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Daily Newspaper and Travel Guide
for Pecos Country of West Texas
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Study club holds international affairs program
An International Affairs Department Program was held at 3:30 p.m.,
Wednesday, Oct, 22, by The Modern Study Club in the parlor of the First
Christian Church, 423 S. Elm. Nan Cate, chairman of the department was
in charge.
The thought- quote for the meeting was "Yugoslavia- a house much
divided: six republics, six bows drawn tight- the bow strings sing of
hatred, group against groups"- Kenneth C. Danforth, National Geographic
Magazine, August 1990.
Mrs. Cate prepared and made the presentation of the program
entitled- "The Balkan: A Land of Strife and Trouble, Dominated by
Others."
In an effort to better understand the events of that region in the
last few years Mrs. Cate made the following comments.
Perhaps one of our first introductions to the Balkan Countries
occurred when we heard or read of St. Paul of the Bible when he was in
Greece and had a vision of a man calling to him "Come over to Macedonia
and help us." Or perhaps we remember when we were in school our study
of Greece in ancient days when it was the center of learning
demonstrate art, knowledge and culture.
The Balkan Peninsula is surrounded by five Seas, the Adriatic,
Ionian, Mediterranean, Aegean and the Black Sea. It includes the
following countries, Greece, Macedonian, Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, the European part of Turkey and
Romania. Also closely associate with the Balkan countries are Hungary,
Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Balkan means mountains in the Turkish language and indeed mountains
cover three-fourths of the land of the Balkans. It also has the Danube
River, which begins in the Black Forest of Germany and empties in the
Black Sea. The fertile valley that surrounds the Danube River, which
begins in the Black Forest of Germany and empties in the Black Sea.
The fertile valley that surrounds the Danube River produces citrus
fruit, cotton, olive oil, rice and tobacco. The river also acts as the
chief commercial water-way carrying goods and people from western
Europe and eastern Asia.
The Balkans are predominately Slavs who came to the Balkans in the
7th-9th centuries, A.D. They have been conquered and ruled by people
from other lands-first the Romans, who brought the Roman Catholic
church and later the Greek Orthodox church. The Ottoman Turks conquered
the area in the 12th century and converted many of the people to the
Muslim faith. There has been recent conflict in Yugoslavia between the
Christians and the Moslems.
The Hapsburgs from western Europe have ruled parts of the Balkans
and have also caused conflict, especially when they reduced Albania and
left many Albanians in Kosovo and Bosnia.
The Germans conquered and ruled the Balkans in World War II and the
Soviet Union gained control after World War II and established
communist governments and communistic economic system. After the fall
of the Soviet Union in 1989, the region has been trying to establish
democratic societies with varying success.
The tragic effort by Slobadon Melosevic to rid Bosnia and Kosovo of
the Muslim population by "ethnic cleansing" has resulted in death and
destruction. In 1995 NATO and later United Nations sent in 60,000
peacekeepers to stop the killings, remove Melosevic, help rebuild the
country and keep the peace. The United States sent 20,000 troops and in
September, 2003, still maintained 5,150 in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Rebuilding has begun but there is still much to be done.
Many destroyed homes and hospitals have not been rebuilt, thousands
of people are still refugees in neighboring countries and within Bosnia
and Kosovo. The economy is in shambles, the government without funds to
restore infrastructures and assist people in rebuilding their lives.
Drought and poverty are not confined to Yugoslavia but touches many
other countries of the Balkans.
This war in Bosnia and Kosovo defied reason, confounded diplomats
and raged on through cease-fires.
The Balkans today could still issue the same call as came to St.
Paul, "come over to Macedonia and help us."
President Joyce Morton conducted opening ceremonies and presided
during the business meeting. The club collect was led by Lena Harpham
and the pledge to the United States of America and Texas Flags were led
by Joyce Morton while those in attendance repeated all in union.
Following the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting and
presentation of club finances, Lena Harpham, Federation Counselor
presented a report from the article "Save Money Through Giving," which
was published in the Aug-Sept. 2003 General Federation of Women's Club
Clubwoman Magazine. The G7WC Legacy Fund was launched during the 2003
Convention in Little Rock, Arkansas and is a series of planned giving
opportunities that support G7WC and it's programs and projects.
One of the programs that seemed most attractions was called a
Charitable "Gift Annuity and Mrs. Harpham detailed the plan.
Martha Jay was joined by Lana Lamsey with hostess duties and the
ladies served an array of delicious finger foods, punch and coffee.
Pecos Enterprise
York M. "Smokey" Briggs, Publisher
Division of Buckner News Alliance, Inc.
324 S. Cedar St., Pecos, TX 79772
Phone 915-445-5475, FAX 915-445-4321
e-mail news@pecos.net
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Copyright 2003 by Pecos Enterprise
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