journal · the journal october 2017 superstitions what do you ... the american fraternal ......

the JournalOctober 2017

SuperstitionsWhat do you

believe?

Scholarship Recipients,8

District CouncilNo. 12

Family HolidayParty, Page 14

On the Cover...This month’s cover pays tribute to our featured articles on supersti-tions. Stories start on page 10. We hope you enjoy!

In this issue...President’s PieceCalendar of EventsToday’s FraternalMessage from the SecretaryMiss CSACzechoslovak Heritage MuseumFamily Holiday PartyDistrict CouncilLodge HappeningsHappy AnniversaryFraternal Well WishesScholarship RecipientsScholarship ReportScholarship Donation FormIn MemoriamJust Kids

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2 — www.csalife.com - OCTOBER 2017

Czechoslovak HeritageMuseum, Page 8

2017 American Fraternal AllianceAnnual Meeting

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President’s Piece

Hello to everyone…As we move into the latter part of

2017, I hope my monthly article findseveryone well.

Here at the Home Office, in additionto keeping busy with the day-to-daybusiness of the Society, we’re also prep-ping for year-end, as well as finishingup the State approval process for a fewnew products that we’ll soon have tooffer. In month’s past, I’ve written of anew Whole Life suite of products, inaddition to another Annuity product tocomplement our portfolio. They’re onthe way! We’re awaiting final approvalfrom a few of the states that CSA islicensed in…which, unfortunately, is atime consuming process. Once thathappens, we’ll let you know.

Also, every year during the month ofSeptember, the American FraternalAlliance, CSA Fraternal Life’s TradeAssociation, has their Annual Meeting.Again this year our National Officers -Treasurer Jim Kovac, Secretary MattKoski, and I - attended the meeting. Inaddition, two of our Board Members,Irma Farrell (our Chair) and CarolTranter, also attended.

As in years past, I feel that wegleaned a good amount from the meet-

ing, through large group educationalsessions, breakout sessions, and net-working events. Quite a bit was packedinto a 48-hour period in which we allwere there. The topics ranged from theneverending need to keep efficient with-in our individual Society, to hearingupdates on the regulatory goings onthroughout the U.S., to ideas on makingConventions productive and efficient, tohearing about the American FraternalAlliance’s possible restructuring withintheir office. Later in 2017, we’ll behearing more from the Alliance regard-ing their “branding” initiative.

The Alliance is essential for CSA,along with our peer Fraternal Societies.On top of the educational events, suchas the Annual Meeting, one of theAlliance’s main goals is to continue toeducate the powers that be inWashington, D.C. and at the State levelon all of the good works that we asFraternals do. We at CSA Fraternal Lifelook forward to continuing our relation-ship with the Alliance in the years tocome, and appreciate their efforts whichassist in making all Fraternal Societiesstronger year by year.

In the near term, over the next fewweeks and months, I’ll be making a few

trips to Lodges and District Councils.Those trips are always enjoyable, in thatgetting to see and meet members is thebest part of my job. If there are anyevents or meetings out there that Ihaven’t yet been to, please don’t hesitateto contact me about them.

Thank you again for the support thatyou’ve shown me. Here in Lombard, asalways, we’ll continue to keep fightingto grow CSA…and, of course, keepyour investments with CSA safe andsecure. Please continue to stay happy,healthy, and safe.

Until next time, John J. Kielczewski, CLU, FLMI

President, CSA Fraternal Life

John J. KielczewskiCLU, FLMI, President

OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 3

Upcoming CSA Deadlines:CSA Serves

December 1, 2017

Presidents’ Reports December 31, 2017

Lodge Recognition ProgramJanuary 31, 2018

Election/Financial ReportsMarch 31, 2018

4 — www.csafra--

CSA Journal (ISSN 0195-9050)

Published monthly—except bimonthly July/August by CSA

Fraternal Life, 2050 Finley Rd., Suite 70, Lombard, IL 60148.

Periodical Postage paid at Lombard, Illinois, and at additional

mailing offices. Subscription Rate: $12 per year, U.S. only.

Postmaster: send address changes to:

CSA Journal, P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148.

CSA LeadershipNational Officers

John J. Kielczewski, President

Matthew Koski, Secretary

James Kovac, Treasurer

National DirectorsTom Ledvina

Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota

Ken Dvorsky and Adam Wilt

Northern Illinois, Indiana and WisconsinIrma Farrell

California, Colorado, Kansas and TexasDiane DiBianca

Northern Ohio and MichiganConnie Wolf

Missouri and Southern IllinoisTerry Placek

Southeastern Ohio and Western PennsylvaniaCarol Tranter

Florida, Maryland, Virginia, D.C.,Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Paul Vavrasek

New York State and Connecticut

Home Office Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

A Dynamic Magazine “Dedicated to OurMembership”

UREDNI ORGÁN JEDNOTY CESKOSLOVENSKYCH SPOLKU VAMERICE

Phone: 800-543-3272

FAX: 630-472-1100

Email CSA: [email protected]

Website: www.csalife.com

Editor-in-Chief, Amanda Lovell

Editor: Cynthia Hall, [email protected]

Contributing Staff: Helen Gaydusek

CSA JournalVolume 127 No. 9 October 2017

CSA Journal

CSA MISSION STATEMENT

CSA Fraternal L i fe is a f raternal benef i t

Soc iety that prov ides fami l ies wi th f inanc ia l

secur i ty whi le promot ing community

involvement wi th vo lunteer ism.

Calendar of Events

o v /


/ o

Saturday, October 21Virginia Czech and Slovak Folklife Festival6404 Courthouse Rd. Prince George, VA11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Traditional food, dancing, games, agricultural exhibits, and musicProceeds benefit Prince George County Regional Heritage CenterCall: 804-863-0212Email: [email protected] or visit www.princegeorgehistoricalsociety.org

Saturday, October 21Night at the HospodaMoravian Cultural SocietyDoors open at 4:00 p.m. See details on page 11.

Sunday, October 22Sokol Sunday DinnerBohemian National Hall4939 Broadway Ave.Cleveland, OHPork schnitzel, potato salad, vegetables, coffee and dessert, $14.Served 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.RSVP to Olga Nemecek, 216-447-0264

Saturday, November 4SCARCE Pumpkin Smash9:00 a.m. to noonVisit www.scarce.org/pumpkins for participating locations.Keep those pumpkins out of landfills.

Saturday, November 11Czech Festival American-Czech Center 4690 Lansdowne AvenueSt. Louis, MissouriCzech food, Czech beer, Czech music, booths and games, and a special per-formance by the dancers from the United Moravian Societies of Chicago. For more information, call 314-752-8168, or check out our Facebook page.

Sunday, November 26D.C. 12 Fraternal Family Holiday Party11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Safari LandVilla Park, Illinois(See details on page 14.)

Sunday, December 3Annual Cultural Division Christmas EventCrystal Sky Banquets Watch for details.

CSA Privacy PolicyYou can access our Privacy Policy at www.csalife.com on the right side of our Home page. Hard copies are available upon request.

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Today’s FraternalGhouls, Goals, and Letting Go


Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Can you believe it is already October? Itfeels like the month of January was justyesterday. October is a fun month. Mostkids seem to be settled back to school bynow, high school girls and boys arepreparing for upcoming Homecomingdances, and October gives us theHalloween holiday, which is one of myfavorites. The hard part is to not eat 100pounds of candy.

Fall, in general, is my favorite time ofyear. The air is feeling crisp, the colorsare changing, and the trees are about toshow us how lovely it is to let things go.We are approaching the end of 2017.Did you follow through with any NewYear’s Resolutions? Have you startedthinking about some new goals? Itseems as if Americans are always look-ing for ways to live a healthier lifestyle;consider searching for a new fitnessYouTube channel to watch, or follow anew low-calorie recipe blog, perhaps.Maybe it is time to take up a new hobby– painting, crocheting, golfing, writing,yoga… anything!

Did you know that black dogs and cats

are taken into shelters at a moreincreased rate compared to their non-black counterparts? Some even say theyare less likely to be adopted. It might betime to expand your family a little.However, you might not be able to pickup your kitty until after the Halloweenholiday, as black cats are targeted bypeople with bad intentions. So, if youalready have a black cat, make sure tokeep your critter inside during thismonth. Keep an eye on those babies;you can’t be too careful!

Do you have your Halloween costumepicked out? I personally love costumesthat reference current pop culture. Hereare some ideas:

• Offred from “The Handmaid’s Tale”• Pennywise from “It”• Wonder Woman• Lorraine from “Atomic Blonde”• Belle from “Beauty and the Beast”• Groot from “Guardians of the

Galaxy”• The kids from “Stranger Things”• The Babadook• Beyoncé’s Pregnancy Announcement

Happy Halloween-ing! May your holi-

day include more treat than trick. Makesure you send me lots of pictures! Thiswould be a great opportunity to send mea youth article for our Kids’ Korner sec-tion. (wink wink!) For more informa-tion, visit page 35.

“Your desire to change must be greaterthan your desire to stay the same.”

Fraternally,Amanda S. Lovell

Fraternal [email protected]


Dear Brothers and Sisters:

The weather has turned cooler, and wehave just entered into the beginning ofthe fall season. In a couple of days, thegoblins and ghosts will be knocking onour doors asking for candy. As my kidsget older, it seems that these holidayscome sooner and sooner each year.

Pondering Halloween, I cannot help butthink about the folklore that revolvedaround this holiday. It is part of whatmakes this holiday so spooky. It is com-

monly believed that burning a candleinside a jack-o-lantern keeps evil spiritsaway. Some people think that if a batwinds up in your house and flies aroundthree times, it is a death omen. Or thisone - if you are born on Halloween, youcan see and talk to the dead. These sto-ries just help make Halloween fun!

Czech and Slovak culture offers theirown list of do’s and don’ts. As withmany cultures, the number 13 is consid-ered unlucky. Czechs believe that a tableshould be set for an even number ofpeople. If it isn’t, then misfortune isbound to follow. They also believe thatone should never leave the table beforethe dinner is over because that wouldbring bad luck to the family. Everyonemust leave at the same time. AtChristmas, many families cut an applein half to foretell the future. If the coreis shaped like a star, everyone willreunite the following year and havegood health. If it is shaped in a four-pointed cross, one of the family mem-bers may not return.

