We wish our Serbian National Defense success, we hope to hear good news from there, for “one swallow does not make the spring”, say our old proverb.
It is with heavy heart that I am writing this little article. Last Sunday afternoon our local chapter of the Serbian National Defense held its annual meeting, a meeting long overdue. There were nine of us in attendance, hardly enough to do anything of substance, let alone elect a new Board. Not enough Indians to choose a chief.
Before we started our current president let us know that he no longer wishes to be in that post. When the time came to follow some kind of agenda and just after the customary prayer officiated not by one priest but of two of them in addition to our church deacon, we were ready to begin the painful meeting. When the time came to hear the Presidents report Mr. Arsic stated how little we had accomplished during the year, the exception being our sponsorship of one church Lenten Dinner, he proceeded to state his disappointment in the leadership in Chicago.
True, our Central Board did have some problems, but they somehow managed to make it through the year. Actually, our president Arsic had some discussions on the Facebook with other members of our organization which resulted in his total disappointment in our leadership, and he stated this to be the main reason for his resignation.
We are still alive, we have members who regularly pay their dues, subscribe to “SLOBODA”, and so forth, we have a relatively young lady Marija Majerle, daughter of our deceased member Bozha Despinic who is both financial secretary and the treasurer of our modest chapter, but we need more people. For the first time in the long history of Cleveland’s SNO chapter we were unable to elect delegates for the Annual Convention in Chicago to represent us the way we were represented before.
In short, we were unable to elect new Board, nobody had the desire to travel to Chicago due to illness and apathy. Each time we traveled to Chicago we paid our own way, took part in the proceedings and festivities, and the only way that was possible because those of us who were “elected” as delegates went on this relatively long trip because we loved the Serbian National Defense and because we were grateful to our predecessors and their sacrifices since the inception of this patriotic Serbian organization.
Personally, I regret the fact that I am unable to be there this year but my age and my health are the main reason for staying in Cleveland. Our former Secretary General Dobrana shall also not be there, and her health and the treatment she received at last Convention in Chicago are the reasons for staying away.
We wish our Serbian National Defense success, we hope to hear good news from there, for “one swallow does not make the spring”, say our old proverb.
June 24, 2025
