Sokol SF Newsletter - August 2023
Sokol SF Calendar of Events
August 19, 2023
Hike in Vasona Lake Park

August 27, 2023
Informal "Ironman" Triathlon and Group Picnic in Tiburon, CA

September 9, 2023
Hike @ Steam trains in Tilden Park

September 23. and 24. 2023
Moravian Days in Lemont, Illinois
Field trip to Chicago Area

October 19, 2023
Czech Heritage Night at the Shark Tank

October 29, 2023
Picnic and Sokolský Běh Republiky, Ryders Park, San Mateo, CA

November 4, 2023
SF Symphony

All event times listed are in Pacific Time

LITERÁRNÍ SOUTĚŽ

The First Sokol Poetry Contest Results.

Dear Sokol SF members and friends, there were over 20 poems submitted to our First Sokol SF Literary Competition. We strongly believe that each author is a winner, and each submitted poem deserves recognition, but at the same time, it is our duty to announce winners based on your voting selections.

We're delighted to announce the following winners:

Adults:
1st place: Simona M. Tahiliani, poem Sokolici
2nd place: Rudolf K. Beran, poem Duben
3rd place: Zdeňka B., poem Loď v láhvi +
        Iveta Vrabel, báseň Vitanie jari

Young Poets:
1st place: Santiago Frigerio, 7 let, poem Masožravka
2nd place: Lukas Heithoff, poem Dobrý den
3rd place: Naya Apte, poem Half a World Away - An Elegy

Thank you to all of you who sent in their wonderful poems!
Díky všem, co nám poslali své krásné básničky!

Another thank you goes to all who sent in their ratings!
A další dík jde všem těm, kteří se zučastnili hodnocení básniček!



Thank you Agnes for your kind words!
Dear Sokol SF Members and Friends,
I read those 19 poems with interest and pleasure. There is no way to rank them because each poem has its own value for the creator and for the reader. Few poems stood out for me for their simplicity and surprising depth. Those are:
Masozravka, by Santiago Frigerio, age 7
Today, by Lillian Roter
Duben, by Rudolf K. Beran
Vitanie jari, by Iveta Vrabel.
Of course, you must only smile when you read Ceska skola by Marus.
 I applaud all of you who participated in this competition.

Agnes Szombathy
Upcoming Events
Hike in Vasona Park in Los Gatos
Saturday, August 19, 2023 @ 10am

 Join us for a 2-3 mile walk in this beautiful tranquil setting.
It is an easy trail, suitable for strollers as well as for older people. It will be a relaxing walk.

If you are interested you can also join a meditation session so bring a blanket if you want to sit on the ground or you can sit on a bench.

Enjoy the company of your Czech friends and their friends.
Bring your kids; there is plenty for them in the park.
Check out the nature, train, carousel, playground, and relaxation/meditation

There are bathrooms along the trail. Water fountains are also along the trail.
Snack Shack has some enticing offerings as well.

If you are interested you can stay longer
there are boats to rent, a train to ride, and a playground to enjoy.

the Vasona Lake County Park button below.

Street parking is free or there is paid parking within the park.

There are picnic tables available and we can enjoy a picnic lunch together
Bring your own and/or goodies to share!

Bring water, a towel, a hat, and sunblock.

All registered for the hike will receive a small surprise!
To register, please send an email to Simona

If you need more info or you get lost please contact Simona
Informal "Ironman" Triathlon and Group Picnic
Sunday August 27, 2023 in Tiburon, CA

Come join us at an active picnic in Tiburon!

Many of us like biking and running.
Many of us heard about triathlon and wanted to try it out! Some of us have raced triathlons.

We are organizing a friendly, family oriented triathlon in one of the prettiest parks in Tiburon.

All participants will compete as a group.
We start with a swim in the warm currents of the Bay. The group stays together the whole time and we wait for everyone to get out of the water.

Then we transition back to our cars to change for the bike ride. We start and bike as a group and adjust our speed to stay together. The bike ride goes through Sausalito, around the area and back to the park.

Once everyone is back from the bike and ready to run we start the last segment and run along the water for about 3 miles.

After crossing the finish line we will have a picnic with fruit and a heated grill.

Do you want to come for a picnic and cheer on the triathlon participants?
Do you want to try one of the triathlon disciplines (swim/bike/run)?
Do you want to complete the whole course at your own pace?
Or do you want to compete with others?
Come and join us for the event.

Everyone participating is a winner!

The race course could be modified to accommodate individual needs. If you don't feel like swimming, never mind, come enjoy biking and running. If you want to come just for the picnic, you are welcome too :)

The event is followed by 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 and families.


September hike @ Steam trains at Tilden Park
Saturday, September 9, 2023

Save the date - more info coming in September Newsletter

Czech Heritage Night at the Shark Tank
The San Jose Sharks play the Boston Bruins
Thursday, October 19, 2023 @7:30 pm

Come see San Jose's Tomáš HERTL VS. David Pasternák
More info about the event and tickets coming soon
Registration is open!
Everyone is welcome!
Picnic and Sokolsky Beh Republiky
Sunday October 29, 2022
Ryders Park, San Mateo, CA
Sokol San Francisco and the Czech School of California will celebrate the Day of the republic with a picnic and the run again this year! This is our third year! We had a great time with you all in 2021 and 2022 and we are looking forward to seeing all your friendly faces again!

For general information about the run and its history go to: https://www.behrepubliky.cz/

Our picnic and Sokol SF Beh Republiky will take place at the same place as last year:
  • Sunday, October 29, 2022
  • Seal Point Park, San Mateo, CA.

