The Meaning of America for Czechs and Slovaks
and the Czech and Slovak Meaning in America

Petr Gandalovic

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

I. Emigration and Immigration
II. Cultural Contributions
III. Institutions, Organizations
IV. Accent on Youth
V. Genealogy
VI. Cooperation with the Czech and Slovak Republics
VII. Historical Papers or Special Topics on Czech and Slovak Issues

 

 

I. Emigration and Immigration

History of the Czechs and Slovaks in North America

Chair: Clinton Machann, Texas A & M University

Lawrence and Elaine Cerny, Huber Hts., Ohio
A Walk Through Newburgh Heights and Slavic Village

Milan Fryscak, New York University
Frantisek Korbel - A Czech Pioneer in California

Jan Klinka, Vancouver, British Columbia
Czech & Slovak Immigration to Canada With a Focus On Western Canada, Especially British Columbia

E. A. Kral, Wilber, Nebraska
A Brief History of Cultural Preservation Accomplishments at Wilber, Nebraska, A Czech-American Town

Stepanka Magstadt, Plzen, Czech Republic
Czech Immigrants and Emigres Re-Visited

Pat Novak, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Grandpa's Stories

Michael Rokos, Baltimore, Maryland
The Early Immigrants - Why? A Salute to Augustine Herman, First Permanent Czech Settler in North America and Those Who Came After Him in the Late 1800's

Ludmilla Saskova, Moscow, Idaho
The Struggle to Find a Place: Bohemian Homestead Communities in Idaho and Montana at the End of the 19th and the Beginning of the 20th Century

Budimir Zvolanek, St. Louis, Missouri
History of Czech and Slovak Immigrants in St. Louis and Personal Recollection on Immigration

 

 

II. Cultural Contributions

Preserving Heritage and Culture through Music

Chair: Joel Blahnik, Fish Creek, Wisconsin

Co-Chair: Sister Anita Smisek, New Praha, Minnesota

Joel Blahnik, Fish Creek, Wisconsin
Alliance Publications, Inc. (API) - A Czechoslovak Musical Voice Bridging the World

Sister Anita Smisek, New Praha, Minnesota
Alliance Publications, Inc. (API) - A Czechoslovak Musical Voice Bridging the World

Don Trouba, Elkhorn, Nebraska
The Czech Heligon Accordion: Its History and Applications

Sue Underwood and Maureen Beck, Crete, Nebraska
Traditional Czech Folk Music and Instrumentation Including Musical Demonstration of the Dudy

Preserving Heritage and Culture through Literature

Chair: Ann Billesbach, Head of Reference, Nebraska State Historical Society

Lorraine J. Duggin, Omaha, Nebraska
Personal Poetry Reflections

Margaret Hermanek Peaslee, University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
Bozena Nemcova Remembered

Tim Prchal, Oklahoma State University
The Bohemian Paradox: My Antonia and Popular Images of Czech Immigrants in the Early Twentieth Century

Preserving Heritage and Culture in the Home

Chair: R. Thomas Zumpfe, Lincoln, Nebraska

Anne Callahan, Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln, Nebraska

Velma Kotas, Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln, Nebraska
Ostry Family: Mike, Karen, Matthew (12), Louis (10), Cecilia and Angelica (8), Maria (7), Helena (4), and Anthony (2),
Nebraska Czechs of Butler County, Bruno, Nebraska

Jarmila Vogel, Masaryk Club of Boston
Czech and Slovak Cultural Heritage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Full audience participation

Czech Architectural Experiences

Chair: Al Hamersky, Lincoln, Nebraska

Al Hamersky, Lincoln, Nebraska
Czech Architectural Heritage

David Murphy, Lincoln, Nebraska
The Passing of Old Czech Carpentry in the North American Central Plains

William H. Tishler, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bohemian Folk Architecture in Wisconsin

Czech and Slovak Contributions to Medicine

Chair: Jitka Stiles,Prague, Czech Republic

Co-Chair: Louis Gogela, Lincoln, Nebraska

Lawrence F. Jindra, Columbia University, New York
New Advances in Glaucoma Surgery

Patrick Kudlacek, and Steven C. Sansom, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
The Importance of the Calcium Sensitive Potassium (BKCa) Channel in Hypertension

Jaroslava Moserova, Vice-President, Czech Parliament
Title to be announced

Jitka Stiles, Prague, Czech Republic
Positive and Negative Aspects of Molds in the Food Industry

 

III. Institutions, Organizations

Czech and Slovak Museums

Chair: Layne Pierce, Lincoln, Nebraska

E. A. Kral, Wilber, Nebraska
Czech Culture Captured in Small Nebraska Museums

Don Martin, Winter Park, Florida
The Albin Polasek Museum

David Muhlena, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library

Richard Pavlasek, Austin, Texas

Woody Smith, La Grange, Texas
The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange, Texas

