Volume CV - Issue 5069 - Introducing the
Transcription
Volume CV - Issue 5069 - Introducing the
For God and Nation Za Boha a Národ Slovensk¥ Katolícky Sokol OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL – MEMBERSHIP 28,000 – HOME OFFICE: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, N.J. 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org Periodical Postage Paid at original entry of Passaic, N.J., 07055 and additional mailing offices VOLUME CV PASSAIC, N.J., MAY 18 18,, 2016 NUMBER 5069 Introducing the Recipients of Our 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol College, High School and Grade School Scholarship Grants Grants of $1,000 each to recipients of our College Scholarships Cynthia Mihalenko North Brunswick, NJ Montclair State University Group 1, Assembly 224 Jersey City, NJ Casie Farrell Parsippany, NJ Temple University Group 1, Wreath 2 Passaic, NJ Cassandra Janssen Germantown, WI Ohio State University Group 4, Wreath 93 Milwaukee, WI Ryan Struckel Barberton, OH Ohio University Group 5,Assembly 167 Barberton, OH Austin Hill North Canton, OH Ohio University Group 5, Assembly 180 Canton, OH Jessica Hutnick Canton, OH University of Rhode Island Group 5, Assembly 180 Canton, OH George Voros Columbus, OH Ohio State University Group 5, Wreath 153 Parma, OH Sarah Chaudhari Venetia, PA University of Pittsburgh Group 6, Wreath 15 Perryopolis, PA Kelly Dunlevy Baton Rouge, LA Our Lady of the Lake College Group 6, Wreath 15 Perryopolis, PA Over the past 44 years, our organization has generously supported the educational aspirations of our youth through our scholarship program. Since 1972, a total of 2,173 members have been recipients of this fraternal benefit. A total of $1,517,750 in scholarship grants have been awarded to date. This year, we again are pleased to assist 59 of our young members in their quest for a good education. Our congratulations and fraternal best wishes go out to all our 2016 recipients. Happy future and Zdar Boh! PAGE 2 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Grants Grants of $1,000 each to recipients of our College Scholarships Jonathon Kamor Duryea, PA Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Group 7, Assembly 59 Wilkes-Barre, PA Christian Nonnemacher Hazleton, PA Penn State University Group 7, Assembly 59 Wilkes-Barre, PA John Ulichney Wilkes-Barre, PA Daniel Webster College Group 7, Assembly 59 Wilkes-Barre, PA Anthony Iannuzzi Shrewsbury, PA Rochester Institute of Technology Group 7, Assembly 86 Port Griffith, PA Tessa Sghiatti Canton, GA University of Georgia Group 7, Wreath 147 Larksville, PA Luke Matlon Bloomington, MN University of Minnesota Duluth Group 11, Assembly 34 Minneapolis, MN Mia Stranberg Andover, MN Concordia College Group 11, Wreath 47 Minneapolis, MN Vance Holthenrichs Holland, PA Pennsylvania State University Group 12, Assembly 48 Philadelphia, PA Zachary Griffith Reading, PA Albright College Group 12, Assembly 261 Reading, PA Hope Brock Somerset, PA Juniata College Group 14,Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Paige Flore West Mifflin, PA Slippery Rock University Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Stephanie Pavlick Pittsburgh, PA Massachusetts Institute of Technology Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Chloe Seiler Finleyville, PA University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Ashley Suchy Pittsburgh, PA Robert Morris University Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Carter Kovalcik Warren, MI North Carolina Central University Group 16, Assembly 36 Detroit, MI SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Grants Grants of $1,000 each to recipients of our College Scholarships Jennifer Lange Marysville, OH University of Cincinnati Group 17, Assembly 108 Youngstown, OH Joanne Bartos Struthers, OH Mercy College of Ohio Group 17, Wreath 107, Youngstown, OH 2016 Theodore & Mary Jane Rich Memorial Scholarship Winners Grants of $2,500 Kevin Matlon Whippany, NJ Misericordia University Group 1, Assembly 24 Boonton, NJ Paige Gasiorowski Pittsburgh, PA Robert Morris University Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA PAGE 3 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Memorial Scholarship Grants of $1,000 each Victoria Kwiatkowski Bradenton, FL University of Central Florida Assembly 312, Home Office Passaic, NJ Rose Polney Swoyersville, PA Wilkes University Group 7, Wreath 147 Larksville, PA Kathryn Jerek Canfield, OH Youngstown State University Group 17, Wreath 54, Youngstown, OH Recipients of our 2016 Abbot Jerome M. Koval, O.S.B. Memorial Catholic High School Grants of $500 each William Lamoutte LaSalle Institute Group 2, Assembly 9 Bridgeport, CT Joseph C. Traglia Allentown Central Catholic High School Group 7, Assembly 86 Port Griffith, PA Nicholas J. Traglia Allentown Central Catholic High School Group 7, Assembly 86 Port Griffith, PA Georgia R. Holthenrichs Notre Dame High School Group 12, Wreath 13 Philadelphia, PA Lexington Meder Serra Catholic High School Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Stephen Michael Bartos Cardinal Mooney High School Group 17, Wreath 107 Youngstown, OH 2016 Emil Slavik Memorial Scholarship Winners Grants of $2,000 each Jeremy Dobbs Racine, WI University of Wisconsin Group 4, Wreath 93 Milwaukee, WI Nicole Maximowicz Shaverton, PA Temple University Group 7, Wreath 147 Larksville, PA (Continued on page 8) PAGE 4 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 REFLECTOR ... The Word of God... Jotings from Sokol and Slovak life 86th Annual Milwaukee Slovak Day set for July 24 The Milwaukee area is set to host one of the oldest summer Slovak Day observances on Sunday, July 24. The Federated Slovak Societies of Milwaukee will host its 86th annual American Slovak Day at Croatian Park located at 9140 South 76th Street in Franklin, Wis. Continuing its long-standing tradition, the day begins with the celebration of Mass which will be held outdoors beginning at 12 noon. Celebrant of the liturgy will be the Rev. John J. Jamnicky, pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Old Mill Creek, Ill. This parish borders Wisconsin and is the most northly parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Father Jamnicky is a popular and well-known priest in the area’s Slovak community. The cultural program begins at 2:30 p.m. The program opens with a welcome by Ralph Hass, president of the Federated Slovak Societies following by the singing of the national anthems of the United States and Slovakia. The cultural program will feature a celebration of Slovak music and dance traditions at their best. A highlight will be the performance by our Group 4 Sokol drillers from Milwaukee’s Wreath 93. Another highlight will be the spirited presentation by the popular Tatra Slovak Dancers who will perform songs and dances from the various regions of Slovakia. Live music for dancing and listening pleasure will be enjoyed until 6 p.m. Children’s activities will be available throughout the afternoon. Traditional Slovak culinary specialities along with popular American picnic favorites will be available. Homemade Slovak pastries as well as imported beer from Slovakia will also be featured. Handmade, imported Slovak and Czech ornaments, jewelry, crafts and artifacts will be available for sale. Complimentary golf cart transportation is available at the park for the “Young at Heart.” There is free admission to the park as well as plenty of parking available. Raffle tickets will also be featured and will be drawn at 5 p.m. For additional information on this year’s American Slovak Day picnic, call our Wreath 93 Sokolka, Betty Valent at tel 414 425-6137 or Ralph at 262 893-2972. Our Sokol Wreath 93 has been an active member of the Federated Slovak Societies for many years and has supported their various cultural and civic activities. We hope than many of our Group 4 Sokols and Sokolky will turnout for this annual celebration of Slovak pride in the greater Milwaukee area. An enjoyable afternoon is assured. Fr. Richard D. Baker to lead Pilgrimage in the footsteps of SS. Cyril and Methodius Our Group 1 chaplain, the Rev. Richard D. Baker, pastor of New York’s historic parish of St. John Nepomucene, affectionately known as New York’s Slovak basilica, will host a Holy Year of Mercy tour to Slovakia titled a “Slovak Faith and Heritage Tour in the Footsteps of SS. Cyril and Methodius.” In addition to Slovakia, the tour will visit Austria and Hungary. The tour departs from New York’s JFK International Airport on Friday, September 30 and returns on Tuesday, October 11. The tour will include English speaking guides in Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. The pilgrimage will include a full day tour of the Imperial Capital of Vienna, once the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire of which the Slovaks were a part. Vienna is one of Europe’s most historic and picturesque cities. The tour will then proceed to Slovakia’s sparkling capital city of Bratislava on the picturesque Danube River, visiting the historic castle, its palaces and the Cathedral of St. Martin where Mass will be celebrated. The tour will enjoy the area’s historic wine tour of the Small Carpathians, visiting cultural sites and visiting a pottery and ceramics factory. Visits to Trnava, known as “The Rome of Slovakia” due to its numerous churches; the great city of Nitra, the center of the mission of SS. Cyril and Methodius which is Slovakia’s oldest diocese as well as a visit to the country’s national shrine dedicated to its Patroness, Our Mother of Sorrows at Sastin are also on the program. From western Slovakia, the tour will continue east on to Levoca, Spisska Kapitula, Kezmarok and Stara Lubovna. A highlight of the tour will be attending Mass celebrated by Father Baker in his family’s ancestral church in the village of Starina, a quaint hamlet near the Polish border. The group will also visit the region of the High Tatras and will include rafting on the Dunajec river, which forms the natural boundary between Slovakia and Poland. Visits will also be made to Presov and Kosice. From Kosice, the tour will travel to the Hungarian city of Budapest on the Danube River. The beauty and richness of the Hungarian capital with its great artistic and cultural centers will be enjoyed. A full day tour will include a visit to Buda hill - the Royal Palace which houses a museum and art gallery, the Matthias Church, the royal coronation and wedding church as well as a visit to Gellert Hill for a panoramic view of the city. The tour returns to New York on Tuesday, October 11. The cost of the tour is $2,899 all inclusive, based on double occupancy. The single supplement is $350. Tour includes round-trip air transportation from New York, four star hotels, daily breakfasts and dinners with visits to museums and guided tours included. Plan to join Father Baker and be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Slovakia, Austria and Hungary . For additional information on this historic tour, feel free to call the rectory of St. John Nepomucene Church in New York City at tel. 212 7344613. Traditional Slovak May celebration on May 21 in Clifton, N.J. The Domovina Slovak Society of SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clifton, N.J. will host a special May Celebration - “Kosarovu” Zabavu on Saturday, May 21 in the church hall located at 218 Ackerman Avenue beginning at 7 p.m. Music for dancing and listening pleasure will be provided by the Ensemble Relax. Admission is $20.00 for adults and youngsters are welcome free of charge. An enjoyable evening celebrating the joy of spring is assured. Participants are asked to bring along a basket(kosik) filled with food and treats which can be shared with others. For reservations call Gus at 646 321-1424, Tina at 201 757-8481 or Ada at 973 747-5387. Slovak language camp for kids to begin in Pittsburgh The Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association will offer a new program, a Summer Language Camp for kids. Classes begin on Saturday, June 4 and continue on Saturdays through July 23. These Slovak language classes are geared for beginners and are held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Mount Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shanon Boulevard, Mt. Lebanon, Pa. 15228, tel. 412 5311912. Children must be able to read to participate. Classes are free of charge, however there may be a slight charge for materials. Bozena Hilko will serve as the instructor. Learning a new language is best achieved when begun in childhood. Pittsburgh area parents interested in this program are asked to contact Ms. Hilko at [email protected]. This is yet another example of the creative and interesting programs offered by the WPSCA promoting a greater appreciation of our rich Slovak culture, language and heritage. Check out their programs at: www.facebook.com/westernpaslovaks or visit: www.wpsca.org. Gospel for the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity - May 22nd John 16:12-15 A reading from the holy Gospel according to John Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own; but he will speak what he hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; for this reason l told you that he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” The Gospel of the Lord. Gospel for the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – May 29th Luke 9:11b-17 A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured. As the day was drawing to a close, the Twelve approached him and said, ”Dismiss the crowd so that they can go to the surrounding villages and farms and find lodging and provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.” He said to them, “Give them some food yourselves.” They replied, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.” Now the men there numbered about five thousand. Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty. They did so and made them all sit down. Then taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. The Gospel of the Lord. All is in readiness for our 70th Bowling Tournament in Buffalo, New York A wonderful weekend of traditional fraternal good sportsmanship and fellowship awaits the participants of this year’s 70th International Bowling Tournament scheduled for the weekend of May 20th & 21st at the Airport Bowling Lanes in Buffalo, New York. This year’s tournament is being held in cooperation with the Greek Catholic Union which this year marks its 80th tournament. A total of 84 Bowlers of the Slovak Catholic Sokol together with 83 bowlers from the Greek Catholic Union will compete in this year’s exciting tournament. The Friday, May 20th Hospitality Night will begin at 5 p.m. which will allow time for our bowlers to enjoy some excellent food and socialize before the official opening of the competition at 7 p.m. The Doubles and Singles events will begin at 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, May 21 and in the evening, all of the bowlers and guests will enjoy a delicious buffet banquet dinner at 6 p.m. The buffet se- lections will include: garden salad, fresh rolls, seasonal vegetables, carved roast top sirloin of beef, chicken stir fry, baked Virginia ham, potatoes, Tortellini Primavera, desserts, coffee and tea. Needless to say, an enjoyable fraternal evening is assured in the beautiful and historic city of Buffalo, New York. The schedule for the 70th International Bowling Tournament may be found on page 13 of this issue. I look forward to seeing many of our veteran Sokol keglers along with a number of first timers at what looks to be an outstanding competition in the best traditions of Sokol good sportsmanship and fellowship. Zdar Boh! James C. Matlon Supreme Director of Sports & Athletics SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Lodge Jottings BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Assembly 9 We will host the annual meeting of our lodge on Sunday, June 5 in the meeting room of Holy Name of Jesus School located at 1950 Barnum Avenue in Stratford, Conn. beginning at 1 p.m. Reports of the officers will be presented and plans for our various upcoming fraternal activities will be discussed and finalized. Input from our members will insure the success of our fraternal efforts. Election of officers to serve our lodge for the 2016-2017 term of office will be held. All members are urged to attend. Continuing in a long-standing fraternal tradition, we will honor the patrons of our Assembly, SS. Peter and Paul at a patronal feast day observance on Wednesday, June 29. Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m. for the living and deceased members of Assembly 9 at Holy Name of Jesus Church located at 1950 Barnum Avenue in Stratford. Following the Mass, the Assembly will host a breakfast for participants in the parish center. All members are invited to join us. The Assembly will subsidize the cost of the breakfast for those who wish to participate by paying $5.00 toward each person’s charge. 2016 marks an historic milestone in the life of our Assembly. It was in 1906 that our original 28 charter members were received by the home office and officially established as Assembly 9 of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Our founders selected SS. Peter and Paul as patrons of the lodge. This year’s patronal feast day observance will celebrate our 110th anniversary. Over these many years, Assembly 9 has enjoyed an active role in the promotion of the highest ideals of the fraternal ben- efit system in general and of Slovak fraternalism in particular. We have enjoyed a proud past and we pray that Almighty God will continue to guide us in the future. We hope to see a good turnout of members at this year’s patronal feast day observance. Zdar Boh! John Tkacik Recording Secretary DONORA, PA Assembly 163 The semi-annual meeting of our lodge is scheduled for Sunday, June 5. Our meeting will be held at Dorothy’s Place in Donora beginning at 1 p.m. All members are invited to attend. Following our business meeting, light refreshments will be enjoyed by all. Reports of the officers will be presented and there will be discussion regarding any future fraternal events in 2016. Come join us for an enjoyable fraternal afternoon. For additional information, feel free to contact me on my cell phone at 724-2637289. Wishing all a very joyous Easter season, may I remain Zdar Boh! Theresa Gardner Financial Secretary READING, PA Assembly 261 Wreath 155 Continuing in our promotion of culture and heritage and outreach to the community, we extend a cordial invitation to area Sokol members and their friends to join us as we host our 3rd annual Eastern European Food Festival on Saturday, May 28 at our Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, located at 411 Crestmont Street from 12 noon until 5 p.m. Our past festivals have proven to be very popular and successful and this year’s looks ISSN: 0897-8107 Established April 15, 1911 Official Publication of the Slovak Catholic Sokol Issued Bi-Weekly Daniel F. Tanzone, Editor Editorial office: (973) 777-4010 Annual Subscription Rates United States $40.00 – All others countries $45.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Slovak Catholic Falcon, P.O. Box 899, 205 Madison Street, Passaic, New Jersey 07055 Member of the Catholic Press Association and the Slovak Newspapermen's Association of America Proprietor and Publisher SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL P.O. Box 899 205 Madison Street, Passaic, N.J. 07055 Home Office: (973) 777-2605-06 WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org to be better than ever. Our festival helps present the rich culinary traditions of the Slovak, Polish and Ukrainian communities. A smorgasbord of tastings of food, beer, wines and other delights will allow our visitors to savor many of our beloved specialities, including homemade pastries and baked goods. A variety of Slavic beers can be enjoyed out-of-doors in our garden. You may either eat in or take out. For take-out orders, we ask that you bring your own containers. Needless to say, an enjoyable experience is assured. Members of both our lodges are working to insure the success of this year’s Eastern European Food Festival. We hope to see many Sokols and Sokolky from near and far to join us for some great feasting and fraternal fellowship. Zdar Boh! Kathi Smolkowicz President, Wreath 155 Sokol Calendar MAY 20-22 Q 70th International Bowling Tournament at Airport Bowling Lanes, Buffalo, N.Y. SAT.MAY 21 Q A May Celebration hosted by the Domovina Slovak Society at SS. Cyril and Methodius Church Hall, 218 Ackerman Ave., Clifton, N.J. beginning at 7 p.m., admission adults $20.00, children are welcome free of charge., call Ada 973 747-5387. SAT.MAY 28 Q 3rd annual Eastern European Food Festival hosted by Assembly 261 and Wreath 155 at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club, 411 Crestmont St., Reading, Pa. from 12 noon to 5 p.m., for information call Kathy Smolkowicz at 610 5073748, [email protected]. SUN.JUNE 5 Q Semi-annual meeting of Assembly 63 at Dorothy’s Place, Donora, Pa. beginning at 1 p.m., light refreshments will be served, call Theresa Gardner, 724-263-7289. Q Annual meeting of Assembly 9 in the meeting room of Holy Name of Jesus School, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn beginning at 1 p.m. election of officers will take place. MON.JUNE 6 Q Lecture on Juraj Janosik, the Slovak Robin Hood by Richard Kocur, WPSCA president at Mount Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mt. Lebanon, Pa. beginning at 7 p.m. free of charge. SAT.JUNE 11 Q Annual picnic hosted by the SloHOME OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSING In observance of Memorial Day, the Home Office will be closed for business on Monday, May 30. The Home Office will reopen for business on Tuesday, May 31. Regular business hours are Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An enjoyable and safe Memorial Day weekend to all. Zdar Boh! PAGE 5 From the desk of the Supreme Secretary Our Future by Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Proverbs 9:9-10 On Saturday, April 30th, the members of our Scholarship Committee selected the recipients of our 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Grants. We have invested a great deal of money in this year’s grants and we are pleased to offer them as another wonderful example of our Society’s fraternal benefits. Our organization is aware of the importance of education and the need for our youth to be invested in as the future leaders of our society. Unfortunately, this knowledge does come at a high cost. With that in mind, we try to help defray the expenses to the best of our abilities. In this issue of the Falcon, you will see the names and photos of our 2016 winners. I urge you to take the time to review the 2016 recipients and acknowledge their good work and continued success. We offer our best wishes and pray they continue to achieve their goals in life. Congratulations! With our Future in mind and the summer season approaching, it is a good idea to think about whether you and your family members have sufficient life insurance protection. Life insurance is not something that should be dismissed. It is something that should be seriously considered and discussed among families. No one knows when their time here will end, however, you can rest assured that your life insurance will be there to help your family through the difficult time, and allow them a little more freedom of action than they might otherwise have. So how much is enough? It is different for everyone. Most people have a distinctive set of income and expenses that they need to factor in when making this decision. Items such as, mortgages, medical bills, taxes, children’s tuition, and retirement all come into play when deciding the right amount. The first step is to think about your condition, and those who will undergo a financial loss in case you were to pass away. The emotional loss will always be there, but the financial loss is something that life insurance can alleviate. Life insurance is for the living. Remember, you do not buy life insurance to cover YOUR life; you buy it to insure the quality of life for your loved ones. If you have any questions in determining the right amount of coverage for you, feel free to contact the Home Office at 800-8867656 or our Director of Sales and Marketing, Albert J. Suess, Jr. at 412-381-5431, and we will be glad to assist you. You can also reach me through email: [email protected] Speaking of Albert, I was fortunate enough to attend the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh’s Fraternalist of the Year Dinner on May 7, 2016 in Pittsburgh, PA. In attendance was our former Supreme President, Larry M. Glugosh, former Supreme Secretary Steven M. Pogorelec, Sr., Chairperson of the Supreme Auditors, James G. Jerek, Supreme Auditor, Brian Suchy, Honorary Supreme Officer Michael J. Pjontek, Jr. , and many local Assembly 16 and Wreath 22 officers and members. Our very own Director of Sales and Marketing, Albert J. Suess, Jr., was named the 2016 FSGP Fraternalist of the Year. It was a wonderful evening and a well-deserved honor for Albert. The love for Albert shone bright as we honored a “True Fraternalist.” Congratulations again Al! I wish everyone a safe and healthy start to the warm weather months! Zdar Boh! vak American Society of Washington, D.C. at the estate of the late Millie Schoepe, 12910 Westbrook Ave., Fairfax, Va. 12 noon to 5 p.m., $15.00 for individuals, $25.00 for couples; for reservations and information call Raymond Luca 703 475-8356. SAT.JUNE 18 Q Sokol Golf Tournament hosted by Assembly 261 and Wreath 155 at the Manor Golf Club, Reading, Pa. beginning with a 1 p.m. Shotgun Start, food, drinks, cash prizes, $70.00 per golfer, call the Sokol Club at 610 375-4500 or Nancy Webb at nancygolf4me@gmail. com. Q Simply Slavic Fest celebrating the culture and cuisine of the various Slavic groups in downtown Youngstown, Oh. from 12 noon to 6 p.m. For information call Loretta Ekoniak at tel 330 549-3760. SUN.JUNE 26 Q Slovak Day Picnic hosted by the Cleveland Slovak Radio Club (Continued on page 6) OUR NEXT ISSUE IS JUNE 1ST In keeping with our biweekly publishing schedule, the next issue of the Slovak Catholic Falcon will be that of Wednesday, June 1st. Deadline for all photos and information for this issue will be Thursday, May 26th. View e-Falcon on our website: www.slovakcatholicsokol.org. Thanking you for your continued cooperation in this matter, I remain Zdar Boh! Daniel F. Tanzone, Editor PAGE 6 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Sokol Calendar (Continued from page 5) at the Slovak Sokol Camp, 2069 Royalwood Rd.,between State and Broadview Rd., Broadview Heights, Oh. 12 noon to 8 p.m., admission $4.00 at the gate, music by The Frank Moravcik Band, for info call: 440 886-4828. WED.JUNE 29 Q Annual Assembly 9 patronal feast day observance honoring SS. Peter and Paul beginning with Mass at 7:30 a.m. at Holy Name of Jesus Church, 1950 Barnum Ave., Stratford, Conn., breakfast to follow in the parish center, for additional information call John Tkacik, recording secretary at tel. 203 336-9703. FRI.JULY 1 Q Sokol USA men’s and women’s indoor volleyball tournament celebrating 120 years of Physical Fitness at Baldwin High School, Pittsburgh, Pa. contact tyatch18@ gmail.com JUNE 29-JULY 2 Q 27th Sokolfest and 120th anniversary of the founding of Sokol USA - Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol at Kennywood Park and the Twentieth Century Club, Pittsburgh, Pa. for information call 973 676-0280, www.sokolusa.org. JULY 8-9 Q Quarterly meeting of the Supreme Board of Directors in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. JULY 8-10 Q 29th International Softball Tournament at Kirby Park Fields, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. SAT.JULY 16 Q 43rd annual Summer Festival hosted by the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius at their Motherhouse, Villa Sacred Heart, Danville, Pa. beginning at 10:30 a.m. concludes with 5 p.m. Mass in the Basilica of SS. Cyril and Methodius. THURS.JULY 21 Q 93rd annual Pittsburgh Slovak Day observance at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pa. beginning with children’s games and treats at 12:30 p.m., Mass at 4 p.m., music for dancing begins at 6 p.m. SUN.JULY 24 Q 86th annual Slovak American Day hosted by the Federated Slovak Societies of Milwaukee at Croatian Park, 9140 South 76th St., Franklin, Wis. beginning with Mass celebrated at 12 noon, cultural program at 2:30 p.m., Slovak culinary specialities, games and entertainment, free admission, for information call Betty Valent 414 922-8400. JULY 29-31 Q Annual Pierogi-Pirohy Fest, hosted by the Whiting Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce in downtown Whiting, Ind. featuring Polish and Slovak folk ensembles, culinary specialities, games and exhibits, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for additional information visit www.pierogifest.net or call toll free 800 659-0292. FRI.AUG.5 Q Annual Iron Pigs game night out hosted by Group 10 beginning at 7 p.m., members of Group 10 lodges should contact their respective local Assembly. SUN.AUG.14 Q 10th annual Mahoning Valley Slovak Fest on the grounds of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish(St. Matthias Church grounds),2800 Shady Run Road, Youngstown, Oh., 12 noon to 8 p.m., for information contact Loretta Ekoniak at tel.330 549-3760 or [email protected]. AUG.19-21 Q 60th International Golf Tournament at Treasure Lake Resort, DuBois, Pa. SAT. SEPT.10 Q 41st annual Sokol Golf Open benefit hosted by Assembly 28 at Blissful Meadows Golf Course, Douglas, Mass. 2016 SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL INTERNATIONAL CLINIC – KURZ July 27-31, 2016 University of Brockport, Brockport, New York WEDNESDAY, JULY 27TH TIME EVENT PLACE 11:00AM - 1:00PM Arrival of Supreme Physical Fitness Board McLean Hall 1:00PM - 6:00PM Work Detail TBD 6:00PM Supreme Physical Fitness Board Meeting Common Room of McLean THURSDAY, JULY 28TH 8:00AM - 11:00AM Registration McLean Hall 11:00 - 11:45AM Meeting with all Clinic Participants McLean Hall 12:00 - 1:00PM Lunch Brockway Hall 1:30 - 4:45PM Clinic participants opening meeting / drills Men - Tuttle South Women - Tuttle South 5:00 - 6:00PM Dinner Brockway Hall 6:30 - 10:00PM Group photo Tuttle South clinic participants - seminars: Common Room of McLean Hall (gymnastics, Slet, medical forms, insurance) Team building activity FRIDAY, JULY 29TH 7:30 - 8:30AM Breakfast Brockway Hall 9:00AM - 11:45AM Clinic participants - drills Men - Tuttle South Women - Tuttle South 12:00 - 1:00PM Lunch Brockway Hall 1:30 - 4:45PM Clinic participants - drills Men - Tuttle South Women - Tuttle South 5:00 - 6:00PM Dinner Brockway Hall 6:30 - 10:00PM clinic participants drill practice (if needed) and Team building activity Men - Tuttle South Women - Tuttle South SATURDAY, JULY 30TH As we observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 30, let us remember the generations of Sokol members who have championed the cause of freedom and democracy in defense of our American way of life. We especially reverence the memory of those who have made the Supreme Sacrifice. Eternal is their memory. The above artistic rendition is the work of the late Steven J. Sroba, a gifted artist and wellknown fraternalist. For many years, his art work has graced the pages of our official publication as well as other souvenir books. He was a long-time and devoted member of Assembly 48 in Philadelphia, Pa. and a participant in Sokol fraternal and sports activities all his life. He passed away in 1995. 