There are three categories: children under 10, children under 14 and adults

The registration fee for an adult is $10 (or 200 CZK if you are paying in CZK).
Acceptable forms of payment are PayPal or bank transfer from a Czech bank
There is no registration fee for children but they need to be registered.

Should you have any difficulties with registration or payment, please contact me at sokolsfevents@gmail.com.
Please read the instructions carefully!

Sokol San Francisco members who register for the run by September 15, 2023 will receive a complimentary Sokolsky Beh Republiky Under Armour T-shirt from Sokol SF. After you complete the registration you need to send an email to sokolsfevents@gmail.com with your name a T-shirt size. Sizes are limited so register and send in your email early. First come, first serve.

If you are not a member of Sokol San Francisco you will be able to purchase this years event T-shirt in the morning during check in. As the number of T-shirts and sizes is limited due to logistics, it is on first come, first serve bases.

Due to the logistics of getting the t-shirts, race bibs and medals from the Czech Republic to the USA,
you need to register and send your email with T-shirt size to sokolsfevents@gmail.com
by September 15th, 2023

You can register after this date all the way to October 24, 2023
but T-shirt, bib and medal will not be guaranteed

Sokol SF members - after you register do not forget to send your name and t-shirt size to sokolsfevents@gmail.com

After the run, we will have a picnic sponsored by Sokol San Francisco and the Czech School of California. Charcoal, water and coffee will be provided.
Bring your own picnic lunch and maybe something to share.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the picnic and at the starting line! Mark your calendars and start training! 

You do not need to run to come to the picnic, everyone is welcome;
you can help us cheer on the runners.

A. Dvořák's Violin Concerto at the San Francisco Symphony
Saturday, November 4th @ 7:30 pm

Join us on Saturday, November 4th for another outing to the San Francisco Symphony.
Sokol San Francisco has reserved 20 specially reduced priced tickets in the Orchestra at $25 (normally $75) in advance that are available to our Sokol San Francisco members.
Contact sokolsfevents@gmail.com to purchase yours.

Sight and sound converge in Pictures at an Exhibition as Modest Mussorgsky translates the canvases of his late friend Victor Hartmann into music. Virtuoso violinist Augustin Hadelich brings his eloquent artistry to Antonín Dvořák’s rousing and rhapsodic Violin Concerto.
The concert:
INSPIRATIONS: ART/MUSIC

ARTISTS:
Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
San Francisco Symphony

PROGRAM:
"Latest" [A San Francisco Symphony Commission and U.S. Premiere] - Betsy Jolas
Violin Concerto - Antonín Dvořák
Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Maurice Ravel)
Czech News & Announcements
It is with heavy and sad heart that I write the following:
Jan Ruzicka, my husband of 51 years has passed on July 17, 2023 in the John Muir Walnut Creek Hospital, after long and difficult illness.
Born 11/20/1043 in Czechoslovakia, immigrated to Canada in 1968 and to USA in 1974. Finally settled in Bay Area, first in Oakland and then in El Sobrante CA.
Mechanical engineer by profession in Oil Business, receiving his Mechanical BA in Czechoslovakia and Business BA and Masters from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. His profession took him to many countries, too numerous to mention. Guitar player for 60 years, joining WhatsUp big band in Hayward CA, Senior Serenadors in El Sobrante, CA and East Bay Banjo Club presently in Concord, CA, playing for various retirement homes and festivals.
He is survived by his sisters Eva Kaplan in Lexington, Kentucky, Miroslava Pickova in Czech Republic, and nephew Jaroslav Picka.
Bohuslava (Slavka) Ruzicka
Wife
July 2023
Thank you, Miro, for sharing this sad news

Czech Writer Milan Kundera,
Who Wrote 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being', Dies

The Moravian Library, which housed the author's personal collection
announced his death on July 12. 

Thank you, Vera, for sharing this Czech related article!

Czech chefs petition government to pay for Michelin Guide fees

In an open letter, luminaries from the food industry argue that the guide highlights outstanding restaurants while promoting Czech food culture.

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“They signified America”: Prague exhibition spotlights jeans, pre-1989

It is well-known that jeans – a symbol of the West – were a highly sought-after commodity in the final decades of communism in Czechoslovakia. How did people manage to obtain them? And what imported brands were even available? I visited a new exhibition in Prague dedicated to all things denim, pre-1989.

On the top floor of the mid-1970s Kotva Department Store in Prague is where you will find the Retro Museum, which operators say has drawn over 50,000 visitors since opening just over a year ago.
Unseeded Marketa Vondrousova stuns Ons Jabeur
to win Wimbledon title

In the four years since Marketa Vondrousova first reached a grand slam final, at the French Open, women’s tennis has seen significant changes. As many of the top players of previous generations have retired, new contenders have emerged and others have already fallen. In the tour’s ever-changing landscape, it still was not clear whether this talented, unique lefty from the Czech Republic would fulfil the early promise she showed as a 19-year-old in Paris.
Global Slovakia is inviting you for a free webinar:
THE SLOVAK NATIONAL UPRISING
Sunday, August 6th at 11am ET/5pm CET
 
The Slovak National Uprising was one of the most important events in modern Slovak history. The second-largest revolt against fascism in Europe continues to inspire heated debates in Slovakia and beyond. 

The uprising was launched in the summer of 1944 with the aim of overthrowing the fascist Slovak government. The uprising changed Slovakia's destiny in post-war Europe.

Join Dr Marian Uhrin, Director of the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising, and explore the heroic, controversial, and fascinating history!
Česká Katolická Misie in San Francisco
Father Libor Svorcik is inviting you to a
Czech mass in San Francisco


There are no masses in August

Visit their website to confirm the above information or sign up for their Věstník for
the dates and places of their in-person and virtual mass.
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.
The Sokol credo is “a sound mind in a sound body”