September 2004 Journal - CSA Fraternal Life

the

Jour nal

January 2018

it’s there.”

Lodge Display at Town Hall Page 22

Member Publishes Book Page 23

In this issue...

Member Hosts Radio Show Page 26

On the Cover...

George Mallory, an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest, is most famous for this quote he gave to a New York Times reporter in 1923: “Because it’s there.” These words are given whenever someone tries to justify an unjustifiable ambition. Why climb Mount Everest? Why travel to the moon? Why explore the depths of the ocean? George Mallory passed away while ascending the mountain in June 1924. Sullivan, Sean. “‘Because it’s There’” The Quotable George Mallory." The Clymb. Web. 18 Dec 2017.

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President’s Piece Calendar of Events Today’s Fraternal Board Report Message from the Secretary Miss CSA Fraternal Calendar District Council Lodge Happenings Fraternal Well Wishes Scholarship Report Scholarship Donation Form In Memoriam Just Kids

President’s Piece Eventful Year Ahead

Brothers and Sisters, Happy New Year! I hope the turn of the calendar has been good to everyone out there. This upcoming year is going to be an eventful one for CSA Fraternal Life. Honestly, with all of the events and goings on that CSA has, we’re usually pretty busy. But with 2018 being a Convention year, our activities and schedules will be even fuller. Our 41st Quadrennial Convention will again be paired with our 82nd Annual Get-Together. The Get-Together will kick off on August 3, 2018, in the Chicago suburb of Countryside, Illinois. On Sunday, August 5, the Get-Together will wrap up while the Convention gets gaveled in. The Convention is scheduled to run through the next day, Monday, August 6, 2018. We have already mailed out preliminary information to all lodges regarding the Convention, such as electing local delegates. It will definitely be a busy few days in August, but from having a nice time at the Get-Together with fellow members, to conducting the business of updating our Bylaws to coincide with regulatory demands, I’m looking forward to it. We’ll keep you updated by communicating with your local Lodge, as well as passing along any news in future Journal issues. In 2018, we’ll continue to offer a number of great Fraternal benefits. In 2017, we granted upwards of $50,000 in college scholarships to our youth membership. The year 2018 will be no different, as our scholarship program will continue. In addition to the scholarships that we offer, other programs that our Fraternal arm oversees are our Lodge Recognition Program, our CSA Serves (formerly the National Project), our very popular Photo Contest, and our Junior Bowl-O-Rama, just to mention a few. Of course, your local Lodge or District Council will also be sponsoring other events within your community. This month, we introduced the much

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anticipated new Whole Life suite of products, in addition to a 5-year surrender period annuity. This 5-year plan should complement our 7-year plan very nicely. I’d encourage you to reach out to your local agent or phone us directly at the Home Office if you have interest in looking into any of our product offerings. At the Home Office, we’re here to help you. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to give us a holler. We love hearing from you! And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank you again for the honor of serving as your President. I’ve been in this role for over five years now. It truly is amazing how fast the time has flown by. I’ve loved every minute of this role, and plan on being here well into the future to continue keeping our wonderful Society thriving and growing. I very much appreciate your trust, and

John J. Kielczewski CLU, FLMI, President

will fight every day to continue to earn it. Once again, Happy New Year, and until next month… John J. Kielczewski, CLU, FLMI President, CSA Fraternal Life

JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 3

Calendar of Events

Volume 129 No. 1 January, 2018

Saturday, February 3, 2018 60th Representative Ball Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Dedicated to the Post Debutantes from Previous Representative Balls with special presentation! Open to women 16-21 years old of Czech or Slovak decent. More details to come. Contact: [email protected] Saturday, February 17, 2018 CSAGSI Special Genealogical Program 1st Presbyterian Church 150 S Ashland, La Grange, Illinois 60525 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Free admission Open to the public www.csagsi.org

Sunday, April 1 – Monday, April 30, 2018 Junior Bowl-O-Rama Month Various locations. See page 16. Saturday, May 5, 2018 Join Hands Day Various locations. More details to come.

Friday, August 3 – Sunday, August 5, 2018 82nd Annual CSA Get-Together Holiday Inn 6201 Joliet Road Countryside, Illinois 60525

Sunday, August 5, 2018 – Monday, August 6, 2018 41st Quadrennial CSA Convention Holiday Inn 6201 Joliet Road Countryside, Illinois 60525

CSA Privacy Policy

You can access our Privacy Policy at www.csalife.com on the right side of our Home page. Hard copies are available upon request. 4 — www.csalife.com - JANUARY 2018

CSA Journal

A Dynamic Magazine “Dedicated to Our Membership” o /

UREDNI ORGÁN JEDNOTY CESKOSLOVENSKYCH SPOLKU V AMERICE o

v

/

Phone: 800-543-3272 FAX: 630-472-1100 Email CSA: [email protected] Website: www.csalife.com Editor-in-Chief, Amanda Lovell Editor: Cynthia Hall, [email protected] Contributing Staff: Helen Gaydusek

CSA MISSION STATEMENT CSA Fraternal Life is a fraternal benefit Society that provides families with financial security while promoting community involvement with volunteerism.

CSA Leadership

National Officers John J. Kielczewski, President Matthew Koski, Secretary James Kovac, Treasurer

National Directors Tom Ledvina Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota Ken Dvorsky and Adam Wilt Northern Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin Irma Farrell California, Colorado, Kansas and Texas Diane DiBianca Northern Ohio and Michigan Connie Wolf Missouri and Southern Illinois Terry Placek Southeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania Carol Tranter Florida, Maryland, Virginia, D.C., Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey Paul Vavrasek New York State and Connecticut Home Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

CSA Journal (ISSN 0195-9050) Published monthly—except bimonthly July/August by CSA Fraternal Life, 2050 Finley Rd., Suite 70, Lombard, IL 60148. Periodical Postage paid at Lombard, Illinois, and at additional mailing offices. Subscription Rate: $12 per year, U.S. only. Postmaster: send address changes to: CSA Journal, P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148.

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Today’s Fraternal Fraternal Programs for 2018

Dearest Members,

By the time you receive this Journal, we will be experiencing the beginning of a new year. Perhaps there will be snow, but who can really count on the weather nowadays.

What a busy holiday season we had at CSA! Lodges and District Councils hosted various holiday parties, and I’m happy to have attended several. Thanks for inviting me! At the District Council No. 12 Christmas Party that the Cultural Division hosted, it was a pleasure to spend time with our Miss National CSA, Sydney Rieckhoff, and her mother, Robyn. It was so interesting to hear how things are going for her in California. In just the few months I’ve gotten to know Sydney, I’ve learned so much about her aspirations and achievements. It’s been a pleasure working with you, Sydney, and I’m looking forward to the months ahead!

As you may notice on page 28, over $14,000 was donated to our Scholarship Fund in recent months. It’s hard to fathom that we received that generous monetary amount... in just 30 days. What would we do without our members? A lot of times, donations are made by loved ones on behalf of a member who has passed, and this money is then given to our young adults, who are just starting to lay the foundation of their future careers; it’s just like the cycle of life, in a way, and I think it is a rather beautiful thought. Thank you for your generosity. As always, I encourage young CSA members who are earning their undergraduate degrees to take advantage of this opportunity. Please refer to the CSA website for details and requirements of the Scholarship Program.

To our Lodge Presidents: Please note that in January, you will receive copies of President’s Reports that you will fill out during your meetings.

To our Lodge Secretaries: You will receive copies of the Election Reports, the Lodge Recognition Program, and the CSA Serves program. The new LRP for 2018 is very similar to this past year’s program. As an added bonus, your lodge can receive two additional points for filling your allocation of delegates for the 2018 Convention. These two bonus points will be applied to the category of your choosing. CSA Serves has similar rules as before. At the Home Office, we encourage lodges to send us your requests for matching funds as soon as you can, on a quarterly basis when applicable. To our Lodge Treasurers: You will receive copies of the Financial Reports that you will fill out on behalf of your lodge.

As we did last year, we have included a Fraternal Calendar in this Journal for you to have. It is located on page 14. If

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you look on the back cover of this issue, you will see the details of our upcoming Photo Contest. As per our last Fraternal Committee meeting with our Directors, the Fraternal Department is adding a limit of four submissions per member per category. A member will also only be allowed to win up to two categories, maximum.

