OFFICIAL PUBLICATION IONIAN WOMEN'S UNION August, 1956 Number 8 Volume 28 DEAR READERS. THE UNION’S FIFTH NATIONAL CONVENTION in Chisholm, Minn., resulted in a change of the headquarters from Chicago to Joliet, Illinois, where it remained until 1952. Among several new officers were, Mrs. Josephine Erjavec as the Supreme Secretary and Mrs. Josephine Muster as Supreme Treasurer. At this convention in 1939, I have personal memories, for as the mascot of Branch no. 50, I paraded with the MARIE PRISLAND CADETS in full uniform, and with a dozen other drill teams, down the main street of Chisholm on the opening Convention day. The cadets from Cleveland, Ohio totaled more than 100 girls; and besides that, there were many who represented teams from Illinois, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful sight and the cadets performed at every function at that convention and many others which followed until the end of World War II. The strong movement to organize drill teams began during the time when recreation for younger people was not too heavily organized. Branch officers, together with Supreme Officers found the time and money to sponsor drill teams, that is, to get the girls together, support their money-making ventures, and even help pay for uniforms and instructors. In 1937, the grandest S.W.U. Field Day took place at Euclid Beach Park, Cleveland, Ohio. Many teams participated in the competitive drill. The Judges were chosen amonz Army personnel and the S.W.U. Drill Team Directors, and the teams were called one at a time in the big pavilion to show what they could do. The galleries were full and the sight was indeed impressive as each team went through drill patterns to the commands of their respective captains. At the end, the champion team was announced and the happiness and pride felt by the girls at being called the best team was uncontrollable. On many separate drill competitions held for national titles or local regional titles, our drill teams inspired great audiences. The promotion of drill teams ended with the second World War, because it became physically impossible to hold the girls together after their war service, war work in factories, and afterwards, because of their marriages. It remains but a wonderful memory in the hearts of those who worked for them; and you can rest assured that at the sound of martial music, they tap their toes and “fall in step" recalling the splendor of parades and the thrill of marching after the flag! SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION OF AMERICA Organized December 19, 1926 in Chicago, 111. Incorporated December 14, 1927 in the State of Illinois SLOVENSKA ŽENSKA ZVEZA V AMERIKI Ustanovljena 19. decembra 192G v Chicagu, 111. Inkorporirana 14. decembra 1927 v državi Illinois Member of National Council of Catholic Women Spiritual Advisor—Alexander Urankar, O.F.M., 1852 W. 22nd PI. Chicago, 111. Honorary President I .. . . , . , ,T7. r Marie Prisland, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Financial Secretary I BOARD OF DIRECTORS Founder—Marie Prisland, 1034 Dillingham Ave, Sheboygan, Wisconsin President—Josephine Livek, 331 Elin Street, Oglesby, Illinois Secretary—Albina Novak, 1937 W. Cermak Road, Chicago 8, Illinois Treasurer—Josephine Železnikar, 2045 W. 23rd Street, Chicago 8, Illinois Auditor—Mary Otoničar, 1110 E. fi6t.li Street, Cleveland 3, Ohio Auditor—Katie Triller, 1724 Stanton Ave., Whiting, Indiana Auditor—Josephine Sumic, 1305 No. Center St., Joliet, Illinois Other Supreme Officers 1st Vice-President—Frances Globokar, 19192 Abbey Ave., Euclid 19, Ohio 2nd Vice-President—Anna Pachak, 2009 Oakland St., Pueblo, Colorado 3rd Vice-President—Mary Tomsic, Box 202, Strabane', Pa. 4th Vice-President—Barbara Rosandich, 1212 Sheridan St., Ely, Minn-. 5th Vice-President—Frances Plesko, 2908 W. Greenfield, Milwaukee, Wis. DIRECTORS of Recreational and Sports Activities Women’s Division—Elizabeth Zefran, 1941 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago 8, 111. Juvenile Division—Mary Theodore, Rox 723, Hoyt I^akes, Minn. Managing Editor—Corinne Leskovar, 1937 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago 8, SCHOLARSHIP & BENEFIT COMMITTEE President—Marie Prisland Officer—Josephine Livek Officer—Albina Novak HOME OFFICE 1937 W. Cermak Road, Chicago 8, Illinois Tel. Bishop 7-2014 111. ZARJA — THE DAWN Official Publication of the Slovenian Women’s Union of America Uradno glasilo Slovenske Ženske Zveze v Ameriki Published monthly — Izhaja vsak mesec Annual Subscription $2.00 — Naročnina $2.00 letno For SWUA members $1.20 annually — Za članice SŽZ $1.20 letno Publisher, “Zarja", 