So many cultures have similar supersti-tions. For example: Poland may bewhere the “knocking on wood” originat-ed. If you want to succeed in somethingor are afraid of a sudden change of for-tune, you could knock on wood to scarebad luck away. In the Finnish culture,killing a spider will bring rain the nextday. In Scotland, the birth of a black-faced sheep brings bad luck for thewhole flock, thus, the expression ‘blacksheep of the family’. It has been saidHalloween was invented in Scotlandalong with its superstitions. It is amaz-ing with all the differences in the cul-tures around the world that they alsohave many common threads.

So as you start up your holiday and fes-tival seasons, try to learn more aboutyour rich heritage and maybe take sometime to see what other cultures do to cel-ebrate theirs.

Fraternally,Matthew Koski

Secretary, COO, CRO

Message from the Secretary

Matthew KoskiExecutive Secretary/COO/CRO

Meet the Agent

Superstitions Around the World

Mitch JacobsonGrayslake, ILTelephone: [email protected] Licensed: Illinois, WisconsinMitch has been in the insurance business for over 25 years. He has been with CSAfor 10 years and really enjoys the fraternal family.

In addition to his insurance career, Mitch coaches boys’ basketball and volunteers inhis community. He and his wife, Dollie, have three children and two grandchildren.If you have any questions regarding your existing policy or need help purchasing anew one, please give Mitch a call.

“Double double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.”

- William Shakespeare

Like us on Facebook OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 7

Miss CSA

Hello Brothers and Sisters,As summer comes to an end, I hope youare all having a nice transition to fall.

I’ve just arrived back from Paris,France, from a competition to becomethe global CEO for One Month of TheAdecco Group. While I ultimatelywasn’t selected, I had an amazing timeand met so many fantastic people!

Right before the trip, I was able toattend a local meeting of my lodge -Prokop Velkey No. 137, a wonderfulexperience filled with great people anddelicious food.

Now, I am about to move back intoStanford University, and am excited forthe experiences my sophomore year willbring. After a thirty-hour drive, I’ll beback in sunny Palo Alto, California. Ican’t wait to get a hot chocolate fromthe local coffee shop – a favorite tradi-tion of mine.

Today, I want to touch on this topicof traditions, because frankly, traditionsare everywhere. They aren’t alwaysgrand or complicated, in fact, some ofthe best ones aren’t. Sometimes the sim-plest of traditions are the most meaning-ful.

My journey as Miss CSA has nowbecome a family tradition. My aunt,Chris Vanous Schissel, was Miss CSAwhen she was in college at theUniversity of Northern Iowa. Hopefully,in two or three years, my cousin Katelyn

will try her hand to continue the tradi-tion as well.

My grandpa, Bob Vanous, and Imade a tradition out of attending Amishauctions together. While my brother,Carter, and I share the tradition ofwatching our favorite show, MadamSecretary, together when I’m homefrom school.

My dad, Bill, and I have the traditionof attending football games together –once Hawkeye games, now he has to putup with cheering for the StanfordCardinal. Except for when they playeach other, like in the Rose Bowl a cou-ple of years ago, then you know he’sstill cheering for the Hawks.

I take my cousin, Jack, back toschool shopping each fall – one of myfavorite traditions, as it allows me tospend one-on-one time with him, a raregift to receive from a busy 8th grader.

My mom, Robyn, and I have made atradition of traveling to Nashville eachyear. We are big country music fans, sowe’ve made another (expensive) tradi-tion out of visiting the Grand Ole Opryeach time we are in the city.

Every Thanksgiving, I look forwardto traveling to Worthington, Minnesota,where my family decorates a restaurantthat my grandma Judy owns. WhileChristmas is always held at our house,with delicious beef tenderloin served.

As I settle back into school, there are

a few traditions I’m taking part in. Fromtaking the “welcome back” trip with mybest friends to our favorite coffee shop,to walking around campus with mymom – something we do each time shevisits. It’s less about the tradition itself,and more about the people you do itwith.

Sydney RieckhoffMiss National CSA 2017-2018

Meaningful Traditions


In a March article, we shared the exciting news that theCzechoslovak Heritage Museum (originally part of CSA) hasfound a new home in Cicero, Illinois. A small group of volun-teers has been hard at work, with a re-opening planned byyear-end… but there have been some trials and challenges. Toremind you, the Museum will open in a familiar neighborhoodon Cermak Road, “just around the corner” from TG MasarykSchool. We are very excited about the prospect and theMuseum’s future, but have experienced a few delays in theprocess of renovation of the building. We continue to workthrough the legal and financial aspects of this process, andhave done much of the work ourselves to minimize cost,remaining optimistic that our goal is in sight. We are extreme-ly grateful that the initial announcement brought some dona-tions, as a sign of support for this huge undertaking. Thefinancial challenges, however, are still daunting; we truly needyour help!

Can you join now as a supporter? You can become a virtualpart of this Museum, sharing in the effort by contributingwhatever you are able. The time is now, and the opportunity ishere, to share in the re-building of this cultural gem in a newphysical home. There are significant legal and material expen-ditures still ahead for this venture, not to mention many hoursof “sweat-equity” by our volunteers. The need for support iscritical, in order for the Museum to move forward and become a reality.

Would you like to be able to say, “I helped put a roof overthe Museum,” or “My donation built these displays,” or per-haps “My contribution is in the bricks and mortar”? You canbe part of any element of the Museum re-building, or as a gen-eral donor!

Here is a list of some recent, current, and near-futureexpenditures:

• Building acquisition: $39,000• Roofing and exterior structure: $19,000• Mechanical system upgrades: $38,000

• Interior finishing; signage, displays, etc.: $15,000 • Move-in of collections from storage: $12,000

We truly need your help to make this a reality! Earmarkyour donation for a specific part of the campaign (use formbelow), or just tell us “I support the Museum!” Either way,your contribution – large or small – is much appreciated andmuch needed.

When the Czechoslovak Heritage Museum re-opens at thislocation, we will be delighted and proud to welcome our sup-porters and guests to view the collections, which includepieces of outstanding significance. Do you remember, or haveyou ever seen the powerful, almost-life-size portrait of T.G.Masaryk; a first flag of the newly-forming Czech Republic in1918; the many artifacts that are uniquely Chicago, telling thestories of Anton Cermak, of Czech and Slovak immigrantsand laborers, and other key figures? Our Museum aims to tellthe story of these connections in the Chicago Corridor, includ-ing the role of American Czechs in the founding of the CzechRepublic.

Please help us to bring the Museum to new life and a newbeginning! You can also visit us online at:http://czechoslovakmuseum.com/ or Facebook (@CzechoslovakHeritage Museum).

We are so excited about building the Museum’s future, andwe look forward to welcoming you as part of these efforts andpart of our community!

On behalf of the Museum Board,Jean Hemzáček Laukant, CHM Secretary & Treasurer

email: [email protected]

Be a Part of Re-Buildingthe Czechoslovak HeritageMuseum!

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 9

National Pizza Month had its firstappearance in 1987. An American andworldwide favorite food, its originalroots are Italian, but many different ver-sions – Thai, BBQ, Hawaiian, Mexican,etc. – are available, loved, and con-sumed.

Basic pizza began in prehistoric times,with bread cooked on flat, hot stones.Roughly 1,000 years ago, herbs andspices covering circles of baked doughproved exceptionally popular in Naples,Italy. Known as focaccia, these roundswere served as an appetizer or snack.Pizza was considered peasant food,designed to be eaten without utensils,like a Mexican taco.

Pizza as we know it began in the late1600’s when Europeans finally got overtheir fear of tomatoes (discovered by theConquistadors of Spain and introducedin Europe). The peasants of Naples werethe first to add tomatoes to their focac-cia.

Although the first pizzeria in Americaopened in New York City in 1905, thepopularity of this “pie” exploded whenWWII soldiers returning from Italybegan opening pizzerias and ravingabout the dish. The origins of deep dishpizza is a contentious issue in Chicagowhere it was invented. Some say it wasIke Sewell who introduced deep dish inhis famous Pizzeria Uno in 1943. Othersclaim it was Rudy Malnati of Malnatipizza fame. Both Pizzeria Uno andMalnati’s are still in business today andoffer an excellent product.

Pizza is a thriving and profitable busi-ness in the U.S., over 61,269 pizzeriasare operating each day! Sales in 2016were $37.4 billion! Each man, womanand child in America eats an average of46 slices of pizza a year with approxi-mately 3 billion sold per year. Kids ages3 – 11 prefer pizza over all other foodfor lunch and dinner.

Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping.Over 251 million pounds are consumedeach year. Anchovies are the least

favorite topping. Internationalfavorite toppings are pickled gin-ger, mutton, tofu, squid, greenpeas, sardines, salmon,bacon, curry, red herring,shrimp and evencoconut! In theNetherlands, the“ D o u b l eDutch” is afavorite, withdouble cheese,double onions, double beef.

Sixty-two percent of Americans prefermeat toppings, while 38% prefer vege-tarian. Women are twice as likely as mento order a vegetarian pie. Regular thincrust is still the most popular at 61%;thick or deep dish at 14%; and only 11%prefer extra-thin. A 14” thin crust pie isthe most popular size in the U.S.

More pizza is consumed in January thanany other month. It is the second mostpopular takeout food, after chicken, inthe over-50 market.

“Pizza Trivia.” The Pizza Joint. Web. 31Aug 2017.

“U.S. pizza restaurant sales 2012-2016.” The Statistics Portal. Web. 31

Aug 2017.

“Where there is imagination, there isno horror.”

- Arthur Conan Doyle

October is National Pizza Month!

10 — www.csalife.com - OCTOBER

Groaning Cheese – In Medieval England, expectant mothersmade “Groaning Cheese,” a large wheel of cheese thatmatured for nine months. When the groaning time (labor)came, the whole family celebrated by eating the cheese,except the outer rind. The newborn would be passed throughthe rind on Christening day to be blessed with a long andprosperous life.

Horseshoes – Hanging a horseshoe in the bedroom is goodluck. This belief stems from the fact that a horseshoe hasseven holes, considered to be a lucky number, and is made ofiron to ward off evil spirits that may haunt you in yourdreams.

Friday the 13th – This day has been a source of superstitionsince the early 19th century. It’s origin is shrouded in mystery,but people will go out of their way to avoid doing anythingsignificant due to the belief that the day is cursed and a sourceof ill fortune.

Opals – This stone is said to bring bad luck to anyone whowears it. The superstition stems from a novel in 1829 where awoman is falsely accused of being a demon. As she is execut-ed, a drop of holy water falls on her opal jewelry and changesits color.