Phew, and now for a cleansing breath! If you have any questions or concerns about the above information, or maybe regarding something completely unrelated, give us a call or send me an email.

I look forward to seeing long-time friends (and perhaps meeting some new ones!) at the 2018 Get-Together and Convention. Fraternally, Amanda S. Lovell Fraternal Director [email protected]


CSA Fraternal Life Board Report November 17 & 18, 2017

The final meeting in 2017 of the CSA Board of Directors was held with all members present except Diane DiBianca, who was excused. The regular committee meetings for Audit/Asset Management, Fraternal, Risk Management, and Executive Development were convened Thursday evening. Friday morning, the Board welcomed Chad Hoes and Trevor Rupe from Parkway Advisors, our asset managers. They explained the proposed changes that are coming to the NAIC classification. They will expand the number of classifications. Our portfolio is well diversified in the corporate sector to meet any new challenges. Parkway works with 20 brokers to purchase and sell bonds which gives them more competition to get the best rate for CSA. They are also handling the scholarship fund and will be investing up to 25% in stocks. This will be done incrementally since we are in a bull market. One of the most enjoyable times at the November meeting is having lunch with the staff. This has been a tradition for a number of years and it gives us an opportunity to visit and show our appreciation for all their hard work. An important part of the November meeting is setting the budget for the coming year. The officers have worked hard to cut expenses to keep the Society on a sound financial footing while expanding the membership base through sales of our products. As members of the Society, you also share in the responsibility of the growth of the company. If you know of someone who would not only benefit from our products but would also be an asset to CSA, please contact your Lodge agent or the Home Office. As directed by the Convention, the Board listed its goals in 2016 for 2017 with the following results: Continue Education: All Board members have completed the LOMA courses. A number of Board members have attended AFA conferences and participated in the seminars offered there.


Create a Strategic Plan: Director Wilt has worked with the officers to create a three-year plan dealing with the areas of Fraternal, Sales/ Marketing, Governance/Compliance, and Business Operations. It is a work in progress and we incorporate it into discussions during the meeting. Revisit the By-Laws in preparation for Convention: We are working with a respected industry professional to update the By-Laws. Product Development: We developed a 5-year annuity and new life offerings. Continue to Evaluate Vendors: We continue to meet with all our vendors during the year as a best practice. Lodge Re-engagement: This is ongoing but not measurable at this time. Goals for 2018:

Prepare for Convention Meet with all our vendors Develop entry product for new members Focus on regulatory issues Safeguard our members’ information Identify and refine the focus of the Society Streamline the By-Laws to comply with the state insurance regulations Continue with the strategic plan

By the time you read this, the Lodges should have elected the delegates and alternates to the Convention. Your participation is vital to the growth of our Society. The next Board meeting is March 9 and 10, 2018. Please contact your Director with your concerns. Fraternally, Irma Drahota Farrell

Message from the Secretary Keep CSA Thriving For Generations to Come!

Matthew Koski Executive Secretary/COO/CRO

Dear Brothers and Sisters: January is here again and with each passing winter, I have noticed my appetite for the cold has dissipated a little more since the previous year. In my youth, winter, while certainly not as worthwhile as summer, was just another season. With age comes responsibility, which may truly be what I object to. Winter means heating bills, extra feed costs for the critters at our place, and hoping our old plow truck will have just one more season in it. That way, Heather and I, along with the boys, can get to work and school each day. Once upon a time, the arrival of a winter storm meant a chance for a day of leisure, should school be called off. Whereas now, if a storm is in the forecast, chances are my right knee has already foretold it, followed closely by me running through a mental list of items we might need. So, we can all remain on schedule, snow or no snow. With warmer weather only a few months away, I thought it would be appropriate to focus on some things we’d like our members to consider putting on their schedule for 2018. This August will bring the 2018 National Convention along with the 82nd Annual Get-Together. The Committee is busy working to create a successful Get-Together and transition to the Convention. We hope that you will join us at the William Tell Hotel and Conference Center in Countryside,

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Illinois this August 3-5, plus August 6, if you are participating in the Convention. Be sure to pencil CSA in as you plan your itineraries this coming year. The founders of CSA resolved to create an organization that could be of assistance to their families and friends, to uphold and take care of others in times of need. The Board of Directors and Home Office take this legacy, which was started those many years ago in St. Louis, seriously and are pleased to make several new products available to our members. I know that Julie, our Sales Manager, would be delighted to advise you if these products are available to you, depending on what state you reside in, and to help connect you with a licensed agent. For many of us, a parent or grandparent took the initiative to get that first policy for us in our youth. Why not consider paying that gift forward to the next generation today? Working with the Fraternal Committee, programs have been refreshed here and there, and we would like to thank all the lodges for their participation and sharing their experiences with us. I had the good fortune to per-

sonally meet with a number of lodges over the past year and heard of their concerns and successes on a local level. Sister Sydney Rieckhoff, our Miss CSA 2017-18, has been able to attend a number of cultural events for us since August, and we are proud to have such a charming and accomplished woman represent CSA to the public. If you know of an event that Miss CSA should consider attending, or if have any questions regarding 2018 Fraternal Programs, please contact Amanda Lovell, our Fraternal Director. As you brave the cold this winter and begin the New Year, take time to remember and be grateful of those early members who came before you. We, as members, can honor the founders by forging ahead and making resolutions for the coming year. Attend some Lodge activities. Invite friends and family members to check out your lodge. We love new members! Together we will keep CSA thriving for generations to come. Fraternally, Matthew Koski Secretary, COO, CRO


Mr. Alpha Phi

Hello brothers and sisters, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season. This past month has been very busy. In early December, I was lucky to be able to attend the Christmas Party hosted by the Cultural Division of District Council No. 12. My mom, Robyn, drove to Illinois to accompany me to the event, and we had a great time! The party included bingo, a raffle, music, and very nice people! Additionally, I had a wonderful break from college, most of which I spent packing boxes of popcorn to fulfill orders for my family’s business. We are currently building a new production facility, which will drastically help to improve efficiency in our popcorn production, packaging, and labeling. Unfortunately, the facility won’t be finished for a few more months, so our cur-


Miss CSA rent equipment was running 24/7 in the three weeks leading up to Christmas. In fact, I pulled more all-nighters making popcorn over winter break, than I did during my entire freshman year of college! My break wasn’t entirely work, however. I was also able to spend time with family, friends, and my standard poodle, Lizzy. I am now back in California, beginning the second quarter of my sophomore year. And I have to say, Palo Alto is a little warmer than Iowa!

Now that I am back in school, I am focusing on my studies in addition to becoming more involved with my sorority, Alpha Phi. I was recently elected to the position of Vice President of Community Relations, which means I will be handling all community service and philanthropic events for the rest of the year. My sorority’s biggest event reminds me of the competition to become Miss CSA. At the end of winter, we will be hosting Mr. Alpha Phi, a male pageant dedicated to raising money for women’s heart health. It is traditionally one of the most well-attended (and most comical) events on campus, and I am so excited to be a part of the program this year! Happy January! I wish you all the best in the new year. Sydney Rieckhoff Miss National CSA 2017-2018



The Sherpas

The word Sherpas is derived from the combination of the Nepali words for “east” and “people.” The Sherpas are the people who live in the northeastern parts of Nepal, who speak their ethnic Sherpa language. They are well known for their skills in mountaineering and play a crucial role in the Mount Everest climb. Sherpas are renowned in the international climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at very high altitudes. It has been speculated that a part of the Sherpas’ climbing ability is the result of a genetic adaptation to living in high altitudes. Some of these adaptations include unique hemoglobinbinding capacity and doubled nitric oxide production. It is nearly impossible to make the climb without hiring Sherpas to assist you during the journey. The Nepal government takes a cut from this, earning around $3.25 million in royalty fees from climbers every season. The government charges $11,000 per person for climbing the 8,000-meter peak. It goes without question that Nepal’s economy is largely built on Everest expeditions. Unfortunately, very little actually goes to the Sherpas. Within the Sherpa community, too, there is a difference in earnings. Some are most experienced in following routes and climbing, and there are those who only carry the load. Sherpas earn depending on their experience, foreignlanguage skills, how much they can physically carry, and how generously they’re tipped. Sherpas earn between $3,500 and $5,000 per expedition during the climbing season, which lasts from the beginning of March until the first week of June. The most experienced and renowned Sherpa could earn up to

