Sokol SF Newsletter - August 2022 |
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Dear Sokol SF Members and Friends,
Summer tends to be a quieter time for Sokol SF as families and friends scatter to take in better weather and breaks from work and school. We hope you, too, have a chance to enjoy the season while we continue to make plans for the fall and beyond. If the summer downtime has you yearning to get involved locally, we welcome you to join us in planning or executing one of our many future events!
For now, we hope you enjoy the sunshine!
Nazdar!
Linda Janourova
President
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Sokol SF Calendar of Events |
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August 28, 2022
Informal "Ironman" Triathlon and Group Picnic in Tiburon, CA
September 9, 2022
Start of Czech and Slovak dance classes for children
October 8, 2022
Celebrate Day of Czech Culture, Orinda, CA
October 30, 2022
Picnic and Sokolsky Beh Republiky,
Ryders Park, San Mateo, CA
All event times listed are in Pacific Time
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Informal Triathlon Event and Group Picnic
Sunday, August 28, 2002
We're helping spread the word about an informal triathlon that some
wonderful (and athletic!) members of our local community have organized.
Although the triathlon is not sponsored by Sokol SF, as a way to celebrate all those who participate and those who show up to support the participants, Sokol SF is organizing a picnic afterwards.
Come join us at an active picnic in Tiburon!
Do you want to come for a picnic and cheer for the triathlon participants?
Do you want to try one of the triathlon disciplines (swim/bike/run)?
Do you want to complete the whole course on your own pace?
Or do you want to compete with others?
Come and join us for the event.
This informal triathlon event is organized as a short race measured by the race participants, competing in what they enjoy (one discipline or all disciplines).
The track for the full triathlon event is suggested, maps will be provided,
but modifications are allowed.
Everyone participating is a winner!
The event is followed by the picnic potluck to share the energy and enjoy the community.
We have the Paradise Beach Park in Tiburon reserved for the day and are looking forward to meet fellow Sokols, new members and athletes and their friends.
Start of the full triathlon is scheduled for 8.30am.
Picnic will follow right after the triathlon.
We'll be there to cheer you on as you run, bike and swim and look forward to gathering with you for some well-earned replenishing treats!
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Czech and Slovak dance classes for children
starting Friday, September 9th
Orinda Community Center every Friday from 3:30-5:00 pm.
Classes taught by dancer Anastasia Heroldova, M.A.
Registration goes live on August 22, 2022
REGISTRATION INFORMATION: (925) 254-2445
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PREVIEW OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Day of Czech Culture
Saturday, October 8, 2022
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We are looking forward to hosting and enjoying Moravian dances by the Karicka Dance Group from San Diego.
Read more about them in the article link below.
Daniela Mahoney is coming from Portland! You might remember Daniela from our Easter Egg decorating zoom classs. She has some special workshops prepared for the participants.
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And of course you can look forward to some Czech delicious foods presented by restaurants like :
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Hike in Vasona Park in Los Gatos
Saturday, July 9, 2022 @ 10am
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The first picture is our Sokol group & Eucalyptus tree - it is one of the tallest plants on the planet. There are over 700 species of eucalyptus that belong to the family Myrtaceae. Most eucalyptus species are evergreen plants. Besides the form of trees, some species of eucalyptus develop as shrubs. Most species of eucalyptus are native to Australia.
We were watching Great Blue Heron waiting for a fish. After catching the fish it flew to the other side of the lake. Majestic and beautiful bird! The largest heron in North America is widespread and familiar (though often called 'crane'). Often seen standing silently along inland rivers or lakeshores, or flying high overhead, with slow wingbeats, its head hunched back onto its shoulders. Highly adaptable, it thrives around all kinds of waters, from subtropical mangrove swamps to desert rivers to the coastline of southern Alaska.
The group enjoyed a meditation and visualisation in this lush green setting lead by Simona. And apricot cake at the end was the perfect finish of this beautiful morning.
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Adventures of Sokol SF Members |
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Congratulations to the Nejedly family!
In this issue of our newsletter we would like to congratulate the Nejedly family. The children participated in the largest robotic competition in the world!
"Nase deti stavi roboty a zucastnuji se robotickych soutezi uz od roku 2014 a uz prvni rok se spolecne se skolnim tymem dostaly na celosvetovou robotickkou soutez. Behem Covid soutezeni kratce prerusily, ale tento rok se do toho opet oprely naplno a se svym robotem se na celosvetove soutezi v Dallasu ve sve divizi dostaly az do semifinale! Je to obrovsky uspech."
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Be a part of the Day of Czech Culture!
