Special North American Conference
Cedar Rapids, Iowa June 26-27, 2003
See also: Abstracts
Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) announces a Special North American Conference on "Czech and Slovak Presence in North America: A Retrospective Look and Future Perspectives"
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 26-27, 2003
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REGISTRATION AND CALL FOR PAPERS
Coe College will host the 2003 North American Conference of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU). The conference is being organized by its Nebraska Chapter, and is being sponsored by the National Czech and Slovak Museum, Coe College, the Federation of Czech Groups in Cedar Rapids, and the Cedar Rapids Convention and Visitor's Bureau. The dates of the 2003 SVU North American Conference have been selected to coincide with the 20th Annual Freedom Festival held in Cedar Rapids (June 26 - July 5).
This conference is taking place in Cedar Rapids, the City of Five Seasons, because this city has a rich heritage of political and cultural life organized by the Czechs. Even today, 25% of the population of Cedar Rapids can claim Czech heritage.
The program will focus on three main issues of interest to Czech and Slovak Americans:
•Ethnicity and Preservation of Language and Culture (includes presentations on history and genealogy).
•Historical and contemporary settlements of people from the Czech and Slovak Republics in North America.
•Future relationships between Czechs and Slovaks living in North America and those in the Czech and Slovak Republics.
The open format of the conference will allow discussion of other topics of interest. We are looking for submissions on almost any topic pertaining to Czechs and/or Slovaks in America (including Canada and Mexico), as well as on the relations between them and the Czech and Slovak Republics.
The Conference participants will have the opportunity to attend various cultural and social programs scheduled during the two-day conference, as well as events scheduled for the 20th Freedom Festival (celebrating the spirit of patriotism and a sense of community and family) during the evenings and weekend. There will be an opening reception on Wednesday, June 25 at the National Czech and Slovak Museum from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The museum has a permanent exhibit, Homelands, that leads you on a tour through Czech and Slovak history and culture, as well as other special exhibits.
For your culinary delights there will be a Chuckwagon Barbeque dinner the evening of Thursday, June 26 and a Czech banquet on the evening of Friday, June 27, both to be held on the Coe College campus. Two tours will be available. On Saturday, June 28, there will be an all day tour to Spillville, Protivin and Ft. Atkinson (all located 2 hours north of Cedar Rapids). Among the many sites in Spillville are the Bily Brothers Clock Museum, the Antonin Dvorak Museum, the St. Wenceslaus Church where Dvorak performed the summer of 1893, the adjacent cemetery with the Andera crosses, and the Dvorak monument. The second tour will be on Sunday, June 29 to the Czech Village, followed by a tour of St. Wenceslaus Church, the Czech National Cemetery, and the nearby communities of Ely and Solon. A minimum of 30 participants is needed for each of these tours (maximum 56; first come, first served).
Accommodation for SVU members is available in the Coe College dorms ($17.00 per night, per person in Voorhees Hall) or the Coe College apartments ($27.00 per night, per person -- 4 single bedrooms; 2 bathrooms; full kitchen). All participants can purchase meals that are served in the cafeteria (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The cost of the meal plan is $21.00 for three meals a day (with the exception of Thursday and Friday because of special meals) or you can purchase individual meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner - details are on full Registration Form that is separate). Parking will be on campus near the dorms. You may view the Coe College facility at: www.coe.edu
The Clarion Hotel is the off site hotel and we have made arrangements for special SVU prices ($69/single; $79/double; $89/triple). They have agreed to shuttle SVU participants to and from Coe College during the conference and reception. Please call the Clarion Hotel to make your reservations: 800-325-3535 or 319-366-8671. Be sure to mention you are with the SVU Conference.
Be sure to click on the RTF forms so you could have all of the information that relates to the Conference: Pre-Registration Form; Information Sheet; Full Registration Form; Scheduled Events Calendar; Important Websites.
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Registration fees
$ 45.00 (SVU Member)
$ 55.00 (NonMember of SVU)
$ 40.00 (Spouse)
$ 20.00 (Students)
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Deadline for panel declarations and paper submissions is March 31, 2003.
Important Websites for you to view:
Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: www.cedar-rapids.com
Coe College: www.public.coe.edu
Coe College Dorms: Voorhees Hall: www.coe.edu/CampusTour/VoorheesHall
National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library: www.ncsml.org
Freedom Festival: www.freedomfestival.com
Spillville, Iowa: www.spillville.ia.us
Andera Crosses, St. Wenceslaus Church, Spillville, Iowa: www.klimesh.com/cross
Amana Colonies: www.amanacolonies.com