$8,000 per climb. This money lasts them until the next season begins. Of course, it goes without saying that the earnings hardly compensate for the risks they take. Following the devastating earthquakes in recent years, the Nepal government and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) are now taking a closer look at their compensation levels and are in the process of creating a “basket fund.” So why do Sherpas climb, since there is so much risk involved? It’s simple. It’s all they have. Mountaineering is essentially the only profession. The Sherpas do not have enough education for other jobs. They are aware of the dangers involved, yet, one expedition can support a family for a whole year. They don’t always understand why Westerners choose to climb... for the fame they suppose. Recently, Sherpa women have taken part in assisting climbers, moving on from their previous roles as child bearers and homemakers. Sherpas have lost loved ones primarily due to accidents and avalanches. The Sherpas are suffering the same fate that other cultures are experiencing in present day – their traditions are fad-


ing away. The community used to host parties, partaking in a traditional dance (“chhangdung”) with folk songs and drinking rice wine, all while enjoying a campfire at the base camp. They would perform and enjoy the night as if it was the last one of their lives. Without the Sherpas, Mount Everest climbs will not go on. Kamler, K. (2004). Surviving the extremes: What happens to the body and mind at the limits of human endurance, p. 212. New York: Penguin. Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). Through A Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to Traditional Sherpa Culture. Jyatha, Thamel: Vajra Publications. p. 2. ISBN 9789937506205.

Subramanian, Anusha. “Why the only thing tougher than climbing Mt. Everest is raising the fund for it.” The Economic Times - India Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 12 Apr 2015. Web. 8 Dec 2017. “Why Sherpas Climb.” National Geographic. Web. 8 Dec 2017.

The Price Tag of the Climb The cost of mountain climbing begins from the moment you start training, usually 12 to 18 months before the climb. It is no question that endurance levels have to be at their peak. Intensive training can cost around $8,000 or so. Pre-Everest expeditions in India help to prepare folks for climbing the 6,500-7,300 meter peaks, and these expeditions aren’t cheap. It’s also important to consider what climbers spend in gear and equipment. Theoretically, one could rent his or her gear, but having personalized gear that fits the person well is the best option. Once you’ve trained and bought your gear, now it’s time for the real price tag. The climb itself could cost you anywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 or even $100,000, depending on factors such as desired comforts, bottled oxygen, and the amount of Sherpas who will assist you (you won’t want to climb without them). You also can’t forget the $11,000 royalty fee that is paid to Nepal. The Nepal government earns over $3 million in fees paid by climbers, and their economy is largely built on these expeditions. According to one mountain guide service, Alpine Ascents, you can climb Mount Everest for the small, all-inclusive price of $65,000, with a deposit of $20,000 due upon registration. The price includes two nights of accommodation in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal; all food and lodging; unlimited access to a medical doctor at the base camp; transportation within Nepal; group equipment and gear; access to Sherpas, liaison officer, camp staff, and guides; Wi-Fi; Nepal

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administration fees; and climbing permit. Some climbers save up and pay the whole lot by themselves, but many try to find sponsorships. For some, they use gimmicks and record-breakers to raise money, such as climbing the mountain blindfolded, climbing it backwards, or climbing it in high heels... whatever it takes to get money and fame. If you’re experienced with the camera, you could document your climb and make a film for a production company. Be warned though, it takes extreme effort to shoot while you’re battling an almost 9,000-meter climb. It could be argued that perhaps the only thing tougher than climbing Mount Everest is actually raising the funds for it. “Price & Schedule.” Alpine Ascents International. Web. 6 Dec 2017.

“Raising the Funds.” MountEverest.net. Web. 6 Dec 2017.

Subramanian, Anusha. “Why the only thing tougher than climbing Mt Everest is raising the funds for it.” The Economic Times - India Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 12 Apr 2015. Web. 8 Dec 2017.


Paying Tribute to Those Who Never Made it Off the Mountain

The unfortunate fact surrounding “the climb” is that not everyone is going to succeed. It is a hard truth to swallow. Due to the extreme temperatures, unsteady terrain, and low amount of oxygen, not everyone who runs into trouble on the mountain is able to be helped. Everyone has their reasons for making the climb, and whether or not those reasons are worth dying for is open for debate. In this article, we hope to pay homage to those who made Mount Everest their last climb.

“Green Boots:” This is the nickname given to the unidentified climber who quickly became a known landmark on the main northwest ridge route of Mount Everest. This person is wearing fluorescent, green mountaineering boots, giving them the famous nickname, “Green Boots.” The identity has not been confirmed, but many believe it to be Tsewang Palijor, an Indian climber who passed away in 1996. Recently in May 2014, Green Boots was reported missing, presumably removed or buried. In 2017 as a greater number of climbers returned, the body was noticed again at 8,500 meters altitude, and “Green Boots” was laid to rest there.

David Sharp: A graduate of the University of Nottingham of the UK, David Sharp pursued climbing as a serious hobby. He took time off from working at an engineering firm to pursue climbing expeditions and go on adventures. He was planning to start work as a school teacher in the autumn of 2006. During his climb, he chose to not take advantage of a support team or bottled oxygen. It is believed that he made it to the Mount Everest summit, but became fatigued and confused on the way down. He took a break in what is known as “Green Boots’ Cave”. There is controversy surrounding his death, however, as approximately 40 climbers from various expeditions are thought to have passed by Sharp on their way up the mountain that day. Some stopped, but no significant attempt to rescue him was made.

Renowned mountaineer and philanthropist Sir Edmund Hillary has gone on record, saying, “[Climbers don’t care] for anybody else who may be in distress, and it doesn’t impress me at all that they leave someone lying under a rock to die.”

George Mallory: In 1999 one of the oldest bodies to be discovered, nearly 75 years after he passed away, was the body of George Leigh Mallory – perhaps the most famous mountaineer of all time. The question of whether or not Mallory and climbing partner Sandy Irvine reached the summit in June 1924 remains one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries. It appeared that Irvine and Mallory suffered from a fall while descending the mountain. It is said that Mallory carried a photo of his wife with him, and promised her he’d leave it on the mountain. It is believed that the climbers made it to the top of the mountain, due to his well-preserved wallet no longer containing said photo.

Francys Arsentiev: In 1998, Francys was the first American woman to reach the summit without the use of bottled oxygen. However, she never made it down from the mountain, so some


climbers do not consider this a successful ascent. During the trip down, it was a rough trek with extreme weather conditions. Francys and her husband, Sergei, became separated during the course of the evening. After a failed attempt to rescue his wife, Sergei did not make it down the mountain. It seemed he had fallen while trying to save his wife, who is now known as “Sleeping Beauty.” Arnette, Alan. “Everest 2017: Weekend Update May 27.” Alan Arnette. 27 May 2017. Web. 12 Dec 2017. Breed, Allen and Binaj Gurubacharya. “Everest remains deadly draw for climbers.” USA TODAY. Associated Press, 16 Jul 2006. Web. 12 Dec 2017. Gunaratna, Shanika. “The mountain of problems facing Everest.” CBS News. 26 May 2016. Web. 12 Dec 2017. Kennedy, Tristan. “The Gruesome Truth about the Climbers Who Die on Mount Everest.” Mpora. 24 Sep 2015. Web. 12 Dec 2017. Nuwer, Rachel. “Death in the clouds: The problem with Everest’s 200+ bodies.” BBC. 9 Oct 2015. Web. 12 Dec 2017. Tweedie, Neil. “Peace at last for Sleeping Beauty.” The Age. 6 May 2007. Web. 12 Dec 2017.

Meet the Member Congratulations to Mike Wolf!

