Youth Section

Colorful Fall Fun Facts

e “And the tree was happy” ~ Shel Silverstein. According to superstition, catching leaves in autumn brings good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year. e The name ‘pumpkin’ comes from the Greek word 'pepon,' which means ‘large melon’ e According to The Weather Channel, pumpkin by far was the most craved-for food in autumn. e A “Harvest Moon” is the full moon closest to the autumn equinox. Before artificial lighting, such moonlight was essential to a farmer’s successful harvest. e The word “harvest” comes from the Old Norse word haust, which means “to gather or pluck.” As people moved to the cities, “harvest” fell out of use and city dwellers began to use “fall of the leaf,” which was shortened to “fall” to describe the change in season. e While Americans typically use the word “fall,” the British use the word “autumn,” though both terms date around the 16th century. Before these terms, the period was called “harvest.” e People who live on the equator or central area of the planet never experience autumn. e Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, takes place each autumn. The festival began as part of a crown prince’s wedding celebrations in 1810 and has continued since. About 1.3 million gallons of beer are poured during the festival. e Autumn holidays include Labor Day, Grandparents Day, Patriot Day, Autumn Equinox, Columbus Day, Halloween, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, and Thanksgiving. e Many birds prepare for winter migration during the fall. One of the longest migrations is the 11,000-mile journey by the Arctic Tern. e Each autumn, monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. to Mexico and some parts of Southern California. They fly at speeds ranging between 12 and 25 miles per hour. Monarch butterflies are the only insect that migrates to a warmer climate that is 2,500 miles away. e The word ‘November’ is from the Latin, novem, meaning "nine." November was originally the 9th month of the Roman calendar, which began in March.

SPJST Youth Section

The deadline for all Věstník items is 5 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month. Send your news and photos directly to: SPJST Věstník Editor Melanie Zavodny P.O. Box 100 Temple, Texas 76503 Fax: 254-773-8087 Email: vestnik@spjst.org Online: spjst.org/news/submitarticle-photo Questions? Call 800-727-7578

This section is dedicated to the youth of SPJST. As part of its membership benefits, SPJST offers a statewide youth program. If you or someone you know is interested in learning about opportunities offered to young members of SPJST, please contact your local lodge, District Youth Counselor (listed on page 2), State Fraternal Director at 800-727-7578, or visit www.spjst.org.

Lodge 30, Taiton youth enjoys Camp Kubena

Dear Vestnik Readers,

This past weekend, we went to Camp Kubena with our District Six crew! It was so much fun doing all the fun stuff like high ropes, swimming, bb archery, archery, and ax throwing. We also enjoyed the hayride with root beer floats and s’mores! I had so much fun and can’t wait to be back out there next summer! Sincerely, Bethany Baker, age 15 —SPJST—

Lodge 47, Seaton youth enjoys school

Dear Vestnik Readers,

I am enjoying school so far. I have the coolest teacher in fourth grade. We have the best seating in the whole school. Instead of desks, we have tables and chairs.

Yesterday, we went to Salado Creek. I had the best time. I am looking forward to going again.

It will be Halloween soon, and I can’t wait to go trick-or-treating. We get a ton of candy. See you in spooky October. Fraternally, Travis Ordogne, age 9 —SPJST—

Lodge 84, Dallas youth enjoy spaghetti luncheon

Dear Readers,

The youth attended the lodge spaghetti luncheon on Sunday, August 22, 2021. We were invited to join the mother lodge for their meeting, but a motion was made to postpone it until September. So we were able to enjoy the spaghetti meal and play bingo instead. Youth Leader Lynda mentioned that we would probably hold a zoom meeting soon to go over State YAD results and future upcoming activities.

A big thank you to Bessie’s Catering for providing the delicious spaghetti meal and to the mother lodge for hosting a fun-filled day. Stay tuned for more youth activities! Fraternally, Josh Tucker, age 11 —SPJST—

Lodge 185 New Braunfels youth enjoy weekend with grandparents

Hi, Everyone! We hope your new school year is going well. We spent the weekend with our grandparents, and we went to the San Antonio Riverwalk and other places downtown.

Have a great year! Madeline Kitchen, age 11 Skeet Kitchen, age 10 —SPJST—