`CHANGING TO MEET THE C NGING NEEDS OF F T7-7,RNALISTS"
VESTNIK SPJST Herald
"Joining Hands To Touch Lives-Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nation"
Official Organ Of The Slavonic enevolent Order of the State of Texas, Founded 1897
BROTHERHOOD
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Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 ISSN-07458800
VOLUME 83 NUMBER 17
April 26, 1995
Lodge 25, Ent is Players I: vn Claim "42" Dominc Team Winners First Place winners in the SPJST Statewide "42" Domino Tournament held at Lodge 29, Taylor were Ronnie Honza and Jim Holahan of Lodge 25, Ennis. Other winners photos and story on page 5.
Lodge Trophy Winners Players from Lodge 17, New Tabor won the team trophy for winning the most games during the SPJST "42" Dominoes tournament. Pictured, from left, front, are Gladys Hejl, Donna Jones, Lydia Odstrcil, Clarence Sefcik, Susan Skrabanek, Carol Petty and Linda Gaas. Back row: Randy Gaas, Donnie Suehs, Donnie Paul, Glen Paul, Gary Zwernemann, Daniel Hejl and Kenneth Paul.
Lodge 88, Houston member makes learning fun
Bill Souchek: Doing What Comes Naturally by Effie Rosene In 1927, Mrs. Margaret Kincaid travelled to the University of Iowa, to enlist the services of a top-notch education graduate for her prestigious private school in Houston, Texas. William E. Souchek, a recent graduate, was selected. For the next 20 years, Mr. Souchek taught science, chemistry, and biology at the private academy. A listing of his former students reads like a "Who's Who" list of Texas politics and business. Among the names are political leaders William Hobby, Bob Bullock and James maker and Houston civic leaders Josephine Abercrombie, Bubba Criswell and Margaret Lee. The list goes on and on. Classes at the Kincaid school in those days were conducted in the structure which today serves as the Administration Building on the University of St. Thomas campus. In 1946, Bill figured that it was time for a change. He signed on with the Prudential Company in their Mortgage Appraisal and Loan Department. He joined the company at the invitation of Gerald Eubanks. Incidentally, Mr. Eubanks, who was a whiz at bond sales and a former Navy rear admiral, was also an uncle to Mr. Souchek's wife, Alice. And so it was, for the next 23 years,
Bill Souchek, second from right, socializes with some of his students at the home of Author Effie Rosene, front, left. Also pictured, from left, are: Jerry Voda, Sydney Voda, Bill Rosene, Brother Souchek and Alice Souchek. Pictured, in back, are Jackie and Bennie Marek. Bill followed his life's second calling. In 1970, he retired. He then proceeded to open a mortgage firm of his own dealing primarily in small business loans. Three years later, he decided it wasn't too much fun being self-employed. It was time to move on to something else.
In 1973, Bill announced he would teach the Czech language. "What do you mean, teach it? You haven't even spoken it for years!" exclaimed his wife, Alice. Although he had received no formal instruction in Czech, Bill felt certain that
he could reach back into his past and remember the language his mother and father and grandmother taught him. Consequently, his career as a language instructor began at Alvin Community College where he instructed Monday night Czech classes for ten years. On Tuesday nights, he taught at San Jacinto Junior College for six years. He felt he had extra time, so he taught at Spring Branch Community College during the daytime for six years and lectured at the University of Houston for three years. He taught at four institutions of higher education in tandem! In 1980, Brother Souchek volunteered to instruct an informal Czech class at SPJST Lodge 88, Houston. Fifteen years later and he's still at it. Brother Souchek is currently teaching his 30th session of Czech instruction at the lodge. The SPJST classes, which range from 35 to 40 students, are a popular fixture at Lodge 88, attracting students of all ages. His unique blend of enthusiasm, humor and grasp of the subject combine to make the classes as informative as they are entertaining. Brother Souchek attributes his love of the mother language and his need to teach it to the traditional values implanted by his father and mother. (Continued on page five.)