7:30- 8:30AM Breakfast Brockway Hall 9:00AM - 12:00PM Clinic participants - drills Men - Tuttle South Women - Tuttle South 12:00 - 1:00PM Lunch Brockway Hall 1:30 - 4:45PM Clinic participants exhibition practice Men - Russel Room Women - Trinity Chapel 5:00 - 6:00PM Dinner Brockway Hall 6:45 - 8:15PM Mass Group photo Exhibition of Drills Eunice Kennedy Stadium 8:30 - 11:00PM Nightly activities TBD SUNDAY, JULY 31ST 7:30 - 8:30AM Breakfast Brockway Hall 9:00- 10:00AM Check out McLean Hall SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 SKS 2020 Committee- Seeking Interested Members NOTE- in an attempt to meet the guidelines for membership of the SKS 2020 Committee, within the restrictions set forth by the convention, the deadline for application has been extended until June 30, 2016. During the 32nd Quadrennial Convention held in Pittsburgh, PA this past summer, the convention attendees endorsed the creation of a SKS 2020 Committee to make recommendations in regards to the Slovak Catholic Sokol governing structure for the 2019 33rd Convention. Over the next four years, the committees will investigate fraternal organization best practices, review and compare similar fraternal governing bodies , identify legal and regulatory requirements and open dialogue with you, the members of our organization. Each committee member will participate in investigative meetings, engage the membership at large and assist in developing the recommendation report for the convention delegates. Per the 32nd Convention, the nine member SKS 2020 Committee consists of the following individuals: Chairperson- Julie Ann Dobbs Members• Supreme President • Supreme Secretary • Three group presidents • Three members at large The convention set the committee member guidelines to limit membership to no more than one member per group and prohibits any additional Supreme Officers or employees of the Slovak Catholic Sokol from membership. In collaboration with the Supreme President, he and I will appoint the additional 6 members to the committee by July 15, 2016. If you are interested in participating as a committee member, please submit a signed letter of application to me by June 30, 2016. The committee membership request letter must include the following information: • Applicable experience • Slovak Catholic Sokol involvement at the following levels: Wreath/Assembly/Group/National • Convention participation- number of conventions attended/last one attended • A brief description of why you would like to be a member of the SKS 2020 Committee Letters of interest may be sent to: Julie Ann Dobbs 5314 Agatha Turn Racine, WI 53402 Or via email attachment to [email protected] I am looking forward to chairing this committee and working closely with you the members to ensure the success and longevity of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Feel free to connect with me via email if you have any questions related to this process. Zdar Boh! Fraternally yours, Julie Ann Dobbs SKS 2020 Committee Chairperson 93rd Pittsburgh Slovak Day on July 21 at Kennywood Park The oldest Slovak day observance in the United States is set for Thursday, July 21 at Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pa. This year’s 93rd annual Slovak Day of Western Pennsylvania will be an exciting opportunity to celebrate Slovak pride and traditions. Since 1923, the Slovak community in the Pittsburgh area has gathered in the best traditions of American summer activities at Kennywood, a popular amusement park, for a day of fun and entertainmnent celebrating Slovak culture, heritage and culinary traditions. This year’s observance will continue that timehonored tradition. Slovak Day at Kennywood is sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Slovak Day Association under the leadership of Dolores Sakal, Rev. Joseph A. Grosko and the Rev. Greg Majda. Kennywood Park was selected as the venue for the annual Slovak Day observance due to its easy access via the streetcar line from all regions of western Pennsylvania. Over the years, the event continues to support various non-profit Slovak organizations. Slovak Day includes music, food, dancing, displays and childen’s activities beginning at 12:30 p.m.by the Main Pavilion. Every child participating will enjoy a free treat. Also beginning at 2 p.m., entertainment for children will be provided on the Main Stage by the “PAS” Jr. and Maly Ensembles and the “Pittsburgh Jr. Slovakians.” A concelebrated Slo- Group 10 fraternal outing set for Aug. 5 Group 10, “Rev. Francis Sasinek” will host its annual summer sports and fraternal outing on Friday, August 5. Members of local Assemblies belonging to Group 10 in the Lehigh Valley are invited to participate. The evening of baseball will include attending an Iron Pigs game beginning at 7 p.m. The Iron Pigs will be playing the Rochester Red Wings which is the top minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Group 10 Sokols and Sokolky interested in attending the game should contact their local Assembly. Refreshments will be available. Come join us for what looks to be an enjoyable summer evening celebrating good sportsmanship and Sokol fellowship. A good time is assured. Zdar Boh! Susan Knoblauh Group 10 Recording Secretary Summer Day Camp for children in New York Czech and Slovak Day Camp for children will be held in New York City, weekdays, Monday, August 22 to Friday, September 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This unique summer opportunity for children of Slovak and Czech heritage will be held at Bohemian Hall located at 29-19 24th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, N.Y. The camp’s theme is Playful and Creative Czech & Slovak Customs and Traditions. The camp offers exciting and immersive Czech or Slovak language instruction for children of all skill levels, including complete beginners. Children will be immersed in the language, culture and pure fun from the moment he or she enters the camp with different themes each day. Cost of the two week program is $250.00 per child. The camp is sponsored by the Czech and Slovak Cultural Center, 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria, N.Y. 11102. For more information, call 201 496-4393, web: www.czechslovakculturalcenter.org or email: [email protected]. vak liturgy will be offered at the Main Pavilion at 4 p.m. with priests of Slovak ancestry from the Pittsburgh, Greensburg and Altoona-Johnstown dioceses participating. Following the liturgy, a vibrant repertoire of Slovak music, songs and dance will be presented by the “Pittsburgh Area Slovak Folk Ensemble”(PAS) and the “Pittsburgh Slovakians.” Slovak culinary specialities will be available throughout the day. At the Main Pavilion #5 an array of interesting and cultural displays will be provided by our Slovak fraternals, as well as popular “Kroj” Slovak National Costumes Exhibit. The cost of tickets are $25 for Fun Day General Admission, $15 for those age 55 and older, plus a coupon will be available for those 70 years of age and older to be paidat the gate. For additional information on this year’s 93rd Annual Slovak Day, contact the Chairwoman Dolores Sakal at 412 243-0438. PAGE 7 Sokol Birthdays MAY 20 Daniel Palkovic, Erie, Pa., a member of Assembly 64 Erie, Pa. Nicholas J. Royle, Lemoyne, Pa., a member of Assembly 261, Reading, Pa. MAY 21 Scott W. Athey, West Windsor, N.J., a member of Assembly 188, Lansford, Pa. Lubica Benca, New York, N.Y., a member of Assembly 314, Boston, Mass. Joan P. Santangelo, Erie, Pa., a member of Wreath 15, Perryopolis, Pa. MAY 22 Alexis Eckenrode, Lilly, Pa., a member of Assembly 79 in Lilly, Pa. Karen Ann Mesaros, Johnsown, Pa., a member of Assembly 82, Dunlo, Pa. MAY 23 Joseph S. Gasperec, New York, N.Y., a member of Assembly 48, Philadelphia, Pa. Nicole Krzysik, Clifton, N.J., a member of Assembly 162, Clifton, N.J. Courtney Michelle Macurak, Kennesaw, Ga., a member of Wreath 22, Pittsburgh, Pa. MAY 24 Alexis R. Gordulic, Youngstown, Oh., a member of Wreath 54, Youngstown, Oh. Anna Kanta, Joliet, Ill., a member of Assembly 257, Chicago, Ill. Jon-Henry Kubej, Renton, Wash., a member of Wreath 14, Johnstown, Pa. Matthew Kudlacik, Jr., Clifton, N.J., a member of Assembly 162, Clifton, N.J. Jennifer A. Masi, Basking Ridge, N.J., a member of Assembly 182, New York, N.Y. Diana K. Vanderheyden, Winthrop Harbor, Ill., a member of Assembly 11, Chicago, Ill. Felicia Zalesny, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. MAY 25 Jozef Jurasi, Garfield, N.J., a member of Assembly 182, New York, N.Y. Andy Martin Matuschak, Saint Louis, Mo., a member of Wreath 15, Perryopolis, Pa. Loretta L. Pogorelec, Wayne, N.J., a member of Assembly 162, Clifton, N.J. MAY 27 Daniel M. Dorich, Missisaugua, Canada, a member of Assembly 227, Toronto, Canada. Lara Elise Gogolak, McLean, Va., a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. Luby O. Masi, Basking Ridge, N.J., a member of Assembly 282, Passaic, N. MAY 28 Vivian Marnelli, Reading, Pa., a member of Wreath 155, Reading, Pa. MAY 29 Morgan Macurak, Acworth, Ga., a member of Wreath 22, Pittsburgh, Pa. MAY 30 Martha Iskra, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a member of Assembly 59, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Mary Ann Kalafut, Solana Beach, CA, a member of Assembly 11, Chicago, Ill. Catherine E. Megill, Mountain View, CA., a member of Wreath 155, Reading, Pa. Matthew J. Pyo, Lilly, Pa., a member of Assembly 79, Lilly, Pa. Rosanne Urban, Nanticoke, Pa., a member of Assembly 136, Nanticoke, Pa. MAY 31 Dr. Mikulas Halko, Mt. Kisco, N.Y., vice-president of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. JUNE 1 Rev. Richard D. Baker, New York City, Chaplain of Group 1 and a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. Nathan Vargoshe, Shelton, Conn., a member of Assembly 9, Bridgeport, Conn. JUNE 2 Hope Anne Egan, Los Angeles, California, a member of Wreath 15, Perryopolis, Pa. JUNE 3 Susan M. Evans, Erie, Pa., a member od Wreath 15, Perryopolis, Pa. Tess Tombros Vallance, Trumbull, Conn., a member of Wreath 1, Bridgeport, Conn. JUNE 4 Justin Graham, Hudson, Pa., a member of Assembly 59, WilkesBarre, Pa. Clotty Iovanut, Bartlett, Ill., a member of Wreath 81, Whiting, Ind. JUNE 5 Rev. Richard A. Cirba, chaplain of Group 7 and a member of Wreath 147, Larksville, Pa. Michael Garver, Johnstown, Pa., a member of Wreath 14, Johnstown, Pa. Kathy Trifiletti, Lorain, Oh., a member of Wreath 111, Lorain, Oh. JUNE 6 Joseph A. Kostolansky, Donora, Pa., a member of Assembly 25, Perryopolis, Pa. JUNE 8 Jaime Matthews, Yonkers, N.Y., a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. JUNE 9 Lauren Harney, Mahopac, N.Y., a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. Martha Volosin, Lower Burrell, Pa., a member of Assembly 313, Winter Park, Fla. JUNE 10 Marjorie K. Mischik, Bridgeport, Conn., a member of Wreath 1, Bridgeport, Conn. Rt. Rev. Joseph M. Stanichar, V.F., Weston, Ore., a member of Assembly 219, Yonkers, N.Y. JUNE 11 Frances M. Moore, Indiana, Pa., a member of Wreath 2, Passaic, N.J. JUNE 12 Irene M. Sinanis, Trumbull, Conn., President of Wreath 1, Bridgeport, Conn. Marsha Smith, Valparaiso, Ind., a member of Assembly 127, Monessen, Pa. PAGE 8 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Grants Catholic Grade School grants of $250 each Matthew De Sopo Lacordaire Academy Group 1, Assembly 1 Passaic, NJ Rebecca Hess St. Catherine of Siena School Group 1, Assembly 162 Clifton, NJ Anthony J. Duonola St. Anthony School Group 1, Assembly 219 Yonkers, NY Timothy J. Romagnoli Transfiguration School Group 1, Assembly 219 Yonkers, NY Tucker M. Romagnoli Transfiguration School Group 1, Assembly 219 Yonkers, NY Natalie E. Johnson Our Lady of the Valley School Group 3, Wreath 18 East Douglas, MA Emma Roberts St. Joseph Catholic Academy Group 4, Assembly 113 Kenosha, WI Annika Jennifer Romine St. Leonard School Group 4, Wreath 93 Milwaukee, WI Nicole Erin Leslie St. Francis de Sales School Group 5, Assembly 167 Barberton, OH Erica Marie Leslie St. Francis de Sales School Group 5, Assembly 167 Barberton, OH Anne J. Sejba St. Hilary School Group 5, Assembly 167 Barberton, OH Noah J. Soltys All Saints Academy Group 7, Assembly 59 Wilkes-Barre, PA Joseph Paul Phillips All Saints School Group 9, Assembly 79 Lilly, PA Jack Dwinnell St. Michael Catholic School Group 11, Assembly 34 Minneapolis, MN Andrew Dwinnell St. Michael Catholic School Group 11, Assembly 34 Minneapolis, MN SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 PAGE 9 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Scholarship Grants The Doctors’ Lesko Medical Memorial College Scholarship Grant of $1,000 Catholic Grade School grants of $250 each Jayme Blosser Atlanta, GA Stark State College Group 5, Assembly 180 Canton, OH Robert John Macurak St. Elizabeth Elementary School Group 14, Assembly 16 Pittsburgh, PA Rebecca Healey Campus School Group 14, Wreath 22 Pittsburgh, PA Stephen Franke St. Bonaventure Parish School Group 17, Assembly 108 Youngstown, OH Prominent Slovak American Civic and Cultural Activists visit our Home Office On Friday, April 22 two prominent American Slovak cultural and civic leaders, Joseph T. Senko of Pittsburgh and Kenneth J. Bombara of Washington, D.C. visited our Home Office in Passaic to address issues of interest to our organization and our members. Coincidently, both are natives of Pittsburgh and alumni of Duquesne University. Joseph T. Senko serves as the Honorary Slovak Consul for the state of Pennsylvania and is Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Slovak Cultural Association. He is our Sokol of Assembly 16 in Pittsburgh. His participation at the meeting was related to the efforts and work of Friends of Slovakia, a cultural and educational group promoting various projects between the United States and Slovakia founded in 2001. Kenneth J. Bombara serves as the representative of the Slovak League of America to the Central and East European Coalition(CEEC) in Washington, D.C. The CEEC addresses issues of interest to ethnic Americans related to their ancestral homelands in central and eastern Europe. Ken hails from a well-known Sokol family whose members include many in Western Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. His late grandfather, Stefan Bombara was a founder and served as first president of Assembly 16 in Pittsburgh in 1907. Since both were first-time visitors to our home office, Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. presented them with copies of our organiza- tion’s history published on the occasion of our centennial. Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. hosted the meeting and invited representatives of the Slovak League of America to participate, including Daniel F. Tanzone, Nina Holy and John A. Holy, president, secretary-treasurer and honorary officer, respectively. Also attending was our Honorary Supreme Officer Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. who has extensive experience in working with various projects over the years related to projects with the Slovak Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Friends of Slovakia. Both Joseph T. Senko and Kenneth J. Bombara discussed plans for upcoming activities and seminars in Washington and ways Natalie Blasko St. Charles School Group 17, Wreath 54 Youngstown, OH in which we can be of assistance to various educational and cultural exchange programs between young people in the United States and those in Slovakia. The meeting proved very fruitful and concluded that Americans of Slovak ancestry are very proud of Slovakia since its independence in 1993. As a member of NATO, Slovakia is an ally of the United States and engages in various military interaction contrib- uting to the security of central and eastern Europe. All Americans of Slovak ancestry congratulate Slovakia as it begins its Presidency of the 28-nation European Union. At the meeting’s conclusion, Brother Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. pledged the Slovak Catholic Sokol’s continued interest and support of the work of both the Friends of Slovakia and the Central and East European Coalition. Kenneth J. Bombara and Joseph T. Senko sign the visitors book at our Sokol Museum on April 22. Looking on are, l-r, Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C., Honorary Supreme Officer Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C. and Nina Holy. Meeting participants included, seated, l-r, Kenneth J. Bombara, Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. and Joseph T. Senko. Standing, l-r, Honorary Supreme Officer Steven M. Pogorelec, F.I.C., John A. Holy, Nina Holy and Daniel F. Tanzone. Supreme Secretary Scott T. Pogorelec, F.I.C. presents copies of our organization’s history to Joseph T. Senko and Kenneth J. Bombara. PAGE 10 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Scenes of the Annual Easter Egg Hunt Hosted by Assembly 25 & Wreath 15 Slovak Catholic Sokol Club + Perryopolis, Pa. + Saturday, March 19 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Exhibit of Andy Warhol’s last works on exhibit at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa will host a unique exhibit dedicated to the last works of the noted pop artist, Andy Warhol. Titled Immortal: Warhol’s Last Works, the exhibit opened on May 14 and will close on October 2. Visitors will have the opportunity to feast their eyes on Warhol’s Pop Art and snack on some of Andy’s favorite foods. Warhol who lived in New York until his death was known to visit pastry shops daily and loved sugar. While his mother lived with him in New York until her death, she provided him with abundant examples of homemade traditional kolace and other pastries from her native Slovakia. After her death, he was a regular at many of Manhattan’s finest pastry shops. In the museum store, many fabulous Warhol-inspired gifts will be available for sale. During the exhibit, demonstrations of screen printing will be featured. A visit to the exhibit makes for a wonderful opportunity for summer vacation plans. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library was founded to promote the rich culture, heritage and history of the Czechs and Slovaks in America. It was dedi- cated in 1994 in the presence of then President Bill Clinton as well as President Michal Kovac of Slovakia and the late President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic. The facility hosts the largest collection of Czech and Slovak arts, crafts, historical books and publications. The National Czech & Slovak Museum is located at 1400 Inspiration Place SW in Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. It is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information on this great museum call tel.319 3628500 or visit www.NCSML.org. Advice to the Grad * Listen to those who know all about your new job. * Keep your good habits; make new ones. * Cultivate your mind. * Challenge yourself with goals/ dreams and strive for the possible. * Know your strengths and weaknesses; play up your strong points. * Test new ideas, but don’t throw out old ones that work. * Think for yourself...after you have all the facts. * Be optimistic. Tomorrow is also another day, another chance. * Cooperate with your associates. * Remember you’re a citizen of a community, a state, a country, and a world. Stay involved: vote, support candidates and causes, march, write letters, discuss issues with others, whatever. * Lose not your curiosity about how things work or your enthusiasm for living. * Keep learning! In a sense, you’ve only just begun.... May May Make Ye Merry The month of May is believed named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. Many authorities, however, believe that May comes from the Latin word majores, which means older men. It was a sacred month to the oldsters. And the month sacred to young men or juniores followed, of course with June. But no matter whether the month’s name was derived from Maia or from majores, May is the time for green grass and blooming flowers, Maypoles and May baskets. It’s a good time! PAGE 11 President Obama names Adam Sterling as new U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia President Barack H. Obama has appointed Adam Sterling as the new United States Ambassador to Slovakia. Ambassador Sterling is currently the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy at The Hague in the Netherlands. Deputy Chief of Mission Adam Sterling served as Charge d’Affairs a.i., after arriving in The Hague in July 2013 until the arrival of Ambassador Broas in March 2014. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, he served from 2010-2013 as Deputy Chief of Mission and, for nearly half his tour, as Charge di’Affaires in Azerbaijan. He served previously on loan to the White House as the Director for Central and Eastern European Affairs on the National Security Council staff from 2006 to 2009. He also served in Washington as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Europe(2005-06) and as desk officer in the Office of Central Asian Affairs(1995-97). His overseas assignments have included tours as political officer in the U.S. embassies in Israel(2001-05) and Kazakhstan(1998-2001). He also served in political, administrative and consular assignments at the U.S. embassies in Belgium(1993-95) and Peru(1991-93). Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 1990, Mr. Sterling worked in the liaison office of the Mayor of New York to the United Nations and consular corps. He earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in Iowa. He speaks French, Spanish, Russian, Azerbijani and some Dutch. Mr. Sterling grew up in New York City and Lawrence, Kansas. He is married to Veerle Colgnez, a native of Belgium and an international development consultant specializing in public health. They have a daughter, Elka and a son, Bram. Mr. Sterling becomes the eighth ambassador of the United States to Slovakia. Theodore E. Russell was named the first U.S. Ambassador in Bratislava in 1993. Subsequent ambassadors have included the following: Ralph R. Johnson, Carl Spielvogel, Ronald Weiser, Rodolphe M. Vallee, Vincent Obsitnik and Theodore Sedgwick who concluded his five-year term in Bratislava in July 2015. Our congratulations and fraternal best wishes go out to Ambassador Sterling as he embarks on his tour of duty as the eighth United States Ambassador to Slovakia. The American Slovak community extends its pledge of assistance in promoting continued strong educational and cultural ties between the U.S. and the Slovak Republic. President Kiska commemorates Stefanik’s death in Ivanka pri Dunaji A ceremony marking the 97th anniversary of the tragic death of General Milan R. Stefanik (18801919) took place in Ivanka pre Dunaji(Senec district, Bratislava region) on May 3, with President Andrej Kiska and Defense Minister Peter Gajdos(an SNS nominee) present, TASR learned on the same day. The event at Stefanik’s tomb was attended by representatives of embassies, state and municipal institutions and by participants of the 26th annual patriotic walk from Samorin(Trnava region) to Ivanka pri Dunaji, which follows a route that takes in several memorials honoring Stefanik. The cultural program was organized by Matica Slovenska along with the regional government and schools. More than 20 institutions and associations laid wreaths at the tomb accompanied by the Defense Ministry honor guard and its brass band. “It’s almost 100 years since, right here, a personality of great merit departed this world forever. A faithful son of his nation for which he helped gain freedom. As an astronomer, politician, diplomat, aviator, general of the French Army, organizer of the Czechoslovak Legions and minister of war, he traveled all the continents during his missions,” said Kiska in his address. “Along with Thomas G. Masaryk and Eduard Benes, he convinced the Western Allies that Slovak and Czech autonomy made sense. They set up a republic that contributed in a remarkable way to the development of Slovakia, our culture, education, democracy, freedom of the press as well as our ability to administer and govern,” added the Slovak president. Kiska also noted changing views of Stefanik over the years. In the years following his death, Stefanik was celebrated, and streets, squares, parks and schools were named in his honor. During the era of socialism, however, his statues and memorials were removed from public places, as communist officials wanted the legacy of Stefanik to be erased from the memory of the nation. PAGE 12 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 What's making headlines in our ancestral homeland News and Views from Slovakia... “Good idea, Slovakia” - Lajcak unveils new country brand “Good idea Slovakia!” is a slogan that will be presented abroad as part of the new “Slovakia” brand, with its logo unveiled on April 28 by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak. Lajcak noted hat this logo and slogan represents a crowning achievement in terms of finding an international identification brand for Slovakia that has taken several years. “The result of this process is based on expertise and communication with experts and the general public. It represents an attempt to express what people imagine under the notion of the ‘Slovakia brand’ and what it should contain,” said the minister. “Only a country brand that people identify with has a chance of success.” The slogan in its English version is “striking and at the same time gentle,” said Lajcak. A survey carried out by Focus agency on a sample of 1,000 respondents between January 27 and February 3, 2015 generated four keywords for creating a country brand for Slovakia: peculiarity, vitality, diversity and ingenuity. The Creative Department, which won a public tender on creating content and visual pattern for the new Slovakia brand, then began working with these four words. “We looked for something exceptional and original that would show Slovaks in what a good country they’re living in,” said company director Simona Bubanova. A special accent was placed on presenting Slovakia as a modern country that can capitalize on its traditions, as well as ideas, inventions and products that have made it abroad. “We wanted to show Slovaks what they can be proud of,” said Bubanova. The winning design cost $85,000. Meanwhile, the tender also involved unification of the visual identity for Slovakia’s state administration at all levels. “Placement of the state tricolor and the coat of arms will make it evident whether the logo concerns a senior or subordinate state administration body or a self-governing body,” said Lajcak. The new logotype is mandatory for all ministries and central state bodies, with subordinate and self-governing bodies(regional governments) being recommended to use it as well. Its implementation is planned as of October 1, while it should be fully introduced as of the beginning of 2017. ZAP: more than one million cars produced in Slovakia in 2015 Slovakia produced a record 1,038,503 vehicles in 2015, an increase of almost 70,000 vehicles, the Automobile Industry Association(ZAP) reported on April 20. Car production represented some 44 percent of the nation’s industrial production and 40 percent of its exports. ZAP president Juraj Sinay said that Slovakia is the global leader in terms of the number of vehicles produced per capita on 190 vehicles per 1,000 people. European standards by individual countries in the region. I believe that this will soon to be seen in practical life as well,” said Lajcak. Lajcak conceded that the enlargement policy isn’t popular in all EU countries; but it’s important from Slovakia’s perspective, as it provides motivation for candidate countries to engage in transformation, reforms and adoption of European standards. “I told my colleague that enlargement is among the priorities of the upcoming Slovak Presidency of the EU Council, and we debated individual countries in detail, including expectations of what could be achieved by Slovakia during (Continued on page 13) “The automobile industry experienced a very propitious year, even so propitious that we’re afraid of not being able to keep up such a steady progress,” said Sinay. He has concerns about labor mobility, for example, he told a press conference in Bratislava. This sector currently employs 125,848 people, of which 18,116 work directly for car manufacturers and 107,732 are employed in sub-suppliers’ networks. ZAP appreciated the fact that Cabinet included verbatim formulations of its demands in the Government Manifesto. “We’re glad that the area of dual education was almost exactly copied for our demands. The same goes for industrial research and innovation,” added Sinay. A small part of the Manifesto is dedicated to electric cars and alternative fuels. ZAP president Sinay said that it’s essential to create motivation for people to purchase such an automobile and to see the infrastructure that goes with it in place. ZAP’s expectations for 2016 are more cautious, though it is forecast that, once again, more than a million vehicles will be produced in Slovakia in 2016. “We’re slowly reaching the limit of the capacities of our three automobile manufacturers. That’s why we think that the next increase won’t be in tens or hundreds of thousands. If we want to see further rise in the numbers, we’ll have to wait for the fourth manufacturer - Jaguar Land Rover near Nitra which is to start production in 2018,” said Jaroslav Holecek, ZAP executive vice-president. Plavcan: Sports fuel sense of fair play According to Education, Science, research and Sport Minister Peter Plavcan, the state should help children develop a sporting spirit in order to stimulate their leisure time, as sports imbues a sense of fair play. Speaking at the 20th international tournament in karate and kobudo in Bratislava on April 18, Plavcan appreciated that Slovakia has succeeded in raising the profile of sports. “As a former karateka(karate practitioner) I’m sensitive to every benefit that comes with sporting activities. Children should develop their talents even beyond the school environment,” Plavcan told TASR. He emphasized that it’s sport that can help with prevention against diseases and has potential to unburden the Slovak health-care system. He also said that sport can also serve to improve the international reputation of Slovakia. “Athletes are role models to many of our children. It’s better for our youth to invest in this kind of activity than to waste time with graffiti,” said Plavcan. Lajcak: Kovac assured me that Croatia supports EU enlargement Slovakia and Croatia support the EU’s enlargement to include the Western Balkan countries, Slovak and Croatian foreign affairs ministers Miroslav Lajcak and Miro Kovac, respectively, concurred in Bratislava on April 29. The Croatian minister, who came to Bratislava for a one-day working visit, debated with his Slovak counterpart on several issues, including Serbia’s interest in joining the EU. Croatia -which became the EU’s 28th member on July 1, 2013 - earlier this month blocked the opening of a negotiations chapter for Serbia over Serbian legislation concerning the prosecution of war criminals. “It’s important that I’ve been assured that Croatia really supports enlargement and also supports the adopting of Selected stories are provided by TASR-Slovakia, the Slovak Republic’s official News Agency. The late Andy Warhol, a prominent American personality, left an indelible mark on the life of contemporary pop art over the years. Andy Warhol’s parents were natives of Medzilaborce in eastern Slovakia. The family name was originally “Warholy.” They emigrated to