`CHANGING TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF FRATERNALISTS"
"Joining Hands To Touch Lives-Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nation"
VESTNIK Official Organ Of The Slavonic enevolent Order of the State of Texas, Founded 1897 BROTHERHOOD
HUMANITY
ENEVOLENCE
Postmaster: P ease Send Form 3579 to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 October 26, 1994 _SSN—C7458800 VOLUME 82 NUMJER 4:, 1-ariva.
Mikeska elected TFC President
311S ; uelegation participates in TFC -
An SPJST delegation, including Supreme Lodge Officers, Directors, Home Office employees and other SPJST members attended the 94th Annual Convention of the Texas Fraternal Congress (TFC) held October 14-16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin, Texas. The annual meeting of the Texas Association of Fraternal Insurance Counselors (TAFIC) was also held in conjunction with the TFC. The '11-C is an association of 21 fraternal benefit societies operating in the State of Texas. The participating societies represent some 582,605 members in Texas and at year-end 1993, held combined
insurance in force of more than $12.7 billion. The SPJST is a longtime member of the TFC. Mikeska Decte TFC President Supreme Lodge Vice President Leonard Mikeska was elected president of the TFC for 1994-1995. SPJST District Four Director Stanley Broz was selected by rother Mikeska to install the six officers and five directors of the association. Kathy Fritz, administrative assistant to the Vice President, was selected to assist Brother Mikeska with the 1995 convention arrangements. Sister Fritz (Continued on page 5.)
AttenC?, _, GraduatIng Seniors,
C llege Undergraduates, "'arents and Grandparents: Now is the time to apply for SPJST scholarships for the 1995 aca I emic year. Call or write the Home office for details and at
)
form.
Incoming TFC President Leonard Mikeska, right, expresses appreciation to past TFC President Robert Beglau (Lutheran Brotherhood.) TFC Secretary-Treasurer Dan Borth (Sons of Herman) looks on.
"Trick or Treat" Next Monday is Halloween!
Haunted Hunting: Stalking Czech Ghosts by Connie Stambush On a cold and moonless night, Lubos Safarik stood in the middle of a deserted Pilsen intersection and waited as his friend attempted to light a cigarette. He shifted impatiently as each match died out as it was struck. With his hands shoved deep into his pockets, he looked around at the vast, empty area. Then he saw her. She was moving toward him, silently. The long, dark coat she wore concealed her legs. She appeared to be floating. As she neared him he noticed her fine, sharp features. When she passed, he quickly turned his head to look after her. But no one was there. Safarik, a 31-year-old psychologist in Pilsen, is convinced that he saw a ghost
on that still November night in 1979. Because of the location, the only place she could have slipped into was thin air, he says. The area was surrounded by sprawling villas, the nearest about 50 meters away. "I saw her with such clarity I could draw every detail of her. We ran after her to see where she was, but saw nothing." It was only later that he learned a young woman had been killed by a car at that exact spot five years earlier. ecause of his experience, Safarik began immersing himself in the world of the paranormal and learned more about ghosts. Three years ago, he teamed up with another physicist who works as a guard in Pilsen. Together, they started to
investigate supernatural phenomenon in his work was thwarted because the Czech the Czech Republic. criminal police (official investigators of "We are not ghostbusters," insists strange occurrences) sealed their records. Kalina, whose ghostly interest was The party line was clear. piqued 12 years ago in Moscow. "We Parapsychology, the science of events just help people understand what they that cannot be explained by natural law, have seen." might indicate the existence of God. Helping people Lubos Safarik and Pavel Because God didn't understand ghosts—if exist under commuindeed they even Kalina insist they are not nist philosophy; neiexist—hasn't always ghostbusters. But in the ther did ghosts. been easy in this three years since the pair country. Since their collaboteamed up to investigate ration, Kalina and Ivan Mackerle, a Safarik have investiPrague-based writer spooky tales in the Czech gated more than 100 who investigates Republic, they — hauntings in the strange phenomena, and others—have formed Czech Republic. says published matersome unconventional ial on ghost sightings (Continued on page 4.) didn't exist during the theories about days of communism. why people see ghosts. For years, much of