september 2004 journal - csa journal

”it’s there.

the JourJanuary 2018nal

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On the Cover...George Mallory, an English mountaineer who took part in the firstthree British expeditions to Mount Everest, is most famous for thisquote he gave to a New York Times reporter in 1923: “Because it’sthere.” These words are given whenever someone tries to justify anunjustifiable ambition. Why climb Mount Everest? Why travel to themoon? Why explore the depths of the ocean? George Mallorypassed away while ascending the mountain in June 1924.

Sullivan, Sean. “‘Because it’s There’” The Quotable George Mallory."The Clymb. Web. 18 Dec 2017.

In this issue...President’s PieceCalendar of EventsToday’s FraternalBoard ReportMessage from the SecretaryMiss CSAFraternal CalendarDistrict CouncilLodge HappeningsFraternal Well WishesScholarship ReportScholarship Donation FormIn MemoriamJust Kids

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Lodge Display at Town HallPage 22

Eventful Year Ahead

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President’s Piece

Brothers and Sisters,Happy New Year! I hope the turn of

the calendar has been good to everyoneout there.

This upcoming year is going to be aneventful one for CSA Fraternal Life.Honestly, with all of the events andgoings on that CSA has, we’re usuallypretty busy. But with 2018 being aConvention year, our activities andschedules will be even fuller.

Our 41st Quadrennial Conventionwill again be paired with our 82ndAnnual Get-Together. The Get-Togetherwill kick off on August 3, 2018, in theChicago suburb of Countryside, Illinois.On Sunday, August 5, the Get-Togetherwill wrap up while the Convention getsgaveled in. The Convention is sched-uled to run through the next day,Monday, August 6, 2018. We havealready mailed out preliminary informa-tion to all lodges regarding theConvention, such as electing local dele-gates. It will definitely be a busy fewdays in August, but from having a nicetime at the Get-Together with fellowmembers, to conducting the business ofupdating our Bylaws to coincide withregulatory demands, I’m looking for-ward to it. We’ll keep you updated bycommunicating with your local Lodge,as well as passing along any news infuture Journal issues.

In 2018, we’ll continue to offer anumber of great Fraternal benefits. In2017, we granted upwards of $50,000 incollege scholarships to our youth mem-bership. The year 2018 will be no dif-ferent, as our scholarship program willcontinue. In addition to the scholarshipsthat we offer, other programs that ourFraternal arm oversees are our LodgeRecognition Program, our CSA Serves(formerly the National Project), our verypopular Photo Contest, and our JuniorBowl-O-Rama, just to mention a few.Of course, your local Lodge or DistrictCouncil will also be sponsoring otherevents within your community.

This month, we introduced the much

anticipated new Whole Life suite ofproducts, in addition to a 5-year surren-der period annuity. This 5-year planshould complement our 7-year plan verynicely. I’d encourage you to reach outto your local agent or phone us directlyat the Home Office if you have interestin looking into any of our product offer-ings.

At the Home Office, we’re here tohelp you. As always, if you have anyquestions or comments, feel free to giveus a holler. We love hearing from you!

And last, but certainly not least, I’dlike to thank you again for the honor ofserving as your President. I’ve been inthis role for over five years now. It trulyis amazing how fast the time has flownby. I’ve loved every minute of thisrole, and plan on being here well intothe future to continue keeping our won-derful Society thriving and growing. Ivery much appreciate your trust, and

will fight every day to continue to earnit.

Once again, Happy New Year, anduntil next month…

John J. Kielczewski, CLU, FLMIPresident, CSA Fraternal Life

John J. KielczewskiCLU, FLMI, President

JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 3

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CSA Journal (ISSN 0195-9050)

Published monthly—except bimonthly July/August by CSA

Fraternal Life, 2050 Finley Rd., Suite 70, Lombard, IL 60148.

Periodical Postage paid at Lombard, Illinois, and at additional

mailing offices. Subscription Rate: $12 per year, U.S. only.

Postmaster: send address changes to:

CSA Journal, P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148.

CSA LeadershipNational Officers

John J. Kielczewski, President

Matthew Koski, Secretary

James Kovac, Treasurer

National DirectorsTom Ledvina

Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota

Ken Dvorsky and Adam Wilt

Northern Illinois, Indiana and WisconsinIrma Farrell

California, Colorado, Kansas and TexasDiane DiBianca

Northern Ohio and MichiganConnie Wolf

Missouri and Southern IllinoisTerry Placek

Southeastern Ohio and Western PennsylvaniaCarol Tranter

Florida, Maryland, Virginia, D.C.,Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Paul Vavrasek

New York State and Connecticut

Home Office Hours

Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

A Dynamic Magazine “Dedicated to OurMembership”

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Phone: 800-543-3272

FAX: 630-472-1100

Email CSA: [email protected]

Website: www.csalife.com

Editor-in-Chief, Amanda Lovell

Editor: Cynthia Hall, [email protected]

Contributing Staff: Helen Gaydusek

CSA JournalVolume 129 No. 1 January, 2018

CSA Journal

CSA MISSION STATEMENT

CSA Fraternal L i fe is a f raternal benef i t

Soc iety that prov ides fami l ies wi th f inanc ia l

secur i ty whi le promot ing community

involvement wi th vo lunteer ism.

Calendar of Events

o v /


/ o

Saturday, February 3, 2018 60th Representative Ball Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m. Dedicated to the Post Debutantes from Previous RepresentativeBalls with special presentation! Open to women 16-21 years old of Czech or Slovak decent. More details to come. Contact: [email protected]

Saturday, February 17, 2018CSAGSI Special Genealogical Program1st Presbyterian Church150 S Ashland, La Grange, Illinois 605251:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Free admission Open to the publicwww.csagsi.org

Sunday, April 1 – Monday, April 30, 2018 Junior Bowl-O-Rama MonthVarious locations. See page 16.

Saturday, May 5, 2018 Join Hands Day Various locations. More details to come.

Friday, August 3 – Sunday, August 5, 201882nd Annual CSA Get-Together Holiday Inn6201 Joliet RoadCountryside, Illinois 60525

Sunday, August 5, 2018 – Monday, August 6, 201841st Quadrennial CSA ConventionHoliday Inn6201 Joliet RoadCountryside, Illinois 60525

CSA Privacy PolicyYou can access our Privacy Policy at www.csalife.com on the right side of our Home page. Hard copies are available upon request.

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Today’s FraternalFraternal Programs for 2018


Dearest Members,

By the time you receive this Journal, wewill be experiencing the beginning of anew year. Perhaps there will be snow,but who can really count on the weathernowadays.

What a busy holiday season we had atCSA! Lodges and District Councilshosted various holiday parties, and I’mhappy to have attended several. Thanksfor inviting me! At the District CouncilNo. 12 Christmas Party that the CulturalDivision hosted, it was a pleasure tospend time with our Miss NationalCSA, Sydney Rieckhoff, and her moth-er, Robyn. It was so interesting to hearhow things are going for her inCalifornia. In just the few months I’vegotten to know Sydney, I’ve learned somuch about her aspirations and achieve-ments. It’s been a pleasure working withyou, Sydney, and I’m looking forward tothe months ahead!

As you may notice on page 28, over$14,000 was donated to ourScholarship Fund in recent months. It’shard to fathom that we received thatgenerous monetary amount... in just 30days. What would we do without ourmembers? A lot of times, donations aremade by loved ones on behalf of a mem-ber who has passed, and this money isthen given to our young adults, who arejust starting to lay the foundation oftheir future careers; it’s just like thecycle of life, in a way, and I think it is arather beautiful thought. Thank you foryour generosity. As always, I encourageyoung CSA members who are earningtheir undergraduate degrees to takeadvantage of this opportunity. Pleaserefer to the CSA website for details andrequirements of the ScholarshipProgram.

To our Lodge Presidents: Please notethat in January, you will receive copiesof President’s Reports that you will fillout during your meetings.

To our Lodge Secretaries: You willreceive copies of the Election Reports,the Lodge Recognition Program, andthe CSA Serves program. The new LRPfor 2018 is very similar to this pastyear’s program. As an added bonus,your lodge can receive two additionalpoints for filling your allocation of dele-gates for the 2018 Convention. Thesetwo bonus points will be applied to thecategory of your choosing. CSA Serveshas similar rules as before. At the HomeOffice, we encourage lodges to send usyour requests for matching funds assoon as you can, on a quarterly basiswhen applicable.

To our Lodge Treasurers: You willreceive copies of the Financial Reportsthat you will fill out on behalf of yourlodge.

As we did last year, we have included aFraternal Calendar in this Journal foryou to have. It is located on page 14. If

you look on the back cover of this issue,you will see the details of our upcomingPhoto Contest. As per our last FraternalCommittee meeting with our Directors,the Fraternal Department is adding alimit of four submissions per memberper category. A member will also onlybe allowed to win up to two categories,maximum.

Phew, and now for a cleansing breath! Ifyou have any questions or concernsabout the above information, or mayberegarding something completely unrelat-ed, give us a call or send me an email.

