HR0656 LRB095 12867 GRL 38347 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of the
4 Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol USA Lodge 306 on the occasion of
5 their 60th anniversary; and
 
6     WHEREAS, Sokol was founded in Prague in 1862 by Dr.
7 Miroslav Tyrs, a professor at Charles University who studied
8 the ways of the ancient Greeks and devised a system to promote
9 democracy through physical fitness and education; he named his
10 organization "Sokol", the Czech word for "falcon", the falcon
11 representing the strength, grace, and majesty he envisioned for
12 all who participated; his friend and co-founder, Jindrich
13 Fuegner, financed the endeavor; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Sokol came to the United States in 1865 with the
15 founding of Sokol St. Louis; for almost thirty years, the
16 Czechs continued the Sokol movement in the United States before
17 the First Slovak Sokol was founded on the west side of Chicago
18 in 1892; on April 12, 1896, Sokol Slavia held its first meeting
19 and made its headquarters at Rakowski Hall on Chicago's north
20 side; and
 
21     WHEREAS, In September 1902, Sokol Slavia moved to a new
22 headquarters on Front Street and Elston Avenue; Sokol Slavia

 

 

HR0656 - 2 - LRB095 12867 GRL 38347 r

1 was forced to move to a new home at Jan Malina's Hall at Chase
2 and Cornell Streets in 1908, with the grand opening of the hall
3 taking place on May 5, 1909; and
 
4     WHEREAS, In 1915, Sokol Nitriansky sent a delegation to a
5 meeting of Sokol Slavia to discuss a merger with Sokol Slavia
6 and Sokol Tatran; a recommendation was made for all three units
7 to combine to form a new and stronger Sokol unit; Slovak
8 American Sokol was formed from this merger; and
 
9     WHEREAS, After the First World War, many families moved to
10 areas outside the city, resulting in a decline in the
11 membership and activity of Slovak American Sokol; the necessity
12 of establishing new units in these areas resulted in the
13 establishment of Sokol Krivan in Jefferson Park; in April 1923,
14 Sokol Krivan, after a reorganization, joined the ranks of the
15 Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol and soon brought its activities to
16 a new high level; and
 
17     WHEREAS, In 1944, the Tatran Slovak Union and the
18 Evangelical Society merged with the Slovak Gymnastic Union
19 Sokol; soon after, the Slovak American Sokol sold its hall on
20 Will Street and along with Sokol Krivan, all the S.G.U.S. units
21 on the northwest side of Chicago merged together in 1947 into
22 one large unit, known as Slovak American Sokol Krivan S.G.U.S.
23 Lodge 306, with its headquarters at Zdrubeck's Hall at 4623

 

 

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1 North Pulaski in Chicago; and
 
2     WHEREAS, On Memorial Day 1962, ground was broken at 4855
3 North Elston Avenue for the construction of the Sokol Community
4 Center; gymnastics activity at the center continues to flourish
5 due to the enthusiasm and dedication of the many instructors
6 and their directors; therefore, be it
 
7     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
9 congratulate the members of the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol
10 USA Lodge 306 on the occasion of their 60th anniversary and
11 wish them continued success in the future; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13 presented to a representative of Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol
14 USA Lodge 306 as a symbol of our esteem and respect.