the United States after the First World War, settling in Pittsburgh where their son, Andy was born in 1928. The Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art in Medzilaborce was established in 2000 to focus on the unique and creative works of Andy Warhol as well as contemporary Slovak and foreign artists. The museum provides consulting services in the fields of museum education, theory of visual arts and possibilities concerning museum management activities. The museum is also devoted to museum education and science and research activities in the areas of visual arts theory and critique of contemporary visual arts. The Andy Warhol Museum is a popular tourist destination in Slovakia. SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Another fraternal benefit offered by our organization Slovak Catholic Sokol Offers First Mortgage Loans The SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL is a Fraternal Insurance Society and, as such, its basic and primary business is the issuance of safe, low cost fraternal insurance coverage to its members and the responsibility and safeguard thereof, and to foster fraternalism among its membership through its local lodges and Groups by encouraging participation in our various organizational local and national programs. The SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL is NOT a mortgage lending institution, although on occasion when deemed practical our S.C.S. Supreme Board of Directors at its discretion, may extend First Mortgage Loans for the goodwill, promotion and/or fraternal benefits which our organization would derive therefrom, to eligible, qualified and responsible applicants who meet specific requirements, i.e., to: (1) Active S.C.S. Subsidiary Organizations, to assist, encourage and promote local involvement to benefit our membership and organization as a whole: and (2) Active S.C.S. members in good standing, holding reasonable amounts of S.C.S. Life Insurance coverage, to purchase personal residency homes. It is to be understood that our Supreme Board of Directors, acting on behalf of and for the entire membership of the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL, cannot and will not issue mortgage loans indiscriminately since such loans, in fact, are intended to be safe, legal investments of our entire membership’s monies. No application for a First Mortgage Loan is to be submitted to the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL for consideration and/or approval by our Board of Directors when there is a deadline for its issuance as the established procedure entails a certain amount of time. Our Board of Directors is required to operate discretionally and in accordance with our established procedure in ensuring safe investments of the monies of our organization for the benefit of our organization and its entire membership. Meetings of the Supreme Board of Directors are held on a Quarterly scheduled basis, for economic reasons. Understandably, the cost involved in bringing the members of our Board of Directors together for a meeting, from various states, increases the cost of our operations. Meetings are scheduled to administer to all the financial business of the S.C.S. which our Supreme Board of Directors is authorized to handle. After due and favorable consideration by our Supreme Board of Directors of the applicants who have met all the eligibility requirements and providing monies allocated for the purpose of extending S.C.S. First Mortgage Loans are available at the time the files will be turned over to our S.C.S. General Counsel to handle the legal details for the processing of the transaction with the applicant’s attorney. The SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL reserves the right to cancel the mortgage loan should the mortgagor’s membership in the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL, ceases, except in the case of death. In the event the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL finds it necessary for any reason to cancel a S.C.S. First Mortgage Loan, the mortgagors would be required to release, in favor of the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL any and all claims or demands which the S.C.S. Subsidiary Organization of S.C.S. members may have by reason of such cancellation. Please note: S.C.S. First Mortgage Loans to eligible, qualified and responsible S.C.S. members are applicable only for the purpose of purchasing a home for personal family residency. Mortgage Loan Application forms may be obtained upon written request addressed to Supreme Secretary, Slovak Catholic Sokol, 205 Madison Street, P.O. Box 899, Passaic, New Jersey 07055. APPLICANTS’ QUALIFICATIONS S.C.S. members applying to the SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL for a First Mortgage Loan for the purpose of purchasing a home for personal family residency are required to be financially responsible, active members, in good standing in their local lodge and holding reasonable amounts of S.C.S. Life Insurance coverage. Membership requirements include both husband and wife, one of whom must have been a member of our organization for at least five years and the other for at least one full year prior to the date they submit the S.C.S. Mortgage Loan Application. REQUIREMENTS 1. Application: A S.C.S. Mortgage Loan Application, properly completed and furnishing all the information requested therein, is to be sent to the Supreme Secretary, SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL, 205 Madison Street, P.O. Box 899, Passaic, New Jersey 07055. If the applicant’s qualifications are acceptable and the requirements are fully met, the application will be entered on the agenda for the next scheduled regular meeting of the S.C.S. Supreme Board of Directors for consideration. 2. Down Payment: S.C.S. member applications for a First Mortgage Loan are required to make a down payment of at least 10% of the purchase price of the property at the time of purchase. 3. Mortgage Loan Amount: The amount applicants request for the S.C.S. First Mortgage Loan cannot be for more than the difference of the 10% down payment and the total price of the property at the time of purchase. 4.Appraisal Estimates: S.C.S. member applicants must furnish for our records Estimates from two separate, reputable, local Real Estate Agencies certifying the current appraisal value of the property on which the S.C.S. Mortgage Loan is being requested. 5. House Pictures: S.C.S. member applicants must provide for our records two clear pictures(snapshots) of the house; or (a)Full views of the Front and Side of the House; or (b) Full views of the Front and back of the house. If approved by our Supreme Board of Directors, the S.C.S. First Mortgage Loan will be issued for a period of not more than 20 years. Mortgage Loan payments on Principal and Interest will be payable either Monthly or Quarterly as approved by the Supreme Board of Directors. Interest on the S.C.S. First Mortgage Loan will be at the rate determined by the Supreme Board of Directors. Washington, D.C. Slovak picnic set for June 11 The annual picnic of the Slovak American Society of Washington, D.C.(SASW) will be held at the estate of the late Millie Schoepe located at 12910 Westbrook Avenue in Fairfax, Virginia on Saturday, June 11th from 12 noon to 5 p.m. This Slovak style picnic is jointly hosted with the Washington Slovak Meet-Up Group. All members and area Sokol members are invited to participate. Food, featuring Slovak culinary specialities along with drinks(beer, wine and soft drinks) will be pro- vided. Games will be included for both adults and children. Cost for members is $15.00 for individuals and$25.00 for couples. Non members and guests will be charged $20.00 for individuals and $30.00 for couples. Non-members who sign up at the picnic to join SASW will receive a $10.00 discount on their annual membership. Children age 12 and younger are welcome to the picnic free of charge. For reservations: send check payable to SASW, to SASW, P.O. Box 2502, Springfield, VA 2152- 2502. Directions: Rt. 29 Lee Hwy. West(preferred) - turn right on Stringfellow and right on Westbrook; Rt. 50 Lee Jackson West - turn left on Stringfellow and left on Silverbrook. For additional information, call Raymond Luca, 703 474-8356. PAGE 13 News and Views from Slovakia... (Continued from page 12) the six-month presidency,” said Lajcak. When asked bout Serbia, Kovac at the press conference said that there’s no country in Europe that would be more interested in enlarging the EU by the Western Balkan countries than Croatia. Nevertheless, it’s necessary to meet criteria to make these countries trustworthy, he stressed. “Croatia will support Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia in their efforts to join the EU,” stated Kovac. Kalinak: Slovakia to buy three used aircraft The Interior Ministry is expected to sign a contract for the purchase of three Government aircraft in the near future, Interior Minister Robert Kalinak(Smer-SD) told TASR on April 29 after the meeting of the Cabinet. He affirmed that they have a specific offer on the table. “We are debating final responses of this offer,” said Kalinak, who plans to give more details about the purchase - including the price - later in the month, prior to signing the contract. However, Kalinak confirmed the information, published by the Dennik N daily on April 27, that Slovakia would replace the current Russian aircraft with three planes - two 24-year-old Fokker 100 aircraft and a 10-year-old Airbus A-319. The total purchase price should be $55 million. The smaller Fokker aircraft, offered by Mjet(Austria), should be available immediately. Meanwhile, a larger Airbus should be bought from the Swiss company Comlux only a few months later. All three aircraft, however, are supposed to be in use in the second half of the year - during Slovakia’s presidency of the Council of the EU, according to the Dennik N daily. The Government’s current fleet features two Russian Tu-154 M aircraft, which have been in service for 25 and 16 years, respectively. One of them has been waiting for general repairs for years. The Interior Ministry also operates two Yakovlev(Yak-40) transport planes of Russian origin that have served for 35 and 40 years, respectively. Brecely replaces Slovak Tourism Agency head Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister Roman Brecely(Siet/Network) dismissed Marta Kucerova from the post of director general of the Slovak Tourism Agency(SACR) on April 28, Alica Strbava of SCR Communications Department told TASR on April 29. In her stead, Brecely appointed Igor Donval. A graduate of the Economic Faculty at Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica, he has been working at SACR since 2005, specifically in drafting strategic and conceptual documents and representing the agency in several inter-departmental work groups. “Donoval is perceived and respected by the professional public as a young professional, enthusiastic about the progressive development of tourism in Slovakia,” said Strbava. 22 percent of pregnancies in Slovakia ended in 2015 Around 22 percent of pregnancies in Slovakia ended without birth in 2015, with the number of abortions falling on an annual basis and the figure for miscarriages increasing, according to a National Health Care Information Center(NCZI) report. Abortions were undergone mainly by women who already had children, while miscarriages were more prevalent among women who hadn’t given birth before. The total number of abortions reached 7,004 last year - a decrease of 497, year-on-year. Compared to the statistics for 2006, the reduction in 2015 was as high as 4,980. Meanwhile, the number of miscarriages went up by 542, year-on-year in 2015 to 5,584 overall. Doctors reported 4,827 such cases in 2006. Eight miscarriages and 15 abortions were reported for pregnant girls younger than 14 last year. When it comes to calculations per 1,000 women of reproductive age, the highest number of miscarriages were recorded in Bratislava, Presov and Nitra regions. The highest abortion rates were registered in Banska Bystrica, Nitra and Bratislava regions. Keep Your Slovak Catholic Sokol Home Office Numbers Handy TOLL FREE NUMBER – 1-800-886-7656 HOME OFFICE – (973) 777-2605 or 777-2606 DIRECTOR OF SALES – 1-855-874-9179 or (412) 381-5431 UNDERWRITING – (973) 777-4704 EDITOR – (973) 777-4010 FAX NUMBER – (973) 779-8245 E-MAIL – [email protected] WEB SITE –www.slovakcatholicsokol.org PAGE 14 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Schedule - 70th International Slovak Catholic Sokol Bowling Tournament ‘Mind Your Business’ May 20-21 + Airport Bowling Lanes + Buffalo, New York Team Name Average Randolph, Brian 221 Lax, Ryan 230 Cairns, Ron 209 Houser, Charles 229 Kazmierczak, Walt 170 Kazmierczak, Bill 183 Kazmierczak, George 179 Spitler, Randy 223 Brooks, Mark 203 Arnfield, William 218 Singer, Eric 226 Miller Jr, John F. 220 Holloman, Rudy 181 Luczki, Steve 166 Novotney, AJ 200 Todd, Mike 200 Robinson, Charles 205 Willson Jr, Joe 216 Bost, John R. 221 Kosko, Chad 231 Kudlacik, Marc 175 Mosloski, Robert 182 Salmanowitz, Don 178 Pitman, Scott 193 Lebanik, Mike 211 Wahal, Jeffrey 201 Niskach, John W. 219 Wagner, Richard 228 Seruga, Bernie 175 Checton, Clarence 192 Elnikar, Ed 191 Matty, Dave 172 Burns, Rick 166 Wesoloski, Walter 210 Fischetti, John 198 Adamcik, John 230 Iskra Sr., Dave 198 Iskra Jr., Dave 160 Francis, Justin 150 Rasimas, Tony 211 Bero, Edward 180 Butchko Jr, Dan 175 Shirilla, Mike 191 Karaffa, Michael W. 203 Hoekstra, Rob 175 Nadeau, Jim 175 Niedzweicki, Andy 175 Fields, Mike 175 Minarish, John L. 186 Minarish, John P. 196 Suray, Mike 164 Mathewson, Christopher D. 203 Papcun, Mark 160 Papcun, John 175 Papcun, Stephen 180 Papcun, Paul 185 Juba, George 147 Suflita, Bob 165 Haller, Rob 220 Miller, Bud 215 Onderko, John 149 Risko, Francis 173 Risko, Gary 200 Risko, Brian 221 Johnson, Charles H. 177 Goetz, Curt 159 Mozuras, Gary S. 193 Johnson, Frank 197 Bart, James 164 Smith, John 175 Cassisi, Nicholas 172 Muldoon, Thomas 174 Lopata, George 152 Oleksa, Dave 168 Ribarchak, Donald 173 Ribarchak, Chris 183 Matras, Mike T. 148 Morrison, Ryan 164 Matras, Mike C. 168 Matras, Mark 181 Keagy, Alan 140 Magniafico, Eric 140 Simon, Doug 206 Goberish, John 181 Hugel, Stan 132 Lane 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 23 24 Doubles Lane 23 23 23 23 24 24 25 25 25 25 26 26 27 27 27 27 28 29 29 28 29 30 29 30 31 31 31 31 32 33 33 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 35 35 36 37 36 37 37 37 38 38 39 39 39 39 40 40 41 41 41 42 41 42 43 43 43 43 44 45 45 44 45 45 46 46 47 47 47 47 48 48 49 49 49 49 50 50 - Singles Lane 24 24 24 24 23 23 26 26 26 26 25 25 28 28 28 28 27 30 30 27 30 29 30 29 32 32 32 32 31 34 34 31 34 34 33 33 36 36 36 36 35 38 35 38 38 38 37 37 40 40 40 40 39 39 42 42 42 41 42 44 44 44 44 43 46 46 43 46 46 45 45 48 48 48 48 47 47 50 50 50 50 49 49 - Glugosh, Larry Takerer, Joe Dziuba, Chet Krack, Thomas Glodava, Anthony Pogorelec, Albert Needs, Bowler 2 Latshaw, Robbie W. Pompiano, Frank M. Sedoti, Gene Needs, Bowler 3 Horvath, Mike Check, Dave Degnan, Marty Needs, Bowler 4 Macurak, Adam Moeller, Keith Moeller, Ben Needs, Bowler 5 Asmonga, James A. Needs, Bowler 6 Asmonga, James J. Cherpak, Mark Hoenninger, Tom Hoenninger, Matt Randor, Joe Grigas, Brian Werner, Larry Werner, Lance M. Hess, Karen Adamcik, Karen Wesoloski, Beth Burns, Lori Pajer-Russell, Margaret Lalley, Nancy Niskach, Patty Niskach-Basl, Melanie Shirilla, Kathleen Bero, Rose Karaman, Maryann Wahal, Barbara M. Winkler, Sandy Rushe, Barbara Marks, Maria Davis, Michelle McClymonds, Courtney Cherpak, Holly McClymonds, Emily Schloer, Pamela Ames Papcun, Andrea Jozsa, Sharon Nalli, Marianne Sofranko, Chris Kapaldo, Kathy Kapaldo, Pam Johnson, Phyllis Seech, Martha Simpson, Diana Karaffa, Jean