Changing to meet the needs
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of Iraternalísts,
"Joining Hands To Touch Líves-. Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nanon"
SPJST Herald Official Publication Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas, Founded 1897
BENEVOLENCE
BROTHERHOOD
HUMANITY
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SPJST Home Office, P.O. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503 VOLUME 85 NUMBER 42 ISSN---07458800
Ninth Annual Tarok Tourney "Taylor made" for fun and good times
Tuesday, November 11 is Veterans Day A Day to Remember
by Barbara Rosenkranz State Fraternal Activites Coardinator
by Lt. Col Kathie Hightower United States Army Reserves If you would like to try an interest ing experiment, ask a neighbor, friend, or family member these three ques tions:
First question: What does Veterans Day mean to you? Second question: What exactly is a "veteran"? Third question: Why do we honor · our veterans? You might just be surprised at some of the answers you hear. Let me give you a sampling from an informal sur vey. These questions were asked of a variety of people of all ages -- some in the military, some with ties to the mili tary, some with no ties or experience with the military at all: "It's a commemoration service to men and women who have given their time toprotect our countryand others." "It means a day offfrom work and avoiding parades because I don't like crowds." "I think of older World War Two vets in uniform saluting theflag. " "It's a day I rememberthe manypeo ple who served under me, especially those we lost. It's a day I rememberthe comradeship - something strong that you just don'tfind much in our society." I expect you will find, as I did, that this day means many different things to different people. The meaning often depends on their military experience or lack thereof, or the military experi ence of their relatives, or it depends on their age, or maybe even the part of the country they come from. The tradition of honoring American veterans began on November 11, 1919, one year after World War One ended. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that each November 11th was to be commemorated as "Armistice Day," a day of remem brance to honor the 116,000 Americans who died in the World War. In 1954, Armistice Day was redesig nated "Veterans Day." With the new name, the observance was given a broader scope: to honor all American veterans, living and dead, in whatever war or period of peace they served. Since that time you will find that the day has been commemorated in differ ent ways throughout the United States
November 5, 1997
NFCA Chief Visits Home Office SPJST Supreme Lodge officers met with National Fraternal Congress of America Executive Vice President David Tetzlaff at the SPJST Home Office in Temple on October 28. Founded ln 1886, the NFCA is comprised of 92 fraternal benefit societies in the United States and Canada. The SPJST is a member of the NFCA. Discussion covered a range of issues related to the management and development of the SPJST and other fraternal ben _efit societies. Pictured, from left, front, are: Legal Advisor Sidney Kacir, NFCA Executive Vice President David Tetzlaff, Secretary-Treasurer Lanita Anglin. BACK: President Howard Leshikar, Financial Secretary Jerry Mikulas and Vice President Leonard Mikeska.
The SPJST expresses thanks and gratitude to all of our brothers and sisters in uniform who have served and continue to serve our country. ... Whatever the form of commemora putting their lives on the line and of tion on this day, Veterans Day is set facing the horrors of war. They saw their comrades die around them and aside to honor our veterans. possibly suffered injury that continues Who Are Our Veterans? to affect them today. They deserve our But who are those veterans? That is honor and our thanks. the second question to ask. "What But let us not forget all of the other exactly is a veteran?" Here again you veterans who served in time of war. may be surprised at the answers you Let us not forget those who might not get. Here are some of the answers we have stepped foot on foreign soil got in our survey: the many veterans who supported the "A veteran is someone who fought fighters. Listen to the words of Staff in a war onforeign soil." Sergeant Greg Markley, who served at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during "A veteran is someone who served. Operation Desert Storm: "I greatly in the military." admire and respect my heroes and Many people do think of veterans as friends in the desert for their courage, individuals who fought in a war. That stamina and superb performance dur is one part of one definition -"some ing the Storm. Yet, let's not be one who served in time of war." ashamed of, or even discount in some Sometimes we think only to honor small way, the accomplishments of all those veterans who actually fought in a of us who stayed back in the garrisons war. We certainly should honor them. and training fields in America. We They paid the ultimate sacrifice of (Continuedonpage 3.)
Franklin Schlesinger of Lodge 29, Taylor deserves credit for bringing the ancient game of taroks into the comput er age. About eight or nine years ago, Brother Schlesinger set up a spread sheet that enables tarok players to track their high round scores for each round and to quickly locate play positions throughoutthe tournamentday. Brother Schlesinger was the coordi nator for the Ninth Annual Tarok Tournament, recently held at Lodge 29 in Taylor, Texas, on Saturday, September 13, 1997.
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Donna and Frank Schlesinger take a break from score tallying. It was my pleasure to make the acquaintance of Sister Donna Schlesinger, Brother Franklin's wife. She, Irma and I enjoyed the day togeth er as we oversaw details involved with coordinatingthe tournament.
Beginner's Luck? The opportunity to play in the tour nament was presented to me several times during the day. Once during a hand I was playing, an "expert" tarok player who had promised a new found patience for my lack of skill and coor dination, temporarily experienced amnesia and reproached me for taking too long. I proclaimed in a huff, "Fine then!" and proceeded to take almost every trick in the hand. Ha - the great spirit walks with me! That luck, not withstanding, I also sat in a hand for Brother Schlesinger. Denisse Wuensche and I had "woman thing" going on - even if we weren't Povinost partners. I fear I was rooting for Denisse at Brother Schlesinger's expense. (Sorry, Franklin-go Denisse!) Anyway, even if I was sit ting in for him/he still came out way ahead and took high round score for that table. I did enjoy playing those two hands though, thanks for asking. (Continuedonpage 4.)