News from the Board of Directors – January 2026

 The Board of the Czech and Slovak Cultural Center of Minnesota met in January.  

Board Treasurer, Bea Flaming, submitted her finished the 2025 end of year Annual Report. Submission of applicable tax documentation will be made in 2026.

Financial reporting documents required by Czech Consulate in Chicago were submitted by Board President, Renata Ticha.  We expect to receive funds from the government of the Czech Republic resulting from the grant application made in August 2025 in the near future. These funds make it possible to ensure our events are free.

Funds to support Czech and Slovak Sokol Minnesota have been sent to the Treasurer for allowing CSCC to use the Sokol hall as an event venue.

Literary Ventures lead Gwen Willems reported that they continue to meet monthly

We have three events currently on our website and distribution emails have been sent.  Additional events are currently in the process of being organized.

Czech and Slovak Language Meetup is meeting monthly, every third Saturday of the month, at Kramarczuk’s in North East Minneapolis.

The Board has approved a $1,000 scholarship to a Minnesota resident to attend the Second Annual Cross-Cultural Pathways for Young Leaders organized by the Mestenhauser Institute for International Collaboration (MIIC) in the Czech Republic. Renáta Tíchá, our Board President, is also on the Board of MIIC and Tricia Bergh, daughter of Josef Mestenhauser, is a liaison.  Further details of application processing will be available soon. 

In other business the Board is in the process of establishing a student scholarship in the amount of $1,000 for a Minnesota resident to attend a university in the Czech Republic or Slovakia. This would be named the Irene E. Klemetson Scholarship in memory of the grandmother of Board member, Jan Knudtson.

The Board also discussed the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) requirements for travelers to the Schengen Zone in Europe.  Those new requirements start in quarter four of 2026.  Please consider researching these if you intend to travel to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other European countries in this area.