I look forward to seeing long-timefriends (and perhaps meeting some newones!) at the 2018 Get-Together andConvention.

Fraternally,Amanda S. Lovell

Fraternal [email protected]


The final meeting in 2017 of the CSA Board of Directors washeld with all members present except Diane DiBianca, whowas excused.

The regular committee meetings for Audit/AssetManagement, Fraternal, Risk Management, and ExecutiveDevelopment were convened Thursday evening.

Friday morning, the Board welcomed Chad Hoes andTrevor Rupe from Parkway Advisors, our asset managers.They explained the proposed changes that are coming to theNAIC classification. They will expand the number of classifi-cations. Our portfolio is well diversified in the corporate sec-tor to meet any new challenges. Parkway works with 20 bro-kers to purchase and sell bonds which gives them more com-petition to get the best rate for CSA.

They are also handling the scholarship fund and will beinvesting up to 25% in stocks. This will be done incrementallysince we are in a bull market.

One of the most enjoyable times at the November meetingis having lunch with the staff. This has been a tradition for anumber of years and it gives us an opportunity to visit andshow our appreciation for all their hard work.

An important part of the November meeting is setting thebudget for the coming year.

The officers have worked hard to cut expenses to keep theSociety on a sound financial footing while expanding themembership base through sales of our products. As membersof the Society, you also share in the responsibility of thegrowth of the company. If you know of someone who wouldnot only benefit from our products but would also be an assetto CSA, please contact your Lodge agent or the Home Office.

As directed by the Convention, the Board listed its goals in2016 for 2017 with the following results:Continue Education:

All Board members have completed the LOMA courses.A number of Board members have attended AFA confer-ences and participated in the seminars offered there.

Create a Strategic Plan:Director Wilt has worked with the officers to create a three-year plan dealing with the areas of Fraternal, Sales/ Marketing, Governance/Compliance, and Business Operations. It is a work in progress and we incorporate it into discussions during the meeting.

Revisit the By-Laws in preparation for Convention: We are working with a respected industry professional to update the By-Laws.

Product Development:We developed a 5-year annuity and new life offerings.

Continue to Evaluate Vendors:We continue to meet with all our vendors during the year as a best practice.

Lodge Re-engagement:This is ongoing but not measurable at this time.

Goals for 2018:

Prepare for ConventionMeet with all our vendorsDevelop entry product for new membersFocus on regulatory issuesSafeguard our members’ informationIdentify and refine the focus of the SocietyStreamline the By-Laws to comply with the state insurance regulationsContinue with the strategic plan

By the time you read this, the Lodges should have electedthe delegates and alternates to the Convention. Your participa-tion is vital to the growth of our Society.

The next Board meeting is March 9 and 10, 2018. Pleasecontact your Director with your concerns.

Fraternally,Irma Drahota Farrell

CSA Fraternal Life Board ReportNovember 17 & 18, 2017

Like us on Facebook JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 7

Dear Brothers and Sisters:January is here again and with eachpassing winter, I have noticed myappetite for the cold has dissipated a lit-tle more since the previous year. In myyouth, winter, while certainly not asworthwhile as summer, was just anotherseason. With age comes responsibility,which may truly be what I object to.Winter means heating bills, extra feedcosts for the critters at our place, andhoping our old plow truck will have justone more season in it. That way,Heather and I, along with the boys, canget to work and school each day. Onceupon a time, the arrival of a winterstorm meant a chance for a day ofleisure, should school be called off.Whereas now, if a storm is in the fore-cast, chances are my right knee hasalready foretold it, followed closely byme running through a mental list ofitems we might need. So, we can allremain on schedule, snow or no snow.With warmer weather only a fewmonths away, I thought it would beappropriate to focus on some thingswe’d like our members to considerputting on their schedule for 2018.

This August will bring the 2018National Convention along with the82nd Annual Get-Together. TheCommittee is busy working to create asuccessful Get-Together and transitionto the Convention. We hope that youwill join us at the William Tell Hoteland Conference Center in Countryside,

Illinois this August 3-5, plus August 6,if you are participating in theConvention. Be sure to pencil CSA in asyou plan your itineraries this comingyear.

The founders of CSA resolved to cre-ate an organization that could be ofassistance to their families and friends,to uphold and take care of others intimes of need. The Board of Directorsand Home Office take this legacy, whichwas started those many years ago in St.Louis, seriously and are pleased to makeseveral new products available to ourmembers. I know that Julie, our SalesManager, would be delighted to adviseyou if these products are available toyou, depending on what state you residein, and to help connect you with alicensed agent. For many of us, a parentor grandparent took the initiative to getthat first policy for us in our youth. Whynot consider paying that gift forward tothe next generation today?

Working with the FraternalCommittee, programs have beenrefreshed here and there, and we wouldlike to thank all the lodges for their par-ticipation and sharing their experienceswith us. I had the good fortune to per-

sonally meet with a number of lodgesover the past year and heard of theirconcerns and successes on a local level.

Sister Sydney Rieckhoff, our MissCSA 2017-18, has been able to attend anumber of cultural events for us sinceAugust, and we are proud to have such acharming and accomplished woman rep-resent CSA to the public. If you know ofan event that Miss CSA should considerattending, or if have any questionsregarding 2018 Fraternal Programs,please contact Amanda Lovell, ourFraternal Director.

As you brave the cold this winter andbegin the New Year, take time toremember and be grateful of those earlymembers who came before you. We, asmembers, can honor the founders byforging ahead and making resolutionsfor the coming year. Attend some Lodgeactivities. Invite friends and familymembers to check out your lodge. Welove new members!

Together we will keep CSA thrivingfor generations to come.

Fraternally,Matthew Koski

Secretary, COO, CRO

Message from the Secretary

Matthew KoskiExecutive Secretary/COO/CRO

Keep CSA ThrivingFor Generations to Come!


Miss CSA

Hello brothers and sisters, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe and happy

holiday season. This past month has been very busy.

In early December, I was lucky to beable to attend the Christmas Party host-ed by the Cultural Division of DistrictCouncil No. 12. My mom, Robyn, droveto Illinois to accompany me to the event,and we had a great time! The partyincluded bingo, a raffle, music, and verynice people!

Additionally, I had a wonderful breakfrom college, most of which I spentpacking boxes of popcorn to fulfillorders for my family’s business. We arecurrently building a new productionfacility, which will drastically help toimprove efficiency in our popcorn pro-duction, packaging, and labeling.Unfortunately, the facility won’t be fin-ished for a few more months, so our cur-

rent equipment was running 24/7 in thethree weeks leading up to Christmas. Infact, I pulled more all-nighters makingpopcorn over winter break, than I didduring my entire freshman year of col-lege!

My break wasn’t entirely work, how-ever. I was also able to spend time withfamily, friends, and my standard poodle,Lizzy. I am now back in California,beginning the second quarter of mysophomore year. And I have to say, PaloAlto is a little warmer than Iowa!

Now that I am back in school, I amfocusing on my studies in addition tobecoming more involved with my soror-ity, Alpha Phi. I was recently elected tothe position of Vice President ofCommunity Relations, which means Iwill be handling all community serviceand philanthropic events for the rest ofthe year.

My sorority’s biggest event remindsme of the competition to become MissCSA. At the end of winter, we will behosting Mr. Alpha Phi, a male pageantdedicated to raising money for women’sheart health. It is traditionally one of themost well-attended (and most comical)events on campus, and I am so excitedto be a part of the program this year!

Happy January! I wish you all thebest in the new year.

Sydney RieckhoffMiss National CSA 2017-2018

Mr. Alpha Phi

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 9


The Sherpas

The word Sherpas is derived from thecombination of the Nepali words for“east” and “people.” The Sherpas arethe people who live in the northeasternparts of Nepal, who speak their ethnicSherpa language. They are well knownfor their skills in mountaineering andplay a crucial role in the Mount Everestclimb. Sherpas are renowned in theinternational climbing and mountaineer-ing community for their hardiness,expertise, and experience at very highaltitudes. It has been speculated that apart of the Sherpas’ climbing ability isthe result of a genetic adaptation to liv-ing in high altitudes. Some of theseadaptations include unique hemoglobin-binding capacity and doubled nitricoxide production.

It is nearly impossible to make theclimb without hiring Sherpas to assistyou during the journey. The Nepal gov-ernment takes a cut from this, earningaround $3.25 million in royalty feesfrom climbers every season. The gov-ernment charges $11,000 per person forclimbing the 8,000-meter peak. It goeswithout question that Nepal’s economyis largely built on Everest expeditions.Unfortunately, very little actually goesto the Sherpas.

