Scholarship Information

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Scholarship program rewards academic excellence, extracurricular involvement

Dear Members,

Whether students are studying online or on campus, they need funding to make it happen. The SPJST Scholarship Program is here to help. Since its inception in 1984, more than $1,600,000 in scholarships have been awarded to deserving young members through the program. In 2020, 43 general scholarships, two technical scholarships, and two leadership grants were presented. In addition, five district merit scholarships, one state merit scholarship, and two royalty scholarships were awarded this summer for a total of 55 scholarships and grants presented for the year.

SPJST scholarships are funded through an annual allocation by SPJST and thanks to voluntary contributions received through our 100 Pennies Scholarship Drive, memorial donations, and endowments. Donations are tax deductible.

Applications for scholarships are sent out by email from September through January upon request – or you may download the applications at www.spjst.org. The Fraternal Department must receive the completed application and all requested information by February 1, 2021. Recipients are announced in April.

The following scholarships are available through the program:

General and Technical Scholarships –For all SPJST members

Leadership Grants – For active SPJST youth club members – Applicants may only apply for this grant in their senior year of high school. Active youth club members are strongly encouraged to apply for the General Scholarship — or Technical Scholarship if attending a technical school) and the Leadership Grant.

All interested SPJST members who wish to apply for a scholarship must meet the following criteria:

r Have an active SPJST insurance certificate in force for at least one full year as of February 1; if the membership is in the form of an annuity, the amount must be at least $10,000.

r Be a full-time student.

r Hold an active SPJST insurance certificate and/or annuity for the duration of the scholarship.

r Be a high school graduate or equivalent.

r Attend an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or technical college –as designated by one of the six regional accrediting bodies in the United States.

Best wishes to all SPJST members who wish to apply for a scholarship this year. I hope to see many of our young people apply for the 2021 scholarships. Moms and dads; grandmothers and grandfathers, help us spread the word and encourage the special young members in your lives to apply!

On a Related Note . . .

Members and lodges wishing to make a positive difference in the life of a young person and at the same time establish a lasting memorial may establish or contribute to an SPJST Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship may be established in your name or the name of the individual you wish to honor. SPJST Endowed Scholarships may be established starting at $10,000. By definition, an endowed scholarship is one in which the principle SPJST Scholarship Applications Available September 2020 Through January 2021

remains intact and only the interest is awarded each year. Once established, your scholarship will be managed by SPJST. Your endowment creates a permanent funding source that will grow over time and will support deserving students today and in the future.

In establishing an SPJST Endowed Scholarship, you have the opportunity to set the criteria for your SPJST Endowed Scholarship. For example, you may wish to direct your scholarship fund to reward high achievement students who are pursuing a specific field of study. Other criteria for you to consider are specific colleges or universities, areas of academic interest or extracurricular involvement, community service, or hometown. Please know that in establishing restrictive criteria, you will be limiting the pool of qualified recipients. More about that later. Also, in accordance with IRS publication 526, located at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf, a donor may not select a specific individual as a beneficiary of their gift, i.e. scholarship recipients. SPJST Endowed Scholarships differ from others in that they are truly the gift that keeps giving.

An SPJST Endowed Scholarship is a perpetual gift because only the interest is applied towards the scholarship while the principle continuously grows. Endowed scholarships are a wonderful way to honor a loved one or link your legacy with the future.

The minimum gift needed to establish a named, endowed SPJST scholarship is $10,000. This amount can be paid all at once or in payments. Once the fund reaches the $20,000 amount, the scholarship will be awarded annually in the honoree’s name. Until $20,000 is reached, the interest gained is reinvested in the fund. At the primary donor’s request, an endowed scholarship will be awarded every other year, provided that the endowment balance totals at least $10,000.

There are many ways to fund an endowment, including gifts of cash, bequests, securities, life insurance, retirement assets, or properties.

Here’s Another Option . . .

As an alternative to an SPJST Endowed Scholarship, donors may elect to award a one-time scholarship in the name of an individual, organization, or business. The minimum donation needed to award a one-time SPJST scholarship in the name of an individual, organization, or business is $1,000. Just as with the SPJST Endowed Scholarship, donors seeking to award a one-time SPJST scholarship also have the opportunity to set the criteria for your SPJST Scholarship. Criteria should not be so narrowly defined that it is difficult or impossible to find qualified applicants and, therefore, to honor the donor’s intent. Following are some general criteria that may be considered by donors:

• Award restricted to students in a specified college and/or major. • Award restricted to students from a specific school or county. • Applicability only to high school graduates or undergraduate students or open to both. • Participation in extracurricular activities such as honor societies and student organizations.

In the event a donor proposes criteria which are too narrowly defined, SPJST will explore the implications of such closely defined criteria with the donor.

If you have any questions about the information that I have presented or if you would like to proceed with the establishment of an SPJST Scholarship, please give me a call at 800-727-7578 and I will be happy to assist you. Fraternally, Brian Vanicek Supreme Lodge President —SPJST—

From the SPJST President Supreme Lodge provides update, guidance on pandemic distancing

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live; however, it hasn’t changed the defining nature of SPJST which is to make a positive difference in the lives of our members and the communities that we serve.

SPJST remains committed to providing its members with exceptional service. Personnel are on duty to respond to questions you may have regarding your certificate, filing a claim or making changes in your personal records. Too, SPJST sales agents remain ready to address and serve your needs for quality life insurance and annuity products with most — and in some cases all — of the application process without meeting face to face. It isn’t business as usual; however, we have a responsible team in place and the work is getting done.

