From the President s View

Transcription

1 (USPS ) PUBLICATION FOSTERING FRATERNAL, CULTURAL & PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES SINCE JULY 14, 1905 Entered as Second-Class Matter, February 7, 1980 at East Orange, New Jersey under the act of August 24, 1912, provided in Sec. 1103, Act of October 3, 1918 authorized July 3, 1918 From the President s View Our scorching summer in Pennsylvania has been passing quickly. We went from a very rainy spring to a hot and humid summer and are almost into fall. CONGRATS, KURZISTS! Five Sokol USA students attended the 2015 American Sokol Instructors School held at Sokol Spirit in Brookfield, Ill., from July 12 to July 26. In total, there were 45 students at the Kurz. The school offered four levels of instruction: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Advanced II. Representing Sokol USA Chicago were Beginner Students Samantha Pracko and Emily Pranskevicius, Intermediate Student Caroline Young and Advanced Student Philip Tudisco. Beginner Student Roberta Pegg from Sokol USA Farrell also completed the course. Sokol USA Director Todd Yatchyshyn was on staff at the two-week school, which provides excellent training for teens and interested adults. We look forward to seeing our new instructors implement what they learned in their local gyms. Sokol schools are one of the best (Continued on Page 3) At top, participants and staff from the 2015 American Sokol Instructors School. Above, Representing Sokol USA at the 2015 Sokol Instructors School are (from left) Sokol USA Director Todd Yatchyshyn, Roberta Pegg from Sokol USA Farrell and Emily Pranskevicius, Caroline Young, Samantha Pracko and Phil Tudisco from Sokol USA Chicago. Joseph Bielecki Summer picnics and summer lodge meetings are perfect times for Sokol fellowship and to enjoy the company of our fellow Sokol members. I will be attending a picnic from one of the Pittsburgh lodges this weekend. Our lodges have been busy with sports activities such as bowling tournaments, golf outings, gymnastic programs, and wellness meetings. This season is also the perfect time for our Sokol lodges to engage in community volunteer projects. In the past, some of our lodges have written cards to soldiers overseas, others have made and delivered lap robes to patients in veterans hospitals and others have engaged in activities to raise money to promote medical causes, such as liver illness awareness. A great deal of time and effort is being put into planning a fantastic Slet for late June and early July 2016 at the Baldwin High School Athletic Complex in Pittsburgh. All of the hotels are in close proximity to the Slet site. There will be many kinds of (Continued on Page 7)

2 Page SOKOL TIMES NOTICE OF MEETING official organ of the SLOVAK GYMNASTIC UNION SOKOL OF THE USA Sokol USA - District 4000 a Division of GBU Financial Life Published bi-monthly on the 2nd Thursday of the month SOKOL OFFICE: Telephone: (973) FAX (973) SOKOLUSAHQS@aol.com All communication for publication should be sent to Editor at P.O. Box 189, East Orange, NJ by the 22 nd of the previous month. Second Class postage paid in East Orange, NJ Annual Subscription for non-members is $10.00 GBU Financial Life A Member Owned, Not-for-Profit Insurance Provider 4254 Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA * * info@gbu.org DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED To the Milan Getting Scholarship Fund From Lodge 15, Yonkers, N.Y. $ From Lodge 248, Rossford, Ohio $ From Arlene and Gerald von Schwedler $25.00 In Memory of Josephine Bielecki From Lodge 276, Given in Memory of: Joyce Benick $50.00 Jan Sopoci $50.00 Anne Marie Brinley $50.00 Josephine Bielecki $ From Milan S. Kovac $25.00 In Memory of Amelia Blistan From Lodge 30, Danbury, Conn. $ From Emil M. Trgala $ In Memory of Anne Marie Brinley To the Sport, Fitness & Wellness Fund, aka Gym Fund From Lodge 15, Yonkers, N.Y. $ From Lodge 248, Rossford, Ohio $ From The Hasko s, Milly M., Eileen H., and Lillian $30.00 In Memory of Amelia Blistan From Pat and Gerald Blistan $25.00 In Memory of Amelia Blistan THE NATIONAL BOARD OF SOKOL USA The National Board of Sokol USA, GBU District 4000 