Celebrating Youth Excellence, Creativity, and Community Spirit Talents shine bright at the 2023 spjst state youth showcase

The 2023 SPJST State Youth Showcase, a captivating celebration of youthful creativity and talent, concluded on a high note on Saturday, July 29 at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center in Temple, Texas. With an array of remarkable performances, inspiring displays of skill, and a strong sense of community spirit, this year’s event left a lasting impression on all who attended.

The showcase, organized by the SPJST Home Office, brought together 114 bright and talented youth participants from across the region. The theme of the event, “Painting the World a Better Place,” set the tone for the showcase, emphasizing the importance of nurturing young talents and encouraging them to reach for the stars.

The two-day extravaganza featured an eclectic mix of categories, including Creative Arts, Talent, Royalty, and a Special Category. From intricately crafted artworks to awe-inspiring musical performances, the showcase truly had something for everyone.

Friday’s festivities kicked off with the Showcase check-in at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center. Excitement filled the air as participants presented their crafts, costumes, and talents, while also connecting with fellow participants, mentors, and organizers.

The Special Category, a 30-minute challenge, provided an opportunity for participants to showcase their ingenuity and quick thinking by crafting a piece of art using an 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil. The engaging and dynamic projects demonstrated the participants’ ability to adapt and create under pressure.

Saturday dawned with an air of anticipation as doors opened at 8:30 a.m. The opening ceremony, Beseda, and Talent competitions followed, captivating the audience with their energy and flair.

A highlight of the event was the recognition of past State Royalty, a touching tribute to those who had graced the SPJST State Youth Achievement Day stage in previous years. The atmosphere was one of nostalgia and gratitude, as the present Royalty and participants paid homage to those who came before them.

The event culminated with the announcement of age group winners, District and State Mr. and Miss SPJST, and a heartwarming showcase of photos and videos capturing the essence of the showcase.

Frank Horak, the State Fraternal Director, expressed his appreciation, saying, “The 2023 SPJST State Youth Showcase has been a remarkable journey of inspiration and talent. We are immensely proud of all our young participants who have showcased their creativity and passion. This event truly embodies the spirit of community, empowerment, and growth.”

The SPJST State Youth Showcase, with its fusion of talent, camaraderie, and inspiration, serves as a reminder of the incredible potential within our youth. As the curtains close on this year’s event, the SPJST community eagerly anticipates the next chapter in this ongoing celebration of youthful excellence.

For more information about the SPJST State Youth Showcase and upcoming events, please visit spjst.org. —SPJST—

Congratulations to 2022-2023 Top Teen Carson Parker, of Lodge 17, New Tabor, and Top Junior Grady Lange of Lodge 30, Taiton. They are pictured with State Fraternal Director Frank Horak. The youth were recognized during the awards ceremony at the SPJST State Youth Showcase on July 29 in Temple.

Lodge 9, Snook teen receives $1,500 State Scholarship

Caleb See, age 18, a member of Lodge 9, Snook in District One, is the recipient of the 2023 SPJST State Merit Scholarship. He is the son of Randy and Jonna See.

He received the $1,500 scholarship during the SPJST State Youth Showcase awards ceremony held at the Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center in Temple on July 29, 2023.

Teens from each district with the most youth merit points over the last three years competed for the scholarship. As part of the competition, each teen submitted a 1,000-word essay on the topic “SPJST - Painting the World a Better Place for 70 Years.” The winner was selected by a panel of judges using the following criteria: content (50 percent); grammar and mechanics (35 percent); and neatness (15 percent).

District Merit Scholarship Winners District Merit Scholarship winners each received a $1,000 scholarship. The 2023 District Merit Scholarship winners are:

District One - Hagan Sebesta Lodge 9, Snook

District Two - Makayla Newsom Lodge 48, Beyersville

District Three - Preston Sullivan Lodge 25, Ennis

District Six - Bethany Baker Lodge 30, Taiton

District Seven - Kayla Fair Lodge 202, Jourdanton

—SPJST—

Painting the World a Better Place For 70 Years

2023 State Merit Scholarship Winner • Caleb See of Lodge 9, Snook - District One

Painting the world to make it a better place can be thought of in a literal sense or a metaphorical one. There is the physical act of painting an object and then there is figurative take on it of making the world a brighter and more colorful place with actions. Painting and art have been used in the literal sense to express emotions, political agendas, and as a means of record keeping for thousands of years. While art creates a positive impact on those who are viewing it, I would have to say that SPJST paints the world a better place with more of a metaphorical approach and just a splash of physical art.