Figard, Kathy Stranan, Deanna Kuzma, Anna Marie Fischetti, Patricia Croy, Rose Hutnick, Karen Asmonga, Milly Romanek, Debbie Macko, Carol Bakita, Karen Matesic, Darlene Robinson, Norma Simon, Kami Bakita, Rose Pollock, Geri Catanzante, Evie Keagy, Colleen Cassisi, Nancy Magnifico, Marianne Jacob, Bernadette Mathewson, Annette Mozuras, Joanne Goetz, Judy Minarish, Helen Horvath, Heather Palchanis, Kelly Sack, Chris Miller, Irene 140 140 155 202 140 181 185 182 175 170 172 186 175 175 175 220 220 243 218 183 175 175 158 138 158 143 148 150 150 150 122 167 171 173 149 175 146 131 183 189 150 141 150 166 150 150 145 132 135 119 134 150 148 195 130 167 127 150 136 150 140 152 141 148 116 137 142 93 138 141 120 141 162 160 136 137 137 135 122 140 125 134 24 24 24 25 25 25 25 26 26 26 26 27 27 27 27 28 28 28 28 29 29 29 29 N/A N/A 30 30 30 30 39 39 39 39 40 40 33 33 40 40 33 33 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 36 36 36 36 43 43 37 37 37 37 38 38 41 41 38 38 41 41 42 42 42 44 42 44 44 46 46 46 47 45 45 45 45 47 47 43 43 51 51 51 52 51 53 53 52 53 54 54 55 53 55 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 17 17 17 17 18 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 - 52 52 52 51 52 54 54 51 54 53 53 56 54 56 56 56 55 55 58 58 57 57 4 4 4 4 3 3 6 6 6 6 5 5 8 8 8 8 10 9 9 9 12 12 12 11 11 14 14 14 14 13 13 16 16 16 15 15 18 18 18 17 20 20 20 20 19 19 - The first coin specifically authorized for issuance in the U.S. was the Fugio cent of 1787. It bore a terse warning that was typically American: Mind Your Business. Guess there weren’t too many taxes in 1787. May - Blood Pressure Month What are the most common symptoms of high blood pressure? There are none. But, some people mistakenly think that high blood pressure produces symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness or anxiety. Because they have no symptoms, some people who have high blood pressure make another mistake and stop taking their medication. Feelings aren’t reliable indicators of high blood pressure. These people should continue to take their medicine and follow their doctor’s advice. What is Friendship? Good friends are those to whom you can tell all your problems and complain to your heart’s content. They will listen carefully to what you say and their faces will register concern in all the right places. Finally, they will remember some of your “important” statements and with high regard for your friendship, they will forget the rest - the kindess thing they can do. Penny Wise, Libra Foolish? Ever wonder why “lb.” is used as the symbol of pound, when the word contains neither an “I” nor a “b”? Answer: The symbol is a contraction of “libra,” the Latin word for pound. When You Skip Breakfast... If you’re a chronic breakfast skipper, you may not know just how well you could be feeling! Research reveals that those who eat only light breakfasts were surprised to find how much less tired they felt and how much more efficiently they performed through the morning after changing to heftier breakfasts. Nutritionists and doctors agree that you should get about onethird of your daily food needs from breakfast. So don’t skip! Roll the Presses! America’s first press to use a continuous roll(or web) of paper was patened by William Bullck on April 14, 1863. The press, first used by the New York Sun, could print on both sides of the paper and cut the sheets to a specified size. SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Held in Douglas, Mass. Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Group 3, “Rev. Edmund Mochak” The annual meeting of Group 3, “Rev. Edmund Mochak” was held on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Hall in Douglas, Mass. The meeting was called to order by the Group 3 President, Kevin Conway. The roll call of officers and delegates was read by the Group 3 Secretary, Christine Manyak. Wreath 18 and Assembly 28 of East Douglas were represented. A total of 15 delegates and members were in attendance. The meeting opened with a prayer led by Wreath 18 President Rose Manyak. The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag followed led by Brother Joe Brody. Minutes of the semi-annual meeting held on Sunday, March 22, 2015 were reviewed by Secretary Christine Manyak. The minutes were accepted on a motion by Joe Bolte, seconded by Judy Manyak. Welcoming address: Brother Kevin offered a warm welcome and thanked everyone for their attendance and cooperation in promoting the work of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. He explained the importance of the meeting in that we will be electing officers to oversee Group 3 for the next four years, as well as address past business and new business as well. Brother Kevin then reviewed the purpose of the Group: “The purpose of the Group is to help build sound minds and bodies of all our members by nurturing harmonious relationships, encouraging educational achievements, providing and supporting athletic programs and social activities and to provide benevolence to those in need..” The president then called on the treasurer, Ralph Quinn to present his report. The treasurer’s report was then accepted on a motion by Jay Yacino, seconded by Joe Bolte. The Physical Directress, Judy Manyak then read her report. Sister Manyak reported that a total of 5 junior girls and 17 senior women competed at this year’s 47th International Slet held at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pa. In preparing for the drilling, the juniors took 1st place and the seniors took 4th place. The In addition to drilling, the Sokolky excelled in gymnastics, volleyball and track and field. She was delighted the Group 3 was awarded the Spirit Award of the Slet, voted on by all the Slet participants. The team took first place honors in drilling and track and field and missed the Slet Championship Flag by only 30 points. The entire Group can be proud of our Slet competitors. The report of the Physical Directress was accepted on a motion by Ralph Quinn, seconded by Jay Yacino. The report of the Physical Director, Gary Manyak was read by Honorary Supreme Officer Roger J. Manyak who was unable to be present for the meeting. On a motion by Ralph Quinn, seconded by Jay Yacino, the report was accepted. The Sports Director’s report was read by Roger J. Manyak/John Man- yak. The town of Douglas now has an outdoor track that we can use. This has been a great help. Thank you to Lori Cyr for scheduling times to use the track as it was perfect for our needs. The annual Eastern District Basketball and Volleyball Tournament will be held only if there are a minimum of four Groups participating. Brother Jay recognized all the help received and asked for continued help in upcoming events. The report was accepted on a motion by Judy Manyak, seconded by Rose Manyak. Old Business * The 40th annual Sokol Golf Open, chaired by Brother Roger J. Manyak, was a huge success. While this is an Assembly event, it is one of our most successful fund-raisers. Funds raised support the Youth Fund which supplies uniforms, funds travel expenses, as well as other needs for the Slet and sporting events as well as the annual Children’s Christmas Party. Brother Kevin thanked Brother Roger for his continued dedication to this fund-raiser that began small and has grown significantly over the past years. Brother Roger thanked his committee for their assistance without which the tournament would not be possible. He also noted that the event is also successful due to the large number of hole sponsors. Brother Roger noted that the 2016 Sokol Open was scheduled for the Saturday after Labor Day at Blissful Meadows. At this year’s event, Brother Roger recognized two players who have attended all 40 tournaments,namely Richard McGrath and Rich Rivers. * A recap of the 32nd quadrennial convention held in Pittsburgh, Pa. in August followed. The convention was seen to be very successful. The hospitality was great and events were planned for down time. The number of delegates is based on membership. Group 3 sent nine delegates but unfortunately we left two open spots. Some Group officers are automatic, while the rest are chosen to represent the Wreath and Assembly. New officers were elected. Our own Group 3 member, Dennis J. Zifcak was reelected to serve his second term as the organization’s Supreme Treasurer. The reports indicated that the organization is solvent and an increase in membership has been achieved over the past three years. Out future looks bright. New Business * The October fest is scheduled for October 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brother Roger, chairman of this event, indicates that we will set up on the front lawn of the library. He is looking for volunteers as well as donations. There will be a raffle and game booth as well. Raffle tickets can be returned ahead of time or at the booth that day. * The annual Children’s Christmas Party for Wreath 18 and Assembly 28 is scheduled for Sunday, December 5th. Plans are currently under way. * Fund-raisers were then discussed. The following were recommended: 1) utilize the hall for events and put money back into the community. 2) Have a “Jumpy Booth” at the Octoberfest. 3) Host a bus trip to Foxwoods. Brother Keith will provide the necessary information. 4) Host a Chili/Chowder fest. 5) Host Paint Parties. Sister Lory Cyr is willing to chair such a project. At this point in the meeting, a break was called to select committees. Committee Reports Auditing - Joe Brody, Joe Bolte and Jay Yacino completed the audit. They noted that the treasurer, Brother Ralph Quinn has done a fine job and all transactions were found to be in order. Grievances/New Motions/Recommendations: * Grievance: the schedule for the short and long runs at the Slet are too close together. Athletes in multiple finals do not have enough time to rest in between events. * Recommend that track and field events be scheduled the evening before the finals to allow athletes more time to rest in between events. *Recommend that gymnastic events be held in the morning and evening track can begin in the evening. * Recommend that the relays use “glow in the dark” batons for night time relays. * Recommend that the bonus points for the number of drillers be discontinued. Points should be awarded on quality/knowledge/tech- PAGE 15 nique of drill and not based on the number of drillers. Quality not Quantity. * Recommend that the Slet week be extended one day and be arranged as follows: Monday - registration, individual drills, opening ceremony; Tuesday - team drill and track; Wednesday -team drill, gymnastics, volleyball and soccer; Thursday track and volleyball finals; Friday track finals and closing ceremony. Resolutions/Publicity: * Congratulations to our members who were recipients of 2015 Sokol scholarship grants: Alexander J. Kwaitkowski, Catholic high school; Ashley Quinn and Kristin Wnukowski, college grants. * Congratulations to the recipients of the Assembly 28 college scholarship grants, namely: Makenzie Cyr, Ashley Gresian, Jaque Manyak, Jesse Mosczynskiand Justin Paquette. * Thank you to all the parents who traveled to Slippery Rock University to support our kids at the 47th International Slet. * Thank you to all the Slet participants for a great job they did: Junior Boys 1st Place Drill Team, Junior Girls 1st Place Drill Team, Drill Team champions, Track and Field champions, and finally their receiving the Spirit Award. * Thank you to Gary Manyak and Judy Manyak for the excellent job they did preparing the teams along with their assistants: Zachary Manyak, Joshua Cyr, Jaque Manyak and Ashley Gresian. * Thank you to the delegates who attended the 32nd quadrennial convention. * Congratulations to Brother Dennis Zifcak on his reelection as Supreme Treasurer. * Thank you to Roger J. Manyak and his committee for organizing the 40th annual Sokol Golf Open. Election of Officers At this point in the meeting, Sister Lori Cyr moved that all current officers be reelected in their respective positions for the coming four year period. No other nominations were entertained and the current officers indicated their willingness to serve in their current positions. On a motion by Joe Bolte, seconded by Judy Manyak, all current officers were unanimously reelected. Brother Joe Brody then administered the oath of office to the officers. With no further business, on a motion by Joe Bolte, seconded by Judy Manyak, the meeting was adjourned. The closing prayer was led by Brother Kevin. Suhlas! Respectfully submitted. Christine Manyak Group 3 secretary PAGE 16 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 In Memoriam Obituaries... Slovak Catholic Sokol extends sincere sympathy to the bereaved families of deceased members FEBRUARY 2016 Was Benedictine monk for 68 years Brother Joseph Venonsky, O.S.B., 91 Passes away peacefully in Cleveland Our confrere Brother Joseph Venonsky, OSB, died peacefully on Wednesday morning, April 13, 2016, after coming down with a sudden case of pneumonia the previous day at Regina Health Center in Richfield, Ohio where he had been in resident care the past two years. Brother Joseph was 91 years old and had been professed as a Benedictine monk for 68 years. Brother Joseph came to our monastery from eastern Pennsylvania where he was the first born son of nine children of John and Mary (Remar) Venonsky. Surviving Brother Joseph are his sisters Monica Aquilante, Florence Ann Brady, and Betty Lupo. His brothers John, Francis, and Michael and sisters Rosemary Blischok and Theresa are deceased. Born in Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania, Brother Joseph attended the parochial school of Our Lady of Sorrrows Slovak Parish in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. He credited the example of his parents and the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius for nurturing his faith and religious vocation. According to his family, his mother always prayed that her first born son would be called to God’s service. After graduating from Upper Merion High School in 1942, Brother Joseph worked for a few years in a local nursery before coming to Saint Andrew’s Abbey in Cleveland in the summer of 1946. He was sent to St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois for his initial novitiate year of monastic life. During that year, he also learned how to sew the Benedictine religious habit, a skill that he would put to use for the next six decades as tailor of our community. He professed his first monastic vows on March 29, 1948 and returned to our abbey where he was assigned duties as sacristan, tailor, and assistant infirmarian. Abbot Theodore Kojis, OSB sent Brother Joseph to study nursing at St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri in 1954. His gentle personality and genuine charity allowed him to effectively minister Sr. Aurelia Cerny, O.S.F. buried in Bethlehem, Pa. Sister M. Aurelia Cerny, O.S.F. passed away peacefully on February 12 in St. Clare H ospital in Denville, N.J. She was 81. Sister was born Mary Cerny in1934 in New York City to Slovak immigrant parents, the late John Cerny and the former Julia Balaga. As a child, her parents moved to Clifton, N.J. where she was raised in SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish there. In 1953, she entered the Congregation of the School Sisters of. St Francis in Pittsburgh, Pa. She professed first vows in 1954 at Mount Assisi Convent Chapel in Pittsburgh. She attended classes at Mount Mercy College(Carlow University) and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in General Science for seconday school. At. Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., she received a Master of Arts degree in administration and minoring in secondary education. During her years of ministry, Sis- ter Aurelia taught the primary and middle grades in schools in Canonsburg, Clymer, Bethlehem, Emmaus and Northampton in Pennsylvania, and in schools in New Milford, Closter, Demarest, and Denville, New Jersey. She spent the last few years volunteering and caring for her family members. She served as an officer of the Conference of Slovak Religious, an affiliate of the Slovak Catholic Federation. In addition to her parents and her brother, Francis, Sister is survived by her religious community, her sister Margaret Skladany, and her nephews. On February 18 a wake service was held at Monocacy Manor in Bethlehem, Pa. A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated in Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel at Monocacy Manor on February 19. Interment followed in the community cemetery in Monocacy Manor. May our Sister Aurelia, who so beautifully mirrored the life and mission of the Poverello and was a credit to our Cyrilo-Methodian heritage of faith, throughout her life, now rest in peace. Our sympathy goes out to the School Sisters of St. Francis. Assembly/Wreath Assembly 11 Assembly 54 Assembly 59 Assembly 59 Assembly 59 Assembly 59 Assembly 78 Assembly 78 Assembly 108 Assembly 110 Assembly 113 Assembly 162 Assembly 219 Assembly 261 Wreath 11 Wreath 15 Wreath 15 Wreath 22 Wreath 29 Wreath 39 Wreath 81 Wreath 85 Wreath 157 Member Glendell L. O’Brien, Chicago, IL George Stefanko, Lyndora, PA Dorothy Stahovec, Wilkes-Barre, PA Sophie Konieczny, Wilkes- Barre, PA Maria Benz, Wilkes- Barre, PA William Spunar, Wilkes- Barre, PA Helen Gallo, Bethlehem, PA Agnesa G. Sorcsek, Bethlehem, PA Robert Zumrick, Youngstown, OH Albert Hupka, St. Clair, PA John S. Mano, Kenosha, WI Dorothy Luskin, Clifton, NJ George J. Matthews Sr., Yonkers, NY William A. Soltis, Reading, PA Joseph A. Cintula, Johnstown, NY Helen Siska, Perryopolis, PA Mary Ann Surprenant , Perryopolis, PA Josephine Mc Evoy, Pittsburgh, PA Eleanor Ann Knis, Farrell, PA Ann De Santis Mainiero, Bridgeport, CT Margaret Fekete, Whiting, IN Lucille A. Holzer, Mc Kees Rocks, PA Francis Koomar, Nesquehoning, PA to his sick and elderly confreres for most of his monastic life until his later years when he himself needed assistance. Always ready and available to help in any circumstance, Brother Joseph also served as superior of the brothers, assistant cook, high school nurse, and received training to take care of the boilers that served the abbey and school. He enjoyed community outings especially the annual boat ride on Lake Erie for which he diligently prepared the picnic supper. Each year when Benedictine High School held its phonathon for annual gifts, Brother Joseph would generously spend several evenings calling alumni for donations. He was very proud of his Slovak heritage and ability to speak and sing in Slovak and participated in many local and national Slovak activities and organizations especially the Conference of Slovak Religious and the Slovak Catholic Federation. For many years he carefully prepared the traditional sauerkraut and mushroom soup for the Slovak Christmas Eve celebration hosted by the abbey each December for benefactors and friends who always bought all of his remaining soup to take home. His quiet and humble disposition hid a much deeper and powerful inner spiritual life nurtured by the sacraments and his commitment to Lectio Divina, reflective, spiritual reading. Our confrere Fr. Joachim testified that when he visited Brother Joseph in his room at Regina Health Center the night before his death, he found Brother Joseph reading a spiritual book despite his struggles that day with the onset of pneumonia. Brother Joseph’s piety was also imbued with a willingness for public witness and activism on behalf of important moral causes especially in defending the life of the unborn. Well into his 80’s, he would take a folding chair and join sidewalk Pro- Age 84 85 88 92 108 86 97 97 87 95 94 90 77 80 89 93 82 88 83 97 83 78 99 Life prayer warriors in front of several abortion clinics near the monastery that eventually closed. He was careful in examining the views of political candidates on moral issues before he went to vote. He was always interested in learning more about his faith and would be eager to attend lectures on faith matters that were offered around the diocese. He was very devoted to the late Mother Angelica and had a deep appreciation for her Eternal Word Network which he watched “religiously.” It is interesting to note that Brother Joseph and Mother Angelica celebrated birthdays that were three days and one year apart and that both died in the same year a little over two weeks apart. Brother Joseph took Saint Benedict’s frequent admonition against the evil of murmuring in community very seriously and no one can remember hearing Brother Joseph Date of Death February 4, 2016 January 29, 2016 January 25, 2016 January 27, 2016 February 3, 2016 January 25, 2016 December 8, 2015 November 17, 2015 October 17, 2015 January 29, 2016 December 1, 2015 January 12, 2016 January 15, 2016 November 27, 2012 February 6, 2016 January 29, 2016 December 23, 2015 January 12, 2016 February 4, 2016 January 30, 2016 June 1, 2015 January 5, 2016 December 30, 2015 ever complain about any policy or confrere in all his years in the monastery. He served as a living example of the balanced Benedictine life of dedicated work and prayer to many candidates and novices providing proof that holiness is very possible to the average person especially in religious life. May the good zeal that Brother Joseph followed with such devotion and joy for the many years of his fruitful and inspiring monastic journey now lead him to God and everlasting life as promised by our holy father Saint Benedict. His funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, April 18, 2016. Please remember him in the customary Masses and prayers. Abbot Gary Hoover, OSB and the monks of Saint Andrew Abbey Cleveland, Ohio Remember the Memorial Scholarship Fund!!! Have you found yourself looking for a way to memorialize a lost loved one or fellow Group/Wreath/Assembly member? Why not make a donation in their honor to the Memorial Scholarship fund? Donations made payable to: SCS Memorial Scholarship Fund may be sent to: Dennis J. Zifcak SCS Museum Treasurer 33 Pinecrest Rd. Uxbridge, MA 01569 or Edward D. Moeller SCS Museum Chairperson 2821 Waterman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 YOUR BENEFICIARIES When was the last time you looked at your designated beneficiaries on your valuable Sokol insurance policy? How important is it? Just think about how much your life has changed. Have you married, divorced, had children, maybe you lost a loved one? This is an item you should consider annually. If you do need to make changes to any of your policies, contact the Home Office at 800-886-7656. SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 PAGE 17 An opportunity to recognize leadership among us Our 2016 Fraternalist of the Year Program Salutes Volunteerism and Outreach Our Ever-Popular, 304-Page Sokol Cook Book is Now in its Fourth Edition ✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄✄ Just $15.50 which includes postage and handling Sokol Assemblies and Wreaths can order a case of 12 cook books for just $170.00 – Place your order today! Make check or money order payable to: Slovak Catholic Sokol P.O. Box 899 – 205 Madison Street Passaic, N.J. 07055 (Canadian orders kindly add an additional $15.00 for postage) NAME______________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS__________________________________________________________________________ CITY, STATE & ZIP___________________________________________________________________ NUMBER OF BOOKS____________________________________________________________________ (Effective January 1, 2015) There are two words which come to mind when referring to the fraternal benefit system as opposed to the commercial life insurance industry. Service and outreach beautifully describe what a member of a fraternal organization is all about. A true fraternalist is committed to a variety of outreach and service projects which are committed to his or her local community, parish or neighborhood. Fraternalists are pleased to serve others with a spirit of giving and sharing. For the past almost 111 years, the Slovak Catholic Sokol and its membership have striven to mirror such a philosophy of life. There are countless individual members who labor on behalf of others with a quiet spirit of service. Often such individuals are behind the scenes members who seek no recognition beyond their own pleasure in seeing their projects succeed. Well, now is the time to look among our ranks and find such individuals so that the entire organization can celebrate their efforts. Since 1985, our organization has recognized fraternal leadership among us by selecting an individual member who mirrors the high ideals of the fraternal benefit system of which the Slovak Catholic Sokol is a part. We ask our members to submit the names of individuals who should be considered as our Fraternalist of the Year. Fraternalism is unique and has served an important purpose in American life. The first fraternals were organized just prior to the Civil War. These organizations were founded to serve their fellow members as well as the communities in which they were active. Over the decades, fraternal organizations have been an important component of the charitable outreach network in our country ever since. Fraternals, as not-for-profit non governmental organizations provide invaluable service to others. For more than 30 years, individual members of our organization have been selected as our Fraternalist of the Year in recognition of all the good they accomplish on behalf of others. Over the years those chosen for this award have reflected a variety of outreach efforts which have been a credit not only to them individually but to the Slovak Catholic Sokol in general. Past honorees have come from all parts of the United States and Canada as well. Our organization would not enjoy our current success without the hard work and dedication of many members in our many Groups, Assemblies and Wreaths. There are just such individuals out there who need to be recognized so that they might be an inspiration to others. Often they are quiet, behind the scenes individuals who make things happen. Such doers need to be recognized! Each year then, we ask the membership to take the time to nominate an individual member who in their estimation serves as a wonderful role model and mentor who is worthy of being considered as our 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Fraternalist of the Year. So at your next lodge or Group meeting, discussion of the Fraternalist of the Year project should be on the meeting agenda. Discuss individuals who deserve recognition. There are many out there, we need only recommend them. This year’s honoree will be presented with an appropriate plaque along with a gift of $200.00 as a small token of our gratitude for his or her efforts in promoting volunteerism and outreach. In addition, the presentation of the Fraternalist of the Year Plaque is presented at a dinner hosted by our organization for the honoree’s family and friends. In addition, the individual selected as our Fraternalist of the Year is then recommended for consideration to the American Fraternal Alliance for consideration in its 2016 Fraternalist of the Year program. The American Fraternal Alliance is the trade organization which represents more then nine million fraternalists in 70 member societies in the United States and Canada, including our own. Three individuals are then selected from participating fraternal benefit societies for recognition. One winner and two runners up are selected and will be honored at the 130th annual meeting of the American Fraternal Alliance, scheduled for September 8-10 in Nashville, Tenn. Therefore, now is the time to think about who among us is deserving of this recognition? Last year’s nominee was Dolly Hussar of Canton, Oh. Dolly has been an active Sokolka all her life, serving in a variety of positions on the local and Group levels. She has shared her love for the Slovak Catholic Sokol with her children and grandchildren who continue to remain active in our various sporting events and champion the cause of Sokol fraternalism. There are other individual Sokol members who are movers and shakers among us who should be considered as our 2016 Slovak Catholic Sokol Fraternalist of the Year. Any individual member, local Assembly, Wreath or Group may nominate an individual for consideration. A special nomination form is available from the home office. Contact Editor Daniel F. Tanzone, who coordinates the program at the home office, at tel. 800 886-7656 for a copy. A recent photo of the nominee should also be included along with the completed nomination form. Deadline for receipt of the completed nomination form at the home office is Friday, July 1, 2016. PAGE 18 SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON, MAY 18, 2016 Scenes of the First Ever Lock-in-Movie Night hosted by Group 14 in Pittsburgh Group 14, “St. Francis of Assisi” hosted a unique overnight activity for Sokol youngsters at the Slovak Catholic Sokol Club on Pittsburgh’s historic South Side. Young Sokol members, ages 3 to 12 enjoyed the overnight experience enjoying a number of movies as well as snacks and re- freshments. Most importantly, the pajama-clad youngsters enjoyed each other’s company and Sokol fellowship and camaraderie at its best. A good turnout of young Sokols and Sokolky enjoyed this first ever activity. They enjoyed the movies and had a blast. All of us in Group 14 extend thanks and gratitude to all who had a hand in the success of this special fraternal event. Our youngsters look forward to upcoming Sokol activities in the coming months. Zdar Boh! Carmella Marzec Group 14 president May 30: Remember Them The Memorial Day custom of decorating the graves of the dead with flowers dates back to classical times. In Greece, women who were the closest relatives to dead persons paid their last respects by crowning the head with flowers. In Rome, mourning friends and relatives carried wreaths of flowers to the home of the dead person, covering his couch with leaves and blossoms. In the United States women who brought flowers to the graves of soldiers killed in the Civil War were responsible for giving the custom national prominence. In 1863 women from Columbus, Missouri laid flowers on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers. In April, 1865 women led by Mrs. Sue Landon Vaughn, a descendant of the second President, John Adams, decorated the graves of soldiers at Vicksburg. In June, other women from Virginia honored the dead at the Confederate Cemetery in Winchester which is said to be the first cemetery for dead soldiers in the South. The first official observance of Memorial Day was conducted by the Grand Army at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. However, it was not until years later that the individual states declared Memorial Day a legal holiday. Today, Memorial Day always falls on the last Monday in May, and that means another long holiday weekend. Sokol youngsters who enjoyed the first ever Lock-in Movie overnight pose for a group photo. Introducing our newest members for Everyone enjoying the movie. Maxwell Joseph Molchany, born December 21, 2015, is the son of Paul and Jennifer Molchany of Neenah, Wis. He was enrolled as a member of Assembly 255 in Egypt, Pa. Janelle Marie Milius, born January 25, 2016, is the daughter of Christopher and Judith Milius of Pittsburgh, Pa. She was enrolled as a member of Wreath 22, Pittsburgh, Pa. Christian Drew Gmiter, born October 13, 2014, is the son of Christian A. and Jennifer D. Cornforth Gmiter of Bethel Park, Pa. He The girls didn’t want to wake up....even for dough- was enrolled