Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/501

hardly have a lasting effect upon the speech of Americans themselves. A few Czech nursery euphemisms have struck American children who overheard them as more refined or expressive than their own, but invariably disappeared from the youngsters’ vocabulary even before the things of childhood had been put away.

American slang changes so rapidly that by the time a given expression can be traced to its source it is already obsolete. One of the more recent introductions was “cluck,” in the sense of a stupid, boorish or troublesome person (usually male,)—a fellow, rowdy, lout. Kluk (specifically, the Jack in cards) is Bohemian slang for boy, and, by extension, for one, even though physically grown up, who might with some propriety be called a “cluck.” The similarity of the two words is doubtless no more than a coincidence; in the South, “cluck” is generally supposed to have been suggested by Klux. It appeared about the time the celebrated Klan began losing out in its erstwhile dominion.

The Council of Higher Education, called in Czech “Matice Vyššího Vzdělání”, celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary last month. The purpose of this organization has been to induce young people of Czech blood to enter the better class of our American educational institutions, and where necessary to aid them by honor loans. The outstanding workers were: Dr. Bohumil Shimek, Mr. W. F. Severa, and Prof. Šárka B. Hrbková.

The Czecho-Slovak Section of the World’s Fair Committee has held several important meetings in Chicago, and should receive the hearty co-operation of every American of Czecho-Slovak descent. Messrs. Anton J. Cermak and Joseph Triner are president and secretary, respectively.

The Chicago Academy of Music, directed by the versatile Czech pedagogue, Prof. J. B. Přibyl, held its twenty-eight Annual Commencement in the Sokol Slávský Auditorium, Cicero, Ill., on June 11, 1928. The artistry of his students, displayed at the musical program, testifies to the soundness of Prof. Přibyl’s pedagogical methods. His Academy is located in the Stege Building, 3955 W. 26th St., Chicago.

The American Association of Czecho-Slovak Engineers, with headquarters at 123 W. Madison St., Chicago, Ill., sent out a very interesting pamphlet describing its activity. Its members published, in 1927, thirty four scientific works, and gave fourteen lectures. The president of this active organization is F. J. Vodicka, and the secretary is J. H. Hruska.

Mr. Michael Bosak, prominent Slovak financier of Scranton, Pa., was recently elected to the board of directors of the Scranton Lackawanna Trust Company, the second largest Trust in Pennsylvania. Mr. Bosak is the first Slovak ever to reach such financial prestige, and his election proves his unlimited capacity for progress.