Bird Droppings – In Russia, there is a belief that if a birddefecates on you, your car or your property, it’s a sign of goodluck and may bring riches. The more birds involved, the bet-ter.

Wedding Superstition – Something old, something new,something borrowed, something blue originated during theVictoria era and involved gifts to brides. “Old” for continuity,“new” for hope, “borrowed” for happiness and “blue” forpurity, love and fidelity.

Three on a Match – During war time, it was considered badluck among soldiers to light three cigarettes with one match.The theory was by the time the third cigarette was lit, a sniperwould have had time to put a soldier in his sights.

Black Cats – The belief black cats arebad luck began in the

Middle Ages due toan erroneous belief

that singlewomen (usual-

ly elderly)who associ-ated withcats werea c t u a l l yw i t c h e s

who could

become cats themselves. That black cat crossing your pathcould actually be a witch.

Mirrors – A superstition exists when you look in a mirror,your soul is stolen. This is why the wicked queen used a mir-ror to harm Snow White and why soulless vampires have noreflection.

Fingers Crossed – Crossed fingers is a gesture to wish forgood luck. Originally believed to be a sign of peace, it becamean excuse when telling a white lie and may have ties to thebelief that the power of the Christian cross may save a personfrom damnation.

Photographs – Native Americans have long believed that aphotograph of you will steal your soul. The photographer nowheld your soul, but also had spiritual power over you.

The Number 13 – Superstition states the number 13 is associ-ated with bad luck. This is why many high-rise buildings donot have 13 steps or end with a 13th floor. Some buildingssimply rename a floor and do not have a 13th floor button onthe elevator.

Wishing Upon a Star – Europeans believed the gods wouldoccasionally look down upon us and when the sky moved, astar would escape and fall to earth. The Greeks believedfalling stars were human souls and it was lucky to wish uponthem.

Opening an Umbrella Indoors – Opening an umbrellaindoors is literally asking for bad luck to rain down upon you.Others believed it was an insult to the sun god who wouldcurse you with bad luck. Also, to open an umbrella indoorsinsulted the guardian spirts of your home who protected youfrom the “storms of life.”

New Broom, New House – There are many superstitionsassociated with brooms. But the most curious is you cannotsweep dirt out of new house with a new broom unless yousweep something in first. If you don’t sweep in, then you willbe sweeping out your good luck.

Knock on Wood – We usually knock on wood after making ahopeful statement. Long ago it was believed that we temptedfate by acknowledging good fortune, so by knocking on woodwe called on the good spirits (living in trees) to protect us.

Pappas, Stephanie. “13 Common (But Silly) Superstitions.”Live Science. 13 Jan 2012. Web. 30 Aug 2017.

Pegg, David. “25 Strangest Superstitions From Around TheWorld.” List 25. 5 May 2017. Web. 30 Aug 2017.

Superstitions You May or May Not Know


Czec h Supe r s t i t i o n s , T r ad i t i on s , a n dFolklore

Fish Scales – Fish scales arebelieved to bring financial bless-

ings all year long.Usually, they arecarried inside the

wallet or purse tomake sure that the carrier will not

run out of money. During Christmas dinner, they are eitherput under the dinner plates or under the tablecloth, for this isbelieved to bring wealth to the family.

Czech Weddings – The wedding customs and superstitions inthe Czech Republic originated from the early beginnings ofChristianity in the country. The popular practices are believedto bring joy to the family as well as provide fertility to thecouple. They are also meant to give protection against hunger,illness, death of children, hatred, misunderstandings, and evilspirits.

The nieces of the couple to be wed are usually the flowergirls. They walk ahead of everyone else in the wedding pro-cession and sprinkle flower petals. The act is believed toenamor the fertility goddess, which ensures that the couplewill bear a good number of children.

Immediately after the wedding ceremonies, the invitedfriends of the groom will block the church’s exit with a ropedecorated with empty bottles, ribbons, and flowers. For thecouple to be allowed to get out of the church, the groomneeds to pay. This ritual is believed to shed the groom’s sinscommitted in his youth or bachelor days.

Before the wedding reception, a plate should be broken atthe bride and groom’s feet. After which, the couple shouldsweep the broken pieces together. This ritual has its originsfrom superstitious beliefs that say that the chips of the platewill bring happiness, and by jointly cleaning the pieces away,the couple’s married life will be blissful and pleasant. Anotherwedding custom is sneaking the bride’s friend into her yardand planting a tree with colored eggshells and ribbon decora-tions. The belief is that for as long as the tree grows there, thebride will continue to live. These wedding customs andbeliefs are still upheld by the Czechs to this day. Aside fromthe superstitions linked with this celebration, the symbolicmeanings associated with the rituals help keep the practicesalive.

Plants and Food – Some foods, plants, and spices are closelylinked with various superstitions. Garlic is believed to grantits eaters with protection and strength, which is why Czechsdo not forget to include garlic in their Christmas dinner.People usually prepare a bowl of garlic and put it under theirdinner tables. Likewise, a pot of honey is put under the dinnertable, for it is believed that honey provides protection againstevil forces.

Eating mushrooms on Christmas dinner will give youstrength and health. The Czechs usually prepare Kuba, whichis a mixture of garlic, onions, barley, dried mushrooms, andother spices. It usually serves as an appetizer. People dip bun-dles of grain in Holy Water and they sprinkle them over theirhomes on Christmas Eve, for they believe this practice willprevent their houses from fires in the coming year. Providingthe goats with apples to eat on Christmas dinner will maketheir milk sweet.

Drinking Beer – There is a variety of popular superstitionsregarding drinking of beer in the Czech Republic. One saysthat bad fortune will come someone’s way if he or she poursbeer into a mug that still holds a different kind of beer. Ifsomeone is offering a toast, a person should be sure to clinkmugs with others he is drinking with. Failing to do this wouldmean that the good health that the toasting should have pro-vided would not come. It is also advised to look directly intothe other person’s eyes during this toast. If you don’t, thiscould result in seven years of bad relationships.

Information taken from an ethnic book found in the CSAHome Office, titled “Czech Superstitions & Folk Lore”. This

book was given away at the 77th Annual Get-Together inPittsburgh, PA.

Night at the Hospoda


Why Do Superstitions Exist?Man has long tried to understand natureand life. Many cultures held a deepbelief that animals and certain objectswere connected to the spirit world. In anattempt to control or appease nature, dif-ferent behaviors or customs (supersti-tions) developed to assure a favorableresponse and good fortune. Many havetheir origins in mythology where omenswere common.

Superstitions are remarkably long-lived.They are passed down through genera-tions. The ancients routinely explainedcommon occurrences in mystical ormagical terms. Reflections in mirrors,shadows appearing when it’s sunny,somehow came to represent a part of thesoul. A broken mirror or stepping into ashadow meant a soul was harmed andbad luck followed.

Modern athletes are very superstitious.Baseball players have a lucky bat;golfers have lucky clubs, some wearlucky shirts or shoes to maintain a win-ning streak. Regular folks may carry arabbit’s foot or lucky charm as a joke,but “it doesn’t hurt.” This superstitiousactivity engenders comfort and a posi-tive attitude; however, it has little ornothing to do with success or luck.

Superstitions develop when an unfortu-nate event happens a number of times.No matter how unlikely, because of rep-etition and (misplaced) credence givento cause and effect, a belief is born.Once formed, it spreads like a virus. Thedesire to avoid a bad outcome, and fore-stall the accompanying bad luck, is thebasis of all superstition. Even skepticswill avoid walking under ladders orwalk away from black cats “just incase.”

“Superstition Beginnings.” SuperstitionLane. Web. 1 Sep 2017.

“Superstition Room.” Psychic Library.Web. 29 Sep 2017.


For hundreds of years, farmers have tried everything to ensurea good harvest. Prayers, hard work, and a lot of superstitiouspractices have been part of their arsenal to produce crops tofeed their families and provide economic security. Thesesuperstitions may hold a bit of truth but some are just silly andsome make no sense. However, farmers being a conservativeand traditional lot, may still heed some of these customs andwarnings.

Planting

Placing rusty nails or iron items in the garden will help seedsgrow and flourish.

When a pregnant woman is involved in the planting process,the harvest will thrive.

For the best yield, crops should be sown from north to south.

It’s bad luck to plant on the 31st of the month or avoid begin-ning on Friday or Sunday.

Never harvest or plant on the 13th of any month.

Finding a black snake in the garden or field assures a goodharvest.

Plant potatoes during a full moon.

Animals

If bees fly home and don’t return, rain is coming.

Horses shaking their heads and acting restless and owls hoot-ing more at night foretell rain.

Farm animals will get thicker fur anticipating a harsh winter.Beavers build bigger dams when the winter is going to beespecially cold.

If you add caraway seeds to the chicken feed, it will keepthem from wandering.

A crowing rooster could mean death unless a hen is butcheredand eaten or buried immediately.

Other Superstitions

Never start a new job on the 13th of the month.

Never raise 13 livestock of one species/breed.

If in Kentucky, never plant anything until after the KentuckyDerby.

A drop of blood from a wart falling on a grain of corn fed to arooster will remove warts.

To relieve arthritis, carry a buckeye or a shriveled potato inyour pocket.

To cure a headache, lay down on the ground, roll three timestoward the sound of a singing dove.

Years ending in 8 will always have weird weather.

Hershberger, Cory. “13 Farm Superstitions for Friday the13th.” Hobby Farms. 13 Jun 2014. Web. 28 Aug 2017.Moore, Sam. “Are they superstitions, folk remedies, or

signs?.” Farm and Dairy. 30 Jan 2014. Web. 28 Aug 2017. “The Weirdest Farming Superstitions and Customs.” Radium

Engineering. Web. 7 Sep 2017.

Superstitions Down on the Farm

OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 15Like us on Facebook

District Council No. 12 of NorthernIllinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana –Oktoberfest time is here! Bavarian andGermanic people have traditionally cel-ebrated the bountiful harvest and bless-ings of the autumn season for scores ofyears. A little brew, brats, sausages, cab-bage, and merriment always seem to puteveryone in a good mood. We also wel-come this fall season, witnessing thecolorful foliage, planting spring bulbs,doing all kinds of outdoor work, shop-ping for heavier clothes, and evenenjoying baseball’s World Series andcollege and pro football games.

