Sokol SF Newsletter - April 2021 |
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Dear Friends of Sokol SF,
With April’s Newsletter we are welcoming Spring 2021! We celebrated the first day of spring by a beautiful morning hike by the Crystal Spring Reservoir in San Mateo County. We enjoyed a short stretching exercise by the San Andreas Lake Dam and admired Jepson Laurel, believed to be the oldest Bay tree in California, estimated to be over 600 years old. On March 28th we held a virtual Easter Eggs Decoration Class – perfectly timed just before Easter.
As the Covid restrictions are gradually lifting, we hope to return to our regular lives, and our unit can start meeting in person again. We are planning several fun events, such as new hikes, a picnic with the Czech School of California, and a visit to wineries in Napa Valley.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Nazdar!
Jara Dusatko, President Sokol SF
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April 17th @ 9 am Hike around Lake Merritt, Oakland, & visit to Farmers Market
April 25th @ 11am Sunday Czech cooking demonstration class
Save the date:
May 1st @ 2pm Visit to Filoli Gardens
May 9th Mother's Day
May 16th @ 9 am Sunday Hike on Peninsula - Pillar Point Bluff Trail
June 6th @ 9am Dasenka - Virtual puppet performance of Karel Capek's Dasenka
All times on our calendar are Pacific Daylight Time
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Walk around Oakland's Lake Merritt &
visit to Farmers Market
Saturday April 17 at 9 am
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Join us on April 17, 2021, at 9 am for a morning stroll around Lake Merritt in Oakland. The Farmers Market is open on Saturdays so if you would like to pick up some fresh vegetables or fruits you are welcome to visit it after our hike.
We will meet at the Pergola at Lake Merritt (picture left) at 9 am and will depart clock wise at 9:10 promptly.
Please note that dogs are welcome on leash for the walk but not allowed to the farmers market.
There should be plenty of parking under the freeway as the farmers market is just opening at 9 am.
Public Safety: All county COVID-19 protocols remain in place, including maintaining a social distance of 6' & mandatory face coverings when this is not possible. Please bring your own face coverings & hand sanitizer. Help us keep the park safe by following the local public safety orders.
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Sunday Lunch Virtual Cooking Demonstration
Nedělní oběd se Sokolem SF
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Join us for a Virtual Czech Cooking Class:
Our menu represents Czech classics with a personal twist. Class will be lead by our Sokol member chefs:
- Jana will teach us how to make Bramboracka soup - potato and wild mushroom soup.
- Milena will demonstrate a timeless classic Knedlo-Vepro-Zelo; dumplings with roasted pork loin and sauerkraut.
- And no Czech dinner would be complete without a dessert. Denisa will bake Babovka - bundt cake.
Class will be flowing back and forth in both Czech and English.
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Spring visit to Filoli Gardens
Saturday May 1st @ 2 pm
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Spring at Filoli brings a wealth of colorful blooms to shake off those winter blues.
Daffodils, tulips, and blossoms flourish as the days grow longer and the weather warmer.
Due to health guidelines the number of visitors is limited and you need to register for the event.
Please send an email with your name to Lea - leabronec@comcast.net by April 17th and bring cash to pay Lea back for your ticket.
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For over 100 years, Sokol San Francisco has been bringing together, supporting, and celebrating Northern California's Czech-Slovak/American community. Rooted in tradition, but looking towards the future, Sokol SF is looking forward to new members joining our community.
We are proud to be an active and engaging group that organizes events and activities for our members. In the spirit of the founders of Sokol, we also organize activities centered around physical fitness. These include monthly hikes or outdoor activities as well as more organized special events. During the global Covid-19 pandemic we have moved our events online, hosted successful speaker series, interactive baking demonstrations, lively member happy hours, and active virtual exercise sessions.
We plan to continue these events into 2021 and
would love to have you join us.
Annual membership fee for 2021 is $20 prorated quarterly.
A one-time $10 processing fee which has been waived for 2021.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Sokol SF instead, you can do so via PayPal or Venmo to sokolsfpay@gmail.com or send a check to Sokol SF, P.O. Box 5252, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
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Benefits of Sokol SF Membership:
- Monthly Member-Specific Newsletter
- Member networking opportunities
- Introductions to educational & cultural programs
- Creating Czech connections
- Opportunities to practice Czech language skills
- Invitations to member-only Sokol events
- Sokol-sponsored event discounts
- Preferred seating at in-person Sokol events
- Pre-registration at popular in-person events
- Opportunity to apply for a scholarship for Czech Schools tuition
- Opportunity for a stipend toward visiting other Sokol units
- Opportunity for a stipend toward participating at Sokol Slet events
If you join this year, you will also receive a Sokol SF face mask!
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Speaker Series with Amb. Jaroslav Olša, Jr. |
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On Thursday, March 11th, Sokol SF hosted its third virtual speaker series event with special guest Amb. Jaroslav Olša, Jr., the newly appointed Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles. Attendees learned about his fascinating background and interests, his priorities during his tenure, as well as about timely topics which impact our community, such as correspondence voting, the upcoming census, and travel to the Czech Republic.
Attendees were also able to ask questions of the Consul General and after a successful evening getting to know each other, Sokol SF wished the Consul General the best of luck and hoped the next time we'd see him would be in person in the Bay Area!