There are three opportunities to do so:
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1. Czech Salon Dance BESEDA
Looking for dancers!
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This very special dance that links folk dance forms with the elegant dance style will
come to life again at our “Day of Czech Culture" on October 8th in Orinda.
Česká beseda was introduced at a particularly important time in Czech cultural history,
a period characterized by a great upsurge of activity in art, politics and cultural events of
all kinds. The initiators were poet Jan Neruda, musicians Ferdinand Heller and Bedřich Smetana, dancing master Karel Link and other Czech artists of the new national cultural life.
Česká beseda is performed by four couples in a square formation and consists of
four parts, each has several sections (various steps variations).
You will be sent instructional video to learn the basic steps over the summer. In September there will be 4 in person training sessions to bring it all together!
All potential dancers are WELCOME!
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2. Participate as a vendor
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We are still looking for Vendors to participate !
If you own a business or know about a business whose products would enrich
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3. And of course - Come and Czech it out!
October 8, 2022 in Orinda
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Postavy a příběhy České Kalifornie
ERWIN L. CHLOUPEK (1869-1948)
– KLÍČOVÁ POSTAVA ČESKOSLOVENSKÉHO
SAN FRANCISKA
PART II.
By Amb. Jaroslav Olša, Jr. Czech Consul General
Úkol najít vhodného adepta na československého honorárního konzula v San Francisku dostal už odjíždějící vicekonzul Otakar Suchan (viz článek v dubnu 2022) v roce 1921. Přes veškeré své úsilí ale nenašel vhodného kandidáta, který by byl ochoten funkci zastávat, a současně by se zdál být vhodný československému ministerstvu zahraničních věcí. Krátce před svým odjezdem ze San Franciska nakonec Suchan navrhl dva adepty na post honorárního konzula - Františka Laštufku a Erwina Chloupka. Ministerstvo ve finále ale neučinilo žádné rozhodnutí. Proti Laštufkovi, který byl majitelem firmy na cestovní potřeby, hrál nejspíš jeho věk (67 let) a možná i fakt, že měl pouze obecní školu a než se stal obchodníkem, býval brašnářem. Proč ale tehdy nebyl vybrán právník Chloupek se už těžko dozvíme.
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Note: For those of our subscribers who may not be able to read the Czech language, we recommend using the following online translator developed by researchers at Charles University called CUBBIT:
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Bratr Miroslav Brebera - Zivot Sokola
Every so often we get wind of Sokol members whose backgrounds and stories are varied, but who embody the essence of what it means to be a Sokol in every sense of the word. We've decided to devote a new column to these Sokols and will share their stories with you in the months to come.
The first of such stories is about a Sokol named Miroslav Brebera from Prelouc in the Czech Republic. Brother Brebera's story was brought to us by Michal, our webmaster, whose parents are neighbors of brother Brebera. Brother Brebera's unwavering dedication to Sokol for the past nine decades is remarkable and serves as an inspiration to us all!
Miroslav Brebera se narodil 8. Července 1927, letos tedy slaví 95. narozeniny. A verte nebo nevěřte, poprvé si přisel zacvičit do Sokola v roce 1932, to už je úctyhodných 90 let. A tak je se Sokolem spjaty jeho cely život. Na konci 2. světové války, ve které byla činnost Sokola Němci zakázána, mu bylo 18let. Po válce, v r. 1946 se stal řádným členem jednoty, složil cvičitelské zkoušky a ve svých 19 letech byl zvolen místonáčelníkem. Do roku 1948 vedl žákovské oddíly a jezdil na sokolské tábory do Krkonoš. V činnosti pokračoval i po únorovém převratu, kdy však byla sokolská činnost potlačena a včleněna do socialistické tělovýchovy. Stal se předsedou ZT V TJ Slovan Přelouč a v roce 1968 se s celým odborem hlásil za obnovu COS. Jeho naděje však pohasly po vpádu vojsk Varšavské smlouvy. V době následné normalizace byl za své úsilí o obnovu Sokola politicky diskriminován. Jeho dcera Ivana Součková vzpomíná na tuto dobu takto: Můj táta byl vždy opravdovým, nadšeným, aktivním a oddaným členem Sokola, věrný sokolským myšlenkám. Proto se také po r. 1968 nesnížil k tomu, aby podepsal určitá prohlášení, s kterými nesouhlasil, a to i přesto, ze mne, dceři, zkomplikoval cestu ke vzdělaní. Nikdy
mě však nenapadlo mu to nějak zazlívat. Naopak, byla jsem hrda, že dokázal stát za svými přesvědčeními. Bylo mi však lito, že musel z vedeni Sokola (tehdy TJ Tesla) odejit:' Sametová revoluce v roce 1989 mu vlila novou krev do žil. Paní Iva mela radost, když viděla, že, i ve vysokém veku dokáže nadšení člověka nabit energii a radosti, která vyzařuje a omlazuje:' V roce 1990 se zúčastnil 1. Sjezdu