Some important October dates toconsider – Child Health Day on October3; Columbus Day, observed on October10 this year (Columbus actually landedon a Bahama Island on October 12,1492. He named it San Salvador);United Nations Day on October 24; andHalloween on October 31. Now is agood time to review your lodge projectsand goals before 2017 ends. Renew

your efforts to achieve that specialLodge Recognition Award that yourmembers are striving for.

Why not come out on October 26 tothe Home Office and attend DistrictCouncil’s meeting? We start at 6:30p.m. Find out what’s going on and stayfor some tasty pastries and coffee.Remember that elections for all lodgestake place during the November meet-ing – encourage all members to attend.Lastly, get out and enjoy the beautifulfall season.

Fraternally, Ed Slavik

District CouncilOktoberfest TimePreparing for

Pin PartyCSA District Council No. 10,Cleveland, Ohio – The meeting washeld at the Parma/Snow Library with13 members present. Everybody hada good time at the July picnic atHemlock Park. The weather wasbeautiful and the kids and someadults enjoyed playing in the creek.There was plenty of good food, funand fraternalism.

Preparations are under way forthe Christmas/Pin Party onDecember 10, 2017, at TheWoodside Event Center at St.Michael’s, 5025 E. Mill Road,Broadview Heights, Ohio, and theband has been booked. More infor-mation to follow about obtainingtickets. The lodges and membershave been busy, as always, with theircharities and volunteering.

Fraternally, Annette Reichman


Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377,Lombard, Illinois – Thanks to all whoattended our September meeting withguest speaker John Pritasil. As is alwaystrue for John, his presentation wasfunny, informative, and highly entertain-ing; everyone had a great time, and weshared a lot of laughs. There was arecord crowd at this special meeting: anumber of guests, our regular meetingattendees, and also some members wehad not seen in a while. Hey, John: youhad asked, “Who would want to hearME talk?” – well, now you know! And,thank you so much for a great evening!

November is election time - comesupport your lodge officers! Year-endcelebrations and projects are also com-ing up, and we hope to see you for ourholiday potluck and toy drive: Friday,December 1, at 6:30 p.m. If you can’t bewith us in person, perhaps you can stillcontribute to the toy drive: new(unwrapped) toys, books, warm winteraccessories, and other gifts for young-

sters (infants through teens) are collect-ed for those in need. The potluck is funfor all: we supply the entrée, and askthat you bring a side or dessert to share.Need a ride to meeting, or need to

arrange a pick-up for contributions? Justcall!

Fraternally, Jean Hemzáček Laukant [email protected]

Lodge HappeningsWrapping Up a Year of Fun

Do you know a CSA member who deservesrecognition? Are they active in the communi-ty; do they volunteer often or donate moneyto charitable organizations? Send us theirphoto, a brief description of who they areand what they do, and we will publish themin the Journal.


Lodge Washington No. 30, St. Louis,Missouri – Happy birthday to us! At ourSeptember meeting, Lodge Washingtonmarked 141 years since our founding. Wetook a look back at the pictures from ourgala 100th Anniversary celebration in1976 and marveled at the large crowd andthe major effort that was put into thatnight. What good memories! This yearwe enjoyed cake and a nice visit withmembers of Lodge Missouri followingeach of our meetings. We hope to do moreof these combined socials in the future.

Many thanks to the members of SokolSt. Louis who organized the Eclipse WatchParty at Sokol Camp in August. The prop-erty is located south of St. Louis, so theeclipse was a bit longer than in the city.We had a great view of the event from thepool area, with totality lasting about twominutes, and we “oohed” and “aahed” atthe “sunset,” the crescent shadows, andthe eerie stillness. What a memorableexperience – one we will not soon forget.

Congratulations to Jocelyn and MicahFloretta on the birth of a baby girl, Siena,on July 22. Delighted grandparents areCharlie and Kathy Schneider, and bigbrother is Milo. Best wishes to the whole

family!The Czech Festival at the American-

Czech Center is on Saturday, November11, complete with good Czech food, beer,and pastry, games, booths, and music. Wewill also welcome dancers from theUnited Moravian Societies whose livelyperformances really impressed the crowdthe last time they were here. The Festivalstarts at 11:00 a.m., so get there early andstay all day! The Center is located at 4690

Lansdowne Avenue in St. Louis.Our Annual Meeting will be held on

Friday, November 3. Please note thechange in date (this is the first Friday)because of Festival set-up. This is the all-important meeting when we elect officersand delegates to next year’s Convention,so join us and make your voices heard.Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. at the ACEC.

Fraternally,Deborah Zeman

Happy Birthday to Us!

SupportingOrganizationsImportant to OurMembersLodge Queensdale No. 422, Woodside, New York – Withthe lazy days of summer behind us, our members look for-ward to a new school year and the crisp days of fall.

The Lodge continues to support those organizations thatare important to our members, making donations to theNational Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, RonaldMcDonald House of Long Island, the Salvation Army,Disabled American Veterans, and the CSA Scholarship Fund.

Lodge Queensdale’s annual election of officers andConvention delegates will be held on November 6, 2017 atnoon at St. Jacobus Evangelical Lutheran Church inWoodside, New York. The District Council No. 2 meeting willimmediately follow.

Fraternally yours,Joanne Murnane

Memorial HeldLodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77, North Riverside, Illinois– I would like to tell you what our Lodge will be doing in thenext few months.

In September, we held a memorial to honor the memberswe lost this past year. Members brought photos and sharedstories with us.

November will be election of officers. We will also playBingo and members are asked to bring one or two prizes.

Our December meeting is usually held at Bohemian Crystal.They have a wide variety of meats and vegetables to choosefrom on their menu.

Our Lodge always meets the second Friday of the month atMB Financial Bank, 7222 W. Cermak Road, North Riverside,Illinois, at 7 p.m.

Don’t forget the annual luncheon by the Cultural Division ofDistrict Council No. 12. We always enjoy the food. There is agreat raffle with many unique prizes. We also enjoy meetingmembers from other Lodges.

Enjoy Halloween, but watch out for children in costumesrunning through the streets.

Fraternally,Mary Ellen Janda

Members celebrated the Lodge’s 141st Anniversary with a decorated cake.

Lodge Happenings


Lodge Happenings

Lodge Kruh Osvojenych-Zen A PanuNo. 121, Dillonvale, Ohio – The annualelection of lodge officers and conven-tion delegates for our lodge will takeplace at the Dillonvale PresbyterianChurch Social Hall on Sunday,November 5, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. Allmembers are encouraged and welcometo attend this meeting. We will also bemaking plans for our holiday celebrationalong with brainstorming ideas regard-ing projects for the upcoming year. Themeal will be provided by Gary, Wendy,and Elijah Lovell. Mark your calendarsand join us for an enjoyable afternoon!

Our September meeting proved to bea successful one as we planned for someupcoming special lodge activities. Inaddition to our Election of Officersmeeting as mentioned, some of ourupcoming events include: a fall dinnerwith our friends from District CouncilNo. 9, an informative CSA display tableand Czech presentation at our town’sannual Fall Festival, some holiday craft-ing, and hosting the Christmas Dinnerfor our brothers and sisters of DistrictCouncil No. 9. Like many of you, weare small in number, but we have bigideas, even bigger hearts, and we try tostay active!

Sadly, at this time our hearts areheavy and our love, prayers, and wellwishes go out to our CSA members andthose who have suffered the lastingeffects of the recent hurricanes. Pleaseknow that you are being thought aboutdaily. The love of a family member,neighbor, friend, or fraternal brother orsister is something that no hurricane orstorm could ever destroy. We are withyou!

As nature blankets our rural hills andvalleys with the beautiful colors of fall,it reminds me of the neverending strug-gle for balance. It has been said thatthere is a season for everything. A timeto be born, a time to die…a time tolaugh, a time to cry…a time for unrest,and a time for peace. Think about thefact that at any given moment someonemay be receiving a blessing, and some-one may be suffering hard times. Love

can help us keep that balance. Our worldneeds so much more of it!

I hope you enjoy the beautiful pic-tures taken from the sunflower gardencreated by students in the Garden Clubat West Elementary School in Adena,Ohio. The garden has helped the chil-dren learn to love and respect nature aswell as each other.

Autumn Blessings,Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell

Election of Officers Meeting

HappyAnniversary

October 6, 1962Jim and Pat (Sale) Hrasky

Jim and Pat will celebrate their 55thwedding anniversary. They were mar-ried at Winstanley Baptist Church inEast St. Louis, Illinois.

They are members of CSA LodgeEstlian No. 404. They have a daugh-ter, Susan Altadonna (Dr. DarrenAltadonna); a son, Michael Hrasky(Kristen Hrasky); and five grandsons,Cameron and Cade Altadonna andDane, Brady, and Trey Hrasky.

October 21, 1978Katherine Juliana UrbanekKroeck and George Joseph

Kroeck Chicago, Illinois

Lodge Betsy Ross No. 151.

Fraternal Well Wishes

Dennis HrabakLodge Prokop Velky No. 137

Joe KonecnyLodge Prokop Velky No. 137


Lodge Happenings

Lodge Slunce No. 374, Ocklawaha, Florida – LodgeSlunce invites all their members to attend our annuallodge meeting and election of new officers on Saturday,November 11, 2017. Meeting will be held at Lake in theForest RV Resort (www.lakeintheforest.com). We willstart at 9 a.m. with the raising of our US Flag and withprayer to commemorate Veterans Day and remember allour loved ones who have served our country. We willenjoy a breakfast buffet and share an update on our lodgeactivities and projects, then elect new officers, and goover the 2018 Lodge calendar.

Please contact Lodge Secretary, Bernie Bleiker, at352-812-3532 by November 1 to RSVP. Cabin accommo-dations are available for those traveling from other loca-tions.

Warmest regards,Bernadette Bleiker

Eclipse PartyLodge Century of Progress/Bila Hora No. 231, Cicero,Illinois – This past September after our lodge meeting,Ed Slavik took several bags of food to the St. Barbara’sFood Pantry in Brookfield, Illinois.

Just want to inform you that on November 4, 2017 atour lodge meeting at the T.G. Masaryk School in Cicero,Illinois, we will have election of officers for the year of2018. Our meeting will start at noon.

We are still collecting General Mills Education BoxTops and Campbell’s Soup Labels for Education for alocal school. Loretta Paulus went on a Fancy FreeHoliday Bus Trip in August to Clarksville, Tennessee, tohave a Solar Eclipse experience. The tour went toBeachaven Winery for an “Eclipse Party.” It was a clearday and there was a great view of the total eclipse of thesun. Special viewing glasses were provided for the eventand a great picnic lunch was served. There was livelyentertainment on an outdoor stage to enjoy.