Mike Wolf, a member of Lodge Missouri No. 1, achieved USA Hockey’s highest coaching level, Level 5. USA Hockey provides the foundation for the sport of ice hockey for the youth through Olympic levels. The process to achieve this prestigious level takes a year to complete. Mike attended a fourday seminar and was required to create 13 hours of practice drills describing the purpose for each drill. The final step in the process required a written pre-season thesis evaluating Mike’s team’s accomplishments and where improvements were needed and a written post-season dissertation reporting on how the team

improved over the course of the season. In recognition for his efforts, Mike received a certificate from the President of USA Hockey acknowledging his successful completion of the year-long program and an engraved crystal USA Hockey puck. Very few coaches attain this coaching level. Congratulations, Mike Wolf! Mike is currently coaching St. Mary’s High School ice hockey team and has for the past 10 years.

It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superwoman!

Well…I guess she’s really not superwoman, but a “Super-Secretary” she sure is! For more years than I can remember, Sister Mariann Ebright has held the office of Lodge Secretary for Lodge No. 121. Like other Lodge Secretaries, Mariann records lodge minutes, collects and responds to lodge correspondence, sends cards and letters, and performs other duties as needed. While all of this sounds similar to the duties of other CSA Secretaries, the “Super-Secretary” label comes from the fact that not only is she our lodge secretary, Mariann holds secretarial positions in four other organizations including: CSA District Council No. 9, Dillonvale American Legion Auxiliary, “Best Friends” Club (formerly the Spruce Twig of East Ohio Regional Hospital),

and The Deacons of the Dillonvale Presbyterian Church. This five-star secretary is also the wife of Bro. Charles Ebright, mother of Rusty and Christopher, and grandmother of Bailey, Skyler, and Christopher Ebright. How does she do it all, you ask? We’re not really sure, but there must be some “secretarial super power” that helps her get it done! We would like to thank Sis. Ebright for all of her diligent work for Lodge No. 121, District Council No. 9, and all the other respective organizations she serves. You are greatly appreciated!

Do you know a CSA member who deserves recognition? Are they active in the community; do they volunteer often or donate money to charitable organizations?

Send us their photo, a brief description of who they are and what they do, and we will publish them in the Journal.




District Council Write Down All Your Lodge Activities

District Council No. 12 of Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana Happy New Year! Doesn’t that have a special sound and meaning to it? Let’s hope that 2018 will be a good year for all of our family and friends and especially for our country, the good, ole’ USA. January was named after the Roman, two-faced god Janus. He is associated with beginnings and endings. This is a month that contains many note-worthy days. January 6, which is known as “Little Christmas,” commemorates the coming of the Three Wiseman to visit the newborn king. Some birthdays to celebrate are to follow: January 8, 1935 was Elvis Presley’s birthday; Martin

Luther King Jr.’s is January 15, 1929; and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s is January 30, 1882. On January 1 and 31 we have two full moons, with the latter of the two being traditionally called a “blue moon.” Looking back at holiday festivities, on November 26 the Fraternal Family Division hosted a holiday party at Safari Land Amusement Park for over 20 children and family members. Mr. and Mrs. Claus stopped by to take pictures with the children. Pizza, pop, and lots of games topped off this special day. The Cultural Division hosted its annual holiday party on December 3 with over 60 members in attendance. Everyone enjoyed eating good food, playing

A Happy Holiday Luncheon

bingo, singing Christmas songs, and winning raffle prizes. Now is the time to write down all of your lodge activities for the coming Lodge Recognition Program, with submissions due on January 31, 2018. The District Council will award lodges in April 2018. Remember, all lodges must choose delegates for this year ’s Convention. Please notify District Council by February. May 2018 be a truly happy, rewarding year for all of our CSA family, friends, and country. Respectfully, Ed Slavik

District Council No. 9, Southeastern, Ohio – The officers and members of District Council No. 9 ended their 2017 yearly activities with a holiday luncheon held December 3 at the Dillonvale Presbyterian Church Social Hall. The members of Lodge No. 121 hosted the event. A homemade meal along with a variety of desserts was enjoyed by all! Members enjoyed each other’s company in the seasonally decorated hall. Most conversations revolved around excitement and anticipation for the holidays, along with plans for individual family celebrations. When members left the luncheon, each received a goodie bag for the holidays, courtesy of the Lovell Family. (*Hint: The Czech Cookbooks published by the Cultural Division of D.C. No. 12 make a really great gift idea for your family members and friends!) Our members would like to wish all of you the most blessed of New Years! Be healthy, safe, and happy… Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell

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CSA Youth Bowl-O-Rama Fraternal Family Division District Council #12

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Suburbanite Bowl

201 W. Ogden Avenue, Westmont, IL

Suburbanite Bowl is located two blocks west of Cass Avenue in Westmont

Registration/Sign in opens ² 12:40 p.m. Warm Up & Bowling Starts ² 1:00 p.m.

$18 per bowler*

Includes 2-3 games (depending on age group) Shoes Pizza & Soda *Check with your lodge as most DC #12 Lodges will cover your entry fee

For more information or questions, please contact: Adam Wilt - 708-804-4400 or [email protected]

REGISTER TO THE CSA HOME OFFICE *POSTMARK BY MARCH 17, 2018* 16 — www.csalife.com - JANUARY 2018

Lodge Happenings New Year... New Mistakes Lodge Kruh Osvojenych Zen a Panu No. 121, Dillonvale, Ohio – It’s here… again! Another new year is upon us and most of us aren’t quite sure where the old one went! Hopefully, you are all recovering from a very enjoyable holiday season spent with loved ones. The new year - what a great time for reflection. However, most of us tend to focus on the negative rather than the positive. Unfortunately, we tend to think back on all of our mistakes made in the past year. While browsing the internet, I came across some stories, quotes and sayings about the new year. I really think that English author, Neil Gaiman, said it best:

ly, you’re doing something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more important-

Looking through Mr. Gaiman’s eyes, mistakes made aren’t necessarily a bad thing! I guess it’s all in how we choose to look at our situations. Is your glass half empty…or half full? Our lodge brothers and sisters would like to wish everyone a very blessed and productive new year full of mistakes. It is in those mistakes, that we are truly living!

“May Light always surround you; Hope kindle and rebound you. May your Hurts turn to Healing; Your Heart embrace Feeling. May Wounds become Wisdom; Every Kindness a Prism. May Laughter infect you; Your Passion resurrect you. May Goodness inspire your Deepest Desires. Through all that you Reach For, May your arms Never Tire.” ― D. Simone And may your glass always be completely full (of pivo)! Smiles and New Year’s Blessings, Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell

Lodge Bratri od Sazavy No. 211, Little Ferry, New Jersey – The last meeting of 2017, also our annual meeting, was held November 29 in the Sokol Hall. We had eight members in attendance. After regular business, elections were held. Congratulations to the new officers for 2018 and many thanks for a great job to the officers for 2017.

On December 6, the lodge had a holiday luncheon in the Bella Napoli Restaurant. Sister Carol Tranter was unable to attend because she was in the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, 30 miles from the Canadian border, visiting her son who is living and working there for the winter. A road trip into the Moosehead Wilderness and Seboomook

Wilderness produced no actual moose, just moose rubs and snow-covered roads in the middle of nowhere. What fun! By the time you read this, Christmas will have passed, but we hope yours was wonderful and we wish you all a very Happy New Year! Fraternally, Carol Tranter

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

Moose-less Road Trip



Lodge Happenings After a Productive and Generous 2017, Be Better in 2018! Lodge Pingree No. 366, Dearborn Heights, Michigan Happy New Year, brothers and sisters! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. We had a productive and generous 2017, and now it’s time to “Be Better” in 2018! We have many events scheduled for the future. We will be having the 45th Lodge Pingree Bowling Social on Sunday, April 22, 2018. We’ll have the bowling and luncheon at Town & Country Lanes on Wayne Road in Westland. The bowling will start at 11:00 a.m. with a lunch immediately following. The cost is $17.00 for members and $20.00 for guests. If you would like to come for food only, it will only cost $6.00. Wow! Contact Jeff Teichman at 734-522-7746 for info.


