Overview
This year our society has continued our efforts to help foster awareness of Slovak cultural and current affairs. The following are the highlights.
Membership
- On October 23, 2021, we have 131 paid memberships (76 Individual and 55 Family).
- In October 2020, we had 113 paid memberships (64 Individual and 49 Family).
- In October 2019, we had 107 paid memberships (57 Individual and 50 Family).
Financial
Our financial status is stable. Our total assets at September 30, 2021 were $18,017.44.
These assets are deposited in the following accounts:
- Bank of America business checking account: $11,795.19
- Lafayette Federal Credit Union CD account: $6,222.25
City University
The society will be donating $3,750 to City University of Seattle to support five partial scholarships to needy students in Slovakia.
Programs
The following events were held or have been scheduled for the 19th year of our Speakers’ Series:
- January 12 — The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in 2021, a presentation with the NCSML staff.
- February 6 — The Great Return: How Reverse Migration Is Transforming Slovakia in the 21st Century, a talk with Dr. Zuzana Palovič of Global Slovakia.
- February 23 — Beginning Slovak Genealogy Research, a presentation with Lisa A. Alzo, M.F.A.
- March 6 — Zelení Nahlas: Environmentalism in Slovakia in the Revolution and After, a talk with Edward Snajdr, John Jay College, CUNY.
- April 17 — The Emperor and the Peasant: Two Men at the Start of the Great War and the End of the Habsburg Empire, a book talk with Kenneth Janda, Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University.
- May 15 — The New Party Challenge in Slovakia: Understanding and Dealing with Constant Political Change, a talk with Kevin Deegan-Krause, Wayne State University, and Tim Haughton, University of Birmingham, UK.
- June 10 — Bringing Back Bodrik: A Traditional Solution to a Modern Problem, a documentary film and talk with Robert Glowacky, wildlife filmmaker.
- September 9 — I Am a Brave Bridge: An American Girl’s Hilarious and Heartbreaking Year in the Fledgling Republic of Slovakia, a book talk by Sarah Hinlicky Wilson.
- October 23 — Seven Slovak Women: Portraits of Courage, Humanism, and Enlightenment, a book talk with Professor Josette Baer, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Activities
The ongoing pandemic has prevented the SASW from resuming in-person events. To help connect members during this time of social distancing, the society has subscribed to the Zoom video-conferencing platform to hold virtual events.
The Slovak conversation groups and genealogy groups meet regularly during 2021. As of September 30, 2021, the SASW has held 8 virtual speaker events, the most ever in the society’s history.
The SASW also launched the virtual cook-along series, Varíme spolu, and held two cooking demonstrations. Work has continued on a Slovak cookbook from which the proceeds from sales will benefit the City University scholarship fund. The cookbook, when complete, will have over 150 authentic Slovak recipes.
Planning is currently underway for another virtual Svätý Mikuláš celebration.
Online Presence
We are actively maintaining a presence on social media to raise our public profile and generate interest in Slovak topics:
The SASW has continued to support a social group on Meetup to attract younger members and more recent Slovak émigrés.
2021 Board of Directors
Officers
- Brian Belensky, President
- Georgene C. Chastain, Vice President
- Tom Marton, Treasurer
- Marta Szotakova, Secretary
At-Large Board Members
- John Husovsky
- Helen Fedor
- Virginia Sorkin
- Valerie McNeill
- Stacey Galik