After dinner that day, she went to a “Country Royal-ATribute to Hank Williams Sr. and Patsy Cline.” This wasa show about their lives and their country music thatmade them famous.

Fraternally, Loretta Paulus

Annual Meeting andVeterans Day

Volunteering at World Vision

Lodge Groveton No. 4, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania – Elevenmembers had the pleasure of attending the CSA Get-Together inTexas this past August. Everyone had a good time and braved theheat. At the Get-Together, the Lodge was once again honored tohave member, Hunter Yurkovich, as a Miss National CSA contes-tant. For the second year in a row, Hunter won Miss Congenialityand did a great job representing CSA and our Lodge. Hunter is inher sophomore year of nursing school at Carlow University inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She participates in Carlow’s Love YourMelon campus crew, which is dedicated to the fight against pedi-atric cancer in America. She is also a member of Carlow’sStudent Nursing Association of Pennsylvania – SNAP.

Well, the leaves are turning, the kids are back in school andthe Lodge members are getting ready for a busy Fall. Ourthoughts and prayers are with the victims, first responders andvolunteers of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Toiletryitems were purchased by the lodge for the victims in these areas.The Lodge sponsored, 23rd Annual Ohio/Pennsylvania BowlingTournament is being held at The Meadows Racetrack and Casinoin Washington, Pennsylvania on October 7 and 8. The AnnualPittsburgh Heart Walk will once again be supported by membersof the lodge in honor of Maureen Placek. Email me [email protected] with any questions or interest in partici-pating in the bowling tournament or Heart Walk.

At October’s lodge meeting, Danielle McCain, Founder ofJameson’s Army, spoke regarding her foundation. As an outsideorganization, Jameson’s Army raises money for children andtheir families who spend months in the Long Term Cardiac CareUnit of Children’s Hospital.

“Volunteering – It’s What We Do.” So, on Saturday,November 4, interested lodge members will once again volunteerat World Vision.

Fraternally yours,Cathy Pleskovich

Lodge member Hunter Yurkovich, Miss Congeniality, withJohn Kielczewski and Amanda Lovell.

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Lodge HappeningsWeissensel Winners

Lodge Sionilli No. 170, Brookfield, Illinois – With summerending, things are picking up for many of our members. Weheld our September meeting at Irish Times in Brookfield anddiscussed many upcoming plans. Our Annual meeting will beon Thursday, November 7 at 7 p.m. at Sokol Spirit inBrookfield, Illinois. We will elect officers and delegates forthe 2018 CSA Convention at this meeting.

We were excited to hear of some amazing accom-plishments in the Weissensel family this summer. JacobWeissensel won awards at the Illinois State Fair on August 12,for his musical outfit to match his guitar and a band he wouldlike to join in the future. Jacob made this outfit for his 4-Hgroup and was good enough to get to display it downstate.Joseph Weissensel won a trophy at a bike show in ArlingtonHeights on August 13. He won this award for best originalchopper bike. Joseph has been working on bikes for his familyand friends, but this is his first show where he displayed anentry. James Weissensel won a marathon in Madison onSeptember, 2. On a hilly course around Monona Lake, he ranthe 26.2 mile race in 2 hours and 43 minutes. James is plan-ning to run the prestigious Boston Marathon in April. Way togo, boys!

Fraternally,Alix Wilt


Lodge Happenings

Lodge R.T. Crane No. 7, NorthRiverside, Illinois – Fall has arrived!As we closed out the summer, our mem-bers enjoyed a concert at Cantigny Park.The performance by “Denny Diamond”was one to remember and the warm

weather made for an enjoyable eveningwith friends. Fun fact: DennyDiamond’s real last name is Svehla,which means Bohemian boy, and he isoriginally from Berwyn, Illinois!

We are proud to have put together a

beautiful Czech display at the NorthRiverside Library again this year. TheLibrary is where we host our monthlymeetings so we are excited to get thischance to share our culture with itspatrons. The display includes dollsdressed in costumes from Bohemia,Moravia, and Slovakia with descriptionsof the region, traditions, and attire.

Our annual meeting will be held onWednesday, November 16 at 6 p.m. atthe North Riverside Library. We willelect officers and delegates to the 2018CSA Convention at this meeting.

Fraternally,Alix Wilt

M e d i c i n eBottlesLodge Belmont No. 251,Bridgeport, Ohio – There has beenso much going on in the family that Ihave not been able to write. First, isthe building of my son’s house, JimBelanus. This has been a real familyproject. Second, are my volunteeractivities at the food pantry, choir,funeral lunches, and substitute teach-ing – all of which I enjoy immensely.Third, are the grandchildren that wetry to keep up with. One is in the AirForce and three are involved with 4-H. They are very proud to show theiranimals at the fair each year.

Keeping up with the lodge andour District Council accounts formany hours as well. I have also start-ed collecting medicine bottles atchurch for our project. The parish-ioners seem to be glad to save theseinstead of throwing them away.

My husband and I enjoyed theGet-Together very much and want tosend a big thank you to the Texasgroup that put it on. We had a verygood time!

Fraternally,Peggy Heavner-Goclan

Denny Diamond, Bohemian Boy


Lodge Happenings

Lodge Golden Gate No. 252, San Jose,California – At our recent meeting wewelcomed several guests. Hosts Jim andCarol Martinek introduced Diane andKurt Eriksson who live nearby. CharlieDean introduced his cousin Lily whowas visiting from New York. We hopethey enjoyed themselves and can comeagain.

This was supposed to be our annualpicnic and swim party. However, theweather was unusually hot so we stayedindoors. The only exceptions wereCharlie and Lily who managed to diptheir feet into the backyard pool.

During the business portion of ourmeeting it was announced that JoeMartinek was a recipient of the CSACollege Scholarship program. Joeexpressed his appreciation to CSA forthe scholarship and said it is very help-ful in allowing him to continue his edu-cation as a Communications major atSan Jose State University.

Shelle Jones reported that her familyreturned from a vacation in Florida.Fortunately it was well before HurricaneIrma. Her husband, Todd, took theirsons Mason and Tanner deep sea fishingon a charter boat in Key Largo. Toeveryone’s surprise, the boys hooked aGrouper, a very large Grouper estimatedto be between 12 and 15 pounds. The

fish gave the boys a good fight for about10 minutes before they finally could reelit in. This was one fish that didn’t getaway.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, our clubhas made a donation to the AmericanLegion Local Post 642 for their WreathsAcross American program. TheAmerican Legion will be laying wreathson each veteran’s grave in mid-December. This is part of a national pro-gram. If you would like to help, pleasevisit www.WreathAcross American.org.

In response to the devastating hurri-cane floods, our club made a donation tothe Salvation Army flood relief pro-gram. Our hearts and prayers go out toall those affected by the flooding.

Lodge Golden Gate’s annualElection of Officers meeting will beheld on November 3 in San Jose. If youwould like to attend, please contactShelle, our secretary, at (408) 528-9434or email me at:[email protected].

Guests are always welcome.

Fraternally, Walt Strach

This One Didn’t Get Away

Mason and Tanner with their bigcatch Lunch at a local restaurant

Charlie and Lily shared a glass oflemonade over lunch.

Honoring Veterans with WreathsAcross America


Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219,Cleveland, Ohio – First of all, ourlodge would like to send our prayers toall the people who were affected by thehurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes.What a sad time for all those who losttheir homes and lives. Our lodge hasdecided to send a donation to the RedCross to help those in need.

We had 16 people attend ourSeptember meeting. Our lodge sang“Happy Birthday” to Betty Svaty,Marlette Heryak and Norma Rosoletti,our September birthday ladies. A deli-cious lunch was provided by Joan Sapp,Kathy Gawrilow and Dolores Clark.Thank you, ladies!

We received a thank you note fromthe Providence House, a thank you notefrom Diane DiBianca (a national direc-tor) for donating small personal itemsfor those in need, and we also received acouple of letters from the Home Office. Kathy Gawrilow made a motion to electJan Russell as Fraternalist of the Yearand all lodge members agreed. Kathyalso made a motion to send Tony andJudy Genco and Jan Russell to Chicagofor next year’s Get-Together and allagreed.

The building we have our meetingsin has been updated. A crumbling wallhas been re-bricked, the gym roof hasbeen re-shingled, and a new alarm sys-tem will be installed.

Our Wednesday morning bowlingleague has eight teams. Everyone ishaving a great time. If you are interest-ed, please call June Karecki at 216-941-6969. At the moment, we have twoteams going to Pittsburgh for the StateTournament on October 7 and 8. Itshould be a fun time.

Lots of events are coming up. Ourpork or chicken dinner is on October 25at the Ceska Sin Sokol Hall. Please callDon Kotlan at 216-228-0027 for reser-vations. On October 14, our lodge andthe Sokol Ceska Sin are holding a SoupCook Off. Tickets are $10.00 each orone free ticket if you enter a one galloncrock pot of soup. Email Jan Russell [email protected] for more infor-mation. At DTJ farm, there will be a

chicken and duck dinner on November5. Call Chris Marek at 440-543-8494the Wednesday before the dinner forreservations and information. OnDecember 7, there will be a Districtmeeting and Christmas party at theSchnitzel House on Pearl Road in Parmaat 11 a.m. All are welcome; lunch is onyour own (good food!). Contact TonyGenco at 440-886-2420 if you plan ongoing. Our Pin Party is on December10, more details to come.

This month, our lodge brought inbackpacks, school supplies, fruit snacks,clothing, etc. to donate to our charity,Providence House. We were able todonate over $900.00 in items. (See pic-ture). Our 50/50 raffle was won byJanet Mix and Freddie Shima. Last butnot least, our sister Camille Shima (92years old!) rode a camel at our localzoo. Way to go, Camille! (see picture).

Fraternally yours,Judy (Sevcik) Genco

Lodge HappeningsOn Camel Back?


Lodge HappeningsMembers Keeping Busy!Lodge Mile-Hi Czechs, No. 432,Lakewood, Colorado – On May 28,2017, Mile-Hi Czechs youth memberMegan Turner graduated from highschool. She is now attending MontanaState University in Bozeman, Montana.She is majoring in veterinary medicine.In July of 2015, Megan was nominatedby her Plains High School music teacherfor the Northern Ambassadors of MusicTour of Europe for a 16 day tour ofseven European cities. She has also

served as a page in the Montana statelegislature.