Lodge Pingree is also hosting the 71st Annual CSA Bowling Congress on May 5 and 6, 2018. There will be a Hospitality Night on the evening of Friday, May 4 at the host hotel. Entry forms will be mailed out and will be located in future editions of the Journal. Our meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month. We go to the Sokol Cultural Center at 12:30 p.m. We thank the members who attend, and encourage those who haven’t to come to one. Give it a try! More things are in store, so please check your CSA Journal! Fraternally yours, Jeff Teichman

Lodge Happenings Celebration of Membership Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409, Lombard, Illinois – Our annual Christmas Dinner at Sawa’s Old Warsaw Smorgasbord was a lively affair with 22 members in attendance including DC No. 12 President Ken Dvorsky and Fraternal Director Amanda Lovell. Brothers and Sisters chowed down on any number of traditional Polish fare. They can count on stepping on the scale the next day and seeing a rise in numbers! After dinner, President Jerry Gaydusek called our brief meeting to order. Regular business was taken care of quickly and songs were sung in honor of Anthony Cervenka’s birthday and Sister Annmarie Antos’ wedding anniversary! December brought honors to our members by way of ceremonial pins. Celebrating 50 years of membership were Karole Gaydusek, Jerry Gaydusek, John Nekolny, Ed Cervenka, and Anthony Cervenka. Seventy-five year pins were received by Helenka Gaydusek and delivered to Martha Cervenka. Congratulations to all on their achievement! Vice President Lyn Burton and Scribe Gerri Romanelli delivered members’ handwritten Christmas cards to each other. There were piles of cards, beautifully written and presented. After the card exchange, Lyn presided over the Christmas Raffle. The table was full of lovely gifts: gingerbread (courtesy of Lil Nemec), candy, decorations, and surprises. Every member went home with winnings and we all had a great time. Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison extends wishes to all of our CSA Brothers and Sisters to enjoy the holiday season and have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! Fraternally, Gerri Romanelli

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Lodge Happenings Making Afghans

Lodge Rovnost No. 53, Indian Head Park, Illinois - The girls of Lodge Rovnost again were busy this year cro-

cheting afghans for the British Home and the Scottish Home residents. In the photos, you can see Joyce Nemec and

Caroline Johnston with a member accepting the afghans at the British Home. At the Scottish Home, we have Caroline Johnston with Becky, the Director of Outreach and Marketing, along with Joyce Nemec donating the afghans. The residents thanked us for their gifts. Our other crochet-er, Chris Lanzel, could not be there since she was on her way to England to meet her new grandson. We had a great time going to both homes and were excited to make the residents happy. We are starting to make more for next year. Fraternally, Caroline Johnston

Fraternal Well Wishes

Wayal Abarca Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219

Joan Sapp Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219

Camille Shima Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219 20 — www.csalife.com - JANUARY 2018

Lodge Happenings Event Dates, Charities, and Donations

Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372 Maple Heights, Ohio – Well here it is, the start of another new year, 2018. Our newly elected officers for 2018 are President Mary Ann Toncar, Vice President Fran Weiss, Recording Secretary Janet Dembowski and Treasurer Diane DiBianca. The District Council No. 10 delegates are Mary Ann Toncar, Janet Dembowski, Annette Reichman, Diane DiBianca, Virginia Dvorak, Donna Stepka, and John Weiss. The officers will be installed at the January 25 meeting.

Delegates representing our lodge at the August 2018 Convention in Chicago are Mary Ann Toncar, Janet Dembowski, and John Weiss. There will be more information later on. We are looking forward to the Convention, the Get-Together, the Miss National CSA Contest, and the selection of the Fraternalist of the Year. At the meeting, we will be setting our 2018 event dates and also discussing our charities and donations for the year. We are glad to have Diane DiBianca, Linda Vopat, and our President, Mary Ann Toncar, back at our meetings! Also,

we are happy to hear that Bill Miller is doing well. We are thrilled that members attended the District Council No. 10 Christmas and Pin Party. Remember, our first meeting of the New Year is on January 25, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. with lunch held at noon at the Maple Heights Senior Center. We hope you all have a happy and healthy new year. Fraternally, Fran Weiss

Lodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77, North Riverside, Illinois - Our Lodge had a very busy meeting in November. First, we reviewed which charities our Lodge was contributing to this year. Next, we held election of officers. Everyone was voted into the same positions they held last year. We want to thank T. G. Masaryk School and Lodge Harrison/Hus/ Garfield for contributing pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. We ended our meeting and played Bingo. We raised $100, and will send it to “Operation Support our Troops.” Thanks to Cindy Bueneman for writing the following recap of events at the Bohemian National Cemetery, celebrat-

ing 140 years of service to the community. Cemetery delegates and representatives of the various organizations were invited to participate in the event which included a re-dedication of the Memorial Bell which is located above the archway entrance to the cemetery. The Memorial Bell was originally installed for the Columbian Expositionthe 1893 World’s Fair of Chicago. The bell would ring as funeral processions entered through the beautiful stone archway of the cemetery. The bell had been silent for many years until its rededication and re-installation. Hearing the bell chime brought back memories of loved ones who are now resting with-

in the grounds of this beautiful memorial park. In addition, a photo of the current board and delegates was unveiled and will be hung in the cemetery office. Many of our Lodge members were able to attend the ceremony which featured beautiful ice sculptures of the gatehouse, a large replica bottle of Becherovka, complete with a pourthrough spout to chill the Czech liquor, as well as a crystal ice bucket for champagne toasts, not to mention shrimp, chlebicky and Czech pastries. It was a lovely event! The cemetery board, staff and representative delegates are dedicated to the preservation of this beautiful cemetery that holds many unique statues and memorials. The cemetery is an important part of our Czech heritage and Chicago’s rich history. Fraternally, Mary Ellen Janda

Ringing the Memorial Bell



Lodge Happenings NEFA, Annual Meeting, Czech/Slovak Displays

Lodge Laurel No. 452, StorrsMansfield, Connecticut - We have

Sisters Marion, Jill and Kirsten decorating tree

Sisters Margaret, Marion, Ethel, Jill, Kirsten setting up display case

Completed display

been busy! On November 3 and 4, Sisters Marion Varga and Laura VargaKnowlton attended the 93rd Annual New England Fraternal Alliance meeting in Meriden and Bristol, Connecticut. Friday night began with a pizza social at the hotel and preparation for Saturday’s meeting. Saturday morning’s meeting began with a memorial service where each society lit a candle and remembered its deceased members. During our educational program, we held a round table discussion sharing our individual society’s activities. At our luncheon, we presented two NEFA scholarships and also presented food and monetary donations to “Saint Vincent De Paul” food kitchen. Our afternoon speaker was Marek Czarnecki, an iconographer, who gave a wonderful presentation on iconography and on the “History of the Painting of the Black Madonna,” also known as “Our Lady of Czestochowa.” The NEFA National Fraternalist of the Year Award was presented at our evening banquet. Our

Sister Agnes showing wrapped nut ready for the tree

NEFA Past Presidents in attendance; Sis.Marion Varga seated on left 22 — www.csalife.com - JANUARY 2018

keynote speaker at the banquet was Frank J. Spula, President of the Polish National Alliance of the United States. Laura and I felt informed and grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this event. Lodge Laurel held its Annual Meeting on November 19. After discussing plans for setting up our Heritage displays and finalizing plans for our Christmas party, the Election of Officers was held. Our Officers will remain the same for 2018. We also elected delegates and alternates to the CSA Convention. Our meeting ended with a craft activity of wrapping walnuts with foil, to be used in decorating our “traditional” Christmas tree display. On November 29, a group of us met at the Ashford Town Hall to set up our heritage display in the display case of the lobby of the building. Our display focuses on Czeck/Slovak Christmas traditions, beginning with Svaty Mikulas Day on Decmber 6. We continued with the meal and traditions of Christmas Eve, then Christmas Day (in some areas also called Bozi hod vanocni or Prvy Sviatck Vianocny), and December 26, Svaty Stepan Day (also called Druhy Sviatck Vianocny). We learned a lot from our research. A concise few paragraphs were typed up and put into the display. We also included some traditional toys children might receive and a few of our Journal articles. We then crossed the road to Knowlton Memorial Hall Lobby, which is the entrance to the Town Library and Town Meeting Hall, where we decorated our “traditional” Czech/Slovak tree. Decorations include wrapped candies, wrapped nuts, cookie and straw ornaments, and a few wooden and glass ornaments. The wrapped candies and nuts, and the cookie ornaments were all made by Lodge members. We haven’t yet figured out the straw ornaments. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and wishing all a very happy and healthy New Year! Fraternally, Marion Varga

