April 2009 vol. 32 no. 4 Providing fitness and community for individuals and families through physical, educational, cultural, and social programs. Spring Breakfast, Bake & Garage Sale Huge Treasure Hunt Craft Sale Sunday, April 5 Thursday & Friday, April 16-17 Our Spring Breakfast on Palm Sunday, The best thing about a garage sale is that April 5, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., serves treasures abound and a few must-haves call French toast and all-you-can-eat pancakes, your name, all at bargain prices. What is plus a fruit cup, sausage, juice, milk, and someone elseʼs castoff easily becomes your coffee. $6, adults; $4, child under 9; $15, newest prized possession. Go Green by re- family of four. Invite your family, friends, purposing your unused things at the Czech and neighbors to join you. No reservations and Slovak Sokol Minnesota Garage Sale, Upcoming are needed. April 16 – 17. Stay Green by giving new life to Events The Bake Sale features lamb cakes and someone elseʼs discards. Supporting our Sokol Spring Paska, the traditional Czech Easter unit is definitely Green. Breakfast Craft/Bake bread, as well as other favorite breads, At past Sokol garage sales, novel, practical, and Sale koláče, cakes, and pastries for your Easter sentimental items have been acquired by excited April 5, table. Filled Easter Baskets for children new owners. These have included a leather- Page 1 and adults, as well as potted plants, are bound copy of 1892 Complete Pronouncing Slovo May available. New this spring is the Craft Dictionary of the English and Bohemian Deadline Sale, with a wide array of handmade Languages, a voodoo doll that became a great April 10 items for sale. office conversation piece (as well as very Sokol Garage therapeutic). Sale Please see Spring Breakfast, page 11 Please see Garage Sale, page 11 April 16 & 17, Page 1 Sokol Spring cleaning, April 18, Page 3 Membership Meeting April 24, Page 3 Bohemian Flats Slovak Community, April 25, Page 7 Get-together & Volunteer Opportunities Page 8 President Komentář/Presidentʼs Note Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota By Joe Landsberger 2009 Board of Pozdrav bratři a sestry/Greetings brothers and sisters Directors This month we review the work of the Finance Committee. President: Under the expertise of Joyce Tesarek, its Chair, along with Steve Joe Landsberger Shimer, Treasurer; Jeanette Pafko, Recording Secretary; Charitable Gambling First Vice President: Manager Ken Wyberg, and Dennis Cahill, Assistant Treasurer our financial health and Ed Hamernick stewardship has greatly benefitted from their work. At both the February Board of Second Vice President: Directors and Membership meetings, in collaboration with our treasurer Steve, Joyce Denis Novak presented a beautifully illustrated summary of 2008, a very productive year in these Recording Secretary: challenging times. Mary Cahill Income is keeping pace with our expenses! We received donations of about $23,000 Corresponding (one third to general fund and two thirds to the building fund) and $13,000 from Secretary: grants. Special recognition goes to the leadership and example of the 2008 Board Open of Directors who donated over $8,000 to the building fund last year! Thank you all! Treasurer: Another 20%-plus of income is from our event rentals, thanks to Ken Wyberg, as Steve Shimer well as from our Glockenspiel lease. Tuition and fees from education and gymnastics Financial Secretary: classes bring in another 10%, and our dinners, dances and other sales total almost 33% Jan Knudtson of needed income. You see, when we ask if you can help serve a dinner, we are really Educational Director: asking if you can support Sokol! Louise Wessinger Where does all the money go? Our annual expenses are about $150,000. The largest Membership Director: expense, 58% of our annual budget is for 383 Michigan! Our three story building is Norman Petrik not just historic; it is also old, dating from 1887. This means that the historic boilers, Sergeant at Arms: pipes, bricks etc. need constant attention. Repairs and maintenance account for 24%, Jay Fonkert and utilities, 17%. Our property taxes are over $22,000 alone, or 14% of the Members at Large: annual budget. Jeanette Pafko Staffing, whether for gymnastic instructors, education teachers or professional Cinnamon Whaley services, amounts to 13.5% of our budget. These also include our custodian, Tom Board of Budget Murphy, who has served us for twenty years! Copying and mailing our newsletter, and Finance: the Slovo, and other promotional publications and communications totals about Joyce Tesarek, Chair 14%. Income from membership goes directly to our dues to American Sokol and Gambling Manager: the Western District, and is at about 8%, with miscellaneous expenses the rest. Ken Wyberg The Fund Raising Task Force of the Finance Committee has been busy! Joyce Tesarek Board of Instructors: chairs, with a supporting cast of Jeanette Pafko, Mary Cahill, Marit Lee Kucera, Judy Womenʼs Physical Aubrecht, Jay Fonkert, Cheryl Nelson, Joe Mestenhauser, and myself. 