On Thursday, August 17, lodge mem-bers had lunch at Garramones ItalianRestaurant in Lakewood. Mary Campemade our reservation. Thanks, Mary.There were nine of us in attendance.

The 81st CSA Get-Together was heldin Austin, Texas on August 4 throughAugust 6 this year. Les and Beth Egan;Peter, Vera and Kristin Payer; Ryan,Jenny, Kayleigh and Nolan Daberkow;and Irma Farrell all attended the event.Some members helped with theSaturday morning service project for theWomen’s Resource Center in Austin.Baggies were filled with lots of donatedpersonal items. Les and Beth went onthe Duck Boat ride that toured down-town Austin, then the Texas StateMuseum and on to Lake Austin. Theysaid the food was great and plenty of it.They had a fun time.

The Daberkows joined Babi IrmaFarrell for a fun time in Austin. Theyvisited the aquarium and the children’smuseum along with all the festivities atthe Get-Together. Kayleigh and Nolandenjoyed the polka music and entertainedeveryone while they were on the dancefloor.

Dad Peter and grandma Vera Payerattended the Get-Together with KristinPayer. It was a great trip for the three ofthem and they had lots of fun. Kristingave her Miss CSA crown to the MissCSA from Cedar Rapids.

Kayleigh Daberkow gave all theMiss CSA contestants a flower. She hada wonderful time with Kristin and all the

girls. Our lodge has a picture of Kristinat the Get-Together here in Denverwhen Jenny Farrell Daberkow was acontestant. Kristin was a little olderthen Kayleigh is right now. Where didthe time go? It just flies away.

September 10 was the lodge potluckat Bob and Adella Schulz’s lovely homein Lakewood. I can’t believe it but Itook my camera and didn’t take one pic-ture. What was I thinking? Irma Farrellintroduced Amanda Laukant, a memberof Lodge Woodrow Wilson in Chicago,to our membership. After we all ate thewonderful food that our lodge membersprovided, we held a business meeting.Irma reported on her meeting at the2017 Annual American FraternalAlliance in Arizona. She said new prod-ucts are going to be coming out from theHome Office. A motion was made andpassed to make a donations to theSalvation Army Disaster Relief Fundsfor Hurricane Harvey and HurricaneIrma of $100 each.

Mary Campe held the annual triviagame. Her questions this year wereabout local events and places inColorado. Irma Farrell won thewomen’s prize and Ron Fox won themen’s. We all enjoyed learning what wedidn’t know about our city and state.

Thanks to Adella and Bob Schulz forhosting the September potluck at theirlovely home.

Fraternally, Maryellen Hruska Vialpando

Megan Turner

Beth and Les Egan the the GTG

Kayleigh Daberkow and KristenPayer at the GTG

Jenny, Nolan, Ryan, and KayleighDaberkow at the GTG

Front left Mary Camp, Irma Farrell,Maryellen Vialpando, Les and BethEgan, Bob and Adela Schulz,Barbara Tobiska, and Pat Kenningat Garramoney Restaurant

Lodge Laurel No. 452, Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut – LodgeLaurel members have had an excitingsummer! On June 29, several of usattended “Magic in the Park” atMemorial Park in Willimantic. Weenjoyed the magic tricks. The young-sters especially enjoyed them. On July25, a group of us kept beat to theWooden Horse Band at Pompey HollowPark in Ashford. The kids loved run-ning around and dancing! The adultsloved relaxing and listening to the greatmusic!

We held our Annual Picnic on August13 at Mansfield Hollow Park inMansfield Center. What delicious foodwe had, and plenty of it! It was a beau-tiful day for a picnic and we all enjoyedour time together, members and guestsalike!

We look forward to our Fall meetingsand upcoming events. We will hold ourMemorial Service sometime in Octoberat St. Philip’s Cemetery in Ashford. OurOctober meeting is scheduled for the29th, at which Jeremiah Macht willspeak to us about photography. Heshould have some good tips for us! Formore information on the MemorialService and Lodge happenings, [email protected].

Fraternally, Marion Varga

Scribe

OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 25Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Lodge HappeningsMagic, Concert, Annual Picnic!

Magician Pete getting ready Members and guests feeling the beat at the “Wooden Horse Concert.”

Mason, Kirsten, Rachel and Grace enjoying the magic.

CSA Serves St. Ann’s Lodge Virginia No. 230, Petersburg, Virginia – The recipient for this year’sCSA Serves is the St. Ann’s Food Pantry in Colonial Heights, Virginia. LodgeVirginia will also be contributing to Canine Companion for Independence. This isthe training of service dogs to serve the disabled people.

On October 21, the Fifth Virginia Czech-Slovak Festival will be held at thePrince George Regional Heritage Center. Once again, Lodge Virginia No. 230 willbe a participant of the Festival.

The annual meeting will be held on November 12 at 1:00 p.m. at the ColonialItalian Restaurant, 1 Dunlop Circle, Colonial Heights, Virginia.

Fraternally,Janet Zahradka Reiner


Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372,Maple Heights, Ohio – Summer hasbeen a very busy time for many of ourlodge members. Five of our membersattended the Get-Together in Austin,Texas. The DiBianca and Dvorak fami-lies participated in the service projectthat included the generous toiletry dona-tions from our lodge members. Later,members enjoyed sightseeing, spendingtime with old friends, and meeting newones. We all had a great time.Congratulations to the new MissNational CSA, Sydney Rieckhoff, andthe Fraternalist of the Year, MariaBreidenbach.

Bruce Marek, President of DTJDistrict Council, would like to thank thelodge members for all of their volunteerhours during the preparations for CeskyDen (Czech Day) and Obzinky (HarvestFestival). The dumplings, tripe soup,goulash, pork, and sauerkraut took threedays to prepare. Afterwards came all theclean-up. A special thank you to Bruce,

Kris, and Aubrey Marek, as well asMelissa Gardner, for all their extra vol-unteer hours. The attendance was greatand the weather was perfect.

Remember to attend our October 26lodge meeting. We will be having a lun-cheon for the Maple Heights Seniors atthe Center. Fried chicken and all thetrimmings are on the menu. For musicalentertainment we will have GregPiscura. Please join us. The meetingstarts at 10 a.m., lunch is at noon. Pleasecall Fran Weiss for lunch reservations at330-562-7507.

Lodge President Mary Ann Toncarwill be leaving on a two-month vacationto Phoenix, Arizona to visit daughter,Suzanne, and then on to Hawaii to visitdaughter, Donna and family. Mary Annwill be home after Thanksgiving. We allwish her a happy trip and we will missher.

The November Lodge meeting willbe one week earlier. The date isNovember 16 at the Maple Heights

Senior Center at 10 a.m. with lunch atnoon. November is our annual electionof Officers and Delegates. Please join usfor this important meeting.

Other dates to remember: December10 is D.C. No. 10’s Christmas Lunchand Pin Party to honor our 50 and 75-year members at St. Michael’s PartyCenter. On December 14, our lodge willhold its annual Christmas Luncheon atthe Glenwillow Grille on PettiboneRoad. Details to follow. Call Fran Weissfor reservations – 330-562-7507.

Happy birthday to Jean Garapic andVirg Dvorak.

A lodge donation was made to theSeptember Diabetes Walk, the CSAScholarship Fund, and the SeniorCenter.

Hope to see you at our October meet-ing.

Fraternally,Fran Weiss

Lodge Missouri No. 1, St. Louis, Missouri– Thanks to Učitel Joe Sulz and MarcellaMilcic for this story.

It was Sunday, March 20, 2016. It wascold and snowflakes as big as half dollarswere falling. It was not expected it to stick,so that was good news. My son, Alex, hisfriend, Joe, and I were traveling toRosemont, Illinois, just outside Chicago, tothe Donald E. Stephens Convention Center,for a one-day trip. The reason for going wasto get an autograph from Dominic Hasek, aHockey Hall of Famer and All World Czechgoaltender, who was signing autographs.

The boys were supposed to be at myhouse at 5 a.m., so when they pulled up at5:20, it didn’t surprise me. Alex is alwayslate. So when I got outside to Joe’s car, (hewas driving}, I started to tell Alex I want tosit in the back so I can sleep, but I wasalready relegated to the back. That’s fine,because I’m a terrible co-pilot anyway. Notto my surprise, I slept all the way up there.To passers-by, it might have seemed like ascene out of the movie, “Weekend atBernies”, where two guys transport a corpseall over the place pretending him to be alive.

Four hours later, we get to the convention

center. I told the boys I would “wow” theCzech goalie by speaking to him in Czech. Ibrought two items to be signed – a HasekCzech jersey and a puck. When we got up tothe window to buy tickets, it was a lot moreexpensive to have an item signed than Ithought. So having two items signed was outof the question. Interestingly enough, Alexdidn’t buy any tickets. I guess he figures heis going to get mine someday anyway. Smartkid. So I bought my ticket for one item to besigned and we went over to stand in linewhere Hasek will be.

They announced that Hasek was behind acurtain in a photo booth for photo ops, butthat required another ticket, so I declined. Sowe wait about an hour in line and then –there he is. He is sitting at a table and hestarts signing items. The line is starting tomove slowly now. There is a guy sitting nextto him checking the ticket stub you give him,making sure you only get the number ofitems signed that you paid for.

Now it’s my turn, so I give the guy mystub for one item to be signed. As I give thejersey to Hasek to sign, I say to him inCzech, “How are you, Mr. Hasek?” He saysin Czech, “Good,” without even looking up.

I thought to myself, so much for wowinghim with my Czech. So while Hasek and hisaide are stretching the jersey tight enough sohe could sign it, I put a hockey puck on thetable just in case the material of the jerseywas too hard to sign. When he was donesigning the jersey, he said, “puck?” and Isaid in Czech, “Yes, please, Mr. Hasek.”After he signed the puck, I asked him inCzech, “Could I get a picture with you?” Heresponded in Czech, “Yes.” So I leaned overthe table so Alex could snap a picture. I bidthe goalie, “thanks and farewell” in Czech,and the three of us left the convention centerand headed home.

So let’s summarize... instead of buyingthree tickets, I bought one ticket and got asigned jersey, a signed puck, and a picture.Maybe I did “wow” the goalie with myCzech. For approximately two minutes, Iconversed with Dominic Hasek, a Czechgoalie, and did not speak one word ofEnglish. I think it was a “krásný den!”