SPJST began as a fraternal organization for Czech immigrants who moved to Texas, but it now also preserves the Czech heritage, promotes good citizenship, and is a life insurance agency. The organization builds a family full of amazing people who do anything and everything it takes to make the world around them a better place. I served as the SPJST State King for the 2021-2022 year which meant that I was an ambassador for the organization and represented the program at events across the state. I attended many Czech festivals, rode in parades on floats, worked informational booths, and spoke to large crowds about everything SPJST has to offer. There were many events that I attended, but the one thing I noticed was that there was also an SPJST Lodge or two working tirelessly to make their community more inviting and friendly to all who were celebrating the event.

My favorite thing about the Czech festivals was seeing the lively Czech heritage being celebrated. The vibrant kroje, lively polkas, and kolaches by the dozen painted a beautiful and unique picture that many people might not see without the assistance of SPJST and its members. Our Youth Club has helped keep this culture alive by dancing the Ceska Beseda (a combination of many waltzes and polkas from the Moravian re gion) at World Fest in Bryan/College Sta tion, Kolache Fes tival in Caldwell, Musiky, Musiky in La Grange, and at other festivals and events throughout the great state of Texas for years now. I always loved walking down the street in my kroj and getting confused looks but then being provided with the opportunity to teach people about my heritage.

The main goal of the SPJST Youth Program is to grow members into contributing members of society. They learn public speaking and leadership skills while also completing community service tasks in ways that require them to use creativity and self-expression. SPJST members complete an array of community service acts throughout the year, but my favorite is the Snook Lodge’s Big Spring Clean. In this project, the adult lodge and youth club members join hands to clean and beautify our local cemetery. We remove trash, weeds, and flowers from old graves then place new flowers where needed. The cemetery looks completely different as it has been brought to life with the bold and colorful flowers. The members are not actually painting, but they are leaving their mark behind on the community and its residents. SPJST and its members leave behind a clear, positive change in the community. The SPJST Youth Program also supports the arts through its Youth Achievement Day (YAD). There are talent categories that include photography, baking, handicraft, sewing, group talent, individual talent, royalty, painting, drawing, etc. YAD personally affected me by turning a shy young boy who always clung to his mother’s leg into a young man eager to speak in front of hundreds while running for the title of State King. It also taught me to love needlework and handicrafts as these were my favorite categories to compete in. I would spend a lot of time researching and looking for craft items and ideas, and then spend countless hours working on the perfect project. I loved making beautiful and interesting art and sharing it with my SPJST family.

The SPJST Youth Club Motto is “I pledge my support to uphold the high ideals of the SPJST: Seeking brotherhood; Pledging benevolence; Joining hands; Supporting humanity; Trusting in my ability to make this world a better place. This I pledge.” While SPJST is doing its best to leave a positive difference, painting the world a better place will always have challenges. Society does not seem to value the importance of hard work and pure intentions like it used to.

This loss of character has impacted our world and impaired the SPJST organization. Our youth club membership has lessened with fewer parents encouraging and facilitating their children’s involvement. Ultimately, the power to paint the world a better place lies within the individual and with fewer individuals being involved, that diminishes the impact we can have. One thing that is certain is that the character of the SPJST organization has not dimmed like the rest of the world. There is a shared vision within the fraternity of SPJST for the world we want to live in, and its members will never stop Seeking, Promoting, Joining, Supporting, and Trusting until that vision is reached.