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Hike @ North Trailhead of Sawyer Camp |
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On Saturday, March 20th, we hiked little over 5 miles on the North Sawyer Trail; crossing the San Andreas Fault on the south end of San Andreas Lake. We hiked to the Jepson Laurel, a tree that is over 600 years old and is believed to be the oldest and largest known Laurel in California.
All participating Sokol SF members received Resistance Loop Bands with a carrier pouch and we had our first exercising session with the bands on top of San Andreas Fault.
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Easter Egg Decoration Class |
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On Palm Sunday, over 30 participants joined Sokol SF's virtual Easter egg decorating class, taught by folk artist and educator Daniela Mahoney from Portland, Oregon. She taught two styles of egg decorating, the first utilizing plastic ribbon, which resembles traditionally used straw, and the other, blue ink pen, in order to capture the traditional blue onion patterns often found on Czech Easter eggs. Participants shared not only decorating tips, but also eggs that were part of their personal collection, evoking memories and stories of Easter in the old country.
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The bust of TG Masaryk in Golden Gate Park
was damaged last year by a fallen tree.
San Francisco Arts Commission had a conservation contractor out to the site to survey the damage and they are currently preparing a cost estimate and treatment proposal for repairs. They are keeping in close contact with their colleagues at Rec and Park, and hope to have a repair plan in place soon.
We will keep you updated as soon as we have more news.
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Break-in at DJ's Bistro
The beloved East Bay Czech eatery, DJ's Bistro, recently experienced an unfortunate break-in that resulted in some damaged property and a theft impacting the business.
This follows what has already been a difficult year for DJ's, as it has been for so many other restaurants and small businesses during the pandemic. If you've visited DJ's in the past or have yet to venture to Concord to try it - now might be a good time to show your support of a restaurant that has so frequently and generously catered our (and other Czech) events in the past. Their menu is full of delicious, classic Czech dishes and diners can now eat outdoors at the restaurant or order their food for pick-up.
DJ's Bistro is located at 1825 Sutter St #C, Concord, CA 94520.
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Czech Made: The soft contact lens
Professor Otto Wichterle
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The contact lens – a tiny, soft, see-through thing, weighing next to nothing, yet it makes a huge difference in our lives.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world wear contacts every day, but they may not be aware that the invention of the modern soft contact lens came from Czechoslovakia from the inventor Otto Wichterle.
The first lenses were produced on a "lens machine" in 1961 at his home on a children's toy - Merkur erector set with a bicycle dynamo - as pictured right. Čočkostroj, photo: Jan Suchý, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
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Ástora Piazzolla 100 Anniversary concert
Slavnostní stream koncert
ke 100.výročí narození Ástora Piazzolly.
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On March 11, 2021 Czech violin virtuoso Jaroslav Sveceny introduced selection of pieces of Argentinian tango composer Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla via streamed concert.
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. A virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a variety of ensembles. In 1992, American music critic Stephen Holden described Piazzolla as "the world's foremost composer of Tango music".
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The Czech census will take place from March 27-April 9. The census is obligatory for all persons who have a permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic. Fill out the form online. |
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Vaclav Ctvrtek would be 110 years old |
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We are remembering 110 anniversary of his birthday this month.
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Rusalka
120 years of Dvořák’s most popular opera
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Antonín Dvořák’s famous and much loved opera Rusalka received its world premiere 120 years ago, on March 31, 1901. Rusalka is part of the stable repertoire of many opera companies around the world and is one of Dvořák’s best known works, alongside his ninth, New World symphony, the Slavonic Dances and his famous violin concerto.
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Sokol San Francisco would like to welcome 6 new members:
Camilla M., Patricia M., Rosemary C., Georgia C., John S., and Julia B.
All current and new Sokol SF members receive a free gift
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Some of our Sokol SF Members in their mask |
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Sokol SF members, thank you for sending us your picture wearing your Sokol SF face mask!
We look forward to spending virtual and in-person time together soon.
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Procrastination - Everyone puts things off sometimes, but procrastinators chronically avoid difficult tasks and may deliberately look for distractions. Procrastination tends to reflect a person’s struggles with self-control. For habitual procrastinators, who represent approximately 20 percent of the population, "I don't feel like it" comes to take precedence over their goals or responsibilities, and can set them on a downward spiral of negative emotions that further deter future effort.
(source: Psychology today)
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How to Reignite Your Creativity When You Feel Unmotivated. |
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The Power of Empathy and How to Get Better at It |
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3 Foods to Avoid for Weight Loss |
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Work out regularly, work out correctly & work out with Sokol. Tired of your exercise routine? Try the instructional videos for all ages prepared by Sokol trainers in cooperation with well known sports YouTuber Tomas Touha. The best part, you get to practice your Czech too! #cvičímsesokolem
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic |
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Consulate General of the Czech Republic - Los Angeles |
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Consulate General of the Slovak Republic - New York |
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Stay up-to-date on ASO news & events. Sign up to receive their newsletters or visit their website for more information. |
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Gymnastic, Social, Educational, Cultural & Non Profit Organization for Czechs, Slovaks & their friends founded 1904
Sokol SF is a non-profit organization operating as an independent unit of the American Sokol Organization (ASO) and its Pacific District. Sokol SF provides physical, educational, and cultural programs for all those who are interested in Czech, Moravian and Slovak culture and their history, as well as those who are bonded by common heritage and ethnic identity.
Sokol credo is “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body”
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