Lodge Happenings CSA Member Publishes Book

Lodge Mile-Hi Czechs, No. 432, Lakewood, Colorado - September 2017 found Janet Farrar hiking in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asia Country along the Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean. She then traveled next door to Uzbekistan, another Central Asian Country. In October, 2017, Janet was off to Bulgaria along the Black Sea with a wonderful coastline, mountainous interior, and rivers. From there she traveled to Romania, a Southeastern European country, another Balkan nation. She enjoyed the history and culture of the very different places she traveled this fall. In November, 2017, Janet and Anne Farrar attended the wedding of Anna Farrar-Helm to Shane Tijernia. The wedding and reception were held November 11 in Dallas, Texas, at a local Dallas country club. The couple will honeymoon in March 2018, in Antigua. They will make their home in the Dallas area. Anna was a contestant in the 2008 Miss CSA contest in Virginia. After the wedding, Janet and Anne visited with Anne’s niece, Karen. On Sunday, December 10, 2017, lodge members gathered at the lovely decorated home of Jake and Jan Jacobs

Adella Schulz with her book

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in Arvada for the Christmas party. There were several members and guests. It was hard to get everyone together for a photo shoot, so I took a few group pictures. The members provided wonderful food - lots of different things - and Irma baked Kolaches. There wasn’t one Kolache left. I wonder if we ate them all or if someone took some home in a baggie. I guess we will never know. We had a few birthdays and one anniversary to celebrate. December is Anne Farrar and Irma Wolf’s birthdays and, as they were talking about their birthdays, they realized they both grew up in Chicago. They know some of the same people and went to some of the same places. Hey ladies, how many years have you known each other and you just now figured this out? December is Donna and Jack Griffin’s wedding anniversary. Adella Schulz has recently published a book titled, “Undocumented.” It’s a must read for anyone of Czech descent as it tells of the hardships, struggles, and triumphs our ancestors went through. An easy read, with a happy ending. Who couldn’t use that these days? This will be my last Journal article. I have decided that I need a break and Pat Kenning will be writing our lodge Journal articles in 2018. I hope you

have enjoyed reading my articles the past few years. Fraternally, Maryellen Hruska Vialpando

Anne Farrar and Irma Wolf birthday girls


Lodge Happenings Sending Greetings - Czech Voice of Cleveland

Corey and Jen Zidlicky (top) Nancy and Corey's mother and son dance (below)

Lodge Benjamin Franklin No. 02, Seven Hills, Ohio - Our holiday season got underway on the Monday before Thanksgiving as the assemblage convened for the election of officers meeting. A check was forwarded to the Parma Builders League at Seven Hills Lanes to continue sponsorship of Team Franklin for the 2017-2018 bowling season. We wish the best of luck to our keglers on another competitive and successful year! The lodge extended Christmas greetings to all our members and friends on The New Czech Voice of Cleveland radio program. Host John Sabol’s show can be heard on Sundays from 3-4 p.m. on WHKW AM 1220 on the dial. The show is also available as a podcast on whkwradio.com/podcasts, during the week, should you miss it. As a reminder, we continue to save aluminum tabs for the benefit of the Ronald McDonald House of Cleveland. Thanks to Vicki Zidlicky, Dave Kus and Jen Zidlicky for their continued contributions for this worthy cause. Let’s keep them tabs a coming! As we concluded the meeting with the election, there were only minor changes in officers. Scott Krecow helms the show as President. I again will be his sidekick as Vice President and Scribe. Vicki Zidlicky maintains her Secretarial duties, as does Ken Burdzinski in his Treasurer’s office. Dave Kus will be in


charge of security in the Sentry post. As a pleasant surprise, Jim D. Zidlicky stepped up to be our Guide. He also will assist Mike Cernosky as the Audit Committee. We appear to be in good hands for the year 2018! Making our trek upstairs to the lounge area for refreshments, the members found themselves just in time for trivia night at the Inn. The collective genius of the lodge won the day in this one. A $25 gift card will be shared during the next regular meeting for this victory; a pitcher of beer was also won as a bonus prize along the way, much to everyone’s delight. It must have been a stacked deck as we had a history/social studies teacher, marine biologist, chemist, and chief cook and bottlewasher to draw on among our many talents! Congratulations to Brother Corey Zidlicky as he was united in the sacrament of marriage to the beautiful former Miss Jennifer Krause. It was an unusually lovely day on October 21, as the sun shined and temperatures basked in the mid 70’s. The ceremony took place at the ornate St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Parma, Ohio. The mass was well attended and included a bridal party of four couples with the groomsmen dressed in black tuxes and the bridesmaids in red wine-colored dresses. In addition to an organist, a string ensemble provided the music for the ceremony. Two hundred invitees converged for an opulent, early evening reception held at the historical Whitehall Colombia, in Columbia Station, Ohio. A plated dinner followed the many speeches and toasts, then the party turned to dancing and socializing. Corey and Jen even opened a donut bar that included coffee, tea, and befitting of the season, apple cider. This was much to the pleasure of the many peace officers in attendance. Mr. and Mrs. Zidlicky spent their one-week honeymoon at Sandals in Barbados. Corey is the son of Nancy and Jeff Zidlicky. May you all have a very healthy, happy, and prosperous new year! Fraternal regards, Jeff Zidlicky [email protected]

Lodge Happenings New Year’s Resolution?

Lodge Washington No. 30, St. Louis, Missouri - What a lovely Christmas Party we had! Forty of our members (including 10 kids) were on hand to enjoy the good food and delicious desserts, the candy jar guessing game, several rounds of bingo, the gift exchange, and, of course, a visit from Santa. A couple of the little ones weren’t so sure about sitting on his lap, but all of them received a gift from the lodge and everyone had a fun time at this annual activity. We welcomed CSA President John Kielczewski (missed you, Lynette!), who brought greetings from the Home Office and a short update on some new products and future plans. We also welcomed our Director Connie Wolf and her husband Michael, District Council President; and members of Lodge Spirit of St. Louis. Thank you to all who provided hats, gloves, scarves, and socks to benefit The Patch Community Center, and to everyone who provided dessert. It was nice to see all of you! We did manage to do a little business in-between the fun. All our current officers were re-elected: President Jennifer

Josie, Charlie, and Lilian Smith visited with Santa at our party.

Zeman, Vice President Deborah Zeman, Secretary Gail Petelik, and Treasurer and Guide/Sentry Karen Ditz. They will be installed at the District Council’s

Installation of Officers on Friday, February 2, at the ACEC. We also elected our two delegates to next year’s Quadrennial Convention, Deborah Zeman and Karen Ditz. Speaking of Karen, she spent a few days in Florida at a family wedding and soaking up some warm sunshine. Hope it was a great trip! And we welcomed back Charlie and Helen Vokracka, who have returned to the St. Louis area after living in Ozark, Missouri, for a few years. It’s good to have you in the area again. As always, we’d love to see more members at our regular meetings on the second Friday of each month at the American-Czech Center to share ideas and suggestions about lodge activities. Why not make that your New Year’s resolution? Fraternally, Deborah Zeman

Members donated winter items to The Patch Community Center



Lodge Happenings Member Hosts Radio Show

Lodge Sionilli No. 170, Brookfield, Illinois - We had a great time at our annual meeting in November. We elected many of

