Annual General Meeting - Notice

The Croatian Cultural Society of Victoria (CCSV) is pleased to announce that it will hold its annual general meeting on Sunday, October 8, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the hall of the Croatian Catholic Church, 4081 Gordon Head Road.

Why should you care?

Well, there are several reasons.

1. Most of the current council, recruited in January 2023, stepped in temporarily to revive CCSV after an uneventful 2022. Of course, we also have the pandemic to blame for many of the hardships experienced by many groups and individuals in our community. Thus, many on the current council will vacate their roles in October.

2. CCSV is crucial in preserving our community’s cultural heritage. We collect and safeguard artifacts, documents, traditions, and stories. Just think about our folklore group’s traditional costumes and what it takes to care for those (expensive) articles.

3. CCSV helps community members connect with their cultural roots and heritage, fostering a sense of belonging. Over the past years, I have fielded myriad messages from newcomers through social media asking for assistance in various areas.

4. CCSV provides educational resources and programs about Croatian culture, history, traditions, and language. We have only just started developing new programs outside of language to promote our heritage. Education is vital in passing down knowledge to younger generations and outsiders.

5. Cultural organizations can facilitate cross-cultural interactions. You only need to reflect on the fantastic CROfest we staged in 2019 and the many participating cultural groups. This cross-cultural interaction deepens our understanding, tolerance, and respect for others.

6. CCSV events help strengthen the social bonds within our community. Who doesn’t love to attend a lovely Sunday lunch put on by our community members? Here, I must acknowledge Lucy Zeba for her stamina, delicious meals, and willingness to contribute to CCSV.

7. Did you know cultural organizations can boost the local economy by attracting tourists through events? Again, think CROfest and the 40th Croatian-Canadian Folklore Festival we staged in Victoria in 2017—both were tremendously successful.

8. Engaging in cultural activities and traditions positively affects mental and emotional well-being. Belonging to a community offers opportunities for relaxation, stress relief, and personal fulfillment (just ask the bocce ball players).

9. Active cultural organizations can help preserve core cultural values, bridging tradition and modernity. If we lose our traditions, we lose our roots.

10. Finally, we can maintain our sense of pride when we have a vibrant cultural organization. Just think about the World Cup soccer games and how so many who don’t regularly participate in CCSV events supported “our” team. While Luka Modrić may have brought us together, we must maintain that togetherness for more than just soccer. Culture isn’t a one-time event.

I’m sure you can add more reasons to my list. However, my point is that maintaining a cultural organization is essential for preserving and celebrating our Croatian cultural heritage and promoting social cohesion, education, economic growth, and overall well-being.

At this point, I hope you are asking how you can help CCSV. I’m glad you asked.

We encourage you to join the CCSV council to ensure CCSV continues long into the future.

We hope you will join us on October 8 for refreshments, hear about this past year’s accomplishments, and discuss a way forward. We have not compiled a slate of directors for a new CCSV council but will ask for nominations and votes during the meeting. To learn more about CCSV council roles, visit our website: https://ccsv.ca/bylaws.

Are you interested in retaining a Croatian cultural organization in your community that will continue to provide language, folklore, sport, gastronomy, etc., classes and events, and a cultural venue for all generations for years to come? If so, we want you to step up to ensure CCSV survives.

Please don’t wait for someone else to do it because someone else is likely waiting for you to go first. Be the leader that will make a positive difference in your community.

We look forward to speaking with you on October 8.

Hrvatsko kulturno društvo Victoria (HKDV) će održati godišnju sjednicu u nedjelju, 8. listopada, od 13:00–14:00 sati u crkvenoj dvorani, 4081 Gordon Head Road.

Zašto je to važno za Vas?

Postoji nekoliko razloga.

1. Nekoliko članova sadašnjeg Vijeća je privremeno uskočila u siječnju 2023 da ožive HKDV nakon beznačajne 2022. Naravno, pandemiju možemo okriviti za mnoge poteškoće koje su doživjele mnoge zajednice i pojedince. Dakle, pošto su neki članovi sadašnjeg Vijeća privremeni, oni će napustiti svoje uloge u listopadu.