Within the Sherpa community, too,there is a difference in earnings. Someare most experienced in followingroutes and climbing, and there are thosewho only carry the load. Sherpas earndepending on their experience, foreign-language skills, how much they canphysically carry, and how generouslythey’re tipped. Sherpas earn between$3,500 and $5,000 per expedition duringthe climbing season, which lasts fromthe beginning of March until the firstweek of June. The most experienced andrenowned Sherpa could earn up to

$8,000 per climb. This money lasts themuntil the next season begins. Of course,it goes without saying that the earningshardly compensate for the risks theytake. Following the devastating earth-quakes in recent years, the Nepal gov-ernment and the Nepal MountaineeringAssociation (NMA) are now taking acloser look at their compensation levelsand are in the process of creating a “bas-ket fund.”

So why do Sherpas climb, since thereis so much risk involved? It’s simple.It’s all they have. Mountaineering isessentially the only profession. TheSherpas do not have enough educationfor other jobs. They are aware of thedangers involved, yet, one expeditioncan support a family for a whole year.They don’t always understand whyWesterners choose to climb... for thefame they suppose. Recently, Sherpawomen have taken part in assistingclimbers, moving on from their previousroles as child bearers and homemakers.Sherpas have lost loved ones primarilydue to accidents and avalanches.

The Sherpas are suffering the samefate that other cultures are experiencingin present day – their traditions are fad-

ing away. The community used to hostparties, partaking in a traditional dance(“chhangdung”) with folk songs anddrinking rice wine, all while enjoying acampfire at the base camp. They wouldperform and enjoy the night as if it wasthe last one of their lives. Without theSherpas, Mount Everest climbs will notgo on.

Kamler, K. (2004). Surviving theextremes: What happens to the body and

mind at the limits of human endurance,p. 212. New York: Penguin.

Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). ThroughA Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to

Traditional Sherpa Culture. Jyatha,Thamel: Vajra Publications. p. 2. ISBN

9789937506205.

Subramanian, Anusha. “Why the onlything tougher than climbing Mt. Everest

is raising the fund for it.” The EconomicTimes - India Times. Bennett, Coleman

& Co. Ltd., 12 Apr 2015. Web. 8 Dec2017.

“Why Sherpas Climb.” NationalGeographic. Web. 8 Dec 2017.


The cost of mountain climbing begins from the moment youstart training, usually 12 to 18 months before the climb. It isno question that endurance levels have to be at their peak.Intensive training can cost around $8,000 or so. Pre-Everestexpeditions in India help to prepare folks for climbing the6,500-7,300 meter peaks, and these expeditions aren’t cheap.

It’s also important to consider what climbers spend in gearand equipment. Theoretically, one could rent his or her gear,but having personalized gear that fits the person well is thebest option. Once you’ve trained and bought your gear, nowit’s time for the real price tag. The climb itself could cost youanywhere from $25,000 to $75,000 or even $100,000, depend-ing on factors such as desired comforts, bottled oxygen, andthe amount of Sherpas who will assist you (you won’t want toclimb without them). You also can’t forget the $11,000 royaltyfee that is paid to Nepal. The Nepal government earns over $3million in fees paid by climbers, and their economy is largelybuilt on these expeditions.

According to one mountain guide service, Alpine Ascents,you can climb Mount Everest for the small, all-inclusive priceof $65,000, with a deposit of $20,000 due upon registration.The price includes two nights of accommodation inKathmandu, the capital city of Nepal; all food and lodging;unlimited access to a medical doctor at the base camp; trans-portation within Nepal; group equipment and gear; access toSherpas, liaison officer, camp staff, and guides; Wi-Fi; Nepal

administration fees; and climbing permit.Some climbers save up and pay the whole lot by them-

selves, but many try to find sponsorships. For some, they usegimmicks and record-breakers to raise money, such as climb-ing the mountain blindfolded, climbing it backwards, orclimbing it in high heels... whatever it takes to get money andfame. If you’re experienced with the camera, you could docu-ment your climb and make a film for a production company.Be warned though, it takes extreme effort to shoot whileyou’re battling an almost 9,000-meter climb.

It could be argued that perhaps the only thing tougher thanclimbing Mount Everest is actually raising the funds for it.

“Price & Schedule.” Alpine Ascents International. Web. 6Dec 2017.

“Raising the Funds.” MountEverest.net. Web. 6 Dec 2017.

Subramanian, Anusha. “Why the only thing tougher thanclimbing Mt Everest is raising the funds for it.” The Economic

Times - India Times. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 12 Apr2015. Web. 8 Dec 2017.

The Price Tag of the Climb


Paying Tribute to Those Who Never Made itOff the MountainThe unfortunate fact surrounding “theclimb” is that not everyone is going tosucceed. It is a hard truth to swallow.Due to the extreme temperatures,unsteady terrain, and low amount ofoxygen, not everyone who runs intotrouble on the mountain is able to behelped. Everyone has their reasons formaking the climb, and whether or notthose reasons are worth dying for isopen for debate. In this article, we hopeto pay homage to those who madeMount Everest their last climb.

“Green Boots:” This is the nicknamegiven to the unidentified climber whoquickly became a known landmark onthe main northwest ridge route of MountEverest. This person is wearing fluores-cent, green mountaineering boots, giv-ing them the famous nickname, “GreenBoots.” The identity has not been con-firmed, but many believe it to beTsewang Palijor, an Indian climber whopassed away in 1996. Recently in May2014, Green Boots was reported miss-ing, presumably removed or buried. In2017 as a greater number of climbersreturned, the body was noticed again at8,500 meters altitude, and “GreenBoots” was laid to rest there.

David Sharp: A graduate of theUniversity of Nottingham of the UK,David Sharp pursued climbing as a seri-ous hobby. He took time off from work-ing at an engineering firm to pursueclimbing expeditions and go on adven-tures. He was planning to start work as aschool teacher in the autumn of 2006.During his climb, he chose to not takeadvantage of a support team or bottledoxygen. It is believed that he made it tothe Mount Everest summit, but becamefatigued and confused on the way down.He took a break in what is known as“Green Boots’ Cave”. There is contro-versy surrounding his death, however, asapproximately 40 climbers from variousexpeditions are thought to have passedby Sharp on their way up the mountainthat day. Some stopped, but no signifi-cant attempt to rescue him was made.

Renowned mountaineer and philan-thropist Sir Edmund Hillary has gone onrecord, saying, “[Climbers don’t care]for anybody else who may be in distress,and it doesn’t impress me at all that theyleave someone lying under a rock todie.”

George Mallory: In 1999 one of theoldest bodies to be discovered, nearly 75years after he passed away, was thebody of George Leigh Mallory – per-haps the most famous mountaineer of alltime. The question of whether or notMallory and climbing partner SandyIrvine reached the summit in June 1924remains one of mountaineering’s great-est mysteries. It appeared that Irvine andMallory suffered from a fall whiledescending the mountain. It is said thatMallory carried a photo of his wife withhim, and promised her he’d leave it onthe mountain. It is believed that theclimbers made it to the top of the moun-tain, due to his well-preserved wallet nolonger containing said photo.

Francys Arsentiev: In 1998, Francyswas the first American woman to reachthe summit without the use of bottledoxygen. However, she never made itdown from the mountain, so some

climbers do not consider this a success-ful ascent. During the trip down, it was arough trek with extreme weather condi-tions. Francys and her husband, Sergei,became separated during the course ofthe evening. After a failed attempt torescue his wife, Sergei did not make itdown the mountain. It seemed he hadfallen while trying to save his wife, whois now known as “Sleeping Beauty.”

Arnette, Alan. “Everest 2017: WeekendUpdate May 27.” Alan Arnette. 27 May

2017. Web. 12 Dec 2017.Breed, Allen and Binaj Gurubacharya.

“Everest remains deadly draw forclimbers.” USA TODAY. Associated

Press, 16 Jul 2006. Web. 12 Dec 2017.Gunaratna, Shanika. “The mountain of

problems facing Everest.” CBS News.26 May 2016. Web. 12 Dec 2017.

Kennedy, Tristan. “The Gruesome Truthabout the Climbers Who Die on Mount

Everest.” Mpora. 24 Sep 2015. Web. 12Dec 2017.

Nuwer, Rachel. “Death in the clouds:The problem with Everest’s 200+ bod-

ies.” BBC. 9 Oct 2015. Web. 12 Dec2017.

Tweedie, Neil. “Peace at last forSleeping Beauty.” The Age. 6 May 2007.

Web. 12 Dec 2017.


Meet the Member

Well…I guess she’s really not super-woman, but a “Super-Secretary” shesure is! For more years than I canremember, Sister Mariann Ebright hasheld the office of Lodge Secretary forLodge No. 121. Like other LodgeSecretaries, Mariann records lodge min-utes, collects and responds to lodge cor-respondence, sends cards and letters,and performs other duties as needed.

While all of this sounds similar to theduties of other CSA Secretaries, the“Super-Secretary” label comes from thefact that not only is she our lodge secre-tary, Mariann holds secretarial positionsin four other organizations including:CSA District Council No. 9, DillonvaleAmerican Legion Auxiliary, “BestFriends” Club (formerly the SpruceTwig of East Ohio Regional Hospital),

and The Deacons of the DillonvalePresbyterian Church.