2008 realized Director: grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, City of St. Paul Cultural Alisa Hollibush; STAR Program, Minnesota Historical Society, and the Czech Government. Menʼs Physical Director: The Charitable Gambling Board follows special rules established by the State of Norman Petrik Minnesota. Recently income has dramatically decreased for a variety of economic Board of Trustees reasons, but the diligent work continues: Ken Wyberg, Gambling Manager; Kent Judy Aubrecht, Chair Hinshaw, Corresponding Secretary; Miro Verner, Financial Secretary, Al Imbrone, Publicity Director: Bob Vanyo, and Lloyd Krochak. Marit Lee Kucera We cannot thank enough all those mentioned above. So also, we must you, our SLOVO brothers and sisters, who volunteer and contribute to making Sokol a viable Copy Editor: Open organization, providing fitness and community for individuals and families through Production Manager: physical, educational, cultural, and social programs. – Nazdar! Sharon Wyberg Finance and fund raising are critical to Sokol Minnesota. Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota If you would like more information on the work of the above committee SLOVO Published 10 times yearly and task forces, please contact Joyce Tesarek, Finance Committee Chair, by Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota, a non-profit organization, 383 Michigan [email protected] or 612 - 822 - 6147. She can also advise on donation Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 strategies, including legacy bequests to continue the work of Sokol Minnesota. 2 Sokol April Membership Meeting Beer sampling/discussion Join us for our monthly membership meeting Friday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. Meeting begins with the anthems, new member voting/welcoming, and a discussion on Czech, German, and Belgian beers! Weʼll talk about the characteristics of these different styles and how each is made. Bring your tasting glass as we will be sampling beer from each region! Hosted by Ryan Beck-Buysse - home brewer, certified beer judge, and friend of Sokol. Weʼll even learn a Czech Ryan Beck-Buysse beer-drinking song led by Georgiana Dolejsi! Membership Committee by Norm Petrik, Membership Director At the February 27 Membership Meeting, five new members were accepted: Margarita Mac and Anthony Vanghese from Minneapolis expressed interest in gymnastics, dances and festivals and have three children ages 8, 11 and 14. Jenny Thompson of St. Paul expressed interest in gymnastics, cooking classes, dances and dinners, and has one child, age 9. Zoe St Mane is interested in gymnastics and has a 5 year old child. Kathryn Richardson, daughter of long time member Frank Loss, expressed interest in cooking and history. Kathryn was present at the meeting and was inducted into Sokol, and after installation was given the welcome hug by Georgiana Dolejsi. Welcome all you new Sokol members, you are welcome to come to our monthly membership meetings at 7 p.m. on the 4th Friday of the month. Finance Committee (Thank you for your donations!) by Jeanette Pafko, Finance Recording Secretary Sokol acknowledges all donations as they are received. They are listed in two categories, Building Fund and General Operating Fund although programs within each are not listed. Amounts are now grouped in five categories: under $100, $100-$499, $500-999, $1000-$4999, and $5000+. Building Fund (Matching our grant requirements): General Fund (for general operations and $100-$499: Gerald & Gillian Mashek; programming) To $100: Frank Petruska, Joann Parvey To $100: Georgiana Dolejsi, Joann Parvey Trustee Committee by Terry Shima, Trustee Recording Secretary A fire inspection of the hall was conducted by the City of St. Paul in early January. Sokol only had some minor issues. The biggest of these was installing a type K fire extinguisher in the kitchen and replacing the existing fire extinguishers in the hall with ABC extinguishers when they come due for inspection. Bids are being taken by the trustees on removing the remaining asbestos in the basement. A search for a permanent solution to the condensation problem in the second floor storage area continues as water problems have appeared again. The BOT has scheduled a Spring cleanup day at the hall for Saturday, April 18th, at 9 AM. All Sokol members are welcome! Itʼs Spring! Itʼs time to clean our home! Our Sokol Board of Trustees has planned a productive morning for Saturday, April 18, 2009. All members, family and friends are invited to meet at the hall from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon for the annual Spring Clean Up Day. With many areas to care for, weʼll polish and organize throughout the hall. If the weather is pleasant, outdoor activities, including raking, will also take place. This is a great chance to interact with Sokol members and to help get the hall ready for spring. We hope that you will join in the fun! (and enjoy the treats for workers!) 3 Recipes from the Czech and Slovak Cookbook by Phyllis Vosejpka and Cinnamon Whaley Černá Kuba 1 lb box pearl barley 1 large onion, sliced 1 rounded tbsp dry 1 tsp salt or diced leaf marjoram (or as desired) 1 large handful dry 3 garlic buds, minced mushrooms according Salt and pepper to 1/4 to 1/2 lb butter to taste (fresh or taste canned can be used) Cook barley with salt until soft, not mushy.