1G37 S. Allport Street, Chicago 8, 111. Editorial Office: 1937 \V. Cermak Road, Chicago 11, III., Tel. BIsliop 7-2014 “Entered as second class matter November 13, 1946, at the post office at Chicago, Illinois, under the Act of August 24, 1912.” All communications for publication must be in the hands of the Editor by the tenth of the month for the next issue and must be endorsed by the writer. If typewritten use double-space and if hand-written use ink. Write plainly, especially names, and on one side of paper only. Vsi dopisi morajo biti v rokah urednice do 10. v mesecu za prihodnjo izdajo in podpisani po poročevalki. Pišite s črnilom in samo na eno stran papirja. Pri imenih pazite, da so razločno pisana. ZARJA ^DAWN OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE SLOVENIAN WOMEN’S UNION OF AMERICA VOL. XXVIII — No. 8 AUGUST, 1956 LETO XXVIII — Št. 8 3Old /lttiuu~ekbaky, Qamp.aig.tt: 300 new members enrolled! THE 30th ANNIVERSARY MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN is progressing with 300 new members enrolled until this month! Leading branches in the campaign are Branch no. 7, Forest City, Pa., and Branch no. 14, Cleveland (Euclid), Ohio, followed by Branch no. 2, Chicago, 111. Our diligent Campaign Helpers who enrolled two or more new members: Br. Name A B J Total Br. Name A B J Total 1 Marie Prisland 3 3 21 Mary Hosta 2 2 2 Elizabeth Zefran 2 2 4 23 Barbara Rosandich 2 2 Josephine Železnikar 1 1 2 24 Angela Strukel 1 4 5 Mary Muller 1 1 2 25 Mary Otoničar 3 9 12 Albina Novak 1 1 2 Frances Yerman 2 2 Mary Tomazin 4 4 30 Mary Fayfar 2 2 3 Anna Paehak 6 6 31 Mary Dreshar 2 2 Antonia Klune 4 4 Antoinette Lucich 3 3 43 Rose Kraemer 1 3 4 5 Antonia Bayt 2 1 3 53 Rose Chiodi 2 1 1 4 7 Christine Menart 7 2 44 53 54 Mary Waltko 2 2 10 Sylvia Jansa 1 2 3 56 Theresa Hattam 1 2 3 12 Mary Scliimenz 1 2 3 57 Frances Yerman 1 1 2 14 Amalia Legat 1 14 5 20 63 Mollie Svigel 1 1 2 Frances Globokar 4 2 6 Mary Kovac 2 2 Josephine Blatnik 6 6 89 Caroline A. Dawson 2 2 Antonia Svetek 1 1 2 90 Mary Rupnik 2 2 20 Josephine Sumic 5 5 95 Mary Markezich 6 6 Frances Gaspich 4 4 97 Angela Satkovich 2 2 The second half of the campaign year has begun—and you still have an opportunity to do your share in enrolling at least one new member in your branch. The willingness and cooperation shown by the members to date is very encouraging; however, the ideal situation of having 100% cooperation is still a •dream, shared by all who hope for great progress for our Union. Above are the names of our most diligent workers who have brought two or more members into their respective branches. Next month, we hope to add your name to those already recorded as S.W.U.’s most active sales-ladies. During the year 1956—that is until December 31, 1956—everyone enrolling new members will be qualified for these Grand Awards: One new member in Class A..............One month FREE Assessment (or 35^) One new member in Class B One month FREE Assessment (or 60^) One new member in Junior Class .... Two months FREE Assessment (or 20^) • In addition to the above, the member who enrolls FIVE NEW MEMBERS will receive a beautiful album. The winner in the Adult department will be awarded a loving-cup trophy with full inscription, donated by the Supreme President, Mrs. Josephine Livek. The same extra prize will be awarded by Mrs. Livek to the highest worker in the Juvenile department. Dear sister-members! In the 30 years of our Union’s existence, many of our members have been called to their eternal rest—we cannot keep progressing with our membership constantly fluctuating in this way. New members are the backbone of an organization which is always looking for new ideas and new people to encourage us into new programs. It will be a true expression of gratitude to our pioneers, our own mothers and grandmothers, if we take a personal interest in the Union, the society which so many of them loved and worked for. Good luck to all of you in this, our mutual goal! ALBINA NOVAK, Supreme Secretary REV. A. URANKAR: Tl I d /“* I Thought Capsules Reason before you lose your reason over needless worries, is the moral of the story of a young man who was awaiting a call into war. He penciled into his diary: Of two things one is certain, either I am mobilized or I am not mobilized. If I am not mobilized, there is no need to worry, if I am called into service, of two things one is certain. Either I’ll be at home, behind the lines of fighting or I’ll be fighting at the front. If I am at home beihind the lines there is no need to worry. If I’ll be at the front, of two things one is certain: either I am resting in a safe place or I’ll be