This five-star secretary is also thewife of Bro. Charles Ebright, mother ofRusty and Christopher, and grandmotherof Bailey, Skyler, and ChristopherEbright.

How does she do it all, you ask?We’re not really sure, but there must besome “secretarial super power” thathelps her get it done!

We would like to thank Sis. Ebrightfor all of her diligent work for LodgeNo. 121, District Council No. 9, and allthe other respective organizations sheserves.

You are greatly appreciated!

Do you know a CSA member whodeserves recognition? Are theyactive in the community; do theyvolunteer often or donate money tocharitable organizations?

Send us their photo, a brief descrip-tion of who they are and what theydo, and we will publish them in theJournal.

Congratulations to Mike Wolf!Mike Wolf, a member of LodgeMissouri No. 1, achieved USA Hockey’shighest coaching level, Level 5.

USA Hockey provides the foundationfor the sport of ice hockey for the youththrough Olympic levels. The process toachieve this prestigious level takes ayear to complete. Mike attended a four-day seminar and was required to create13 hours of practice drills describing thepurpose for each drill. The final step inthe process required a written pre-seasonthesis evaluating Mike’s team’s accom-plishments and where improvementswere needed and a written post-seasondissertation reporting on how the team

improved over the course of the season. In recognition for his efforts, Mike

received a certificate from the Presidentof USA Hockey acknowledging his suc-cessful completion of the year-long pro-gram and an engraved crystal USAHockey puck.

Very few coaches attain this coachinglevel. Congratulations, Mike Wolf!

Mike is currently coaching St.Mary’s High School ice hockey teamand has for the past 10 years.

It’s A Bird… It’s A Plane… It’s Superwoman!

JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 15Like us on Facebook

District Council No. 9, Southeastern,Ohio – The officers and members ofDistrict Council No. 9 ended their 2017yearly activities with a holiday luncheonheld December 3 at the DillonvalePresbyterian Church Social Hall. Themembers of Lodge No. 121 hosted theevent. A homemade meal along with avariety of desserts was enjoyed by all!

Members enjoyed each other’s compa-ny in the seasonally decorated hall. Mostconversations revolved around excitementand anticipation for the holidays, alongwith plans for individual family celebra-tions.

When members left the luncheon, eachreceived a goodie bag for the holidays,courtesy of the Lovell Family. (*Hint: TheCzech Cookbooks published by theCultural Division of D.C. No. 12 make areally great gift idea for your family mem-bers and friends!)

Our members would like to wish all ofyou the most blessed of New Years!

Be healthy, safe, and happy…Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell

A Happy Holiday Luncheon

Write Down All Your Lodge ActivitiesDistrict Council No. 12 of NorthernIllinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana -Happy New Year! Doesn’t that have aspecial sound and meaning to it? Let’shope that 2018 will be a good year forall of our family and friends and espe-cially for our country, the good, ole’USA.

January was named after the Roman,two-faced god Janus. He is associatedwith beginnings and endings. This is amonth that contains many note-worthydays. January 6, which is known as“Little Christmas,” commemorates thecoming of the Three Wiseman to visitthe newborn king. Some birthdays tocelebrate are to follow: January 8, 1935was Elvis Presley’s birthday; Martin

Luther King Jr.’s is January 15, 1929;and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s is January30, 1882. On January 1 and 31 we havetwo full moons, with the latter of thetwo being traditionally called a “bluemoon.”

Looking back at holiday festivities,on November 26 the Fraternal FamilyDivision hosted a holiday party at SafariLand Amusement Park for over 20 chil-dren and family members. Mr. and Mrs.Claus stopped by to take pictures withthe children. Pizza, pop, and lots ofgames topped off this special day. TheCultural Division hosted its annual holi-day party on December 3 with over 60members in attendance. Everyoneenjoyed eating good food, playing

bingo, singing Christmas songs, andwinning raffle prizes.

Now is the time to write down all ofyour lodge activities for the comingLodge Recognition Program, with sub-missions due on January 31, 2018. TheDistrict Council will award lodges inApril 2018. Remember, all lodges mustchoose delegates for this year ’sConvention. Please notify DistrictCouncil by February.

May 2018 be a truly happy, reward-ing year for all of our CSA family,friends, and country.

Respectfully,Ed Slavik

District Council


CSA Youth Bowl-O-Rama Fraternal Family Division District Council #12

Sunday, April 15, 2018

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REGISTER TO THE CSA HOME OFFICE *POSTMARK BY MARCH 17, 2018*


Lodge HappeningsNew Year... New Mistakes

Lodge Bratri od Sazavy No. 211, LittleFerry, New Jersey – The last meeting of2017, also our annual meeting, was heldNovember 29 in the Sokol Hall. We hadeight members in attendance.

After regular business, elections wereheld. Congratulations to the new officersfor 2018 and many thanks for a great jobto the officers for 2017.

On December 6, the lodge had a holi-day luncheon in the Bella NapoliRestaurant. Sister Carol Tranter wasunable to attend because she was in theMoosehead Lake area of Maine, 30 milesfrom the Canadian border, visiting herson who is living and working there forthe winter. A road trip into theMoosehead Wilderness and Seboomook

Wilderness produced no actual moose,just moose rubs and snow-covered roadsin the middle of nowhere. What fun!

By the time you read this, Christmaswill have passed, but we hope yours waswonderful and we wish you all a veryHappy New Year!

Fraternally, Carol Tranter

Moose-less Road Trip

Lodge Kruh Osvojenych Zen a PanuNo. 121, Dillonvale, Ohio – It’s here…again! Another new year is upon us andmost of us aren’t quite sure where theold one went! Hopefully, you are allrecovering from a very enjoyable holi-day season spent with loved ones.

The new year - what a great time forreflection. However, most of us tend tofocus on the negative rather than thepositive. Unfortunately, we tend tothink back on all of our mistakes madein the past year. While browsing theinternet, I came across some stories,quotes and sayings about the new year.I really think that English author, NeilGaiman, said it best:

“I hope that in this year to come, youmake mistakes.Because if you are making mistakes,then you are making new things, tryingnew things, learning, living, pushingyourself, changing yourself, changingyour world. You’re doing things you’venever done before, and more important-

ly, you’re doing something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us,and my wish for myself. Make new mis-takes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes.Make mistakes nobody’s ever madebefore. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’tworry that it isn’t good enough, or itisn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love,or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing,do it.Make your mistakes, next year and for-ever.”

Looking through Mr. Gaiman’s eyes,mistakes made aren’t necessarily a badthing! I guess it’s all in how we chooseto look at our situations. Is your glasshalf empty…or half full?

Our lodge brothers and sisters wouldlike to wish everyone a very blessed andproductive new year full of mistakes. Itis in those mistakes, that we are trulyliving!

“May Light always surround you;Hope kindle and rebound you.May your Hurts turn to Healing;Your Heart embrace Feeling.May Wounds become Wisdom;Every Kindness a Prism.May Laughter infect you;Your Passion resurrect you.May Goodness inspire your Deepest Desires.Through all that you Reach For, May your arms Never Tire.” ― D. Simone

And may your glass always be com-pletely full (of pivo)!

Smiles and New Year’s Blessings,Sister Wendy Kurtz Lovell


Lodge Pingree No. 366, Dearborn Heights, Michigan -Happy New Year, brothers and sisters! I hope everyone had asafe and happy holiday season. We had a productive and gen-erous 2017, and now it’s time to “Be Better” in 2018! We havemany events scheduled for the future.

We will be having the 45th Lodge Pingree Bowling Socialon Sunday, April 22, 2018. We’ll have the bowling and lun-cheon at Town & Country Lanes on Wayne Road in Westland.The bowling will start at 11:00 a.m. with a lunch immediatelyfollowing. The cost is $17.00 for members and $20.00 forguests. If you would like to come for food only, it will onlycost $6.00. Wow! Contact Jeff Teichman at 734-522-7746 forinfo.

Lodge Pingree is also hosting the 71st Annual CSABowling Congress on May 5 and 6, 2018. There will be aHospitality Night on the evening of Friday, May 4 at the hosthotel. Entry forms will be mailed out and will be located infuture editions of the Journal.

Our meetings are held on the second Wednesday of everymonth. We go to the Sokol Cultural Center at 12:30 p.m. Wethank the members who attend, and encourage those whohaven’t to come to one. Give it a try! More things are in store,so please check your CSA Journal!

Fraternally yours,Jeff Teichman

After a Productive and Generous 2017,Be Better in 2018!

Lodge Happenings

JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 19Like us on Facebook

Lodge Happenings

Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No.409, Lombard, Illinois – Our annualChristmas Dinner at Sawa’s Old WarsawSmorgasbord was a lively affair with 22members in attendance including DCNo. 12 President Ken Dvorsky andFraternal Director Amanda Lovell.Brothers and Sisters chowed down onany number of traditional Polish fare.They can count on stepping on the scalethe next day and seeing a rise in num-bers!

