PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORTS - STATE OF SVU

State of the SVU in the Year 1999

Report of SVU President Dr. Miloslav Rechcigl to SVU General Assembly
convened on April 24, 1999 in Minneapolis, MN

I am delighted to see many of our members at this 40th Annual Meeting of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences. It is nice to see so many old-timers who so faithfully attend all our annual meetings, as well as a number of new faces who are in attendance for the first time.

At the outset, I would like to first thank the local organizers, and particularly Jozka Mestenhauser, for making it possible to hold the General Assembly meeting in conjunction with our special conference on "Czech and Slovak America: Quo Vadis?", on the occasion of President Havel's visit to Minneapolis. Our time is limited to one hour so I will faithfully adhere to the schedule, in order not to jeopardize the activities which follow.

My report will be brief because it will cover only the first eight months of activities of the present Executive Board's two-year administrative period. It will essentially cover the same ground reported in our newsletter Zpravy SVU. That the Executive Board has viewed its responsibilities seriously is apparent from the fact that during this short period we held three regular meetings, and the fourth is planned next week.

The first action we took was to complete some unfinished business relating to our exceptionally successful SVU World Congress in Bratislava, i.e. reviewing the expenses and paying the bills. It is with great satisfaction that I can report here that our ledger ended in the black, a reflection of the excellent planning of the Congress organizers.

At our election last year, I pledged, on behalf of the newly elected Executive Board, that we shall be fiscally responsible and manage the Society on the basis of a balanced budget. I am pleased to say that we are on the target.

As is the custom, at the start of a new administrative period, the Executive Board first reviewed the Society's priorities and set its goals. The results of our deliberations led to a draft of the SVU Mission statement, which was published in our newsletter with the request for comments from the membership at large. In brief, the Executive Board agreed to continue emphasis on the previous priorities, i.e., to enhance and promote Czech and Slovak culture abroad, to coordinate and assist the work of SVU members and to promote cooperation between scientists, artists and other professionals, as well as between cultural institutions, in Czech and Slovak Republics and those abroad. In addition to these, two more priorities were added, namely to make a concerted effort toward preservation of Czech and Slovak cultural identity and heritage abroad and assist with development of a civil society.

One of the wisest decisions we made was to convene the 1999 annual meeting combined with a special conference in Minneapolis / St. Paul area, an area where many a Czech or Slovak immigrant settled at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. When we subsequently learned of the possible visit of President Havel to Minnesota, through the cooperation of Ambassador Vondra, we rearranged our schedule so that the conference would coincide with the President's visit and be made part of the overall President Havel's program. In the last two months we worked exceedingly hard to make the program a success and, judging from the comments of the attendees, it is apparent that we have succeeded. It is hard to imagine another comparable event which would have been attended by so many distinguished personalities. While working on the program, Jozka Mestenhauser and I must have exchanged as many as five different e-mail messages a day. I am sure he must be relieved that the ordeal is over.  

Another major effort we have undertaken is the preparation for the 20th SVU World Congress to be held in the Nation's Capital, Washington, D.C. in the year 2000. As the central theme, we have chosen "Civil Society and Democracy into the 21st Century." Apart from the relevant symposia and discussion panels, there will be traditional sessions according to various disciplines. The Washington, DC SVU Chapter has assumed responsibility for local arrangements. Vera Borkovec will coordinate the logistics while Anton Novacky will coordinate the program.

As was recently reported, SVU has just published a new monograph, entitled Czech-Americans in Transition, based on the SVU Conference in Texas in 1997.  It is an excellent publication and we urge you to purchase a copy for yourself and another for a friend. You should also suggest to your librarian to order a copy for their public or university   library. The present Executive Board is paying special attention to publications and has undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the entire SVU publication program with emphasis on periodicals, under the direction of Vice President Josef Machac. The first task is an in-depth evaluation of the English periodical Kosmas, both in terms of management and editorial policies and practices, which is currently in progress.

As a result of our conference in Texas in 1997, the Society has included among its priorities an effort toward preserving our cultural heritage abroad. SVU has had a long-standing interest in the history of Czech and Slovak Americans and has anxiously followed the disappointing trends in the vitality of our communities, as manifested by the declining interest in Czech and Slovak languages and cultural traditions and the demise of once influential organizations. As the grandparents pass away, the subsequent generations lose interest, not only in the languages of their ancestors, but also in their own family heritage. They have no need for the old Czech or Slovak books, almanacs or calendars and other family treasures which have reminded their parents and grandparents of their old country and which they always held in great reverence. As a result, historic publications and other memorabilia are tossed away and thus permanently lost.

It is for this reason that SVU has embarked on the program of making a comprehensive survey of existing memorial sites and documentary material throughout the US which have a bearing on the Czech and Slovak presence in America. To assist in this endeavor, SVU received a grant from the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs to survey historic sites and monuments that commemorate important events and personalities of Czech America and to gather information on the existing archives, libraries and other documentary material maintained by various organizations or in private hands. We obviously cannot do this alone and have therefore turned to other major Czech American organizations to assist us in this all-American effort, under a new umbrella organization which we have called National Heritage Commission.

It is also in this spirit that our Society is making a concerted effort to involve young people in our activities. Hopefully, this will lead to revitalizing not only of the SVU ranks but also toward revitalization of all Czech and Slovak America, in general. Towards this end, we have also included  in our conference program a special discussion panel, comprised entirely of students and young people, on the topic "The Perspective of the Young in Viewing the Millennium."

In conclusion, let me reiterate, our Society is sound and well. We are always open to new ideas and innovative suggestions. We also welcome volunteers to help us with our large agenda, particularly, but by no means limited to, the younger generation.

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