exposed to danger. If I am resting in a safe place, there is no need to worry. If I am exposed to danger, of two things one is certain: either I’ll be wounded, or I’ll not be wounded. If I am not wounded there is no need to worry. If I am wounded, of two things one is certain: either I am wounded seriously or I’ll be wounded slightly. If I am wounded slightly, there is no need to worry. If I am wounded seriously, of two things one is certain: either I recover or I’ll die. If I recover, there is no need to worry, if I die, I can’t worry. So, it does not pay to worry in the first place. * * * It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice. Out in India some wise men were playing games. Games of a higher nature and sort, of course. Wise men don’t play card games, bingo or any other games we ordinary mortals indulge in. The story goes that they were playing games with words and thoughts, the games of philosophy and science of wisdom. One morning they had an academic discussion on life, love and happiness. One of the men conceived the bright idea to find an answer to the important question: what is the saddest thing on earth? A popular poll was to be conducted. Let the voice of the people give the wisest answer. When the authorities found out about this discussion, they joined with a first-class prize for the best answer, a thousand pieces of gold. Guess, what the prize-winner said in reply to the question: what is the saddest thing on earth? Here it is: The saddest thing on earth is an open grave which will swallow the corpse of a human being who was bad to the core and knew no virtue. The prize went to a Mohammedan teacher. * * * Bernard Shaw is in the limelight again. The world is celebrating the centennial of his birth. Bernard Shaw was a playwright with a cynical outlook on life. None could equal his terse and bitter aphorisms on life and its problems. Once he had this to say: the greatest mistake made is the fact that all the best is squandered on youth: beauty, health and happiness. How much more could oldsters do with these attributes. Our general McArthur had a wise word on youth, wiser than the assertion of the old Irish Owl. Gen. McArthur had this to say on the occasion of his 75th birthday: “Youth is not entirely a time of life. It is a state of mind, not a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips or subtle knees. It is of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotion. One does not grow old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as old as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as old as your despair. In the central place of your heart, there is a chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope and love, you are young. When the wires are down and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and’ the ice of cynicism, then, and then you have grown old.” * • * A writer presents the following thoughts on the subject of Drive-in-theaters: America is being slapped in the face with the heresy of mob morality. Whatever the crowd does, is right. Wrong becomes right, if enough people are wrong. The cry is: “everybody does it, it can’t be wrong.” In certain sections, parents are faced with the fact that their daughters and sons want to spend their dates in drive-in-theaters. Some families like the open air movies, where they may stop in on short notice in their working clothes. The little ones may be noisy and disturb their family. That is all right. But when some girls and' boys go into these places just to park, finding a greater interest in the partners than the picture and knowing that some of those around them are resorting to intimacies, the setting for sin is perfect. The devil whispers his lie: Sin is 110 longer sin, if you can lure enough sinners into-one spot. There will come a day in the life of the girl and boy when they will kneel at God’s altar to consecrate their love to Him and each other. Then they will look back either on the beautiful or bitter memories of their dating days... An old song says: “The night was made for love .. but some misuse the night for lust. Without doubt many drivei-in-theaters are snares of hell. The signs at the entrance read: “Lights out”. Sad to say, often times not only the headlights, but also the light of decency, right-eousness and God’s grace goes out... * « * Have you heard of the “teen commandments”? I said “teen” not ten. Try to memorize them. 1. Stop and think before you drink. 2. Don’t let your parents down, they brought you up. 3. Be humble and obey, you’ll be giving orders some day. 4. Turn away from unclean thoughts the first moment to save yourself. 