COS v Praze a následně jako předseda porevolučního MěNV v Přelouči se zasloužil o obnoveni tělocvičné jednoty k 1.1.1991 a o převzetí sokolovny do jejího majetku. Bratr Brebera působil také v předsednictvu župy Východočeské - Pippichovy i ve výboru COS. Nejdůležitější vsak byla a je doposud jeho trpělivá činnost ve výboru domácí jednoty. On byl tím, kdo připomínal sokolské myšlenky, zviditelňoval jednotu a její historii, hovořil za Sokol na vzpomínkových akcích ve městě, kdo nikdy nezapomněl položit květiny k pomníku T. G. Masaryka. Účastnil se také aktivně jako cvičenec Verne gardy porevolučních sletu, naposledy v roce 2012, tedy ve svých 85 letech. Výbor T.J. dekuje bratru Mirku Breberovi za vše dobře, co pro přeloučský Sokol vykonal a přejeme mu hodně zdraví, elánu a optimismu do dalších let. Společně s jeho dcerou mu přejeme, aby mu vydrželo nejen zdraví, ale i zájem o děni v Sokole, ve městě i ve světě a aby se mohl radovat ze svých vnoučat a pravnoučat.
J. Lelkova
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American International
Czech and Slovak Voice Competition
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We elected new Executive board at the convention and ASO's new Educational
director Anna Cook has an exciting announcement:
Our Czech-American community needs to be aware of events going on across the USA as we continue to be RELEVANT to our next generation of Czech-loving members.
This is a unique opportunity that does not have anything to do with gymnastics, but certainly is a "sport" that is Czech related, takes a lot of training, and gives our members a chance at winning several thousand dollars in ONE WEEKEND of a competition.
This competition is free for the public which could make this event a great destination for any age and takes place EVERY YEAR in October at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.
It is a Voice Competition and involves singing Czech or Slovak Opera!
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Czechs mulling choice of next president
as date for election set
President Zeman’s second term in office will expire in March of next year and Czechs are already mulling who they will support as their next head of state in elections scheduled for January 13. I spoke to political analyst Jiří Pehe about the outlooks and whether the turbulent times we are living in will influence their choice.
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Young Czechs may be allowed to start driving at 17, but are they in a hurry to get behind the wheel?
Under a proposed amendment to the Road Traffic Act young people in Czechia would be allowed to start driving at the age of 17 under the supervision of a parent or another experienced driver with a clean slate. While teenagers living in the country can’t wait to see it approved, urban dwellers are in no rush to get behind the wheel.
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Česká Katolická Mise v Kalifornii |
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Visit their website or sign up for their Věstník for
the dates and places of their in-person and virtual mass.
Father Libor Svorcik is inviting you to a mass every third Sunday in San Francisco!
The next one is on August 28, 2022 at 1pm
at the Nativity Church at 240 Fell St, SF
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Ivana Trump dies at her New York home aged 73
Ivana Trump, the Czechoslovak born businesswoman and ex-wife of former US President Donald Trump, has died at the age of 73, the website of ABC News reported on Thursday, citing the Trump family as the source. Mrs Trump passed away at her home in New York City, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that she was a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great and inspirational life”.
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July 1992: Slovak declaration kickstarts breakup of Czechoslovakia
Thirty years ago Slovakia made clear that it wanted to embark on the path of independence for the second time in history.
The Declaration on the Sovereignty of the Slovak Republic, which was approved by the Slovak National Council on July 17, 1992, ended with the following words: “With this declaration, the Slovak National Council declares the sovereignty of the Slovak Republic as the basis of the sovereign state of the Slovak nation.”
That same day Czechoslovak president Václav Havel announced that he was stepping down.
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IF YOU MISSED ... A WOMAN TO REMEMBER
Marie Provaznikova
A tribute to visionary Sokol leader and innovator in
international women's gymnastics.
Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU), New York Chapter organized a zoom event in April and just in case you missed it here is the video link.
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Sokol San Francisco 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 who are interested in Czech, Moravian, and Slovak culture and their history, as well as those who are bonded by a common heritage and ethnic identity.
Sokol credo is “a sound mind in a sound body”
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