayer, District VI FAC Helen Zabransky, District VI President Annie Vahalik, District III FAC Gordon Hubenak, District VII FAC Glen Pruski. Seated, L to R: State FAC Frank Klinkovsky, District IV FAC Elizabeth Walther, Viola Kruse (visitor of Taylor), District II FAC Dale Kessel, and SL President Howard Leshikar.