Super Soup Competition


the same officers and even filled some positions that had not been filled in the past such as Guide, Sentry, and Youth Coordinator. We chose our convention delegates and ate delicious pizza, brownies, and tasted some adult beverages that Vera Wilt received as a gift from Canada. We decided to take a break for the holidays and meet back up in January. We’d also love to share the successes of one of our members. John Weissensel is a senior at Western Illinois University in Macomb and is majoring in Radio and Television Broadcasting. This past summer, he had an internship at WSPL in Peru where he got the opportunity to write news stories and broadcast news on the radio. He also hosts his own NASCAR show called Race Chatter, every Saturday afternoon on his school’s radio station, 88.3 The Dog. He is expecting to graduate in the spring of next year. Keep up the great work, John! Fraternally, Alix Wilt Lodge R.T. Crane No. 7, North Riverside, Illinois - If you’ve been following our Journal articles for the past few months, you may have noticed there’s been a lot of anticipation for our first ever soup competition. Well, I’m here to tell you that it was a major success! We were happy to have seven unique soups prepared by members of our lodge. The soups were: Stuffed Green Pepper, Tomato Tortellini, Kickin’ Chicken, Tripe, Corn Chowder, Potato Mushroom, and Liver Dumpling. We each sampled the different soups and voted for our top three favorites. Coming in third place was the Corn Chowder, prepared by Dawn Jensen. In second place was the Potato Mushroom soup, prepared by Vera Wilt. And drum roll…. The first place winner was the Liver Dumpling Soup, prepared by Diane Rezabeck. Can you tell we are a bunch of Czechs with those choices! We all agreed that it was a delicious night and that the soup competition should become an annual activity. The soup competition was not the only ballot vote we had at our November meeting. It was also our annual meeting and we elected our officers and even had a secret ballot vote for or delegates to the 2018 Convention. Our President Charmaine Thorfeldt and her husband Dennis went on a European cruise in November. After several ports in Italy and Spain, including the Canary Islands, their ship, Celebrity Silhouette, sailed across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale. The cruise was 15 days long. The weather was nice and warm most days (in the 70s) and the ocean was calm. They highly recommend it! Included is a picture of Charmaine and Dennis in front of the Cathedral in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Fraternally, Alix Wilt

Lodge Happenings Sharing the Christmas Spirit Lodge Golden Gate No. 252, San Jose, California – Our December meeting was held at the Mastalir home in Foster City. Hostess Pat Mastalir met us at the front door wearing a red and white beanie. The beanie was a souvenir given to those attending the 2nd Annual Czech Heritage Night Hockey Game between the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks. All agreed it was a great game. The Sharks won and Tomas Hertl, the San Jose Sharks Czech super star, received credit for two assists of their five goals. Fun time. Hope you can join us next year. During the business portion of the meeting, Jim Martinek announced his grandson, Troy Kenyon, recently passed his 6-hour exam to become a financial

Future firefighter, Jake

Fireman Dustin Robinson gave us a tour of the fire truck.

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planner on the first try. This is a very rigorous exam and very few pass on the first go. We wish Troy well on his journey into a new career. This was our Christmas meeting. After lunch, we had a White Elephant exchange. There were many interesting gifts. One of the most unusual was a large green frog which our Secretary, Shelle, paraded around on her head after opening. In the family room, we brought together a number of unwrapped toys for the Fireman’s Christmas Holiday Toy Drive. Some toys were purchased by our lodge but many were given by our members. The next day, we invited our junior elves to help distribute them. This year, we brought the toys to San Jose Fire Station 17. Fireman Dustin Robinson explained that the firemen wrap the gifts at the fire station and then

distribute them to children in need. For our donation, we were rewarded with a detailed tour of the fire truck and given a chance to try on some of the fire gear. We quickly discovered it was quite heavy, over 200 pounds if you include the oxygen tanks. It was a nice visit and gave us a chance to share in the Christmas spirit. On our way home, we stopped by a nearby ice cream shop and sampled some of their 31 flavors. There were no complaints. Our Valentine meeting will be held in Foster City on Friday, February 2. If you would like to attend, please bring a Valentine card. For more information, call Shelle at (408) 528-9434 or email me at csalodge [email protected]. Fraternally, Walt Strach

Jake, Jack, Charlie, and Sofia deliver toys to Fire Station.

Eating ice cream and posing with funny faces. JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 27

Lodge Happenings Prasky Sausage - Prizes!

Lodge Harrison/Hus/Garfield No. 378, Cicero, Illinois - There were nine lodge members at the Holiday Party hosted by the Cultural Division of District Council No. 12. Gerri Coates and Norma Kmet received their 50-year membership pins. Congratulations to both of these active members. See our pictures on CSA’s Facebook page. On December 9, we held our annual Christmas Party at Czech Plaza. There were 40 for dinner. A big thanks to the Rus, Pros, and McGuire families. Our generous group donated prizes and the lodge provided 10 prasky sausages. Our raffle raised $330, which will be divided between St. Barbara Pastoral Care and Honor Flight Chicago. Many thanks go to Peggy and Mike McGuire for their help with the raffle. It was great to see Ethel Rus and Helen Caldwell enjoying the party. We hadn’t seen Gloria Schultz and Rosemary in a while, and they said they’d be at meetings more often. Our meetings are held at the TG Masaryk Czech School. Please contact me for info. Fraternally, Ken Dvorsky

Scholarship Fund Report

November 10, 2017 through December 10, 2017

TO CONTINUE CSA’S TRADITION OF ASSISTING YOUNG MEMBERS IN PURSUING THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION John A. Janos Lodge Karel Jonáš No. 279 Lodge Groveton No. 004 Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372 Lodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77 Lodge Laurel No. 452 Margo M. Michalec, Trust IN MEMORY OF DECEASED LODGE MEMBERS Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409 Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377 Lodge R. T. Crane, Jr. No. 7 Lodge Queensdale No. 422


IN MEMORY OF DECEASED MEMBERS OF LODGE BRATŘI OD SÁZAVY No. 211 Victoria M. Bielik, Robert Clark, Robert Duffie, Ruth M. Hans, Margaret J. Jeck, Vincent Jiles, Iris Kwitchoff, Edyth M. Luckett, Margaret Lync, Herbert J. McCorry Jr., Leslie Pullen, Clara Mae Smith, Vincent W. Urbank, Helen Valenta, Dana Votruba, Elnora Ware, Blanche E. Zabransky IN MEMORY OF MARY-ANNE JERABEK Lodge Washington No. 30

IN MEMORY OF RUDOLPH, MARY MAZUREK RUDY JR., LOUIS & ALICE Janet L. Hansen

TOTAL DONATIONS

$14,108.90

Lodge Happenings Making the Holidays More Special for Others

Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377, Lombard, Illinois - A huge thank you to our incredible, generous lodge members! Last year’s toy drive was our most successful ever… until this year! Over $1000 worth of toys, games, and warm winter accessories were donated by our members, and the inner child in all of us was delighted in the range of items: really fun books, toy trucks, building sets, and soft-soft-soft, furry stuffed animals! All items were delivered to People’s Resource Center for their ‘Share the Spirit’ campaign. PRC does so much for the community, and it is our honor to support and contribute to them all year long. We are also proud that our lodge efforts in the 2017 CSA Serves program qualified for the maximum level of matching donations from the CSA Home Office, including contributions to PRC, Fisher House at Hines VA Hospital, Sokol Spirit, and the Czechoslovak Heritage Museum. We are confident that these organizations, supported by our members throughout the year, will make good use of the additional funds, and we are grateful to the CSA Officers and Board for continuing to support lodge service projects in this way. I hope you enjoyed the October photos of our angel ornaments, created at our craft-night meeting. It will please you to know that those ‘charming cherubs’ were delivered, along with fleece blankets and other items, to Tabor Hills Supportive Living and Healthcare community. The staff member receiving the donations was absolutely delighted! The ornaments will be distributed to residents most in need of a little holiday cheer, and the other items will be used as Bingo prizes and fund-raisers. We are particularly gratified that our efforts served as the perfect match for a community need, and it’s wonderful to hear such appreciation – it means we’re doing something right! Don’t miss upcoming special lodge meetings and activities: February’s pizza party hosted by the men, a spring lun-

cheon (details TBA), and much more to come. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need a ride to join us – it would be our pleasure to see you! With wishes for a joyous and healthy new year, Jean Hemzáček Laukant [email protected]/630-279-7894

Our members really know how to “Share the Spirit”!