will meet on October 17, The site will be the Embassy Suites Hotel, 909 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany, NJ. The National Board Meeting will commence at 9:00AM. The Finance Committee will meet Friday, October 16, 2015, with the site to be determined. All requests, recommendations and grievances from Members, Lodges and Regions must be received at SOKOL USA Headquarters, P.O. Box 189, East Orange, NJ no later than October 5, Joseph S. Bielecki President A District meeting on Halloween?!? Spooky! Milan S. Kovac Fraternal Secretary The annual District MM Hodza meeting will be held on Saturday, October 31, Our agenda includes, but is not limited to, planning our annual competition, fundraisers, and details of the upcoming 2016 Slet. All members are welcome to attend! The meeting will be held in Tarrytown, N.Y. The start time of the meeting is to be determined. If you are interested in attending, please contact Brandi Kovac at: or BKKovac@aol.com See you there! GYMNASTICS ON TV The next summer Olympics are right around the corner! Next year, the Olympic Trials for Women s Gymnastics will be held in San Jose, Cal., and in St. Louis, Mo., for the Men. The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro. So catch up on who s who in the gymnastics world by watching some of these preliminary competitions. They are currently scheduled to be televised on NBC or Universal Sports, but check your local listings P&G Championships, August 13-16, World Championships, October 23 November 1, 2015

3 SOKOL TIMES Page Bowling Tournament Results SINGLES Player Score Prize Tyler Micielli Cindy Perreira Steve Barron Warren Congleton Charlie Harris Daryl Dottery Jim Remaley Cary Smith Brett Strohl Linda Micielli Mary Backus Sonny Pavelko Bea Borrell John Backus Jerry Perreira Milan Kovac Rosemarie Lynch Sonny Fertal Marty Trygala Leon George Aaron Smith Chuck Swiers John Kamenitsky Mike Micielli $100 $80 $60 Seasons Change Summer is almost gone, my friends. What started as a wet, chilly June has finally warmed up in late July and, hopefully, into August. Daily rain (at least that was how it seemed) has changed to warm and even hot days with pleasant evenings. Labor Day is fast approaching and, soon, our young Sokol members are going back to school. At the same time, Sokol bowlers in Boonton, Palmerton, Bethlehem and New England are starting up a new season as well. In our gymnastic lodges, Lodge 306 will begin classes on September 14 th, while other classes will be resuming in the near future. In other news, our newest lodge, Lodge 410 of Pen Argl, continues to grow its sports and fitness programs. Lodge 214 of Palmerton, Pa., is sponsoring a golf outing on September 13, 2015 (See flier in this issue). Upcoming fraternal events include Lodge 39/40W hosting a dinner meeting at the Czech Plaza restaurant on September 26 th. Lodge 306 of Chicago will be holding a spaghetti dinner in October as well as a Hody (Fall Festival) on November 7 th. The National District Board will meet the weekend of October 16 th and 17 th in New Jersey. The American Sokol is planning a multi-day 150 th celebration in November, in which many of our District Board members will attend. As I mentioned in our last Sokol Times article, I am reinforcing the information of one of the best Sokol USA Benefits, the Milan Getting Scholarships. Parents and grandparents should make sure that your children and grandchildren remember to apply in time for the 2016 Award. Also, remember that our young people are eligible for the GBU scholarships as well. GBU s deadline is earlier than ours, so feel free to contact the GBU Fraternal Department at or at info@gbu.org for more information or to obtain a copy of the application. As the seasons change and summer reaches its end, fall is an even better chance to enjoy walking, biking and other outdoor activities. Therefore, please think about joining our various programs for such activities and earn rewards. After all, not only will you receive free rewards, but your body will be rewarded with the blessing of better health! NAZDAR Nancy Shurina Fraternal Activities DOUBLES Team Ind. Score Team Score Prize Mary Backus $200 