After dinner, President JerryGaydusek called our brief meeting toorder. Regular business was taken careof quickly and songs were sung in honorof Anthony Cervenka’s birthday andSister Annmarie Antos’ weddinganniversary!

December brought honors to ourmembers by way of ceremonial pins.Celebrating 50 years of membershipwere Karole Gaydusek, Jerry Gaydusek,John Nekolny, Ed Cervenka, andAnthony Cervenka. Seventy-five yearpins were received by HelenkaGaydusek and delivered to MarthaCervenka. Congratulations to all ontheir achievement!

Vice President Lyn Burton andScribe Gerri Romanelli delivered mem-bers’ handwritten Christmas cards toeach other. There were piles of cards,beautifully written and presented.

After the card exchange, Lynpresided over the Christmas Raffle. Thetable was full of lovely gifts: ginger-bread (courtesy of Lil Nemec), candy,decorations, and surprises. Every mem-ber went home with winnings and we allhad a great time.

Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edisonextends wishes to all of our CSABrothers and Sisters to enjoy the holidayseason and have a happy, healthy, andprosperous New Year!

Fraternally,Gerri Romanelli

Celebration of Membership


Lodge HappeningsMaking AfghansLodge Rovnost No. 53, Indian HeadPark, Illinois - The girls of LodgeRovnost again were busy this year cro-

cheting afghans for the British Homeand the Scottish Home residents. In thephotos, you can see Joyce Nemec and

Caroline Johnston with a memberaccepting the afghans at the BritishHome.

At the Scottish Home, we haveCaroline Johnston with Becky, theDirector of Outreach and Marketing,along with Joyce Nemec donating theafghans. The residents thanked us fortheir gifts.

Our other crochet-er, Chris Lanzel,could not be there since she was on herway to England to meet her new grand-son. We had a great time going to bothhomes and were excited to make the res-idents happy. We are starting to makemore for next year.

Fraternally,Caroline Johnston

Fraternal Well Wishes

Wayal Abarca Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219

Joan SappLodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219

Camille Shima Lodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219


Lodge HappeningsEvent Dates, Charities, and Donations

Lodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77,North Riverside, Illinois - Our Lodgehad a very busy meeting in November.First, we reviewed which charities ourLodge was contributing to this year.Next, we held election of officers.Everyone was voted into the same posi-tions they held last year.

We want to thank T. G. MasarykSchool and Lodge Harrison/Hus/Garfield for contributing pop tabs forthe Ronald McDonald House.

We ended our meeting and playedBingo. We raised $100, and will send itto “Operation Support our Troops.”

Thanks to Cindy Bueneman for writ-ing the following recap of events at theBohemian National Cemetery, celebrat-

ing 140 years of service to the commu-nity.

Cemetery delegates and representa-tives of the various organizations wereinvited to participate in the event whichincluded a re-dedication of theMemorial Bell which is located abovethe archway entrance to the cemetery.

The Memorial Bell was originallyinstalled for the Columbian Exposition-the 1893 World’s Fair of Chicago. Thebell would ring as funeral processionsentered through the beautiful stonearchway of the cemetery. The bell hadbeen silent for many years until its re-dedication and re-installation. Hearingthe bell chime brought back memoriesof loved ones who are now resting with-

in the grounds of this beautiful memori-al park. In addition, a photo of the cur-rent board and delegates was unveiledand will be hung in the cemetery office.

Many of our Lodge members wereable to attend the ceremony which fea-tured beautiful ice sculptures of thegatehouse, a large replica bottle ofBecherovka, complete with a pour-through spout to chill the Czech liquor,as well as a crystal ice bucket for cham-pagne toasts, not to mention shrimp,chlebicky and Czech pastries. It was alovely event! The cemetery board, staffand representative delegates are dedi-cated to the preservation of this beauti-ful cemetery that holds many uniquestatues and memorials. The cemetery isan important part of our Czech heritageand Chicago’s rich history.

Fraternally,Mary Ellen Janda

Ringing the Memorial Bell

Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372Maple Heights, Ohio – Well here it is,the start of another new year, 2018.

Our newly elected officers for 2018are President Mary Ann Toncar, VicePresident Fran Weiss, RecordingSecretary Janet Dembowski andTreasurer Diane DiBianca.

The District Council No. 10 dele-gates are Mary Ann Toncar, JanetDembowski, Annette Reichman, DianeDiBianca, Virginia Dvorak, DonnaStepka, and John Weiss. The officerswill be installed at the January 25 meet-ing.

Delegates representing our lodge atthe August 2018 Convention in Chicagoare Mary Ann Toncar, JanetDembowski, and John Weiss. There willbe more information later on. We arelooking forward to the Convention, theGet-Together, the Miss National CSAContest, and the selection of theFraternalist of the Year.

At the meeting, we will be setting our2018 event dates and also discussing ourcharities and donations for the year.

We are glad to have Diane DiBianca,Linda Vopat, and our President, MaryAnn Toncar, back at our meetings! Also,

we are happy to hear that Bill Miller isdoing well. We are thrilled that membersattended the District Council No. 10Christmas and Pin Party.

Remember, our first meeting of theNew Year is on January 25, 2018, at10:00 a.m. with lunch held at noon atthe Maple Heights Senior Center. Wehope you all have a happy and healthynew year.

Fraternally,Fran Weiss


Lodge Happenings

Lodge Laurel No. 452, Storrs-Mansfield, Connecticut - We have

been busy! On November 3 and 4,Sisters Marion Varga and Laura Varga-Knowlton attended the 93rd AnnualNew England Fraternal Alliance meet-ing in Meriden and Bristol, Connecticut.Friday night began with a pizza social atthe hotel and preparation for Saturday’smeeting. Saturday morning’s meetingbegan with a memorial service whereeach society lit a candle and remem-bered its deceased members. Duringour educational program, we held around table discussion sharing our indi-vidual society’s activities. At our lun-cheon, we presented two NEFA scholar-ships and also presented food and mone-tary donations to “Saint Vincent DePaul” food kitchen. Our afternoonspeaker was Marek Czarnecki, an icono-grapher, who gave a wonderful presen-tation on iconography and on the“History of the Painting of the BlackMadonna,” also known as “Our Lady ofCzestochowa.” The NEFA NationalFraternalist of the Year Award was pre-sented at our evening banquet. Our

keynote speaker at the banquet wasFrank J. Spula, President of the PolishNational Alliance of the United States.Laura and I felt informed and grateful tohave the opportunity to participate inthis event.

Lodge Laurel held its AnnualMeeting on November 19. After dis-cussing plans for setting up our Heritagedisplays and finalizing plans for ourChristmas party, the Election of Officerswas held. Our Officers will remain thesame for 2018. We also elected dele-gates and alternates to the CSAConvention. Our meeting ended with acraft activity of wrapping walnuts withfoil, to be used in decorating our “tradi-tional” Christmas tree display.

On November 29, a group of us metat the Ashford Town Hall to set up ourheritage display in the display case ofthe lobby of the building. Our displayfocuses on Czeck/Slovak Christmas tra-ditions, beginning with Svaty MikulasDay on Decmber 6. We continued withthe meal and traditions of ChristmasEve, then Christmas Day (in some areasalso called Bozi hod vanocni or PrvySviatck Vianocny), and December 26,Svaty Stepan Day (also called DruhySviatck Vianocny). We learned a lotfrom our research. A concise few para-graphs were typed up and put into thedisplay. We also included some tradi-tional toys children might receive and afew of our Journal articles. We thencrossed the road to Knowlton MemorialHall Lobby, which is the entrance to theTown Library and Town Meeting Hall,where we decorated our “traditional”Czech/Slovak tree. Decorations includewrapped candies, wrapped nuts, cookieand straw ornaments, and a few woodenand glass ornaments. The wrapped can-dies and nuts, and the cookie ornamentswere all made by Lodge members. Wehaven’t yet figured out the straw orna-ments.

Hope everyone had a MerryChristmas and wishing all a very happyand healthy New Year!

Fraternally, Marion Varga

NEFA, Annual Meeting, Czech/Slovak Displays

Sisters Marion, Jill and Kirsten dec-orating tree

NEFA Past Presidents in attendance; Sis.Marion Varga seated on left

Sisters Margaret, Marion, Ethel, Jill,Kirsten setting up display case

Sister Agnes showing wrapped nutready for the treeCompleted display


Lodge HappeningsCSA Member Publishes BookLodge Mile-Hi Czechs, No. 432,Lakewood, Colorado - September 2017found Janet Farrar hiking in Kyrgyzstan,a Central Asia Country along the SilkRoad between China and theMediterranean. She then traveled nextdoor to Uzbekistan, another CentralAsian Country.

In October, 2017, Janet was off toBulgaria along the Black Sea with awonderful coastline, mountainous interi-or, and rivers. From there she traveledto Romania, a Southeastern Europeancountry, another Balkan nation. Sheenjoyed the history and culture of thevery different places she traveled thisfall.

