AMERICAN CZECH-SLOVAK CULTURAL CLUB HOSTS CELEBRITIES IN 2000
By Robert Petrik
North Miami, Florida
January 2003
2002: The Year in Review. The year 2002 was full of cultural activities held at the American Czech-Slovak Cultural Club. A review of the important highlights follows.
The Club continued showing Czech and Slovak films during the winter season. Babicka with screenplay by Božena Nemcová was shown in January. The Academy Award winning film Closely Watched Trains was presented in February. In April Murder Czech Style was shown. In November the recently released film Dark Blue World was well received. At the end of the year Pictures from the Old Country as well as In the Shadow of Memory – Legacies of Lidice were shown.
In February Joan McGuire Mohr came from the University of Pittsburgh to speak on The Czechoslovak Legion in Siberia (1917-1920).
The Club and the University of Miami School of Music sponsored the Brno Chamber Orchestra which performed at the University of Miami campus.
Martin Palouš, Czech Ambassador to the United States, attended a luncheon held at the Club in his honor. Everyone in attendance was able to meet and speak with him.
In March, Martin Butora, Slovak Ambassador to the United States and his wife Zora, came to the Club to officially open the Slovak Consulate for the State of Florida.
Dr. Joseph Patrouch from Florida International University spoke on The Habsburg Dynasty and the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Larry Morava, of the famous Czech country and western band KTO, played his guitar and sang songs of Old Prague, folksongs, nationalistic songs, and campfire songs.
A Ples (Dance Ball) was a great success one Saturday night in April.
Club members along with members of the American Czech & Slovak Friends in South Florida held a luncheon to honor and thank Bob Petrík for all his efforts over the past several years.
In May a Májový Ples (May Dance Ball) featured Slovak singer Marcella Molnárová who dazzled the audience as she has done on two other occasions.
In July Petr Kratochvil presented selected poetry works of Jan Neruda, a notable Czech poet and Sergij Jesenin of Russia.
In September a special dinner was held in honor of Yuri Dojc, a Slovak-Canadian photographic artist.
A benefit dance was held to raise money for the flood victims in the Czech Republic.
In October the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre presented a performance of Czech and Slovak Tales with Strings to a large crowd of young and old.
In November a Maškarni Ples (Costume Ball) was attended by many in very creative costumes.
In December the Slovak father and son team of Jozef and Dodo Ivaška came from Austria to sing folk and popular songs in Slovak, Czech, English and Italian.