John Mackus 774 Charlie Harris $160 Brett Strohl 674 Sonny Pavelko $120 Sonny Fertal 738 Jim Remaley Steve Barron 720 Bea Borrell Daryl Dottery 696 Linda Micielli Rosemarie Lynch 673 Milan Kovac John Kamenitsky 599 Warren Congleton Chuck Swiers 598 Cary Smith Aaron Smith 557 Jerry Perreira Leon George 643 Mike Micielli Tyler Micielli ALL EVENTS Player Singles Doubles Team All Events Prize Charlie Harris Steve Barron Warren Congleton Tyler Micielli John Backus Daryl Dottery Sonny Pavelko Jim Remaly Brett Strohl Cary Smith Leon George Sonny Fertal Mary Backus Linda Micielli Bea Borrell Rosemarie Lynch Milan Kovac Jerry Perreira Aaron Smith John Kamenitsky Chuck Swiers Mike Micielli Cindy Perreira Marty Trygala Barbie Kessleer Amanda Micielli $40 $30 $20 $10 TEAM Lodge Score Prize Palmerton 1 Nats 2 Nats 1 Boonton 1 Boonton 3 Boonton $400 $320 $240 KURZISTS (Continued from Page 1) ways to ensure we will have capable instructors who will continue our Sokol programs in the future. We urge all lodges to consider sending prospective instructors to a summer Kurz or give them a taste of what it is like by attending a weekend school, which also serves as a great refresher course for our current instructors. Good luck to our newest instructors and Nazdar! to all our dedicated Sokol USA instructors! HEALTHY HEART WALKING CLUB UPDATE Last year, I read an article in Real Simple magazine that named walking America s untrendiest growing trend. The article explained that there was a major increase in the amount of walking that Americans are doing on a weekly basis, and the article cited several reasons why. Several cities, in addition to New York, Boston and Chicago, now have pedestrian-friendly pathways, which have encouraged people to make walking a regular part of their day. However, the biggest reason for an increase in walking was, because unlike the latest workout, class, or new exercise fad, walking can be done anywhere. Well, this is not news to the members of the Healthy Heart Walking Club. We already knew that. The rest of the article contained details from recent studies judging the benefits of walking. We know that walking can lead to weight loss, lower the risk of heart disease and may decrease your risk of certain diseases. Here are a few I wasn t aware of: -Walking for 15 minutes after every meal helps regulate blood sugar levels more than one single 45-minute walk in the morning. -Walking for just 10 minutes at a brisk pace can boost your mood for two hours. -It may improve your memory. Older walkers who walked for 40 minutes three times a week for a year increased the size of the hippocampus, which controls memory and emotion. The Sokol Times has profiled Walking Club members in past issues, and we ve read that members are walking indoors, outdoors, on a treadmill, on a trail, etc. So, for all you members of the Walking Club, congratulate yourself by being pioneers in this growing trend. And wherever your walking takes you, please e- mail a picture of yourself to me so I can share it with our Sokol Times readers. Happy Walking! Brandi Kovac bkkovac@aol.com

4 Page 4 SOKOL TIMES Joshua Golden Holly Trnka Milan Getting Scholarship Recipients Joshua Golden As a member of the newest Sokol lodge in Pen Argyl, Pa., I am honored to be a recipient of the Milan Getting Scholarship. My father was one of the charter members of our lodge (and is the treasurer) and I soon followed as a member. Since most of our membership had been together for some time prior to our formation, I have been working with many of our members on strength and conditioning as a participant and a coach. My father and I had the opportunity to become WRSC certified coaches through Bigger, Faster, Stronger and now coach at our facility. I have recently graduated from Pen Argyl Area High School in Pen Argyl, Pa. During my years in school, I had the opportunity to play baseball for the high school and community teams. Training played a big role in my life as it does for any athlete. Several of my coaches and teachers are Sokol members as well, so the Sokol philosophy of a sound mind in a sound body fit well in our lives. As a senior, I was awarded the Shining Knight