Volume 101 Number 9
ˇ ´ VESTNIK S P J S T Benevolence
H E R A L D
★ Humanity ISSN —07458800
★ Brotherhood
March 6, 2013
Model Lodge Best Practices Guide offers lodges, leaders topics for consideration, discussion, and action By Supreme Lodge President Brian Vanicek, FIC
Youth Members Perform Beseda at “An Afternoon About Rosie”
On Sunday, February 17, several members from SPJST Lodge 154, Fort Worth participated in “An Afternoon About Rosie,” a tribute to the late Rose Steinman of Lodge 154. The afternoon started with a fabulous Czech meal of roast pork, sausage and sauerkraut, followed by a program honoring Rosie that included many stories and a performance of the beseda. Current, past, and future youth club members and their families created three dancing circles. All dancers felt honored to perform in memory of such a wonderful woman and SPJST member. Many were wearing beseda costumes handed down from family members, some more than 100 years old. After the program, the band Czech and Then Some played, and the dance floor filled. At the end of the dance, the band had a sing-along with several songs that were Rosie’s favorites. One of the
songs was “A Ja Sam.” Youth club members sang this one loud because it was one of the songs that they learned at summer camp. All Lodge 154 Youth Club members attended the program and many helped with decorating, setting up, and cleaning up. The planning, preparation, and production of the afternoon was a group effort by many who loved Rosie. Although, not physically there, Rosie was definitely there in spirit, and she loved every minute. We’ll miss you dearly, Rosie. Just a note: While looking for pictures for this article, we realized we only had a few of the youth club members with their family in their beseda costumes. Why didn’t we get all the pictures we needed? Because Rosie wasn’t there to take them . . . —Lodge 154, Fort Worth Youth Club —SPJST—
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Interest Rates.......................................3 Important Dates ...................................3 Readers Write ......................................3 District News .......................................5 Lodge Section......................................6 In Memoriam ......................................13
In the spring of 2012, I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop for SPJST youth club members. One of the topics that we explored was the role that SPJST plays in the lives of its members. Simply stated, we were seeking to establish a solid understanding of the role SPJST seeks to fill in the lives of its members and in the life of the community. The question, “Why are we here?” generated a wide assortment of answers. The fact that SPJST touches so many and varied aspects of our lives makes that a challenging question to answer. Think about it: We’re financial. We’re cultural. We’re social.
We’re educational.
We’re recreational.
The strength of SPJST resides in its diversity. The challenge for us — as SPJST lodge leaders — is threefold: First: To recognize our strengths as individuals and as a group; Second: To identify the mission that our lodge seeks to fulfill in the community; and,
Inside This Week’s Vestnik
Youth Section.....................................15 Vestnik Project...................................16 Czech Culture ....................................25 Czech Calendar..................................25 Advertisements ............................27-29 Lodge Calendar .................................30
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Lodge 17 New Tabor youth views William B. Travis letter
Third: To convey that message through our words and by our deeds to our fellow members and to the community at large. Several years ago, I settled on a simple response to the question, “What is SPJST?” “We’re a fraternal benefit society,” I would say. “The basis of the SPJST is to do good. To do good for each other and to do good for the communities that we seek to serve.” Doing good for each other and for the communities that we seek to serve: Therein, I believe, resides the heart of our fraternal mission. Even so, it isn’t a complete explanation. As stated in our SPJST By-Laws, “The purpose of this Society is to provide security for its members and the families of the insured, through the various certificates issued in accordance with the fraternal insurance laws of the State of Texas.” There’s more: “This Society promotes providing a wholesome family environment for the entire family unit and endeavors to promote our common bond by keeping alive and encouraging the cherished traditions of the Czech history, culture, heritage, and family.” It is through the SPJST lodge system that we seek to further define and
Continued on Page 5.
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Lodge 202 Jourdanton youth enters art contest
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Youth Development Workshop held in Temple