Mike Wolf, Lodge Missouri No. 1

Road TripLodge Happenings

October Luncheon for Maple Heights Seniors

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Lodge HappeningsUpcoming Events

Lodge Prokop Velky No. 137, Cedar Rapids, Iowa – ProkopVelky met on Wednesday, September 6 for a wonderful gath-ering with 39 members and guests in attendance. It was agreat time to be together, celebrating fellowship and enjoyinga delicious meal. Our guests were Tom and Loretta Ledvina.Tom is our Regional Director from Vining, Iowa.

After the successful 2017 81st Annual CSA Get-Togetherin Austin, Texas, Prokop Velky was pleased to learn about ourtwo VIP winners. The Miss National CSA Contest winner wasSydney Rieckhoff from Cedar Rapids, a Prokop Velky mem-ber. She and her mother, Robyn Rieckhoff, attended this meet-ing. Our other VIP winner was Wesley Carlson, who obtainedthe 2017 Kropik Scholarship award. Wesley has been activewith Prokop Velky, working with us on many projects over theyears. Congratulations to Sydney and Wesley for making usall proud of our wonderful youth members.

Prokop Velky members had a pleasant afternoon in CzechVillage in Cedar Rapids enjoying the Czech Plus Band onAugust 27. The concert was sponsored by our lodge with 15members there wearing their CSA blue volunteer shirts adver-tising this great organization. CSA brochures and candy werehanded out.

We are still busy recycling pop tabs, eye glasses, amber pill bottles, card fronts, Vet’s pantry items, and money. Pleasebring your donations to our regular meeting! Dorothy Ditch

reported she has delivered 6-8 gallon jugs of pop tabs to theMcDonald House. That’s a lot of drinking!

Our Wednesday, November 1 meeting is a special meetingas the election of officers for 2018 will take place. Let’s all bea part of this important session. The special attendance awardwas won by Stan Ditch and he will give his earnings to SokolCedar Rapids. Thanks, Stan. Here is a list of past and futureevents that you might have missed or need to put on your cal-endar:Sunday, October 1st - Especially for You Breast WalkWednesday, October 4th - Regular Prokop Velky meeting,Casserole Contest at 6:00 p.m.Sunday, October 15th - Fall trip to Amana, Iowa; Lunch 2:00p.m., Play at Old Creamery Theater at 2:30 PM; Reservationsare filled.Wednesday, November 1st - Prokop Velky Meeting at 6:00p.m. Potluck, Election of OfficersWednesday, December 6th - Prokop Velky Member ChristmasParty, TBATuesday, December 12th - Christmas at Hiawatha Care Centerwith Mr. & Mrs. Santa.

Hope your fall season is full of color and much joy. Ourprayers go to all in Texas and Florida.

Fraternally, Barbara Edmunds



August 10, 2017 through September 10, 2017IN MEMORY OF ALL DECEASED MEMBERS Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372

IN MEMORY OF MILDRED HUSA CEITHAML Dolores, Ron and Chris Faltynek Lucille & Laddie Lankas Mary A. Bubenicek

Elaine F. Hemzacek IN MEMORY OF DECEASED MEMBERS Lodge Betsy Ross No. 151

TOTAL DONATIONS $270.00

Scholarship Fund Report

Hallie HnatekDuPage Pioneers/Edison

No. 409

Kelsey CollierCleveland Chapter

No. 219

Wesley CarlsonProkop Velky

No. 137

Diana CaldwellQueensdale

No. 422

Crystal CaldwellQueensdale

No. 422

2017 Scholarship RecipientsCongratulations!

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

2017 Scholarship Recipients

Joshua HnatekDuPage Pioneers/Edison

No. 409

Arden KurhayezCentury of Progress/Bila

Hora No. 231

Courtney KurhayezCentury of Progress/Bila

Hora No. 231

Isabella MahmoudDuPage Pioneers/Edison

No. 409

Adam MartinsonSokol Plzen

No. 434

Alex MartinsonSokol Plzen

No. 434

Cassandra StoneBrookfieldNo. 475

Emily NejdlProkop Velky

No. 137

Kayleigh SmithDuPage Pioneers/Edison

No. 409

Gregory JarosSokol Plzen

No. 434

Jennifer JarosSokol Plzen

No. 434

Ibolya KonkolySionilli

No. 170


Lodge Happenings


Lodge Bratri od Sazavy No. 211,Little Ferry, New Jersey – TheSeptember meeting of the lodge washeld in the Little Ferry Public Libraryinstead of our usual Sokol Hall. Wegathered in the room occupied by LittleFerry Historical Society. President ofour lodge and President of the HistoricalSociety Frank Zabransky and VicePresident of the Historical SocietyWalter Stauble gave a very interestingpresentation on two pieces of LittleFerry history. One was about the manybrickyards located in Little Ferry fromthe 1870s to the 1950s. We learned thatbricks from Little Ferry were used all upand down the East Coast, especially inNew York City subways, tunnels andeven the Empire State building.

The second presentation was on thepearl button industry. This was basical-ly a cottage industry. People made but-tons in their homes long before massproduction. When plastic and machinemade buttons came into widespread use,the pearl button industry declined. Wealso learned that those who made but-tons in Little Ferry originally came fromJirovnice in Bohemia. There was avibrant pearl button industry going on inthat city, directed by the Hapsburgs,then rulers of the Austrian-HungarianEmpire. We also learned that pearl but-tons could be made almost anywhere.There was a large pearl button industryin the midwest. Anywhere you find mol-lusks - clams, oysters - those buttonscould be made.

The Historical Society has wonderfuldisplays of old bricks and their molds,

and pearl buttons from shell to cards ofbuttons. Members certainly enjoyedlearning about these two parts of localhistory.

After the presentation, we continuedwith our meeting. Brother FrankZabransky and Sister Carol Tranter gavea report about the Get-Together. It was abig success and, as always, we had a lotof fun. Congratulations to the Get-Together Committee! We are lookingforward to next year’s Get-Together andConvention.

Sister Blanche Bidnik was not able toattend our July meeting and Pin Party soshe was presented with her 50 Year Pinat this meeting.

The lodge continues to work on theLodge Recognition Program. We arestriving for Platinum!

The October and November meetingswill be back in Sokol Hall. At theOctober meeting, we will gather thefronts of greeting cards to send to St.Jude’s Ranch for Children. Sister CarolTranter will perform a memorial serviceat our November meeting. In Decemberwe will have our Holiday Party. We con-tinue to make crocheted or knitted5”x7” afghan pieces to send to WarmUp America. If you want to contributeafghan pieces, bring them to a meetingor contact Sister Tranter –[email protected]. We hope to see youat a meeting!

Fraternally, Carol Tranter

History Presentations

In Memoriam Claim Name Lodge Place of Death Date Age 52314 Richard Pur 77 WILLOW SPRINGS, IL 07/08/2017 90 52315 Randel R. Cervantes 181 COLONA, IL 07/31/2017 58 52316 Rocco F. Esposito 4 CORAOPOLIS, PA 03/19/2017 86 52317 Vera Svoboda 458 LA CANADA, CA 09/05/2011 90 52318 Robert J. Sevcik 306 PITTSBURGH, PA 07/21/2017 91 52319 Emma H. Ciersezwski 121 NORWALK, OH 07/15/2017 92 52322 Corneilus H. Maher 481 MANAHAWKIN, NJ 07/21/2017 79 52323 Sandra L. Bethel 4 PITTSBURGH, PA 12/23/2016 76 52327 Anna Drozda 77 LEES SUMMIT, MO 07/26/2017 76 52328 Eleanor M. Rejzek 458 SEATTLE, WA 06/03/2017 82 52329 Emil G. Rumisek 411 CHESANING, MI 07/28/2017 92 52330 Marilyn A. Michalek 77 GLEN ELLYN, IL 08/03/2017 86 52331 Cheryl T. Mc Evoy 366 LIVONIA, MI 07/19/2017 58 52332 James J. Basl 230 MIDLOTHIAN, VA 06/06/2017 67 52333 Richard W. Emanovsky 469 BROOKSVILLE, ME 01/23/2017 82 52334 John Bednar 458 QUARTZ HILL, CA 06/21/2017 77 52335 Joseph E. Horak, Jr. 372 DEERFIELD, MI 07/29/2017 66 52336 Mildred Ceithaml 377 CHICAGO, IL 07/01/2017 94 52338 William M. Richards 277 BANDERA, TX 07/15/2017 81 52339 Mary M. Kuskowski 66 INDIAN HEAD PARK, IL 04/22/2015 94 52340 Rose A. Sass 279 SHELLSBURG, IA 07/09/2017 93 52341 Edward J. Schikora 432 ROSWELL, GA 07/11/2017 83 52342 Joseph J. Bielik 211 ELMWOOD PARK, NJ 05/17/2013 86 52343 Elaine D. Medal 252 SANTA CLARA, CA 07/25/2017 86 52344 Veles Davis 422 N. CHARLESTON, SC 08/06/2017 74 52345 Blanche Zwerdling 211 TOTOWAY, NJ 03/21/2014 99 52346 Ruth M. Eno 7 BERWYN, IL 05/03/2017 69 52347 Camille Kohoutek 231 ORLAND PARK, IL 09/17/2010 93 52348 Thomas Jansky 99 BONITA SPRINGS, FL 08/14/2017 83 52349 George Pecina 211 ROSELLE, NJ 06/23/2017 90 52354 Lon L. Fisher 388 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 12/25/2016 71 52355 Mary A. Hefflick 422 SALEM, OR 02/17/2015 94 52356 Ruth A. Vesely 4 BRIGHTON, MI 09/17/2005 84 52358 Elmer J. Lentz 479 PITTSBURGH, PA 04/28/2017 90 52359 Charlette L. Lentz 479 PITTSBURGH, PA 11/13/2016 90 52361 Jonathan W. Sparks 428 VICKSBURG, MS 07/31/2017 63 52363 Thomas A. Sraver 428 BALTIMORE, MD 07/24/2013 91 52364 Neva J. Morgan 121 MC COMB, OH 08/25/2017 83 52365 Vera L. Hala 422 EULESS, TX 08/05/2011 90 52366 Robert S. Winfrey 137 DES MOINES, IA 07/28/2017 63 52367 Mildred D. Kaminski 66 LOWELL, IN 04/15/2017 84 52369 Vincent W. Urbank 211 TOMS RIVER, NJ 12/18/2010 89 52370 Angeline J. Antos 463 STUART, FL 04/25/2009 95 52371 John P. Wallace 372 YOUNGSTOWN, OH 08/20/2017 73 52372 Joyce A. Cominsky 251 ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OH 08/18/2016 69 52373 Margaret Lynch 211 BAYONNE, NJ 08/03/2017 85 52375 John P. Havelka 277 SUGAR LAND, TX 02/12/2005 85 52376 Mildred L. Gerard 219 GARFIELD HTS., OH 07/29/2017 78 52377 Lila J. Vitter 121 DILLONVALE, OH 08/29/2017 91 52378 Emily J. Pynos 4 LIGONIER, PA 08/18/2017 84


OCTOBER 2017 — CSA JOURNAL — 33Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Jan Bednář was born on August 8, 1939,in the Vynohrady section of Prague,Czechoslovakia. In Czech he had thenickname Honza, in the US he was knownas John. He, along with his fatherFrantišek Bednář and a friend, PepikKřizek, crossed the Czech-German borderin the night of June 21, 1949. They had tomake certain that the guard who had beenwatching them was more drunk than theywere. I remember my father saying thathe drank more alcohol that evening thanever but was not drunk, he was ready toescape into the US occupied German zone.They crossed near Furth Im Walde inGermany.