Award (Our school is known as the Pen Argyl Knights). This award is given to one senior in each sport on the combined criteria of student, athlete, and teammate. It was an honor to receive this award as I believe it is due to my background and upbringing from all who have taught me. My future plans are to attend Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., this fall to study biology. When my undergraduate studies are complete, I plan to continue to graduate school (at Shenandoah as well) to pursue a doctoral degree in physical therapy. While home during breaks, I plan to continue to contribute my time as a coach at our facility. Once my schooling is complete, I believe I will have the ability to continue teaching the Sokol philosophy to our members and community. I believe my professional abilities as a physical therapist will tie in with these philosophies well. Golden is a member of District 4000, Lodge 410 in Pen Argyl, Pa. Holly Trnka The memories I ve had at Sokol in Barryville, N.Y., I know I will have for a lifetime. It started with my grandparents, Babi and Dedo Pauline Honey Trnka and Milan Trnka. The two of them took me up to camp as a young girl and, following that, I was enrolled in the camps. Although I never spent many summer times there like my father Michael and Aunt Kim, I m pretty lucky to have spent the time that I did. I ll never forget the bonds made at the camp. Waking up and going to bed every day, playing capture the flag at night and singing for care packages in the mess hall. When you re that young, those are some of the best friendships you ll have in your life. One person I ll never forget from camp is certainly Adelaide, but she was known to all the kids as Aunt Addy. Her amount of kindness and generosity never went unmissed. As a young girl, I was always inspired by her ability to write so beautifully. I am grateful to have known such a brilliant woman. In the fall, I will be majoring in Visual Studies at Tyler School of Art in Temple University. This major focuses on both academics and the arts, and I am thrilled to be continuing my education. There are many career paths I d like to take. Whether it s teaching, working in a gallery, or perhaps art therapy, I am thrilled to start the next phase of life, and I owe many thanks to my family and Sokol Woodlands. CELEBRATING THE STARS AND STRIPES: The NJ/NY Fraternal Alliance recognized Flag Day, which was celebrated on Sunday, June 14 th.

5 SOKOL TIMES Page 5 CHAMPIONS! Boonton Sokol recently concluded its mixed league bowling schedule. The first place team (from left) was comprised of Lou Kawaikowski, Pat Kelly, Sue Pilaar and Marty Trgala. Helping the team secure its first place finish was Kelly, who bowled a perfect 300-point game on the last night of the season. Congratulations to all the participants and, of course, especially the victors. Turn Back the Clock Social Night Many years ago, what we now call Social Night at Sokol Lodge 306, was called 20/20 Club. It was a social club where members paid $20 for 20 weeks. Every Friday evening, these members would gather at our hall to enjoy the company and the camaraderie of their fellow Sokol members. The evening would include dirt cheap drinks and snacks at the bar. Nickel Bingo and cards would be played in the lower hall. The weekly raffle door prize drawings for 20/20 members would be followed by a complimentary sandwich spread. The kids would be let loose to play in the gym while this was going on in the lower hall. It was a fun and relaxing way to wind down after a long week of work/school for all! Lodge 306 would like to invite gymnasts and parents down on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 TH from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. for a return to the old days! The bar will feature specials for mixed drinks, tap beer, and pop. We only ask that everyone please bring a snack to share. Sokol will provide lunchmeat sandwiches. We will have a raffle drawing and nickel Bingo for all to enjoy. The gym will be open for the kids to play, so bring the whole family and come on down for a night of fun, games, and refreshments. We hope to see you there! NaZdar!

