THE CZECHS OF CLEVELAND
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Sokol Cleveland Hall.
the early members served in the Union army during the Civil War, and many benefits were paid to the dependents of men who died upon the battlefield.
The first Cleveland branch was “Svornost” (Harmony,) founded in 1870 as the third branch of the national organization. There are now 23 C. S. P. S. lodges in Cleveland, all of them bearing interesting and distinctive names, most of which refer in some way to the national history. Zizka, the great military genius of Bohemia, whose army of peasants and mechanics, with iron flails and wooden clubs, defeated the mail-clad knights of Europe, is memoralized by three lodges, named respectively, Zizka, “Zizkuv Tabor” (the Camp of Zizka) and “Zizkuv Mec” (the Sword of Zizka) Peter Chelcicky, the Czech Tolstoi, Machar the Poet, and Jan Kollar, poet and patriot, are others whose named are borne by Cleveland lodges.
The location of the Supreme Lodge is determined by each quadrennial convention. The last one sent it to Cleveland, where offices are occupied in the Bohemian National Hall. The supreme president is Karel Bernreiter, 8719 Quincy avenue, secretary, J. V. Lunak, and treasurer, C. O. Dolezal.
The total membership is 23,262, and “Organ Bratrstva” is the official bulletin.
Under the Supreme lodge are eleven Grand Lodges, Cleveland being the seat of the Ohio Grand Lodge, whose president is James Honcik, of East 116th street, secretary, Alfred Huml, 3410 East 52nd street. Included in this Grand Lodge are 31 individuals lodges, having 3472 members.
Another large organization of national scope is the “Bratrska Jednota” (Fraternal Union), which was founded in Cleveland in 1885, and a third is “Jednota Taboritu,” which includes both men and women in separate lodges.
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