In November, 2017, Janet and AnneFarrar attended the wedding of AnnaFarrar-Helm to Shane Tijernia. Thewedding and reception were heldNovember 11 in Dallas, Texas, at a localDallas country club. The couple willhoneymoon in March 2018, in Antigua.They will make their home in the Dallasarea. Anna was a contestant in the 2008Miss CSA contest in Virginia. After thewedding, Janet and Anne visited withAnne’s niece, Karen.

On Sunday, December 10, 2017,lodge members gathered at the lovelydecorated home of Jake and Jan Jacobs

in Arvada for the Christmas party.There were several members and guests.It was hard to get everyone together fora photo shoot, so I took a few group pic-tures. The members provided wonderfulfood - lots of different things - and Irmabaked Kolaches. There wasn’t oneKolache left. I wonder if we ate themall or if someone took some home in abaggie. I guess we will never know.

We had a few birthdays and oneanniversary to celebrate. December isAnne Farrar and Irma Wolf’s birthdaysand, as they were talking about theirbirthdays, they realized they both grewup in Chicago. They know some of thesame people and went to some of thesame places. Hey ladies, how manyyears have you known each other andyou just now figured this out?December is Donna and Jack Griffin’swedding anniversary.

Adella Schulz has recently publisheda book titled, “Undocumented.” It’s amust read for anyone of Czech descentas it tells of the hardships, struggles, andtriumphs our ancestors went through.An easy read, with a happy ending.Who couldn’t use that these days?

This will be my last Journal article.I have decided that I need a break andPat Kenning will be writing our lodgeJournal articles in 2018. I hope you

have enjoyed reading my articles thepast few years.

Fraternally,Maryellen Hruska Vialpando

Anne Farrar and Irma Wolf birthdaygirls

Adella Schulz with her bookLike us on Facebook


Lodge Happenings

Lodge Benjamin Franklin No. 02,Seven Hills, Ohio - Our holiday seasongot underway on the Monday beforeThanksgiving as the assemblage con-vened for the election of officers meet-ing. A check was forwarded to theParma Builders League at Seven HillsLanes to continue sponsorship of TeamFranklin for the 2017-2018 bowling sea-son. We wish the best of luck to ourkeglers on another competitive and suc-cessful year!

The lodge extended Christmas greet-ings to all our members and friends onThe New Czech Voice of Clevelandradio program. Host John Sabol’s showcan be heard on Sundays from 3-4 p.m.on WHKW AM 1220 on the dial. Theshow is also available as a podcast onwhkwradio.com/podcasts, during theweek, should you miss it.

As a reminder, we continue to savealuminum tabs for the benefit of theRonald McDonald House of Cleveland.Thanks to Vicki Zidlicky, Dave Kus andJen Zidlicky for their continued contri-butions for this worthy cause. Let’s keepthem tabs a coming!

As we concluded the meeting withthe election, there were only minorchanges in officers. Scott Krecow helmsthe show as President. I again will be hissidekick as Vice President and Scribe.Vicki Zidlicky maintains her Secretarialduties, as does Ken Burdzinski in hisTreasurer’s office. Dave Kus will be in

charge of security in the Sentry post. Asa pleasant surprise, Jim D. Zidlickystepped up to be our Guide. He also willassist Mike Cernosky as the AuditCommittee. We appear to be in goodhands for the year 2018!

Making our trek upstairs to thelounge area for refreshments, the mem-bers found themselves just in time fortrivia night at the Inn. The collectivegenius of the lodge won the day in thisone. A $25 gift card will be shared dur-ing the next regular meeting for this vic-tory; a pitcher of beer was also won as abonus prize along the way, much toeveryone’s delight. It must have been astacked deck as we had a history/socialstudies teacher, marine biologist,chemist, and chief cook and bottle-washer to draw on among our many tal-ents!

Congratulations to Brother CoreyZidlicky as he was united in the sacra-ment of marriage to the beautiful formerMiss Jennifer Krause. It was an unusual-ly lovely day on October 21, as the sunshined and temperatures basked in themid 70’s. The ceremony took place atthe ornate St. Charles Borromeo Parishin Parma, Ohio. The mass was wellattended and included a bridal party offour couples with the groomsmendressed in black tuxes and the brides-maids in red wine-colored dresses. Inaddition to an organist, a string ensem-ble provided the music for the ceremo-ny. Two hundred invitees converged foran opulent, early evening reception heldat the historical Whitehall Colombia, inColumbia Station, Ohio. A plated dinnerfollowed the many speeches and toasts,then the party turned to dancing andsocializing. Corey and Jen even openeda donut bar that included coffee, tea, andbefitting of the season, apple cider. Thiswas much to the pleasure of the manypeace officers in attendance. Mr. andMrs. Zidlicky spent their one-week hon-eymoon at Sandals in Barbados. Coreyis the son of Nancy and Jeff Zidlicky.

May you all have a very healthy,happy, and prosperous new year!

Fraternal regards, Jeff [email protected]

Sending Greetings - Czech Voice of Cleveland

Corey and Jen Zidlicky (top)Nancy and Corey's mother and sondance (below)

JANUARY 2018 — CSA JOURNAL — 25Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Lodge Happenings

Lodge Washington No. 30, St. Louis,Missouri - What a lovely ChristmasParty we had! Forty of our members(including 10 kids) were on hand toenjoy the good food and deliciousdesserts, the candy jar guessing game,several rounds of bingo, the giftexchange, and, of course, a visit fromSanta. A couple of the little onesweren’t so sure about sitting on his lap,but all of them received a gift from thelodge and everyone had a fun time atthis annual activity.

We welcomed CSA President JohnKielczewski (missed you, Lynette!),who brought greetings from the HomeOffice and a short update on some newproducts and future plans. We also wel-comed our Director Connie Wolf andher husband Michael, District CouncilPresident; and members of Lodge Spiritof St. Louis. Thank you to all who pro-vided hats, gloves, scarves, and socks tobenefit The Patch Community Center,and to everyone who provided dessert.It was nice to see all of you!

We did manage to do a little businessin-between the fun. All our current offi-cers were re-elected: President Jennifer

Zeman, Vice President Deborah Zeman,Secretary Gail Petelik, and Treasurerand Guide/Sentry Karen Ditz. They willbe installed at the District Council’s

Installation of Officers on Friday,February 2, at the ACEC. We also elect-ed our two delegates to next year’sQuadrennial Convention, DeborahZeman and Karen Ditz.

Speaking of Karen, she spent a fewdays in Florida at a family wedding andsoaking up some warm sunshine. Hopeit was a great trip!

And we welcomed back Charlie andHelen Vokracka, who have returned tothe St. Louis area after living in Ozark,Missouri, for a few years. It’s good tohave you in the area again.

As always, we’d love to see moremembers at our regular meetings on thesecond Friday of each month at theAmerican-Czech Center to share ideasand suggestions about lodge activities.Why not make that your New Year’sresolution?

Fraternally,Deborah Zeman

New Year’s Resolution?

Members donated winter items to The Patch Community Center

Josie, Charlie, and Lilian Smith visited with Santa at our party.


Lodge Sionilli No. 170, Brookfield, Illinois - We had a greattime at our annual meeting in November. We elected many of

the same officers and even filled some positions that had notbeen filled in the past such as Guide, Sentry, and YouthCoordinator. We chose our convention delegates and ate deli-cious pizza, brownies, and tasted some adult beverages thatVera Wilt received as a gift from Canada. We decided to take abreak for the holidays and meet back up in January.

We’d also love to share the successes of one of our mem-bers. John Weissensel is a senior at Western Illinois Universityin Macomb and is majoring in Radio and TelevisionBroadcasting. This past summer, he had an internship atWSPL in Peru where he got the opportunity to write news sto-ries and broadcast news on the radio. He also hosts his ownNASCAR show called Race Chatter, every Saturday afternoonon his school’s radio station, 88.3 The Dog. He is expecting tograduate in the spring of next year. Keep up the great work,John!

Fraternally,Alix Wilt

Lodge HappeningsMember Hosts Radio Show

Lodge R.T. Crane No. 7, North Riverside, Illinois - Ifyou’ve been following our Journal articles for the past fewmonths, you may have noticed there’s been a lot of anticipa-tion for our first ever soup competition. Well, I’m here to tellyou that it was a major success! We were happy to have sevenunique soups prepared by members of our lodge. The soupswere: Stuffed Green Pepper, Tomato Tortellini, Kickin’Chicken, Tripe, Corn Chowder, Potato Mushroom, and LiverDumpling. We each sampled the different soups and voted forour top three favorites. Coming in third place was the CornChowder, prepared by Dawn Jensen. In second place was thePotato Mushroom soup, prepared by Vera Wilt. And drumroll…. The first place winner was the Liver Dumpling Soup,prepared by Diane Rezabeck. Can you tell we are a bunch ofCzechs with those choices! We all agreed that it was a deli-cious night and that the soup competition should become anannual activity. The soup competition was not the only ballotvote we had at our November meeting. It was also our annualmeeting and we elected our officers and even had a secret bal-lot vote for or delegates to the 2018 Convention.