My mother and I followed a coupleweeks later. All I remember of the cross-ing was that if I made a sound, my motherwould give me to the gypsies. She, too,was watched by the guards but somehowmanaged to walk through the forest whenhe was not around. It took us another cou-ple of weeks to get together with myfather and brother in the refugee camps,since we were at the end of the mass exo-dus fleeing to the west. We met in JagerKaserne in Eichstadt. Our family wentthrough many refugee camps as they wereconsolidated. The last was FunkerKaserne in Bad Cannstadt. The consolida-tion of many nationalities of various cul-tures caused daily knife fights. There wererats in the basement, gang toilets on eachfloor, and bedbugs in the half rooms allo-cated to families. The education in thecamp was a one room school for all ages.Honza, as we called Jan, was a teenager

so my parents sent him to a parochialboarding school to keep him safe from thecamp riffraff. I was sent to a Germanschool in Bad Cannstadt accessible by astreetcar.

After Bad Cannstadt we moved into anormal two-bedroom apartment. Honzawas still in his school away from homeand I started in a new German school inRotweg, only a streetcar ride from home.After six years in Germany, the Bednarfamily was allowed to immigrate into theUSA on Catholic disability visas that weresigned off by friends who promised to takecare of us if we did not find work. OttaLosenicky signed the papers. He knew ourfather from the Sanatorium in GarmishPartenkirchen. They were the only twoCzechs from Prague, making them instantfriends. We flew to New York and tookthe train to Los Angeles where Otta droveus to his house in the Adams/Hauser dis-trict of LA. After my parents found work,we moved to a rented house near them.

We arrived on a Friday and Mondayboth my brother and I were registered inAmerican school, not being able to speaka word of English.

Honza and Jana were participatingmembers of Sokol Los Angeles. The boysenjoyed the activities. Honza was theinstructor for young boys. They alsobelonged to CSA Lodge No. 458, attend-ing meetings, volunteering for the annualCSA Heritage Dance organizing commit-tee and other CSA activities. Their chil-dren and grandchildren were also mem-bers of CSA Lodge No. 458. As the boysgrew up, they continued to be involvedwith Czech heritage activities. Honza’sson Dwayne was one of the Sokol CzechDancers under the direction of Helen andJoe Jakl. They performed during the 1984Olympics in LA. The family alsobelonged to WFLA Golden West LodgeNo. 377.

The family remembers the good timesat Dinkey Creek camp as they weregrowing up. They spent many annualvacation trips there with theirmany Sokol friends. The par-ents and the boys participated inthe local Sokol exhibits. Janaand John were dedicated toSokol and other CzechAmerican organizations. Johnparticipated in many of the playsperformed at Sokol Hall in the late50s and early 60s.

When their youngest son graduatedhigh school, Jana and Honza moved toQuartz Hill in the Antelope Valley. Theyliked the dry heat, sunny days, and cleardays and nights. Their sons married andgave them the joy of grandchildren. Eightwonderful young adults of a new genera-tion of Bednar family were the result ofJana and Jan’s loving family. Both werevery proud of their children and grandchil-dren. They are a close family that gatherstogether to help each other with everychallenge they face. Though the far reach-ing family is now living in South Dakota,Nevada and California, they still gettogether several times a year.

In February 2013, Jana and Honza cel-ebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. InDecember 2013, he lost his beloved wifeand had a hard time staying in their home.He missed her terribly. He decided tomove to Mayflower Gardens. He wasvery social and made friends easily. Heorganized barbecues for friends in thesummer. All who knew him liked him. Hewas a kind and helpful person. He is sur-vived by many friends, his three sonsDavid, Dwayne and Dean with theirwives, Pam, Wendy, and Tara and his eightgrandchildren, Emily, Andrew, Lauren,Katelyn, Tyler, Weston, Cody andMadison along with their spouses and hisbrand new great-grandson Leo Joseph.

Honza also left behind his twoHlavacek nephews, Allen and StevenHlaváček and niece Carrie Ridenour, andtheir spouses and children along with hissister, Kathy Hanken, and a niece andnephew, Samantha and Richard Hanken,with their spouses. The large extendedfamily in the USA and the huge Košnarand Kazda family descendants in theCzech Republic mourn his passing as wellas all his friends.

He died unexpectadly at the USC hos-pital in LA on June 21, 2017. He was laidto rest in a crypt with Jana at Forest Lawnat Hollywood on Thursday, July 13, 2017.

K. Hanken

In Memoriam


Lodge Harrison/Hus/Garfield No.378, Cicero, Illinois – We gathered onSeptember 11 for our fall lunch at CzechPlaza. There were 12 members includ-

ing our guest Amanda Lovell, FraternalDirector. I passed around the programbook from the GTG to show our ad.Amanda talked about the GTG this

August, discussing the Miss CSAContest and the events of the weekend.

Collette Clayton talked about hercruise this summer, which included astop in Cuba. Amanda also said she wason a cruise just before tropical stormIrma.

This being the 16th anniversary of9/11, I asked all to recall what they weredoing that morning. Members wereupdated on events this fall.

Our Christmas party will beDecember 9; letters will be sent out.

The November meeting on the 6th isour annual meeting. Plan on attending,as this is our election.

Join us for our meetings at noon atTG Masaryk School in Cicero.

Ken Dvorsky

Recalling September 11Lodge Happenings

Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409, Lombard, Illinois– Our September meeting saw members and guests gatheredin the Heritage Room of CSA’s Home Office for a brief meet-ing followed by our Movie Night featuring the film, “Lion.”President Jerry Gaydusek reviewed Lodge activities for theremainder of the year. We will have busy October, Novemberand December meetings.

Our Lodge held its annual Penny Social during theirOctober meeting. A brief meeting was held, food and refresh-ments served, before members were let loose to bid on a roomfull of donated and purchased goods. This event, coordinatedby lodge VP Lyn Burton, the Gayduseks, and GerriRomanelli, is a traditional fundraiser which helps our lodgemake significant donations to the charities we have chosen for

this year-Honor Flights, West Suburban Food Pantry andFisher House at Hines Veteran Hospital. We are thankful forthe generous monetary and gift contributions which make thisevent a success year after year.

Our November 13 meeting, as well as the election of offi-cers and delegates to the Convention, will be held at HomeRun Inn Pizzeria at 75 & Lemont Road at 6:00 p.m. Memberswill be paying and selecting dinner entrees from the menu.We will hold our annual Memorial Service and discuss volun-teer activities for 2018. Our Christmas Dinner Meeting andParty will be held on December 13 once again at Sawa’s OldWarsaw. Our meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. We will hold araffle to increase our charitable giving and wish members agreat holiday season by holding a Christmas Card exchange.Dinner is compliments of the Lodge! Please call HelenGaydusek at the Home Office by December 1 if you are plan-ning to attend our Christmas gala.

Scott Nekolny of Loveland, Ohio, son of Lodge SecretaryJohn Nekolny and wife Joann, recently competed in, and fin-ished, his second marathon race which was held at the AirForce base in Dayton, Ohio. As part of the 26-mile race, run-ners had to run down one of the airport runways! The entireNekolny Family and Lodge members are so proud of Scottand his accomplishment! Way to go, Scott!

Happy Halloween Birthday to our treasurer HelenGaydusek! Love ya,’ Helenka!

Hope to see all our members at our November andDecember meetings.

Trick or Treat!Gerri Romanelli

Annual Memorial Service Planned

M U C S S X L E R Z A W U P O

N O P X H I S S S D K M M H P

A V O I C R Z E R S V K B O A

A P F R E T N E O C Y C R T L

E M P D B Z K H R B I E E O S

A Z D L N W T C R B A I L G E

B A E V E W E G I U D O L R O

L B G Z S S U N M V F H A A H

S U P E R S T I T I O N S P S

H Y J J R E R N B K H Q L H E

N B L A C K C A T S D N I S S

G Z D O O W N O K C O N K L R

A E P O O P D R I B G U U R O

B E L I E F S G K H V C D L H

B B E H T N H Y K D K D K Y T

Superstitions

Zaří…………………………………………….…….October (Zá-ří)Černá kočka…………………..……….….black cat (čer-ná koč-ka)Očarovat………………………………..witchcraft (o-čar-ovat)Čarodějnice………………………….……..witch (čar-o-děj-ni-ce)Pověra……………………………………..superstition (po-vě-ra)Darebnost………………………....trick (trick or treat) (dar-eb-nost)Neb……………………………….………..…or (trick or treat) (neb)Častovat………………………..……treat (trick or treat) (čas-to-vat)Kouzelník…………………………………...magician (kou-zel-ník)Předvečer všech svatých...Halloween (před-ve-čer všech sva-tých)

Send Just Kids your stories, riddles, etc.Mail: Just Kids, c/o the CSA Journal,

P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148

Email to: [email protected]

JJuusstt KKiiddss

APPLESBELIEFSBLACK CATSGROANING CHEESEHORSE SHOESKNOCK ON WOODLADDERS

LUCKMIRRORSNEW BROOMOPALSPHOTOGRAPHSSUPERSTITIONSUMBRELLAS

Czech to English


If you’re a CSA member who is 17 years old or younger, wewant to hear from you! Did you join a new club at school,start playing for the basketball team, or maybe you receivedan A on a science project... we want you to tell us about it!

Send an article with photos (we love to see them) toAmanda at [email protected].

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