Czech and Slovak Library Archives and Collection Development

Co-Chair: Jean Dickinson, University of Nebraska

Co-Chair: Layne Pierce, Lincoln, Nebraska

Jean Dickinson, University of Nebraska
Some Researches into the Treasures of the University of Nebraska "Czech Heritage Collections”

Sandra Levy, University of Chicago
Czech and Slovak Collections at the University of Chicago

David Muhlena, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
A Proposal to Create a Czecho-Slovak American Library, Czech and Slovak Museum

Daniel Necas, University of Minnesota
Czech and Slovak American Collections Above the Bohemian Flats of Minneapolis: The IHRC at the Elmer L. Andersen Library

Czech Festivals and Celebrations - Roundtable

Chair: John Fiala, Lincoln, Nebraska

Charles Keller, President, Nebraska Czechs of Wilber, Nebraska

Doris Ourecky, Nebraska Czechs of Wilber, Nebraska

Toni Birmingham, Chair, Czech Festival in Phillips, Wisconsin

Elaine Benda, Board of Directors, Oklahoma Czechs, Yukon, Oklahoma

Lorraine Lafler, Panhandle Czechs of Nebraska, Sidney, Nebraska

Presidential Symposium: Role of Ethnic Organizations in Preserving Our Cultural Heritage

Chair: Miloslav Rechcigl, SVU President

Vlasta Becvarova Barber, President, Czech and Slovak Society of Oregon, Tigard, OR

Elaine Benda, Board of Directors, representing the Oklahoma Czechs, Inc., Yukon, OK

Petr Bisek, President, Bohemian Citizen's Benevolent Society of Astoria, Inc., Astoria, NY

Daniel Hrna, Chairman of the Board, the Czech Heritage Society of Texas, TX

Charles Keller, President, Nebraska Czechs of Wilber, NE

Larry Laznovsky, President, American Sokol Organization

Judith Mabary, Executive Secretary, the Czech and Slovak Music Society, St. Louis, IL

Jan Hird Pokorny, President, Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Society Association, New York, NY

John M. Richard, President, Czechoslovak National Council of America, Cicero, IL

Glen Riensche, President, Czech Language Foundation, Fairbury, NE

Michael G. Rokos, President, Czech and Slovak Heritage Association of Maryland, MD

Ron Stiles, President, Komensky Club, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE

Stanley Broz, Regional Director, Slavonic Benevolent Order of the State of Texas, TX

Jiri Karas, Delegate, House of Representatives of the Czech Parliament, CR

Jaromir Slapota, President, Czechoslovak Foreign Institute, Prague, CR

Milan Spacek, Senator, Senate of the Czech Parliament, Olomouc, CR

 

 

IV. Accent on Youth

The Assimilation and Acculturation of Youth

Chair: Ron Stiles, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Sharon Holliday, Lincoln, Nebraska
International Student's Adjustment Process at a Midwestern University

Richard Kimbrough, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Outsiders: How People Adjust to Non-Native Cultures

Ron Stiles, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Language: The Prime Target to Assimilation

Mary Stretton, Fort Collins, Colorado
Assimilation Difficulties of Second Generation Americans

Veronika Zavrelova, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Dealing with New Communicative Situations in Czech Community(-ies) Living in the USA

Youth Movement

Chair: John Fiala, Lincoln, Nebraska

Elaine Benda, Oklahoma Czechs, Inc., Yukon, Oklahoma

John Fiala, Lincoln, Nebraska
Czech-Slovak Youth Ambassadors

Mary E. Kasper, Miss Czech-Slovak USA first runner-up from Kansas
Keepin' the Culture

Sylvia Laznovsky, Oakbrook, Illinois [lives in Ennis, Texas]
Preserving Sokol for its Youth in the 21st Century, Membership Chairman, American Sokol Organization,

Karina Molacek, Clarkson, Nebraska
Youth's Heritage Importance, 2000-01 Miss Czech-Slovak USA Queen

Doris Ourecky, Wilber, Nebraska
Youthful Ambassadors, National Czech-Slovak Pageant Co-Coordinator

Joan Sedlacek, Oakbrook, Illinois
Preserving Sokol for its Youth in the 21st Century, Educational Chairman, American Sokol Organization

S tudent Exchange Programs

Chair: Glen Riensche, Fairbury, Nebraska

Joel Blahnik, Fish Creek Wisconsin

Renea Gernant, Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska

John Rocarek, The Czech Heritage Foundation Scholarship Program

Jana Tuzar, Chicago, Illinois, Matise Vyssiho Vzdelani - Czech American Institution Which Gives Scholarships to Students