6 Page 6 SOKOL TIMES NOTICE District M.C.T. Annual Meeting Sunday, October 25, P.M. Clarion Hotel 300 Tarentum Bridge Road New Kensington, PA Route 28 North, Exit 14 Attention District MCT lodges, please have your delegates in attendance. Thank you. Sokol Social News ANNIVERSARY Congratulations! Nancy and Frank Shurina of Blairsville, Pa., celebrate their 30 th Wedding Anniversary on August 31, Their family has grown with five children and seven grandchildren, all of whom are members through Lodge 68 of Blairsville, Pa. Lodge 12, Central Jersey Gymnastic classes will resume in mid-september in an excellent facility in Edison, N.J. We invite our gymnasts to bring friends. We are open to accepting new members of any age, sex and ability who are interested in healthy exercise in a friendly setting. For more information, contact either Ellen Kovac at ellenkovac@aol.com or Norah Valentin at norahjane@verizon.net. Lodge 32, Boonton Boonton Sokol will hold registration for the upcoming gymnastic season on Monday, September 14 th from 7-8 p.m. at the Sokol Hall on Pine and Highland in Boonton. Boys classes will be held Mondays from 7-8:15 p.m. Girls classes will be held on Tuesdays from 7-8:15 and 8:15-9:30 p.m. Tots will be held on Mondays, with the time to be determined. For more information, call or visit boontonsokol.webs.com. Lodge 47, Monessen Falcon Gymnastics has openings for boys and girls ages Fall Gym Schedules 18 months and older in all classes. For information, or visit Lodge 103, Farrell Sokol USA Farrell announced the following gymnastic class schedule for males and females for the season: Mondays, 6-7 p.m.: All children ages 3 to 6 years and children ages 7 to 11 years with little or no gymnastic experience. The age groups will be comingled and divided at appropriate times. First class meets Monday, September 14. Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.: Competition gymnasts. The emphasis will be on routine building and perfection, as well as basic dance movements for females. First class meets Tuesday, September 22. Thursdays, 6-7 p.m. and 7:30-8 p.m.: Open gym for children ages 7 to 11 years with at least one year of gymnastic experience have the option of staying in the Monday class or in the Thursday class. Competition gymnasts: The emphasis will be on skill progressions. First class meets Thursday, September 17. Registration will be done on the first day of class. Be prepared to take part in the first class. All classes are held in the Slovak Home, third floor gymnasium, 800 Spearman Avenue, Farrell, PA Lodge 306, Chicago Sokol Community Center 4855 North Elston Ave. Chicago, IL Lodge 306 will be holding fall session registration during the first week of classes starting September 14 th. Classes will be held for 18 weeks. The schedule is as follows: Monday, 6:30-8 p.m.: Boys ages 5-11 Monday, 7:45-9:30 p.m.: Junior Boys and Junior Girls ages Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m.: Girls ages 5-11 Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m.: Girls ages 5-11 Wednesday, 8-9 p.m.: Seniors ages 18 and older Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m.: Girls ages 5-11 Friday, 6:15-7 p.m.: Tots ages 3-4 Friday, 7-8:30 p.m.: Junior Boys and Junior Girls ages Upcoming social events: Turn Back the Clock Social Night, Friday, September 25, 2015 Spaghetti Dinner, Saturday, October 10, 2015 Fall Festival Dinner/Dance (Hody), Saturday, November 7, 2015 SHARE YOUR FAMILY EVENTS WITH YOUR SOKOL FAMILY The Sokol Times Social Page is a great way to keep up with your old and new friends! Share your families events with your Sokol family. We want to hear from you. Only news regarding members of our lodges will be printed. Complete one of the attached forms and mail the information and a photograph of clear quality to Sokol USA, 276 Prospect Street, P.O. Box 189, East Orange, NJ Information and photographs also may be ed to: SOKOLUSAHQS@aol.com ENGAGEMENTS, WEDDINGS & ANNIVERSARIES BIRTHDAYS PROMOTIONS, HONOR ROLLS & OTHER EVENTS NAMES: PHONE #: HOMETOWN: SOKOL LODGE: YEARS MARRIED (IF APPLICABLE): NAME: BIRTH DATE: AGE: PHONE #: HOMETOWN: SOKOL LODGE: NAME: PHONE #: HOMETOWN: SOKOL LODGE: EVENT: Photographs are not required, but they do add to the presentation. Please include a self addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your photograph returned.