5. Don’t show off, when you drive; if you want to race go to Indianapolis. 6. Choose a date who’d make a good mate. 7. God gives you a ' week, give Him an hour on Sunday. 8. Choose your friends carefully. You are what they are. 9. Avoid following a crowd. Be an engine, not a caboose. 10. Keep the original Ten Commandments. ZVEZA DAY IN MINNESOTA - AUGUST 26th! Everyone is invited to Aurora, Minnesota, to celebrate the annual Minnesota Zveza Day, sponsored this year by Branch no. 35. Our Visit to the Nation’s Capital by Corinne and Lud Leskovar The United States Capitol Building is a tremendous edifice, standing on an area of about four acres and on ground known as the “Hill”. The site makes a very impressive picture and can be seen for miles around. The afternoon of our visit was very windy and chilly but clear and dry. We first explored the main floors and with Father Prah, we turned many corridors and passed through silent rooms. When Congress is not in session, things are practically at a standstill at the Capitol. Of course, there are always tourists—but even they are smaller in number during the congressional vacation time. In order of appearance, I cannot recall what we saw first; but, I do know that as we came up from the basement, having been driven over on the “mono-rail” from the Senate Office Building, we approached the main foyer of the Capitol, and soon were in the great main Rotunda where it’s a general occurance to see people looking up at the Dome murals and skylights. All around the round hall are more murals depicting historically significant scenes such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We roamed slowly through to another large hall where marble statues representing famous statesman from all over the country are displayed. Around the room are these large forms with the name and state engraved at the bases. Almost all of the figures are lifesize, not two identical. We were told that they are the gifts of states or societies which pay tribute to their famous sons in this manner. In that room, Father Prah told me to stand at a certain spot, while he maneuvered Lud to another floor-tlle on the opposite side of the room. Whatever I whispered, he could understand me clearly. The acoustical perfection contained within those1 two areas was almost unbelieveable. Lud remarked that in Rome, at the St. Peter’s Basilica, there is a similar acoustical circumstance. No one seems to know the reasons for it. Up another marble stairway, and we were resting in the gallery of the Senate. For a moment, we pictured a full session, and were very sorry that it was November instead of any month between January and July when Congress meets daily. The Capitol Building houses both congressional meeting rooms; therefore, after visiting the Senate, we tracked to the opposite wing of the building, and saw the House of Representatives, which is an identical copy of the other room, except for minor changes. The approaches to both wings, the stairways and murals, are very beautiful and contain magnificent murals. As a child of 14 years, I made a trip to the Capitol with an S.W.U. excursion, and of all my memories, the clearest is of the stairways and murals in the Capitol Building. They must have fascinated me then as they did now! At the main entrance, we left the good priest with sincere wishes that we would meet again in the future. As I bundled up for the wind again, I couldn’t help but notice the poor condition of the exterior of the Capitol, especially as we stood on the west side facing the city. Being almost 100 years old, and built of far inferior materials than the more recent Supreme Court and National Gallery of Art, which are constructed of the most perfect marbles, I felt a wave of disappointment because it isn’t as perfect as the others. I remember hearing that recent plans for renovating more of the Capitol have been halted temporarily. The choice between erecting a new one or keeping the old, is surely a problem which will take much consideration. The Capitol and its history will still remain the most impressive thing in the entire city of Washington; and in comparison to any or all other buildings, the most governmentally important and dramatic. During our stay in Washington, the most absorbing Rev. Fr. John Prah, O.C.D., is standing before the Capitol in the shadow of the great symbolic figures which frame the entrance on both sides on the East Portico. Fr. Prah was our most excellent guide and became a good friend during our Washington visit. He is on the faculty of the Carmelite College and has recently received his doctorate degree at Catholic University.