Changing to meet the needs of fraternalists.
"Joining Hands To Touch Lives-Fraternalism for the Family and Our Nation"
VESTNIK SIIST Herald Official Publication of The Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas, Founded 1897
BROTHERHOOD
HUMANITY
BENEVOLENCE
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 to: SPJST Home Office, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503
December 29, 1999
ISSN-07458800
VOLUME 87 NUMBER 50
By-Law Committee to meet in Temple on January 8
Open house fills Home Office with warmth, music
The By-Law Committee will meet on Saturday, January 8, 2000, at 9 a.m. at the Home Office in Temple. Members interested in submitting by-law changes or recommendations for consideration to the next convention should do so as early as possible. Recommendation for changes to the bylaws must be signed and submitted to the secretary of the by-law committee not later than 60 days prior to the convention. The By-Law Committee members are: District One Clarence Matula Box 533 La Grange, Texas 78945
The Christmas holidays were welcomed in a big way on December 6 in downtown Temple and at the SPJST Home Office. More than 100 floats, marching bands and vehicles representing Temple area businesses, schools, churches and civic groups participated in this year's annual Christmas parade. SPJST was well-represented by the 1999-2000 SPJST State Royalty: State Kin g Paxton Davies and State Duke William Fuller, both of Lodge 92, Fort Worth, and State Queen Colette Kenney and State Duchess Kayla Kenney, both of Lodge 84, Dallas.. Riding in a horse-drawn carriage, they waved Liid Christmas greetings to the thousands of spectators. The District Two Royalty Court also represented SPJST in the parade. King Jason Cervenka and Duke Connor Vanecek, both of Lodge 29, Taylor, and Queen Sara Kostiha and Duchess Christina Kirby, both of Lodge 24, Cyclone, rode on a decorated float.
Home Office Festivities Following the parade, approximately 200 members and guests visited the SPJST Home Office and Museum Holiday Open House. Cookies that had beenbaked by SPJST Home Harpist Gretchen Office staff, Williams, enterkolaches, tained guests with apple cider holiday music. and hot chocolate were served. Santa, Mrs. Claus and one of Santa's elves listened to Christmas wishes and distributed goody bags to the young people. Theresa Faris of the Temple Public Library read holiday stories and harpist Gretchen Williams entertained guests with holiday music. Outside the Home Office, guests enjoyed carriage rides by Richard Curtis of Goodtime Carriage Rides. The museum featured a path that led to a traditional Czech Christmas tree. —SPJST-
Temple Christmas Parade Members or > ''' P 1999-2000 SPJST Royalty Court participate in the 1999 Temple Christmas Parade. More than 100 floats and marching bands participated in the holiday procession. See related photos on page four.
Reconnecting with the past is "dream come true" for Richardson woman, family by Peggy Donohue Recently, I took a tour to the Czech Republic and other European countries. My interest in the tour peaked when I found out that there were three days in Zlin, Czech Republic. Zlin was not far from my grandfather's hometown of Lipnik in Moravia. Only weeks before we left, I had found some family information in Leo Baca's book on immigrants to the United States. I had been especially interested in the volume which contained information of the people who had arrived at the port of Galveston. While I was in fifth grade at St. Mary's School in West, our class was given an assignment to write a story about our family's history. I inter-
viewed my grandfather, Joseph Kral, Sr. He told me that he had come from Czechoslovakia in 1906 with his brother, Anton, on a ship called the Hannover. The political climate dictated that they sneak out in the middle of the night under barbed wire fences to get to Bremen, Germany to board the ship. Traveling aboard the ship, he was seasick for many days. He talked about how much he had enjoyed ice skating on the ponds in his home country and how beautiful a city Prague had been. (Continued on page three.)
"They sneaked out in the middle of the night and crawled under barbed wire fences to get to Germany to board the ship.
(Editor's Note: The author, Peggy Donohue lives in Richardson, Texas and is in private practice as a licensed professional counselor. She is the niece of the late Raymond Urbanovsky, past Secretary of the Supreme Lodge.)
Planning for the future? Take a closer look at SPJST Mortgages, Universal Life, Roth IRAs and Annuities.
Districi Ronnie Rieger Vice Chairman 350 Rieger Road Coupland, Texas 78615 District Three Kay Lynn Kovar 3303 Lake Bardwell Drive Ennis, Texas 75119 District Four Beverly Teplicek Secretary Route One, Box 40-A Rowena, Texas 76875
District Five Dorothy Pflughaupt 1243 Clovis Road Houston, Texas 77008 District Six Michael Ahlstrom Chairman 407 Taos Victoria, Texas 77904 District Seven Bettie House 1721 Continental Drive Pleasanton, Texas 78064 —SPJST--
SPJST Mortgage Interest Rates Rates subject to change without notice
Home or Farm Mortgages: 6.75% for 1 to 7 years 7.25% for 8 to 15 years 7.50% for 16 to 20 years 7.75% for 21 to 30 years Qualified Owner-Operated Business Real Estate Mortgages 8.50% for 10 years 8.75% for 11 to 15 years
Universal Life 6.75% for Annualized Effective 11-1-99 through 1-31-2000
Roth IRA 6.00% for Annualized Effective 11-1-99 through 1-31-2000
Annuity II 6.00% for Annualized Certificates issued 4-1-93 and after Effective 11-1-99 through 1-31-2000
Annuity 1 5.00% for Annualized Certificates issued prior to 4-1-93 Effective 11-1-99 through 1-31-2000