7 SOKOL TIMES Page 7 IN MEMORY Of our deceased Brother and Sister Sokols with a sincere expression of sympathy to their families from the Supreme Officers of Sokol U.S.A. Due to technical difficulties, we are only able to report a member s passing and lodge number. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ANNE DUDAS A member of Lodge 7, Byram, Conn. CAROLINE HORVATH A member of Lodge 20, Ford City, Pa.. PA.UL OPALKA A member of Lodge 20, Ford City, Pa.. STEPHEN WENINGR A member of Lodge 26, Guttenburg, N.J. DONALD WESTURA A member of Lodge 32, Boonton, N.J. BEN DOUGLAS A member of Lodge 68, Blairsville, Pa. ANNA DZIAK A member of Lodge 93, Bethlehem, Pa. ROBERT HANEY A member of Lodge 93, Bethlehem, Pa. OLGA POZEL A member of Lodge 130, New Kensington, Pa. EDWARD TURIAK A member of Lodge 130, New Kensington, Pa. ROSE LISOWSKI A member of Lodge 248, Rossford, Ohio. MARY KUSBEL A member of Lodge 269, Whiting, Ind. RONALD WALCZAK A member of Lodge 269, Whiting, Ind. AMELIA BLISTAN A member of Lodge 276, STEPHANIE GABOR A member of Lodge 276, GERTRUDE MAKEPEACE A member of Lodge 276, WILLIAM SCHNABLE A member of Lodge 276, BRAD ERICKSON A member of Lodge 39/40W, Berwyn, Pa. JEAN HOOKER A member of Lodge 401, Tampa, Fla. FROM THE PRESIDENT S VIEW (Continued from Page 1) gymnastic and other sporting events and walking club events. There will also be social events for all ages, including a very elegant banquet in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. There will also be a Sokol history cultural display and many other fun and interesting events. Many people from near and far will be attending. Other Sokol groups such as the American Sokol Organization, Polish Falcons, and Slovak Catholic Sokols will be invited. There will also be Sokols coming from Europe to join in our Slet and celebrate Sokol USA. It will be a perfect time to renew old friendships and make new ones and meet many fellow Sokols from all over the world. There will be more information in future editions about the Slet and its various events, how to participate, and how to order tickets. Our Sokol USA District Board has been busy working on new by-laws to govern the district. A great deal of time and effort by many people has been put into this very important project. At our recent District Board meeting, Brother Paul Brinley tendered his resignation effective September 30, 2015, for personal reasons. Brother Brinley has been a loyal and devoted member of the Finance Committee and will be greatly missed. We wish him and his family well in the future. I wish all of our members a very enjoyable rest of the summer and encourage you to get out, engage in Sokol sports, walk, bike, join in our volunteer activities, and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. NAZDAR! Joe Bielecki President-Sokol USA You re Invited - Save the Dates Sokolfest XXVII Sokol USA Celebrates 120 Years June 29 July 2, 2016 Wednesday, June 29 Thursday, June 30 Friday, July 1 Saturday, July 2 Tentative Schedule Afternoon - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament Afternoon - Marching Competition Evening - Opening Ceremonies Gymnastics Competitions Fitness Challenge Evening - Outdoor Games, Softball Challenge Volleyball Tournament Fitness Challenge Kennywood Amusement Park Evening - Banquet Morning - Slet Rehearsal Afternoon - Slet Performance Evening Celebration Dance, Social Gatherings Surveys will be sent in early September to determine if all the events above will be held. If there is enough interest, a Bowling Tournament can be added and possibly a Sunday morning Golf Tournament followed by an afternoon social at the Hofbrauhaus in Pittsburgh s Southside. Alexander Dubcek (Continued from Page 8) 1955, he was a member of the National Assembly, the parliament of Czechoslovakia. In 1953, he was sent to the Moscow Political College, where he graduated in Under Communism, the Czechoslovak economy in the 1960s was in serious decline. In October 1967, a number of reformers, most notably Ota Šik and Dubček, took action: they challenged First Secretary Antonín Novotný at a Central Committee meeting. Novotný faced a mutiny in the Central Committee, so he secretly invited Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet leader, to make a whirlwind visit to Prague in December 1967 in order to shore up the embattled Novotný. When Brezhnev arrived in Prague and met with the Central Committee members, he was stunned to learn of the extent of the opposition to Novotný, leading Brezhnev to withhold support and paving the way for the Central Committee to remove Novotný. Dubček became the new First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia on January 5, The period following Novotný's downfall became known as the Prague Spring. During this time, Dubček and other reformers sought to liberalize the Communist regime, creating "socialism with a human face. Though this loosened the party's grip on the country, Dubček remained a devoted Communist and intended to preserve the party's rule. However, during the Prague Spring, he and