as a member of Asnuts! sembly 16 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Zachary Joseph Zumer, born February 21, 2016 is the son of Michael Joseph and Jessica Shellhammer Zumer of Cresson, Pa. He was enrolled as a memberof Assembly 79 in Lilly, Pa. The two youngest participants included Gia Marzec, granddaughter of Albert J. Suess and Chase Seifert, grandson of Diane Moeller and big paw patrol fans. Talon enjoyed both the movies and the obstacle course a lot! SLOVENSKÝ KATOLÍCKY SOKOL, 18. MÁJA 2016 Naj... na Slovensku Najvyššie položené miesto: Gerlachovský štít, 2655 metrov nad morom. Najnižšie položené miesto: hladina rieky Bodrog, 94 metrov nad morom. Najvyššia kostolná veža: Spišská Nová Ves (87 m). Najväčší zo 170 hradov a zámkov na Slovensku je Spišský hrad. Najstaršia ľadová jaskyňa v Európe je Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa. Najdlhšia slovenská rieka je Váh (403 km). Najvyššie položená obec: Štrbské pleso, 1355 m nad morom. Najvyššie položený hotel: Encián na Skalnatom Plese, 1761 m nad morom. Najvyššie položená pošta: na vrchole Lomnického štítu, 2634 m nad morom. Najväčší riečny ostrov v Eu- rópe: Žitný ostrov na Južnom Slovensku, 132 612 hektárov. Najväčší prírodný park: Národný park Nízke Tatry, 81 000 ha. Najväčšie i najhlbšie jazero SR: Veľké Hincovo pleso - 20,1 ha, hĺbka 53 m. Miesto s najnižšou ročnou priemernou teplotou: vrchol Lomnického štítu (2 632 m n.m.) - 3,7 °C. Najväčší drevený oltár na svete: Levoča-Kostol sv. Jakuba, autor Majster Pavol z Levoče, začiatok 16. storočia, výška 18,6 m a šírka 6,3 m. Najstarší nepretržite pracujúci výrobný podnik: Štátna mincovňa v Kremnici, založená 17. novembra 1328. Najmenšou obcou, čo do počtu obyvateľov, je Havranec na východnom Slovensku - býva v nej len jedenásť ľudí. Slovensko prilákalo viac zahraničných investícií Slovensko vlani prilákalo viac zahraničných investícií ako v roku 2014. Príčinou nárastu bolo hlavne rozhodnutie britskej automobilky Jaguar Land Rover postaviť novú továreň na juhu Slovenska. Vyplýva to z výročnej správy vládnej agentúry SARIO, ktorá pomáha lákať zahraničných Agentúra vlani uzavrela 23 investičných projektov v hodnote 1,74 miliardy eur, zatiaľ čo v predchádzajúcom roku to bolo 25 investičných zámerov v objeme 170 miliónov eur. Vlani dohodnuté investičné projekty by mali vytvoriť 7 400 pracovných miest. V porovnaní s predchádzajúcim rokom to predstavuje nárast o viac ako polovicu. Najväčším zahraničným investorom, ktorého Slovensko v minulom roku získalo, je automobilka Jaguar Land Rover, ktorá na juhu krajiny postaví nový závod za zhruba 1,4 miliardy eur. Prácu by tam malo nájsť 2 800 ľudí. Vlani mala vládna agentúra rozpracovaných dohromady 60 investičných projektov v hodnote asi 2,2 miliardy eur, ktoré by v prípade realizácie znamenali vznik okolo 16 000 nových pracovných miest. Triky, ktoré vám uľahčia varenie Hovädzie mäso rýchlejšie zmäkne a nebudete ho musieť dlho variť, ak k nemu pridáte lyžičku prášku do pečiva alebo sódy bikarbóny. Chcete mať hnedú a chrumkavú kožu kuraťa? Potrite ju krátko pred dopečením pivom. Pečené zemiaky budú chrum-kavejšie, ak ich ešte surové posypete múkou a až potom vložíte do rúry. Aby sa sypké zemiaky nerozvarili pridajte k ním počas varenia trochu octu Keď do vody, v ktorej varíte vajíčka, pridáte trošku octu, budú sa vám ľahšie šúpať. Pred lúpaním cesnaku hoďte strúčiky na 5 minút do vody. Šupku potom jednoducho stiahnete prstami. Múku na zahustenie pokrmov trochu posoľte, nebudú sa vám vytvárať pri varení hrudky. Slovenský deň vo Franklin, WI V nedeľu 24. júla usporiadajú Slovenské spolky v Milwaukee 86. Slovenský deň v Croatian Park, 9140 South 76th Street vo Franklin, WI. O 12.00 hodine bude sv. omša. O 2.30 začne bohatý kultúrny program, v ktorom sa krátkym programom predstavia mladí športovci 4. župy Slovenského katolíckeho sokola a bohatým programom slovenských ľudových tancov sa prestaví skupina Tatra Slovak Dancers. O 6.00 hodine bude hrať hudba do tanca. Počas dňa budú pripravené hry pre deti. Na predaj budú slovenské a americké jedlá a domáce koláče. Vstupné je bezplatné. ACH, TÁ NAŠA SLOVENČINA! Na tomto ročníku participovalo viac ako 550 ľudí z 26 krajín - sita.sk Týchto 7 stylingov si vytvoríte - emma.sk Poprad bude prvým smart mestom - korzar.sk Legenda zvažuje comeback - aktualne.sk Koniec downsizingu? - smeauto.sk ...špízy s baklažánom a s dipom - dobrejedlo.sk Vo Vysokých Tatrách pribudne k obchodom Tatry Motion nový outlet v Starom Smokovci - sme.sk Detaily jeho comebacku! - pluska.sk Podľa vyjadrení senior analytika - pravda.sk ...už v mladom veku patria medzi lídrov tímu - sme.sk Tieto modely budú chic ozdobou v každom outfite - emma.sk Český bagetový fastfood sa tlačí na Slovensko - trend.sk Sušené RAW jablkové krekry - dobruchut.sk Vieme, koľko centimetrov ročne je okej - zdravie.sk Upečte si fitness koláč - dobrejedlo.sk Slovensko udelilo občianstvo takmer štyristo cudzincom (Pokračovanie zo str. 20) ISSN: 0897-8107 Úradn¥ ™asopis SLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA Zalo¢en¥ 15. apríla 1911 – Vychádza ka¢dú druhú stredu Majitel« a vydavatel«: SLOVAK CATHOLIC SOKOL Daniel F. Tanzone, redaktor Telefónne ™íslo: (973) 777-4010 V£etky ™lánky, príspevky a správy treba posielat« na adresu: Editor, Slovak Catholic Sokol, P.O. Box 899 205 Madison Street, Passaic, New Jersey 07055 Jednou z úloh aktuálnej migračnej politiky Slovenska je urýchliť proces integrácie, zjednodušiť a sprehľadniť procesy vedúce k udeleniu trvalého pobytu a následne k možnosti získania štátneho občianstva. V roku 2015 bolo podaných celkom 760 žiadostí o udelenie štátneho občianstva, z ktorých príslušný odbor ministerstva zamietol 26. V 17 prípadoch konanie zastavil, v deviatich prerušil a 55 vydaných listín o udelení štátneho občianstva momentálne doručuje. - sita PAGE 19 V Bratislave sa začiatkom roka predalo najviac nových bytov od krízy Na bratislavskom rezidenčnom trhu novostavieb sa na začiatku tohto roka predalo 1200 bytov, čo je zatiaľ najviac od krízy. Rekord prekonal aj počet nových projektov, ktoré rozšírili ponuku nehnuteľností. Celkovo pribudlo osem úplne nových projektov, šesť existujúcich spustilo ďalšiu etapu v predaji. Vyplýva to z aktuálnych údajov realitnej kancelárie Lexxus za prvý štvrťrok 2016. Najvyšší počet nových bytov priniesol na trh štvrtý bratislavský okres, kde suverénne viedol projekt Mamapapa s ponukou 115 bytov. Najslabšia ponuka bola v Starom Meste a Petržalke. V prvých troch mesiacoch sa trh celkovo rozrástol o 980 nových bytov, čo je v porovnaní s rovnakým obdobím roka 2015 nárast o viac ako 80 %. „Predaju bytov pomohli aj historicky najnižšie úrokové sadzby. Ku koncu februára banky naplno rozbehli svoje kampane a hypotéky ponúkali za úrok už od 1,19 %. O turbulenciu na hypotekárnom trhu sa postaral aj nový zákon o úveroch na bývanie, ktorý stanovil bankám strop na poplatok za predčasné splatenie úveru, a to maximálne na 1 % zo zostatkovej sumy úveru,“ priblížil risk manažér spoločnosti Peter Ondrovič. Prevahu v novej ponuke developérskych projektov si podľa neho dlhodobo držia dvojizbové byty a výnimkou nebol ani prvý tohtoročný kvartál. V tejto kate-górii pribudlo na trh 416 jednotiek, čo predstavuje zhruba 42 % z celkovej ponuky bytov v sledovanom období. Ku koncu marca bolo na trhu 2622 voľných bytov, z toho 755 ich bolo k dispozícii na okamžité nasťahovanie a zvyšok v štádiu rozostavania. V porovnaní s predchádzajúcim štvrťrokom ide o pokles o viac ako 7,5 %. „Avizovaný rast cien nehnuteľností kupujúci v prvom kvartáli zatiaľ nepocítili. Kúpa bytu ich stála v priemere o 3,5 % menej ako na konci roka 2015,“ upozornil Ondrovič. Ako dodal, priemerná cena voľných bytov však postupne rastie. Aktuálne je približne 1902 eur za štvorcový meter (m2) bez dane z pridanej hodnoty (DPH), ku koncu tohto roka to môže byť už viac ako 1970 eur za m2 bez DPH. - TASR Slovenskí vojaci odišli do Afganistanu Príslušníci piateho pluku špeciálneho určenia a vojaci Pozemných síl Ozbrojených síl (OS) Slovenskje republiky odišli 13. mája do Afganistanu v rámci pravidelnej rotácie. Zapoja sa do operácie Resolute Support. Na slávnostnej rozlúčke sa s 37 odchádzajúcimi profesionálnymi vojakmi rozlúčil v Žiline štátny tajomník rezortu obrany Ivan Máčovský. Novým veliteľom slovenského kontingentu v Afganistane sa v najbližších dňoch stane podplukovník Ľubomír Rapco. „Naši vojaci sú na plnenie svojich úloh v zahraničí pripravení. Pevne verím, že sa všetci vrátia zdraví naspäť domov a budú plniť ďalšie úlohy na Slovensku,“ povedal Máčovský s tým, že pôsobenie vojakov v Afganistane bude zamerané najmä na výcvik, poradenstvo a asistenciu pre afganské bezpečnostné zložky. “Je jasné, že cvičiť a odovzdávať skúsenosti iným môžu len tí, ktorí patria vo svojom povolaní a odbornosti k najlepším,“ dodal Máčovský. Ako doplnil náčelník Generálneho štábu Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republiky generál Milan Maxim, vojaci sa striedajú v pravidelných šesťmesačných intervaloch. „Vystriedame celkom 37 vojakov a sú medzi nimi aj ženy, ktoré budú plniť špecifické úlohy na mieste velenia. Vojaci sú pripravení veľmi dobre a vôbec nepochybujem o splnení ich úloh,“ povedal Maxim, ktorý tento rok slovenský kontingent v Afganistane aj navštívil. For God and Nation Za Boha a národ SLOVAK CATHOLIC FALCON ÚRADNÝ ČASOPIS SLOVENSKÉHO KATOLÍCKEHO SOKOLA - 28 000 ČLENOV - HLAVNÁ ÚRADOVŇA: 205 MADISON STREET, PASSAIC, NJ 07055 – www.slovakcatholicsokol.org VOLUME CV PASSAIC, N.J., 18. MÁJA 2016 Prezident Kiska si uctil pamiatku Milana Rastislava Štefánika Prezident Andrej Kiska si 3. mája uctil pamiatku generála Milana Rastislava Štefánika počas pietnej spomienky pri mohyle v Ivanke pri Dunaji, kde Štefánik zahynul 4. mája 1919. Na podujatí pri Mohyle M. R. Štefánika sa zúčastnili zástupcovia veľvyslanectiev, štátnych a samosprávnych inštitúcií i účastníci 26. ročníka vlasteneckej pochôdzky na trase štefánikovských pomníkov zo Šamorína cez Dunajskú Lužnú do Ivanky pri Dunaji. Nechýbal ani kultúrny program, ktorý zabezpečila Matica slovenská so samosprávou a školami. Za účinkovania Čestnej stráže a dychovky ministerstva vnútra položilo k mohyle vence vyše 20 inštitúcií a spolkov. Prezident Kiska vo svo- jom príhovore okrem iného povedal: “Bude to pomaly 100 rokov od chvíle, keď sa práve tu so svojou rodnou zemou navždy rozlúčila osobnosť svetového formátu. Verný syn svojho národa, ktorému pomohol vydobyť slobodu. Astronóm, politik, diplomat, letec, generál francúzskej armády, organizátor československých légií, minister vojny za svojimi misiami prekrižoval kontinenty. Spolu s Masarykom a Benešom presvedčili západných spojencov, že samostatnosť Čechov a Slovákov má zmysel. Založili republiku, ktorá nezmazateľne prispela k rozvoju Slovenska, našej kultúry, vzdelanosti, demokratickej politiky, slobody tlače i schopnosti spravovať a vládnuť” -Foto: tasr Generál Štefánik bol aj so svojou talianskou posádkou pochovaný nad jeho rodnými Košariskami na Bradle. O päť rokov po jeho smrti bol položený základný kameň pamätníka navrhnutého architektom Dušanom Jurkovičom. Na vybudovanie pamätníka bola vyhlásená národná zbierka, v ktorej sa vyzbieralo dva milióny korún. Mohylu slávnostne odhalili 23. septembra 1928. Slovensko udelilo občianstvo takmer štyristo cudzincom Slovensko udelilo v minulom roku štátne občianstvo 399 oso-bám. V najnovšej správe zamera-nej na plnenie úloh migračnej politiky to konštatuje ministerstvo vnútra (MV). Je to zhruba o tretinu viac, ako je počet ľudí, ktorým bol v roku 2015 slovenský pas odobratý v dôsledku prijatia občianstva iného štátu. Podľa štatistických údajov, ktoré pravidelne zverejňuje rezort vnútra, ich bolo viac ako 270. Z takmer štyroch stoviek Slovákov s novoudeleným občianstvom bolo päť azylantov. Správa, ktorú vypracoval Migračný úrad MV, nespresňuje, z akých krajín pochádzali. Celkovo vlani ministerstvo udelilo občianstvo osobám z 54 krajín, najčastejšie z Ukrajiny (91), Česka (75) a Srbska (67). Zo správy vyplýva, že v značnej miere získavali slovenský pas cudzinci s väzbami na Slovensko. Celkom 82 osôb malo postavenie Slováka žijúceho v zahraničí, najmä zo Srbska (58) a Ukrajiny (20). Z 35 občanov Spojených štátov amerických bolo 32 bývalých Slovákov, ktorí slovenské občianstvo stratili naturalizáciou v USA. Až 50 slovenských pasov je staronových a získali ich naspäť Slováci, ktorí v uplynulých rokoch o ne prišli nadobudnutím občianstva iného štátu. Umožnilo to osobitné nariadenie ministerstva vnútra platné od februára minulého roku. Celkom 47 cudzincom bolo občianstvo udelené po tom, ako uzavreli manželstvo so štátnym príslušníkom SR. Šestnásť cudzincov ho získalo na základe výnimky v zákone, podľa ktorej štát udeľuje občianstvo osobám, ktoré sa významne zaslúžili o prínos pre Slovenskú republiku v oblasti ekonomickej, vedeckej, technickej, kultúrnej, sociálnej alebo športovej. (Pokračovanie na str. 19) ČÍSLO 5069 Krátke správy zo Slovenska T Americká sieť kaviarní Starbucks otvorí koncom mája v obchodnom dome Aupark v Bratislave svoju prvú prevádzku na Slovensku. T Úroda ovocia, hrozna, zeleniny, ale aj repky, cukrovej repy či slnečnice bude tohto roku na Slovensku podstatne nižšia a niekde nezoberú vôbec nič. Aprílové mrazy spôsobili škody na produkcii predbežne v rozsahu 35 miliónov eur. Spotrebitelia preto musia rátať, že ceny ovocia sa zvýšia o 7 až 15 percent oproti cenám z minuloročnej úrody. T To, čo sa odohralo v sadoch, vinohradoch, v rozkvitnutých lánoch repky olejnej, ale aj v čerstvo poschádzaných porastoch repy či slnečnice nemá obdobu. Mrazivý vzduch premenil kvety ovocných stromov, jahôd, alebo mladé výhonky viniča či repy na vysušené tabakové listy. T Aj ovocinári, ktorí v sadoch pálili parafínové sviece, boli bezmocní. V okamihu, keď teplota vzduchu klesla pod mínus tri stupne, nedokázali už zabrániť zničeniu budúcich plodov. Mrazy miestami klesli pod mínus päť aj viac stupňov a zničili všetko, čo im prišlo do cesty. T Generálna riadciteľka UNESCO Irina Bokovova 7. mája rokovala v Levoči so zástupcami pamiatok zaradených do zoznamu UNESCO na Slovensku a s rektormi slovenských univerzít. Hovorili najmä o propagácii týchto vzácnych miest a finančných prostriedkoch týkajúcich sa zabezpečenia rekonštrukcie pamiatok na Slovensku. Medzi pamiatky, ktoré boli doteraz zaradené do zoznamu UNESCO patria: Banská Štiavnica, Spišský hrad a kultúrne pamiatky okolia hradu, Vlkolínec, Jaskyne a priepasti Slovenského krasu, Bardejov, Bukové pralesy Karpát v Národnom parku Poloniny a Vihorlat v Chránenej krajinnej oblasti Vihorlat, drevené kostoly v Ruskej Bystrej, Ladomírovej, Bodružale, Tvrdošíne, Hervartove pri Bardejove, Kežmarku, Hronseku, Leštinách a historické mesto Levoča. T Automobilová spoločnosť Volkswagen Slovakia dosiahla za minulý rok celkový obrat v objeme 7,2 miliardy eur. V porovnaní s rokom 2014 to predstavuje nárast o 17 percent. Minulý rok bol historicky najlepším rokom automobilky. T Spoločnosť vlani vyrobila na Slovensku 397 458 vozidiel a od roku 1991 viac ako 4 milióny vozidiel. Počet zamestnancov automobilky na Slovensku stúpol o 9,3 percenta na 10 800. Je to najvyšší počet v histórii firmy. Vznikla Slovensko-americká rada pre obchod a inovácie Pre rastúci dopyt po stálej platforme zameranej na obchod a inovácie zo strany amerických firiem na Slovensku a slovenských spoločností usilujúcich sa o vstup na americký trh vznikla Slovensko-americká rada pre obchod a inovácie (SABIC - Slovak Business and Innovation Council). Medzi zakladajúcimi členmi sú niektorí z najúspešnejších predstaviteľov slovensko-americkej obchodnej spolupráce, ako napríklad ATT, Honeywell, Virtual Reality Media a ESET. Výkonným riaditeľom organizácie sa stal bývalý veľvyslanec USA na Slovensku Tod Sedgwick, predsedom predstavenstva je podpredseda spoločnosti Honeywell pre globálne vzťahy na vládnej úrovni a bývalý veľvyslanec USA v ČR Rick Graber.