VESTNIK June 29:Layout 1
6/24/11
ˇ ´ VESTNIK
12:43 PM
Volume 99 Number 26
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S P J S T Benevolence
H E R A L D
Humanity
ISSN —07458800
Brotherhood
June 29, 2011
“Pay attention . . . or we may lose our freedom.”
“Freedom . . . guard it with your
Royalty to Parade on the 4th
The reign of the 2010-2011 SPJST State Royalty will be coming to a close as they make one of their final appearances at the Fourth of July parade in Belton on Monday, July 4 at 10 a.m. Pictured with patriotic clowns and State Youth Director Frank Horak are State Duchess Chandee Bachmeyer and State Queen Jacqueline Klaus, both of Lodge 29, Taylor, and State Duke Ty Stock and State King Samuel Vanicek, both of Lodge 24, Cyclone. They will ride in convertibles along with SPJST Float 2 in Belton. SPJST Float 1 will be hosted by Lodge 183, Arlington in the Arlington Fourth of July parade. More details on page 2.
Interest Rates.......................................3 Important Dates ...................................3 Readers Write ......................................3 Lodge Section......................................4 Reunions ............................................12 SPJST Financial University ..............13
life, America,” often warned wellknown Texas Gulf Coast fraternalist and late SPJST Lodge 40, El Campo-Hillje member Karel Matejka, Sr. of El Campo, Texas. Karel was only 16 years old when the Vimperk, Sumava, Karel Matejka Czechoslovakian Freedom Fighter was imprisoned by the Nazis following Germany’s occupation of the Sudentenland at the beginning of World War II. He spent almost eight years of his youth as a forced laborer in Hitler’s infamous concentration camps. He was freed in 1946 by General George S. Patton’s United States Army and returned to his Czechoslovakian homeland where he opened a bakery and grocery store. Karel became outspokenly critical of Post War Russian-imposed Communism that was being forced on the freedom-loving Czechs. Czechoslovakia’s pre-World War II democratic government had been patterned after the United States of America. After learning in 1948 that his business was to be nationalized by the Communists and the impending threat of imprisonment again “as an enemy of the State,” Karel and his wife, Gizela, escaped overnight to western Germany. Bishop John L. Morkovsky learned of their plight as displaced European
Inside This Week’s Vestnik
In Memoriam ......................................13 Youth Section ....................................14 Youth Merit Points Update...........16-17 Czech Culture ...................................18 Advertisements .................................21 Lodge Calendar .................................22
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Lodge 15 Buckholts member seeks Hurta descendants
refugees and arranged for the Matejkas to come to Houston in 1950 under the National Catholic Refugees Program. Karel and his wife were warmly welcomed into the greater Houston American-Czech community including the old SPJST Lodge 88, Houston on Studewood Drive. He was active in the Houston Sokol movement and other benevolent Slavic organizations such as Western Fraternal Life. The gifted singer and musician had a vast repertoire of authentic Czech folk songs. The accomplished accordionist and drummer also loved to polka dance. He formed a Houston band which played at many special celebrations including a downtown El Campo street dance and “All Nations Festival” in 1962 when the city became “Capital of Texas for 24 hours” as designated by “Governor-for-aDay” Culp Krueger, President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate at that time and owner of KULP Radio and the El Campo Leader-NewsSvoboda. A member of the SPJST Lodge 88 Choral Group and Drama Club, he was cast in major roles of many Czech language divadlos — theatrical presentations including operettas such as Kmoch’s “Muziky, Muziky” and other entertaining Czechoslovakian dramas and comedies staged at Lodge 88 and in other Texas communities. Karel was honored in 1999 as one of the founders of the Saints Cyril and Methodius Slavic Heritage Festival, which is one of Houston’s oldest eth-
Continued on Page 12.
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Lodge 30 Taiton honors sales agents
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Lodge 54, West members meet for the final time in lodge hall