other reformminded Communists sought to win popular support for the Communist regime by eliminating its worst, most repressive features, allowing greater freedom of expression and tolerating political and social organizations not under Communist control. "Dubcek! Svoboda!" became the popular refrain of student demonstrations during this period. Yet Dubček found himself in an increasingly untenable position. The program of reform gained momentum, leading to pressures for further liberalization and democratization. At the same time, hard-line Communists in Czechoslovakia and the leaders of other Warsaw Pact countries pressured Dubček to rein in the Prague Spring. Though Dubček wanted to keep control of the reform movement, he refused to resort to any draconian measures to do so. On the night of August 20-21, 1968, Warsaw Pact forces entered Czechoslovakia. The occupying armies quickly seized control of Prague and the Central Committee's building, taking Dubček and other reformers into Soviet custody. Later in the day, Dubček and the others were taken to Moscow on a Soviet military transport aircraft (reportedly one of the aircraft used in the Soviet invasion). Dubček and most of the reformers were returned to Prague on August 27 th and Dubček retained his post as the party's first secretary for a while. Indeed, the achievements of the Prague Spring were not reversed overnight, but over a period of several months. Dubček was forced to resign as first secretary in April 1969 following the Czechoslovak Hockey Riots. He was re-elected to the Federal Assembly (as the federal parliament was now called) and made its Speaker of the Federal Assembly and later sent as ambassador to Turkey ( ). This was allegedly done in the hope that he would defect to the West, which however did not occur. In 1970, he was expelled from the Communist party and lost his seats in the Slovak parliament (which he had held continuously since 1964) and the Federal Assembly. During the Velvet Revolution of 1989, he supported the Slovak, Public against Violence and the Czech, Civic Forum. On the night of November 24, 1989, Dubček appeared with Václav Havel on a balcony overlooking Wenceslas Square where he was greeted with uproarious applause from the throngs of protesters below. Later that night, Dubček was on stage with Havel at the Laterna Magika theater, the headquarters of Civic Forum, when the entire leadership of the Communist Party resigned, in effect, ending Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Dubček was elected Chairman of the Federal Assembly (Czecho-Slovak Parliament) on December 28, 1989, and re-elected in 1990 and At the time of the overthrow of Communist party rule, Dubček described the Velvet Revolution as a victory for his humanistic socialist outlook. Dubček died on November 7, 1992, as a result of injuries sustained in car crash that took place on September 1 st on the Czech D1 highway, near Humpolec. He is buried in Slávičie údolie cemetery in Bratislava, Slovakia.

8 Page 8 SOKOL TIMES Well Known Personalities in Slovak History Alexander Dubcek: 1921 to 1992 Alexander Dubček was a Slovak politician and briefly leader of Czechoslovakia ( ), famous for his attempt to reform the communist regime during the Prague Spring. Later, after the overthrow of the government in 1989, he was Chairman of the federal CzechoSlovak parliament. Dubček was born in Uhrovec, Czechoslovakia (Slovakia). His father, Štefan, moved from Chicago to Czechoslovakia after World War I, when he refused to serve in the military for his pacifism. When Alexander DISTRICT MM HODZA COMPETITION Here are some of the girls who competed in the District MM Hodza st competition held in Boonton, N.J., on March Ogden Av. Brookfield, IL American Sokol, a physical fitness and education organization, is celebrating 150 years of continuous membership and service to the community in the U.S.A.! The big event weekend is planned for November with the following events: Friday, November 13, 2015 Special Number Event Max Sports Complex, McCook, Ill. Social Max Sports Saturday, November 14, 2015 Volleyball Max Sports Complex, McCook, Ill. Bowling for Fun Sokol Anniversary Party with dinner and dancing (evening) Hilton, Lisle 150th Anniversary Gala Women s Athletic Club in Chicago o Dinner & Presentation o Silent Auction o A Tribute to Sokol History Sunday, November 15, 2015 World Sokol Federation Meeting Hilton, Lisle Alexander Dubcek Dubček was 3 years old, the family moved to the Soviet Union, in part to help build socialism and in part because jobs were scarce in Czechoslovakia. In 1938, the family returned to Czechoslovakia. During the World War II, Alexander Dubček joined the underground resistance against the wartime pro-german Slovak state headed by Jozef Tiso. In August 1944, Dubček fought in the Slovak National Uprising and was wounded. His brother, Július, was killed. During the war, Alexander Dubček joined the Communist Party of Slovakia. After the war, he steadily rose through the ranks in Communist Czechoslovakia. From 1951 to (Continued on Page 7)