Telephone:
(305) 891-9130

Sunday Dinner Hours:
Noon to 6 PM Duck or special group orders must be ordered in advance. For reservations: (305) 891-9130.

Bar Hours:
Saturday, 6 PM to 11 PM
Sunday, noon to 10 PM

Officers:
Amelia Faltin Canali, President
Mildred Vorel, Vice President
Robert Petrik, Secretary
Barney Vorisek, Treasurer

Board of Directors:
Mary Hewett, Vlasta Hron,
Arthur Karlick, Tony Korvas
Jiri Lamberk Roman Sukenik,
Mildred Urban

Newsletter Staff:
Robert Petrik, Go-editor
Bill Stupka, Co-editor
Cathy Fremut, Typing
Anna Linares, Mailing

General Meetings: Meetings are held on the second Sunday of each month. Members are notified of meeting dates in the ACSCC Newsletter.

Sokol is the Czechoslovak word for falcon, and it is an appropriate symbol, since the falcon is a bird that has a great love of freedom, as well as strength, courage and agility. The Sokol philosophy strives for physical fitness for their members, believing that to maintain a free nation, its people must be physically and morally strong.
From the U.S. Congressional record, February 7, 1990

Sokol Credo
• To build a healthy and beautiful body,
• To cultivate a harmonious and total person,
• To develop firm character, a well-rounded disposition and a love of truth and justice,
• To produce strong, lovely and honorable people,
• That is the goal of a Sokol education.

In 1862 a young professor of history at Charles University named Dr. Miroslav Tyrs, and Jindrich Fuegner, a businessman with a special love of arts and music, founded Sokol in Prague. Tyrs and Fuegner were led to the Sokol concept through studies of classic Greek gymnastics. From this ancient activity they developed the Sokol gymnastic method which has stood the test of time. Their motto was, "Sound mind in a healthy body."

The patriotism of Sokol was to be seen from the very beginning, Sokols made trips in national costumes and were present at national ceremonies, public exercises, etc., which encouraged people to show their patriotism. Sokol fulfilled its patriotic role during World War 1. When Czechoslovak legions were founded and during the days of the revolution in October 1918, Sokol members helped to keep peace in towns. Sokols were often called the Czech national army. Sokol leaders Schneider and Vanicek were two of those who started to organize a new Czechoslovak army.

Sokol flourished between the two World Wars. During this time, membership grew to over a million. Important statesmen, including the first two presidents of the Czechoslovak Republic, T.G. Masaryk and Edvard Benes, were members of Sokol. Sokol gymnasiums were even built in small communities through co-operative effort and became sport and cultural centers. Sokol members successfully represented their country at the Olympics and world championships (Supcik, Vacha, Hudec, Gajdos, Dekanova and others). The program of Sokol has always been versatile, attractive for people of all ages. Besides regular training of all age groups, units organized sporting competitions, cultural events including drama, literature and music, excursions and youth camps. Sokol educators espoused the ideals of the movement to its members and were active in organizing discussions and exhibitions. The CSO (Czechoslovak Sokol Organization) published a wide range of magazines and booklets to assist the work of its units, including advice on organizing events and music for cultural performances and festivals. The peak of Sokol activities were the Sokol festivals called Slets.

Sokol is based on the fact that physically fit, mentally alert, and culturally well-developed citizens can form a healthy, strong nation. Since its inception Sokol has not only been dedicated to gymnastics and physical fitness, but to the equality of the sexes, freedom, democracy, and the moral elevation of its members. Because of the Sokol democratic ideals, it was suppressed by both the Nazis and the Communists.

As a result Sokol was almost liquidated three times. It was banned by all totalitarian regimes in Czechoslovak history. Firstly, Sokol was banned during the World War I in 1915, then during the Nazi occupation of Czech lands and finally, Sokol was banned by the communists after 1948. In 1968, struggles for Sokol revival were killed by normalization and so after 42 years of hibernation, Sokol was restored in 1990, for the fourth time.

Sokol in America
Sokol in America began in 1865, three years after its beginnings in Bohemia. The first Sokol school in the United States was founded in St. Louis, Missouri. Today there are Sokol units in 17 states and the District of Columbia.

National Sokol Slets are held in the U.S. every four years, and last for four days, featuring competitions in gymnastics, volleyball, basketball and rhythmics. The American Sokol Organization also maintains camps for youngsters, libraries, statistics on gymnasts, and provides scholarships to members on the basis of their attainment and achievement.

Sokol Miami was organized in 1969 in North Miami, Florida, a city of over 50,000, where many Czechoslovaks had settled and where many senior citizens spent their winters. The new unit was composed mostly of older and retired Sokol members. Later, children's and junior classes were started.

Over the years Sokol Miami has met regularly on Monday afternoons. The organization is closely connected to the American Czech-Slovak Cultural Club, in North Miami, and the American Czechoslovak Ladies Club. It currently holds its meetings at the ACSCC facility.

In an effort to increase participation in the 1989 Omaha Slet, then Sokol Miami President and Honorary Physical Training Director, Emilie Welcl-Ruzicka, developed a lighter form of physical training to help a part of its membership that was no longer capable of handling regular classes because of age and/or health. Ultimately, the new technique enabled many additional men and women to attend the Slet that otherwise would not have been able to participate. In addition, it allowed these members to remain active in their unit, and to live according to the Sokol motto.

Currently, Sokol Miami continues its regular Monday afternoon meetings. There are less members now, but the Sokol spirit is still there and so is the motto, "Sound mind in a healthy body."