Veronika Zavrelova, Olomouc, Czech Republic

T eaching Czech Language

Chair:_Katya Koubek, University of Nebraska

Katya Koubek, University of Nebraska
Teaching Czech Language in Context

Mila Saskova-Pierce, University of Nebraska
Intermediate Czech Language Classroom, The Teaching of Culture, and Heritage Preservation

Lisa Wakamiya, Florida State University
Current State of On-Line Resources for the Study of Czech

MaryLu Stika, Lawrence, Kansas
The Realities of Teaching Czech to Multi-Generational and Multi-Level Groups

Hot Topics in the Helping Professions

Chair: Holly Zumpfe, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Pam Dickey, Lincoln, Nebraska
Antibiotic Resistance in the New Millennium

Joseph Swoboda, Lincoln, Nebraska
Cultural Perspectives in Mental Health Treatment of Czech Youth

Mary Swoboda, Lincoln, Nebraska
Cultural Perspectives in Mental Health Treatment of Czech Youth

Holly Zumpfe, University of Nebraska-Omaha
What We Know About ADHD

 

 

V. Genealogy

Catching Up With the Past

Chair: Gordon Pejsar, Lincoln, Nebraska

Eugene Aksamit, Edina, Minnesota
Researching Your Czech and Slovak Ancestors from the U.S., President of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International

Jiri Eichler, Prague, Czech Republic
The Story of Cabelas: From Trebon to Brainard, Nebraska

Karen Hobbs, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Using Austrian Military Records and the Story of a Bohemian Regiment in Two Wars, 1864-1866
[The workbook to help find the right film from among the 2665 military records titles in the LDS catalog will be available at cost.]

Daniel Hrna, Czech Heritage Society of Texas
Use of Library Facilities-Internet to Entice Youth to Appreciate Genealogy

Robert Janak, Beaumont, Texas
The Czech-Moravian Brethren Community in Texas Between the Wars. Notes on Funeral Records Published by the Czech Heritage Society of Texas

Preservation of Czech-American Culture: Online and Offline

Chair: Layne Pierce, Lincoln, Nebraska

Layne Pierce, Lincoln, Nebraska
Digitalization of Nebraska Czech Artifacts and Intergenerational Cultural Transmission, Lincoln, Nebraska

Louis Reith, Georgetown University
From the Coasts of Bohemia to the Banks of the Platte

Ludmilla Saskova, Moscow, Idaho
New Technologies. A brief demonstration of publishing text and images on the internet.

Jarmila Vogel, Masaryk Club of Boston
Czech and Slovak Cultural Heritage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

VI. Cooperation with the Czech and Slovak Republics

Coming Together: A Czech-U.S. Partnership
for Child Research and Democracy Building

Chair: Gary B. Melton, Clemson University and President, Childwatch International

Robin J. Kimbrough-Melton, Clemson University
Building Civil Societies Respectful of Children, Youth, and Families

Susan P. Limber, Clemson, University
Political and Legal Socialization in Emerging and Advanced Democracies

Gary B. Melton, Clemson University and President, Childwatch International
uilding an Agenda for Child Research in Central and Eastern Europe

Economic Cooperation in the Czech and Slovak Republics

Chair: Joe Chapuran, International Development Manager, Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Hana Laserova, Czech Invest, Chicago

Andrea Lupo, Czech Republic Specialist, International Trade Administration

Frank J. Safertal, Bechtel Telecommunications
Latest Developments in Czech and Slovak Republic Telecommunications

Jana Sevcikova, Chicago, Illinois
Helping the Trade -- CzechTrade

Speaker from Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture or UNL Agricultural College

 

VII. Historical Papers or Special Topics on Czech and Slovak Issues

Ladislaus J. Bolchazy, Wauconda, Illinois

What the World Wants to Know From Slovakia: A White Paper

Jan Drabek, Vancouver, British Columbia , A Writer in Prague and A Writer in Vancouver

Ivan Dubovicky, Cultural Attache, Czech Embassy, Washington, DC
Contemporary Status of the Czech American Community

Petr Gandolovic, Consulate General of the Czech Republic, New York
Future of the Bohemian National Building Project

Milan Hauner, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Edvard Benes and the Significance of his Sojourn in the United States in 1939 and/or Edvard Benes and his Memoirs: Published and Unpublished

Paul Lebloch, Downers Grove, Illinois
History of Sokol and Its Contributions to Czech and Slovak Culture, 1st Vice President, World Sokol Federation, Prague, Czech Republic

Michael Rokos, Baltimore, Maryland
Cults, Mind Control and the Threat to Freedom

Josef Rostinsky, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Miroslav Synek, San Antonio, Texas
Czechs and Slovaks: Supporters of Free Elections