—SPJST—

State Royalty Mr. SPJST

Miles Jones

Lodge 154, Fort Worth (3)

Miss SPJST

Bailee Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Junior Mr. SPJST

Steel McCoy

Lodge 185, New Braunfels (7)

Junior Miss SPJST

Tynlee Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Little Mr. SPJST

Tripp Hargraves (5)

Lodge 81, Needville

Little Miss SPJST

Madelynn Bammel (1)

Lodge 17, New Tabor

Mr. SPJST First Runner-Up

Seth Martinez

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Miss SPJST First Runner-Up

Simone Riha

Lodge 30, Taiton (6)

Junior Mr. SPJST First Runner-Up

Colt Pruski

Lodge 107, Floresville (7)

Junior Miss SPJST First Runner-Up

Morgan Oliver

Lodge 66, Waco (3)

Little Mr. SPJST First Runner-Up

Cooper Elwood

Lodge 20, Granger (2)

Little Miss SPJST First Runner-Up

Londyn Castaneda

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

2023 State Youth Showcase Results

Number in ( ) denotes district.

Mr. SPJST Second Runner-Up

Levi McAdams

Lodge 66, Waco (3)

Miss SPJST Second Runner-Up

Paetyn Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Junior Mr. SPJST Second Runner-Up

Bailen Kocurek

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

Junior Miss SPJST Second Runner-Up

Kenna Braden

Lodge 20, Granger (2)

Little Mr. SPJST Second Runner-Up

Hudson Riha

Lodge 30, Taiton (6)

Little Miss SPJST Second Runner-Up

Marley Kocurek (1)

Lodge 17, New Tabor

Junior Group Talent

1st - “Brave Miss Muffet” - Dramatic Madelynn Bammel, Thatcher Dowell, Marley Kocurek, Kamden Plachy, Kyren Plachy

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

2nd - “My Boyfriend’s Back” - Dance

Londyn Castaneda, Channing Starmer

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

3rd - “The Very Best Pet Show”Vocal/Dance

Alice Cliff - Lodge 142, Houston (5) Tripp Hargraves, Nathan Hargraves, Amber Jones, Ruby Jones, Zoey Jones Lodge 81, Needville (5)

Evan PflughauptLodge 88, Houston (5)

Senior Group Talent

1st - “Carrying the Banner” - Dance

Collins Starmer, Andrea Story

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

2nd - “The Little Big Bang Theory”Comedy, Science/Educational

Addison Brown - Lodge 81, Needville (5)

Chloe Doherty - Lodge 142, Houston (5)

Megan Pflughaupt - Lodge 88, Houston (5)

3rd - “SPJST Painting the World a Better Place with Bob Ross”Dramatic

Bailee Beckendorf, Paetyn Beckendorf, Tynlee Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Individual Talent

Grades K to 2nd

1st - June Holland

Lodge 25, Ennis (3)

“A Spoon Full of Sugar” - Ballet

2nd - Paige Oliver

Lodge 66, Waco (3)

“Four Little Monkeys” - Dramatic

Grades 3rd to 5th

1st - Collins Starmer

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

“Ring Them Bells” - Dance

2nd - Hudson Riha

Lodge 30, Taiton (6)

“Accordion Waltz” - Instrumental

3rd - Londyn Castaneda

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

“Friend Like Me” Dance

Grades 6th to 8th

1st - Andrea Story

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

“A Million Dreams” - Dance

2nd - Chloe Doherty

Lodge 196, Houston-West (5)

“Solfeggietto in C Minor”Instrumental

3rd - Addison Brown

Lodge 81, Needville (5)

“70 to 110 Degrees” - Dance

Grades 9th to 12th

1st - Miles Jones

Lodge 154, Fort Worth (3)

“Red” - Dramatic

2nd - Bailee Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

“Pump It Up” - Dance

3rd - Paetyn Beckendorf

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

“Dazzler” - Dance

Scrapbook Memory Book Yearbook

Theme - Saddle Up

1st - Lodge 30, Taiton (6)

2nd - Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

Christmas Ornament

Grades K to 2nd

1st - Zoey Jones

Lodge 81, Needville (5)

Snowflake Origami

2nd - Hesston Harwell

Lodge 30, Taiton (6)

Nativity Cinnamon Stick

3rd - Kamden Plachy

Lodge 17, New Tabor (1)

Santa Claus

Grades 3rd to 5th

1st - Maxx David

Lodge 20, Granger (2)

Jenga Snowmen

2nd - Andrew Ordogne

Lodge 47, Seaton (2)

Cork Reindeer

3rd - Evan Pflughaupt

Lodge 88, Houston (5)

Rolled Paper Ball