Volume 102 Number 44
ˇ ´ VESTNIK S P J S T Benevolence
H E R A L D
★ Humanity ISSN —07458800
Clifton Coufal of Lodge 47, Seaton Named SPJST’s 14th Vice President
Hello, Vestnik Readers, I am honored to introduce myself to you as the new SPJST Vice President. It feels so good be back home! I was raised on a farm just down the road from SPJST Lodge 47, Seaton. Growing up, both Seaton Star Hall and Seaton Brethren Church were important to me. I enjoyed participating in the Lodge 47, Seaton Youth Club as sergeant-atarms under the watchful eyes of my youth leaders, attending camp, and participating in various community events and charitable projects. I must admit that my passion, even through the present day, is playing taroks. I absolutely love the game! I remember at the age of four, my grandfather first taught me the cards in the deck starting with the four suits and, once I was comfortable with those, moved on to teaching me the trump cards. My family would play taroks weekly at my grandparent’s house, and I was able to participate and learn from some excellent players. My family would frequently attend tarok tournaments, and I was always brought along to enjoy the event. At the age of nine, I was allowed to play in my first tournament! Since that time, I have continued to play in tournaments with friends and family and even started a tarok group
when I attended law school. After obtaining my master’s degree in marketing from Texas A&M, I worked for JP Morgan Chase where I was a business specialist and utilized my FINRA and insurance licenses to create plans for businesses and individuals to help them achieve their financial goals while consistently achieving top performance goals. I then attended Duke Law School in order to further develop my understanding of the legal side of sales and financial products. I am a licensed Texas attorney and expect to provide guidance for not only the business development aspects but also on strategy within a regulatory framework. Other career-related experiences include serving as a Texas Governor’s Fellow in the General Counsel’s Office, finance projects at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. in Washington D.C., developing marketing strategies for Hewlett-Packard, and presenting a proposal to Office Max’s Board of Directors to increase sales. I have led teams across the globe ranging from leading a group of 14 International MBA students from four different countries earning a “Golden Sales
Remembering those who paid for our freedom. That is the goal of Texas Czech Genealogical S o c i e t y ’s Czech Veterans Museum and Czech Ve t e r a n s ’ Wall of Honor, located in the basement of the SPJST Home Office at 520 North Main Street in Temple. The Czech Veterans’ Wall of Honor was first displayed on March 27, 2010, at a TCGS event entitled Let Freedom Ring. Since that time, the wall has grown to well over 100 feet, honoring more than 1,000 Czech Veterans and
Inside This Week’s Vestnik
Together We Grow.............................16 Vestnik Project...................................17 Fall Sports Salute ..............................18 Czech Culture ....................................19 Advertisements .................................21 Lodge Calendar .................................22
November 5, 2014
Czech Veterans Honored in TCGS’ Wall of Honor at SPJST Home Office
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Important Dates ...................................3 Readers Write ......................................3 Interest Rates.......................................3 Johnnie Krizan Scholarship Info .......7 Lodge Section ...................................10 Youth Section ....................................16
★ Brotherhood
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Fraternal Field Manager Hiram Dixon retires
continues to grow daily. TCGS is dedicated to preserving and honoring the sacrifice made by Czech Veterans. Viewed by hundreds, the Wall of Honor is on permanent display at the Home Office in Temple. “We are a museum which celebrates freedom . . . freedom paid for by the extraordinary sacrifices of our Czech Veterans,” says TCGS President Charlene Hurta. “A special alcove is dedicated to those who paid
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Lodge 92 Fort Worth shares Czech Heritage Day scenes
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Scenes from “All Things Czech” Svacina