2. HKDV je ključan u očuvanju kulturne baštine naše Hrvatske zajednice. Skupljamo i čuvamo Hrvatske artifakte, dokumente, tradiciju, i priče. Razmislite samo o narodnim nošnjama naše folklorne grupe i koliko je potrebno brinuti se o tim (skupim) artiklima.

3. HKDV pomaže članovima naše zajednice da se povežu sa svojim kulturnim korijenima i naslijeđem, potičući osjećaj pripadnosti Hrvatskom narodu. Tijekom proteklih godina primili smo mnogo poruka od mnogih putem društvenih mreža tražeći pomoć u raznim područjima.

4. HKDV osigurava obrazovne resurse i programe o hrvatskoj kulturi, povijesti, tradiciji, i jeziku. Tek smo počeli razvijati nove programe izvan jezika za promoviranje naše baštine. Obrazovanje je ključno u prenošenju znanja na mlađe generacije.

5. Kulturne organizacije mogu olakšati međukulturalne interakcije. Trebate se samo osvrnuti na odličan CROfest koji smo organizirali 2019 i mnoge kulturne grupe koje su sudjelovale. Ova međukulturna interakcija produbljuje naše razumijevanje, toleranciju, i poštivanje drugih naroda.

6. HKDV događanja pomažu u jačanju društvenih veza unutar naše zajednice. Svi volimo prisustvovati finom nedjeljnom ručku koji organiziraju članovi naše zajednice. Ovdje moram odati priznanje Lucy Zeba za njezinu izdržljivost, ukusne obroke, i spremnost da pomogne HKDV-u.

7. Jeste li znali da kulturne organizacije mogu potaknuti lokalno gospodarstvo privlačenjem turizma kroz događanja? Opet, sjetite se CROfesta 2019 i 40. Hrvatsko-kanadskog folklornog festivala koji smo organizirali u Viktoriji 2017—oba su bila iznimno uspješna.

8. Bavljenjem kulturnim aktivnostima i tradicijom ima pozitivan učinak na mentalno i emocionalno zdravlje. Pripadnost zajednici nudi prilike za opuštanje, oslobađanje od stresa, i osobno ispunjenje (samo pitajte igrače boća).

9. Aktivna kulturna organizacija može pomoći u očuvanju temeljnih kulturnih vrijednosti. Ako izgubimo tradiciju, gubimo i svoje korijene.

10. Konačno, kada imamo živu kulturnu zajednicu, stime možemo zadržati svoj osjećaj ponosa. Razmislite samo utakmica na Svjetskom kupu u nogometu i ponos koji je nas okupio u velikom broju—moramo zadržati to zajedništvo. Kultura nije jednokratan događaj.

Sigurni smo da možete dodati još razloga zašto je važan HKDV za našu zajednicu.

Dakle, nadamo se da u ovom trenutku pitate kako možete pomoći HKDV-u.

Potičemo Vas da se pridružite Vijeću HKDV-a kako bismo osigurali nastavak HKDV-a za dugu budućnost.

Glasovat ćemo za novo Vijeće HKDV-a tijekom sastanka. Da biste saznali više o ulogama, pogledajte naše statute ovdje: https://HKDV.ca/bylaws.

Ako želite imati hrvatsku kulturnu organizaciju u svojoj zajednici koja će nastaviti održavati tečajeve jezika, folklora, športa, gastronomije, i.t.d., te kulturno mjesto za sve generacije, onda se pridružite i osigurajte opstanak HKDV-a.

Nemojte čekati da netko drugi to učini jer netko drugi vjerojatno čeka da Vi budete prvi. Budite “leader” i učinite pozitivnu razliku u svojoj zajednici.

Radujemo se razgovoru s Vama 8. listopada.