Our President Charmaine Thorfeldt and her husbandDennis went on a European cruise in November. After severalports in Italy and Spain, including the Canary Islands, theirship, Celebrity Silhouette, sailed across the Atlantic to FortLauderdale. The cruise was 15 days long. The weather wasnice and warm most days (in the 70s) and the ocean was calm.They highly recommend it! Included is a picture ofCharmaine and Dennis in front of the Cathedral in Palma deMallorca, Spain.

Fraternally,Alix Wilt

Super Soup Competition

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Lodge Happenings


Lodge Golden Gate No. 252, San Jose,California – Our December meetingwas held at the Mastalir home in FosterCity. Hostess Pat Mastalir met us at thefront door wearing a red and whitebeanie. The beanie was a souvenir givento those attending the 2nd Annual CzechHeritage Night Hockey Game betweenthe San Jose Sharks and the VancouverCanucks. All agreed it was a greatgame. The Sharks won and Tomas Hertl,the San Jose Sharks Czech super star,received credit for two assists of theirfive goals. Fun time. Hope you can joinus next year.

During the business portion of themeeting, Jim Martinek announced hisgrandson, Troy Kenyon, recently passedhis 6-hour exam to become a financial

planner on the first try. This is a veryrigorous exam and very few pass on thefirst go. We wish Troy well on his jour-ney into a new career.

This was our Christmas meeting.After lunch, we had a White Elephantexchange. There were many interestinggifts. One of the most unusual was alarge green frog which our Secretary,Shelle, paraded around on her head afteropening.

In the family room, we broughttogether a number of unwrapped toysfor the Fireman’s Christmas HolidayToy Drive. Some toys were purchasedby our lodge but many were given byour members. The next day, we invitedour junior elves to help distribute them.This year, we brought the toys to SanJose Fire Station 17. Fireman DustinRobinson explained that the firemenwrap the gifts at the fire station and then

distribute them to children in need. For our donation, we were rewarded

with a detailed tour of the fire truck andgiven a chance to try on some of the firegear. We quickly discovered it was quiteheavy, over 200 pounds if you includethe oxygen tanks. It was a nice visit andgave us a chance to share in theChristmas spirit.

On our way home, we stopped by anearby ice cream shop and sampledsome of their 31 flavors. There were nocomplaints.

Our Valentine meeting will be held inFoster City on Friday, February 2. Ifyou would like to attend, please bring aValentine card. For more information,call Shelle at (408) 528-9434 or emailme at csalodge [email protected].

Fraternally, Walt Strach

Sharing the Christmas Spirit

Future firefighter, Jake Jake, Jack, Charlie, and Sofia deliver toys to Fire Station.

Eating ice cream and posing with funny faces.Fireman Dustin Robinson gave us atour of the fire truck.


November 10, 2017 through December 10, 2017TO CONTINUE CSA’S TRADITION OF ASSISTINGYOUNG MEMBERS IN PURSUING THEIR HIGH-ER EDUCATION John A. Janos Lodge Karel Jonáš No. 279 Lodge Groveton No. 004 Lodge Paramount/Southgate No. 372 Lodge Yankee-Jungmann No. 77 Lodge Laurel No. 452 Margo M. Michalec, Trust IN MEMORY OF DECEASED LODGE MEMBERS Lodge DuPage Pioneers/Edison No. 409 Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377 Lodge R. T. Crane, Jr. No. 7 Lodge Queensdale No. 422

IN MEMORY OF DECEASED MEMBERSOF LODGE BRATŘI OD SÁZAVY No. 211 Victoria M. Bielik, Robert Clark, Robert Duffie, Ruth M. Hans, Margaret J. Jeck, Vincent Jiles, Iris Kwitchoff, Edyth M. Luckett, Margaret Lync, Herbert J. McCorry Jr., Leslie Pullen, Clara Mae Smith, Vincent W. Urbank, Helen Valenta, Dana Votruba, Elnora Ware, Blanche E. Zabransky IN MEMORY OF MARY-ANNE JERABEK Lodge Washington No. 30 IN MEMORY OF RUDOLPH, MARY MAZUREKRUDY JR., LOUIS & ALICE Janet L. Hansen

TOTAL DONATIONS $14,108.90

Scholarship Fund Report

Lodge Happenings

Lodge Harrison/Hus/Garfield No.378, Cicero, Illinois - There were ninelodge members at the Holiday Partyhosted by the Cultural Division ofDistrict Council No. 12. Gerri Coatesand Norma Kmet received their 50-yearmembership pins. Congratulations toboth of these active members. See ourpictures on CSA’s Facebook page.

On December 9, we held our annualChristmas Party at Czech Plaza. Therewere 40 for dinner. A big thanks to theRus, Pros, and McGuire families. Ourgenerous group donated prizes and thelodge provided 10 prasky sausages. Ourraffle raised $330, which will be dividedbetween St. Barbara Pastoral Care andHonor Flight Chicago. Many thanks goto Peggy and Mike McGuire for theirhelp with the raffle. It was great to seeEthel Rus and Helen Caldwell enjoyingthe party. We hadn’t seen Gloria Schultzand Rosemary in a while, and they saidthey’d be at meetings more often.

Our meetings are held at the TGMasaryk Czech School. Please contactme for info.

Fraternally, Ken Dvorsky

Prasky Sausage - Prizes!

Read the Journal online at: www.csalife.com

Lodge Happenings


Lodge Woodrow Wilson No. 377,Lombard, Illinois - A huge thank youto our incredible, generous lodge mem-bers! Last year’s toy drive was our mostsuccessful ever… until this year! Over$1000 worth of toys, games, and warmwinter accessories were donated by ourmembers, and the inner child in all of uswas delighted in the range of items:really fun books, toy trucks, buildingsets, and soft-soft-soft, furry stuffed ani-mals! All items were delivered toPeople’s Resource Center for their‘Share the Spirit’ campaign. PRC doesso much for the community, and it is ourhonor to support and contribute to themall year long. We are also proud that ourlodge efforts in the 2017 CSA Servesprogram qualified for the maximumlevel of matching donations from theCSA Home Office, including contribu-tions to PRC, Fisher House at Hines VAHospital, Sokol Spirit, and theCzechoslovak Heritage Museum. We areconfident that these organizations, sup-ported by our members throughout theyear, will make good use of the addi-tional funds, and we are grateful to theCSA Officers and Board for continuingto support lodge service projects in thisway.

I hope you enjoyed the October pho-tos of our angel ornaments, created atour craft-night meeting. It will pleaseyou to know that those ‘charmingcherubs’ were delivered, along withfleece blankets and other items, to TaborHills Supportive Living and Healthcarecommunity. The staff member receivingthe donations was absolutely delighted!The ornaments will be distributed to res-idents most in need of a little holidaycheer, and the other items will be usedas Bingo prizes and fund-raisers. We areparticularly gratified that our effortsserved as the perfect match for a com-munity need, and it’s wonderful to hearsuch appreciation – it means we’redoing something right!

Don’t miss upcoming special lodgemeetings and activities: February’s pizzaparty hosted by the men, a spring lun-

cheon (details TBA), and much more tocome. Please don’t hesitate to call if youneed a ride to join us – it would be ourpleasure to see you!

With wishes for a joyous and healthynew year,

Jean Hemzáček Laukant [email protected]/630-279-7894

Making the Holidays More Special for Others

I am joined by other Cultural Division Holiday party attendees: Beverly andLarry Ebenroth, Beth Hemzacek, and 75-year CSA pin recipient, RayHemzacek

Our members really know how to “Share the Spirit”!

Lodge Happenings


Check Your Policy DatesLodge Cleveland Chapter No. 219,Cleveland, Ohio - We hope all of you had ablessed and joyful Christmas and New Year!We sure did! We started out with our PinParty on December 10 at a lovely venue.Our own Norma Rosoletti received her 75-year pin! She is a lovely, vivacious ninety-something year old who we love dearly. (Seephotos.) She was out on the floor dancingwith another member, Carole Cerillo. Shesure knows how to polka! Our NationalSecretary Matt Koski and his lovely wifealso attended our Pin Party. The meal wasdelicious and the company of friends wasenjoyed.

We would like all of our members tocheck their policies as to when they werepurchased. When the national organizationswitched computer programs, some of themember’s purchase dates were lost. Soplease check your dates and let June Kareckiat 216-941-6969 know if you should getyour 50 or 75-year pin. Everyone, please tryand attend next year’s Pin party. We would

love to see you all.On December 12, our lodge’s Christmas

party/meeting was held at a LonghornRestaurant. Fourteen members attended.After a short meeting, we all enjoyed a deli-cious luncheon. We thanked Freddie Shimafor purchasing 10 of the door prizes thatwere given out at the Pin Party. Tony Gencoand Karen Buzek have also agreed to attendthe Patronat meetings, the organization thattakes care of our meeting hall.