Social Distancing Measures

The Supreme Lodge commends SPJST members, lodge and district leaders for their collective and ongoing efforts to keep our members, families, friends, and communities safe. Throughout the spring and summer months, the SPJST Supreme Lodge has monitored and implemented the procedural recommendations of Governor Abbott aimed at ensuring the health and safety of our employees, members, and communities. As a result, there were numerous cancellations of SPJST lodge and district events. Additionally, SPJST lodges that rely on private rentals and business revenues through service to the general community have suffered.

Moving Forward

Throughout the spring and summer months, SPJST lodges were excused from any requirements to adhere to their established regular meeting schedule. Moving forward, the Supreme Lodge will continue to excuse lodges from their established monthly meeting schedules. That is not to say you are prohibited from meeting. Any decision on the part of lodge officers to host face-to-face meetings should rely on a risk-based approach. Precautions to consider include actions to prevent transmission between people, and where to hold the meeting and how it can be modified to make a safer environment. Meeting organizers are requested to provide all necessary supplies – masks, hand hygiene stations, hand sanitizer or soap and water, tissues, and distance markers. Deciding not to meet remains an option that should be considered or when precautions cannot be effectively implemented or adequately communicated. Additionally, lodges are encouraged to consider incorporating online teleconferencing as a way to stay connected. The spjst.org website includes some basic information that will enable you to get started. If you have any specific questions relating to setting up an online meeting please know that you may contact Vestnik Editor/Director of Communication Melanie Zavodny at melaniez@spjst.com for additional information.

Regarding lodges that have buildings and would like to provide their facilities for public rentals, the State of Texas does not have any specific COVID-19 guidelines as they relate to civic or fraternal organizations such as ours. For that reason, we are recommending that lodges seeking guidance in this matter are encouraged to refer to the “Checklist for Wedding Reception Venues” which is issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The link to that document can be found on the open.texas.gov website. The actual link is: https://open.texas.gov/uploads/files/ organization/opentexas/OpenTexasChecklist-Wedding-Venues.pdf

Thank you, all, for your continued support of the SPJST throughout these challenging times. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and update you as relevant information becomes available. Best wishes for your good health and happiness. Fraternally, Brian Vanicek SPJST President —SPJST—

From the SPJST State Fraternal Director State Fraternal Director shares August updates

SPJST Meetings, Play It Safe (Please note this is an update from the printed/mailed Vestnik.) Throughout the spring and summer months, SPJST lodges were excused from any requirements to adhere to their established regular meeting schedule. Moving forward, the Supreme Lodge will continue to excuse lodges from their established monthly meeting schedules. That is not to say you are prohibited from meeting. Any decision on the part of a lodge to host face-to-face meetings should rely on a risk-based approach. Precautions to consider include actions to prevent transmission between people, where to hold the meeting, and how it can be modified to make a safer environment. Meeting organizers are requested to provide all necessary supplies – masks, hand hygiene stations, hand sanitizer or soap and water, tissues, and distance markers. Deciding not to meet remains an option that should be considered or when precautions cannot be effectively implemented or adequately communicated.

Additionally, lodges are encouraged to consider incorporating online teleconferencing as a way to stay connected. Several lodges have taken advantage of meeting online. The spjst.org website includes some basic information that will enable you to get started. We will be happy to work with you on this if you decide to pursue this option.

If you have any specific questions relating to setting up an online meeting please know that you may contact Vestnik Editor/Director of Communication Melanie Zavodny at melaniez@spjst.com for additional information.

2021 State Tournaments

All SPJST State Tournaments at this time have not been scheduled for 2021. We will be making a decision in October, and I will sharing the information in the Vestnik. Here is a tentative schedule of the 2021 tournaments:

Progressive “42” Dominoes

Saturday, January 9, 2021

SPJST Home Office in Temple Tarok Tournament

Saturday, February 6, 2021

SPJST Home Office in Temple Straight Dominoes

Saturday, March 6, 2021

SPJST Home Office in Temple Regular 42 Dominoes

Saturday, April 10, 2021

SPJST Home Office in Temple

SPJST 2021 Scholarship Applications 2021 SPJST Scholarship applications will be available in September, and must be completed and submitted to the Fraternal Department by February 1, 2021. If you have a graduating senior in your lodge, please let him/her know that he/she can apply for the SPJST General Scholarship. Only active youth club seniors can apply for both the SPJST General Scholarship and Leadership Grant.

Please see the provided letter from Supreme Lodge President Brian Vanicek on page 4 with information about the scholarships. If you have questions, please contact Sandra Dubcak at 800-727-7578 or email her at sandrad@spjst.com. You can also download the scholarship applications at www.spjst.org. Click on Benefits, Scholarships, and then SPJST Scholarship/Grant Program. You will then find the .pdf files to download.

October is Czech Heritage Month

Lodges are encouraged to observe — and celebrate — Czech Heritage Month at their October meeting. Since 1999, the month of October has annually been observed as Czech Heritage Month in Texas to commemorate the contributions of Texans of Czech ancestry. The proclamation for Czech Heritage Month will be published in the September 28 Vestnik.

SPJST FAC Assistance

We are here to help if you need assistance. Please feel free to call me at 254- 534-0681 or 800-727-7578 or email frankh@spjst.com or Tammy at 800-727- 7578 or 254-773-1575 or email tammym@spjst.com. Your District FAC is also available to assist you. They are: District One FAC Kyle Skrabanek 979-820- 0531; District Two FAC Ruth Hanusch 254-771-0193; District Three FAC Vicki Sims 214-763-0341; District Four FAC Janeece Williams 806-632-5239; District Five FAC Clay Zapalac 281-750-2920; District Six FAC Helen Zabransky 361- 798-3347; and District Seven FAC Regina House 830-570-2046. Fraternally submitted, Frank Horak State Fraternal Director —SPJST—