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Official Publication of the SPJST, originally chartered as the Slovanska Podporujici Jednota Statu Texas, in 1897
Postmaster. Please Send Form 3579 to: SPJST Home Office, P. 0. Box 100, Temple, Texas 76503
September 8, 2004
ISSN-07458800
VOLUME 92 NUMBER 34
Muj 'leas v Prate—My Time in Prague Lodge 215, South Plains member lives, teaches in Czech Republic by Georgia Williams Dobry den! Pardon my imperfect Czech, I am after all only a girl from the plains of west Texas trying to pronounce my "i" and fit in! From the dry plains of Texas to the rolling Bohemian countryside— the last three years have been a journey to remember. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Georgia Williams, and I teach middle school English and social studies at an International Christian School in Prague, Czech Republic. Any class may have anywhere from three to nine different nationalities represented—all children of families that have been lured to this magical medieval city of Prague. My uncle, Shorty Williams, began to sell insurance for SPJST when I entered high school. We bought insurance and walked away puzzled by a "Slovak" fund. Two years later, I applied for and was graciously granted an SPJST scholarship. I was thrilled and used this to help fund my
education at Wayland Baptist University. My first day of classes, I sat next to a tall foreign basketball player from the Czech Republic—a Praiak, no less! Little did I know how much this Czech man would change my life. Our friendship grew into dating and in the wi [er of 1999, I took my first trip abrnid. I was
pleasantly shocked at the overwhelming hospitality and warmth of the people and the grace and beauty of the country and city. Someone asked me on that trip:
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Among the items on display at the Temple Cultural Activities Center include a beaded pillow, Czech dolls, embossed eggs, and a handstitched sampler. The items are on loan to the CAC from the SPJST Library, Achives, and Museum (LAM).
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The St. Nicholas Church, built in the period 1704 to 1755, is the most significant historical structure of the so-called Prague Baroque.
Refer your Meta mg family for membership! Many lodge youth dub amt refenN incentivis apply!
Czech Display
"Is Prague all you had hoped it would be?" I was ashamed to answer the truth: I had expected nothing! However, at that moment, I knew that I never could have anticipated its beauty. I continued to learn more of the history of this land and its deep heritaee. From the touristic magnets of
Bohemian crystal and Moravian wine, to the artistic heartbeat that has nurtured such greats as Dvdak, Mozart, and Kafka. To walk the streets of Prague is to truly step back in time.
With minimal damage from many wars, it really is a jewel of Europe. It is still a cultural breeding ground— not a night passes without the possibility of an opera, play, concert, or ballet. Cobblestone winding streets are peppered with inviting cafes and pubs. Weekends are warm get-aways to chalupas— where people still sing songs, pick mushrooms, and stay up to all hours of the night, enjoying one another's company. Teaching medieval history in Prague has been perhaps the most rewarding experience of all. Everyday offers new discoveries. I pass the Charles University which was the first university in central Europe, founded by Charles IV, son of John of Luxembourg, who died in the Battle of Crecy and so on and so on! The old saying is true. You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl. Texas is a longing that haunts me. The big blue skies, thunderstorms, and chicken fried steak. But the mystique and beauty of Prague and the Czech countryside is a gem I would hope all could experience.
Editor's note: Georgia is a member of Lodge 215, South Plains and the Lodge 215 Sales of niece Representative Donald "Shorty" Williams.
SPJST Library, Archives, and Museum loans items to CAC for special exhibit The SPJST Library, Archives and Museum has loaned a number of items to the Cultural Activities Center (CAC) in Temple for a special exhibit for area third and fourth graders. Beginning in August and continuing through the end of October, over 2,400 students will view those items when they visit the CAC to learn more about Czech culture and heritage as part of a called program "Hands On." The Hands On program is coordinated by the Contemporaries, the volunteer arm of the CAC. Each year, thousands of students visit the CAC to participate in this theme-driven field trip. This year, students will enjoy a variety of activities designed to acquaint them with Czech culture, as it exists here in Texas as well as in
the Czech Republic. Volunteer instructors will lead the students in interactive activities where they will learn Czech folk tales and the polka. Students will also create kraslice eggs during an art session. During a stop in the Carabasi Gallery, students will view artifacts Czech including Czech money, porcelain, and images of historic castles as well as those items on loan from the SPJST Library, Archives, and Museum. Among those items are a beaded pillow brought to the U.S. in 1870 , by a Czech immigrant, a collection of Czech dolls donated to SPJST by the Czechoslovakian Embassy, four Czech embossed eggs, and a handstitched sampler from 1881. (Continued on page 4.)