Our bowling league continues to be doingwell. We had our Christmas party at thebowling alley on December 20.

We wish all our members and familiesgood health for the new year.

Fraternally yours,Judy (Sevcik) Genco

In Memoriam Claim Name Lodge Place of Death Date Age 52462 Helenjean M. Knox 458 THEODOSIA, MO 11/11/2017 8752463 Harlei E. Maxian 310 BELLAIRE, OH 11/07/2017 2052464 Vera H. Liska 366 DEARBORN HTS, MI 10/20/2017 9452465 John T. Tennyson 432 ARVADA, CO 10/05/2017 4952466 Carol M. Greenleaf 231 WESTMONT, IL 10/25/2017 7852467 George Burkett 479 LOWER BURRELL, PA 11/06/2017 7952468 Elsie A. Nudera 170 SHOREWOOOD, IL 11/21/2017 8552469 Joan A. Anderle 53 ROMEOVILLE, IL 11/12/2017 8752470 Joan A. Anderle 475 ROMEOVILLE, IL 11/12/2017 8752471 Cynthia A. Meager 310 RICHMOND, OH 09/28/2017 8052472 Yvonne Fitzgerald 484 PHILADELPHIA, PA 11/12/2017 7752473 Richard C. Gensler 306 PITTSBURGH, PA 11/13/2017 7052474 Donna Y. Heaston 388 CORONA, CA 01/30/2017 7852475 Elliot G. Fergle 366 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 04/13/2017 1352476 Janice M. Frame 428 LUTHERVll TIMONIUM, MD 10/30/2017 6352477 Joseph J. Holas 7 SELBYVILLE, DE 09/16/2017 8252478 Laverne V. Hacker 151 WOODRIDGE, IL 10/09/2017 8652479 Bessie S. Kaspar 231 DE MOTTE, IN 11/12/2017 9152480 Carol M. Hunt 1 O’FALLON, MO 11/06/2017 85


In Memoriam John Thomas Tennyson, a member ofLodge Mile Hi-Czechs, No. 432, passedaway on October 5, 2017. John wasborn June 4, 1986 at Madigan GeneralHospital in Tacoma, Washington.

John attended high school in Arvada,Colorado. Following school, he servedin the U.S. Army and attended MetroState University. He was employed byAdvanced Service Technology inArvada, Colorado for over 20 years.

Growing up, John attended lodgemeetings and events with his motherand sister. When the lodge held festi-vals and pork dinners, he would help.

John is survived by his motherMaryellen and stepfather GeorgeVialpando, sister Jo Ellen Lantz,nephew Robert Lantz and niece NicoleLantz. He is buried at Fort LoganNational Cemetery in Denver,Colorado.

“Soldier, rest. Thy warfare is over.Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking;dream of battle fields no more, days ofdanger, nights of waking.”

-Sir Walter Scott

Lodge Pingree No. 366 sends condo-lences to the family and friends of JaneCibulka, who passed peacefully athome, on Sunday, December 10. Janewas a resident of Dearborn Heights,Michigan. She was the beloved wife ofthe late Frank “Cibby” Cibulka. Janewas the mother of Chuck (Leinaala)Cibulka, Cathy (Nick) Nichols, Larry(Cathy) Cibulka, and Bill (Lisa Guido)Cibulka.

She was the dearest sister of the lateJerry Fiema, Lillian Sasseen, and NancyPeltola; current sisters are Marie Palmerand Rose Marie Burns. Jane was thedearest grandmother of Joe, Jeff(Emma), Matt, Ruby, Billy, and Maeve.Jane is survived by her brother-in-lawsTom Sasseen and Lou Peltola.

Rest peacefully, Sister Janie.



Lodge Slunce No. 374, Ocklawaha, Florida - As the newyear rolls around, many people are filling out New Year’s res-olutions (I know that giving up holiday cookies are at the verytop of my list). Everyone’s lists may look different, but thisyear I believe that there is one resolution that all peopleshould strive for: to be catalysts of peace. In a time where weare seeing so much sadness and suffering, it is important toalways remember to be a light and to reach out to those inneed. I believe that’s exactly what is at the heart of CSA:Service.

This past year, I have had the privilege to help organizeand run a Teen Interfaith Prayer Service. This half-day confer-ence served as an opportunity for high school students to learnabout other beliefs and cultures while engaging in discussionsabout tolerance and peace.

There were many “icebreaker” games, a time for each faithgroup to share a common prayer of their faith. Small groupsengaged in conversation and wrote a collaborative prayer, thenhad an opportunity to ask questions to a panel of members ofdifferent faiths. I was a small group leader and a panelist.

Towards the very end of the conference, every studentwrote a prayer request on a post-it note and then placed it on awhite board. Representatives of each religion lit a unity candleand then every student picked a different post-it note off of thewhite board. The point of this was for every student to gohome and pray the prayer of anonymous person. They may bepraying the prayer of another faith. It emphasized the impor-tance of inclusion for all people. I still keep my prayer in myphone case to recite it every day.

The next month, my friend Gigi and I were invited toattend the Adult Interfaith Prayer Service and read the collab-orative prayers we had previously written at the TeenConference. It was such a beautiful experience to see so manypeople willing to stand up for peace and learn about differentcultures. It reminded me of the wonderful opportunity wehave at CSA to learn about our culture, and even learn aboutnew ones! It also reminded me of CSA’s dedication to frater-nity and serving others. When there are so many devastatingsituations appearing in the news every day, it is so encourag-ing to be a part of an organization that is founded on service.

As we begin this year, I encourage everyone to reflect onthe beautiful work that all the lodges collectively do and toalways look for opportunities to be leaders of compassion andpeace.

Fraternally,Sis. Florence Schreiner

Lodge Slunce

Meet the Member

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If you’re a CSA member who is 17 years old or younger,we want to hear from you! Did you join a new club atschool, start playing for the basketball team, or maybeyou received an A on a science project... we want you totell us about it!

Send an article with photos (we love to see them) to:

Amanda at [email protected].

Member Organizes Half-Day Conference

E M N O U C Q H L Z P V X G I

Q Q U Y W Y F N Y R A E G N O

R T U Y R T T T J Z J H I O W

M E U I H P I L D Y U N O S G

K H C G P N C H A L L E N G E

U H I O U M C N R Y M K A T J

P E C M R L E R O O O O P R G

H I M U I D Y N U W C R R A Z

E O R M F L E N T I W K E D P

C H B T L I T E E W Z D H I V

X H N E P A L I S I Y Q S T U

X G R D I X R R N R S T B I Z

X T L N A R E S N E P X E O C

R Q F S K Z W D G H O D J N D

R E L N X P V O S U U I R M J

The Climb

Leden………….....................................………..January (Le-den)Nový Rok………..............................………..New Year (No-vý Rok)Hora………………................................……...mountain (ho-ra)Horolezec………...............………...mountain climber (ho-ro-le-zec)Sníh…………….............................................…………snow (sníh)Vysoká hora…….........………..........…tall mountain (vy-so-ká hora)Lézt……………............................................………….climb (lézt)Boty………..................................................……………boots (boty)Sněhulak……….............................…………..snowman (sně-hu-lak)

Send Just Kids your stories, riddles, etc.Mail: Just Kids, c/o the CSA Journal,

P.O. Box 249, Lombard, IL 60148

Email to: [email protected]

JJuusstt KKiiddss

Czech to English


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CHALLENGECLIMBCOMMUNITYEQUIPMENTEXPENSEGEARHEIGHTMOUNTAINNEPALIRECORDROUTESROYALTY

SHERPASONGTRADITION

www.csalife.com

DEADLINE: MARCH 23, 2018

PHOTO SUBMISSION

CATEGORIES:

ANIMALS

NATURE

PEOPLE

PHOTOGRAPHER’S CHOICE (objects or subjects of interest)

CSAPOCNST12192017

Submitted photograph(s) must be

taken by a CSA member in the

year 2017. No professional or

studio photos will be considered,

as this is an amateur contest.

NEW THIS YEAR: Participants

may send 4 submissions,

maximum, per category. A member

will also only be allowed to win up to

two categories, maximum.

You may submit any size photo (up to

8x10), un-mounted, in black and

white or color. Photo must be

submitted as is; no retouching or

photoshopping.

Digital images must be sent electronically or printed

traditionally on photo paper; print-outs on computer

paper will not be accepted. If mailing your photo,

on a separate sheet, print your name, lodge name and

number, age, full address, phone number, type of

camera used, and submission category. If the photo

includes specific scenery, please give the location.

Do not write on the back of photo.

Grand Prize for Best of Contest: $250

Prize for Each Category:

1st Place: $125

2nd Place: $75

3rd Place: $50

Send photos to:

[email protected] CSA Fraternal Life

Attn: Fraternal Dept. P.O. Box 249

Lombard, IL 60148

september 2004 journal - csa journal

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