I am joined by other Cultural Division Holiday party attendees: Beverly and Larry Ebenroth, Beth Hemzacek, and 75-year CSA pin recipient, Ray Hemzacek




Lodge Happenings Check Your Policy Dates

Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219, Cleveland, Ohio - We hope all of you had a blessed and joyful Christmas and New Year! We sure did! We started out with our Pin Party on December 10 at a lovely venue. Our own Norma Rosoletti received her 75year pin! She is a lovely, vivacious ninetysomething year old who we love dearly. (See photos.) She was out on the floor dancing with another member, Carole Cerillo. She sure knows how to polka! Our National Secretary Matt Koski and his lovely wife also attended our Pin Party. The meal was delicious and the company of friends was enjoyed. We would like all of our members to check their policies as to when they were purchased. When the national organization switched computer programs, some of the member’s purchase dates were lost. So please check your dates and let June Karecki at 216-941-6969 know if you should get your 50 or 75-year pin. Everyone, please try and attend next year’s Pin party. We would

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love to see you all. On December 12, our lodge’s Christmas party/meeting was held at a Longhorn Restaurant. Fourteen members attended. After a short meeting, we all enjoyed a delicious luncheon. We thanked Freddie Shima for purchasing 10 of the door prizes that were given out at the Pin Party. Tony Genco and Karen Buzek have also agreed to attend the Patronat meetings, the organization that takes care of our meeting hall. Our bowling league continues to be doing well. We had our Christmas party at the bowling alley on December 20. We wish all our members and families good health for the new year. Fraternally yours, Judy (Sevcik) Genco


Claim 52462 52463 52464 52465 52466 52467 52468 52469 52470 52471 52472 52473 52474 52475 52476 52477 52478 52479 52480

Name Helenjean M. Knox Harlei E. Maxian Vera H. Liska John T. Tennyson Carol M. Greenleaf George Burkett Elsie A. Nudera Joan A. Anderle Joan A. Anderle Cynthia A. Meager Yvonne Fitzgerald Richard C. Gensler Donna Y. Heaston Elliot G. Fergle Janice M. Frame Joseph J. Holas Laverne V. Hacker Bessie S. Kaspar Carol M. Hunt

In Memoriam

Lodge 458 310 366 432 231 479 170 53 475 310 484 306 388 366 428 7 151 231 1


Place of Death THEODOSIA, MO BELLAIRE, OH DEARBORN HTS, MI ARVADA, CO WESTMONT, IL LOWER BURRELL, PA SHOREWOOOD, IL ROMEOVILLE, IL ROMEOVILLE, IL RICHMOND, OH PHILADELPHIA, PA PITTSBURGH, PA CORONA, CA MINNEAPOLIS, MN

LUTHERVll TIMONIUM, MD

SELBYVILLE, DE WOODRIDGE, IL DE MOTTE, IN O’FALLON, MO

Date 11/11/2017 11/07/2017 10/20/2017 10/05/2017 10/25/2017 11/06/2017 11/21/2017 11/12/2017 11/12/2017 09/28/2017 11/12/2017 11/13/2017 01/30/2017 04/13/2017 10/30/2017 09/16/2017 10/09/2017 11/12/2017 11/06/2017

Age 87 20 94 49 78 79 85 87 87 80 77 70 78 13 63 82 86 91 85

In Memoriam John Thomas Tennyson, a member of Lodge Mile Hi-Czechs, No. 432, passed away on October 5, 2017. John was born June 4, 1986 at Madigan General Hospital in Tacoma, Washington. John attended high school in Arvada, Colorado. Following school, he served in the U.S. Army and attended Metro State University. He was employed by Advanced Service Technology in Arvada, Colorado for over 20 years. Growing up, John attended lodge meetings and events with his mother and sister. When the lodge held festivals and pork dinners, he would help. John is survived by his mother Maryellen and stepfather George Vialpando, sister Jo Ellen Lantz, nephew Robert Lantz and niece Nicole Lantz. He is buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

“Soldier, rest. Thy warfare is over. Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking; dream of battle fields no more, days of danger, nights of waking.” -Sir Walter Scott Lodge Pingree No. 366 sends condolences to the family and friends of Jane Cibulka, who passed peacefully at home, on Sunday, December 10. Jane was a resident of Dearborn Heights, Michigan. She was the beloved wife of the late Frank “Cibby” Cibulka. Jane was the mother of Chuck (Leinaala) Cibulka, Cathy (Nick) Nichols, Larry (Cathy) Cibulka, and Bill (Lisa Guido) Cibulka.

She was the dearest sister of the late Jerry Fiema, Lillian Sasseen, and Nancy Peltola; current sisters are Marie Palmer and Rose Marie Burns. Jane was the dearest grandmother of Joe, Jeff (Emma), Matt, Ruby, Billy, and Maeve. Jane is survived by her brother-in-laws Tom Sasseen and Lou Peltola. Rest peacefully, Sister Janie.



Meet the Member Member Organizes Half-Day Conference

Lodge Slunce No. 374, Ocklawaha, Florida - As the new year rolls around, many people are filling out New Year’s resolutions (I know that giving up holiday cookies are at the very top of my list). Everyone’s lists may look different, but this year I believe that there is one resolution that all people should strive for: to be catalysts of peace. In a time where we are seeing so much sadness and suffering, it is important to always remember to be a light and to reach out to those in need. I believe that’s exactly what is at the heart of CSA: Service. This past year, I have had the privilege to help organize and run a Teen Interfaith Prayer Service. This half-day conference served as an opportunity for high school students to learn about other beliefs and cultures while engaging in discussions about tolerance and peace. There were many “icebreaker” games, a time for each faith group to share a common prayer of their faith. Small groups engaged in conversation and wrote a collaborative prayer, then had an opportunity to ask questions to a panel of members of different faiths. I was a small group leader and a panelist.

Towards the very end of the conference, every student wrote a prayer request on a post-it note and then placed it on a white board. Representatives of each religion lit a unity candle and then every student picked a different post-it note off of the white board. The point of this was for every student to go home and pray the prayer of anonymous person. They may be praying the prayer of another faith. It emphasized the importance of inclusion for all people. I still keep my prayer in my phone case to recite it every day. The next month, my friend Gigi and I were invited to attend the Adult Interfaith Prayer Service and read the collaborative prayers we had previously written at the Teen Conference. It was such a beautiful experience to see so many people willing to stand up for peace and learn about different cultures. It reminded me of the wonderful opportunity we have at CSA to learn about our culture, and even learn about new ones! It also reminded me of CSA’s dedication to fraternity and serving others. When there are so many devastating situations appearing in the news every day, it is so encouraging to be a part of an organization that is founded on service. As we begin this year, I encourage everyone to reflect on the beautiful work that all the lodges collectively do and to always look for opportunities to be leaders of compassion and peace. Fraternally, Sis. Florence Schreiner Lodge Slunce

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If you’re a CSA member who is 17 years old or younger, we want to hear from you! Did you join a new club at school, start playing for the basketball team, or maybe you received an A on a science project... we want you to tell us about it! Send an article with photos (we love to see them) to: Amanda at [email protected].


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Just Kids

The Climb

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Czech to English

Leden………….....................................………..January (Le-den) Nový Rok………..............................………..New Year (No-vý Rok) Hora………………................................……...mountain (ho-ra) Horolezec………...............………...mountain climber (ho-ro-le-zec) Sníh…………….............................................…………snow (sníh) Vysoká hora…….........………..........…tall mountain (vy-so-ká hora) Lézt……………............................................………….climb (lézt) Boty………..................................................……………boots (boty) Sněhulak……….............................…………..snowman (sně-hu-lak) /

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Grand Prize for Best of Contest: $250 Prize for Each Category: 1st Place: $125 2nd Place: $75 3rd Place: $50 Submitted photograph(s) must be taken by a CSA member in the year 2017. No professional or studio photos will be considered, as this is an amateur contest. NEW THIS YEAR: Participants may send 4 submissions, maximum, per category. A member will also only be allowed to win up to two categories, maximum. You may submit any size photo (up to 8x10), un-mounted, in black and white or color. Photo must be submitted as is; no retouching or photoshopping. Digital images must be sent electronically or printed traditionally on photo paper; print-outs on computer paper will not be accepted. If mailing your photo, on a separate sheet, print your name, lodge name and number, age, full address, phone number, type of camera used, and submission category. If the photo includes specific scenery, please give the location. Do not write on the back of photo.

DEADLINE: MARCH 23, 2018 PHOTO SUBMISSION CATEGORIES: ANIMALS NATURE PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHER’S CHOICE (objects or subjects of interest)

Send photos to: [email protected] CSA Fraternal Life Attn: Fraternal Dept. P.O. Box 249 Lombard, IL 60148

www.csalife.com CSAPOCNST12192017