.
Nezavisle ceske elektronicke noviny
April, 2007 .
ISSN 1093-2887 .
The Astoria "Bohemka" (Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society of Astoria, Inc.) entered the 2007 under a shadow of the judiciary intervention.Inasmuch as the NY Department of State is the creator of any corporation, oversight of any corporate activity is up to the judiciary. But you do not need to be a lawyer to find out that the judiciary is very reluctant to interfere into internal affairs of any corporation, solve internal disputes, personalities and dissatisfaction unless it is absolutely and totally necessary. And so did the NY Supreme Court, Queens County by Hon. Marguerite A. Grays, SCJ (see our article HERE) when denying Bohemka's motion for an injunction (for an instant preliminary restraining Order directing three members, defendants to cease and desist from some alleged activities). (Obviously, I predict, after three or more years of litigation and large legal expenses, the final result will be the same: the judiciary telling the corporation "What do you want from us? Do it yourselves, amend your Bylaws!")
If anything, the courts are concerned about elections, mainly in cases of not-for-profit, formerly membership organizations. In general the judiciary favors open and broad elections. And so did the NY Supreme Court in case of Bohemka, willing to listen to an argument about admissibility of some members as candidates, perhaps in mid of April, meaning postponement of the March 30th elections date, or, as an alternative, make eligible all those timely submitted nominations, including the list of about 126 members, some with dues unpaid, some absent, some in a hospital or dead.
The present Bohemka's Board wisely accepted the alternative since to be elected requires being present when the name is called and acceptance of the candidacy. So it practically resolved that nearly all (except of handful out of 147 members) could become candidates and be elected.
On the 30th day of March a quorum was present and voting with the following results: Peter Combs 53, Sarka Eliahova 52, Jan Tomecek 51, Helen Otypka 50, Eduard Siroky 49, Frank Vasek 48, Peter Kutil 20+, Jozef Bil 20, Pavel Vancura 18, Petr Vancura & Zdena Spanek 16, Milan Hronec & Bronislav Brinarsky 13, Denisa Pompl 9, Martina Nehybka 5, Jarda Nehybka & Jan Bartunek 3This means that the candidates recommended by the Board received two third to three quarters of all the votes.So the Board can be very pleased with these results despite of the strong opposition (demanding respect to each other, stop the lawsuits, open membership, open finance, stop accusations).
How depressing it would be if the Board would receive a hundred percent; usual accomplishments only in dictatorships.
And so can be very please the opposition. How dreadful it would be if such opposition would not exist. They served a useful purpose and will serve it in the future as a watchdog by overseeing all the future events.
It certainly doesn't mean that the opposition lost.
It means that the membership recognized that the Society is presently doing well as their President Petr Bisek reminded to them shortly before the elections:
The Society is in excellent financial condition The restaurant, bar and the garden, under a new management is doing better than ever before. A new supervisory computer program will be used to track all supplies and usage. Czech school is running at full capacity and probably will need further enlargement New applicants for membership are being accepted and processed. Presently the Society has 147 members. Outlook for the future is bright.
More accompishmens than that:Looking at the Bohemka from the outside, perhaps President Bisek left out quite a few additional accomplishments and lectures to the other Czech organizations (mainly in NYC).
Only about 15 years ago the Bohemka was in a terrible shape: close to a bankruptcy, large debts that some proposed to solve by selling the garden, others proposed to convert it to a parking lot. That time the National Hall at 73rd Street in Manhattan under the BBLA management with 8 other Czech organizations was in much better shape and condition. (The BBLA consists of 1) AFCR/American Fund For Czechoslovak Relief, Inc. (2) Sokol NYC,(3) Assoc. of Free Czechoslovak Sportsmen in NY (4) Czech and Slovak Solidarity Council (5) Czechoslovak Society of America, Lodge Queensdale, No. 422 (6)SVU/Cz Society of Arts and Sciences, (7) Dvorak American Heritage Assoc. (8) Lodge Frederick Phillipse, No. 263)
The development of all the events of the Bohemka shows that the groups opposing the BBLA's transfer of the building to the Czech government were right. Bohemka's recent history proved that the Czech-American New Yorkers ARE able to restore as Jan Krondl's group proposed.
Democratic electionsFurther accomplishment are also these elections with a strong opposition. It shows the Czech society IS alive.
Again, just compare the Bohemka today with the BBLA and its 8 associated organizations (except the 71st Street Sokol, the only one truly active).
Another accomplishment: POLITICALAnother accomplishment is political. The Bohemka hosted many Czech dignitaries, from President Vaclav Havel, to Czech Prime ministers, Ambassadors, etc. etc. But when a dignitary from the Czech Communist Party (that just recently assured and acknowledged teachings of Lenin) arrived to Bohemka, they kicked him out. I don't remember if it was Bisek or Holubar, which is immaterial because in this act the entire Bohemka was unified, there was no opposition AND this act was well publicized all over the world, mainly in the Czech Republic "Comrade Ransdorf kicked out from the Bohemka in Astoria in America". (Details HERE in Czech.)
Again, compare this with the BBLA & Co: they are kicking out from the National Hall exiled refugees from communism and anti-communist journalists.
Promoting the Czech culture to all the nationalitiesThe Last observation is perhaps the most important accomplishment of Bohemka.
Last summer I wanted to taste some Czech meal so during one summer day I wanted to visit the Bohemka. But I did not. The line of people trying to enter the restaurant, bar and the garden was more than two blocks long. I could observe that none of them was apparently Czech; they were all the mixture of all the nationalities.
Not only during the summer, my relative, a member of the Bohemka Society, had a difficult time to get in and vote on the March 30th. She said that not only the bar and the restaurant was crowded, but also the garden was full despite of a typical winter day.
So here again the Bohemka is accomplishing what the Czech Consulate and the Czech Center (an office of the MZV, Czech Government) failed. At great expense of the Czech taxpayer, these representatives suppose to promote their country to the general American public. Instead they just serve a selected group of Czechs. They have no opposition since they strike out not only anybody who would not agree, they strike out even when they are not sure about (such as yours truly).
So MY SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS to the newly elected Board and to the opposition that keeps the Society so much alive! (There is a next time!)
References:
Astorian is dead.
Kterak bolševika vyhodili z Bohemby (2003)
Bohemka in 2000-2001-2002-2003Home | Vitejte . . | JS homepage | Eleanor's kitchen | OrbisNews | J. Schrabal
Copyright © 1995-2008 Newyorske listy (New York Herald) *All rights reserved* ISSN 1093-2887