Inventory to the John Hasek Society fonds

MG H 183


Compiled by Tara Simmonds

Archives & Special Collections Department
Harriet Irving Library
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 7500
Fredericton, New Brunswick
E3B 5H5

October 2001

This finding aid was funded by a grant under the
Canadian Council of Archives Control of Holdings Program.


Title: John Hasek Society fonds.  -- 1990-2000 -- 55 cm. of textual material.

Administrative History: The John Hasek Society began as an organization called Education for Democracy, (hereafter referred to as EFD), and was founded in Toronto, on January 5, 1990,  by a group of people concerned with political development in Czechoslovakia, including the founding president, John Hasek.  Branches of EFD developed in all major cities in Canada, and EFD organizations were also formed in the United States, Britain, and Australia.  All these organizations cooperated with the EFD committees in Prague and Bratislava. The intention of EFD` was to help a newly-liberated Czechoslovakia to return to a democratic system by providing conversational English instruction to Czechs and Slovaks interested in learning or up-grading their existing knowledge of the language.  EFD was not meant to supplant any existing language education, but merely to act as a co-ordinating body on behalf of volunteers and employers.
In the annual general EFD meeting held on October 1st, 1994 (seven months after John Haseks death), it was moved that the name of the organization be changed to the John Hasek Society.  This motion was carried, and the name was officially changed. In January, 2000, David Code began the legal process of dissolving the organization, as its services were no longer needed.

Scope and Content: This fonds documents the workings of the John Hasek Society, formerly known as Education for Democracy.  Included in this fonds are a number of application packages (including application forms, résumés, cover letters, academic documents and letters of reference)  from various people interested in participating in the program, as well as by-laws, minutes, correspondence, and material concerning fundraising and  feedback about the program.

For the most part, arrangement follows original order.

Notes:

Title:  Title of the fonds is based on the name of the creator at the time of donation.
 
Immediate Source of Acquisition: On November 7th, 2000, David Code (who followed John Hasek as president of what became the John Hasek Society) donated Files 1-4 (b-d), as well as 5-7.  On July 31st, 2000, John Haseks son, Anthony Hasek, had donated file  4(a) from Toronto.

Arrangement: For the most part, arrangement follows the original order imposed  by the creator. File 4(a), however (donated by Anthony Hasek), was incorporated into the numbering system of the files sent by David Code, as the documents found within this file are similar in nature to the other documents found in file 4 of Codes original system.

Language: While this fonds is predominantly in English, it contains material  written in Czech.

Related Material: The University of New Brunswick Archives also holds The John Hasek fonds (MG H 182).


BOX 1
File:

1.  By-Laws of EFD -- 1990-1993
 This file contains the By-Laws of Education for Democracy, as well as the names and addresses of the Education for Democracy board, 1993.

2. Minutes - EFD  -- 1991-1995
This file contains minutes from Education for Democracy from 1991-1994, as well as from 1994-1995, when it became the John Hasek Society.

3. Requests for Teacher -- 1992-1995
This file contains correspondence, as well as various lists (including
state funded schools, EFD clients in the Czech Republic, and others).  Material is found in both Czech and English.

4. a) Recruiting, 1990-1991
        i)    Adams - Boutet
       ii)    Bray - Conlin
       iii)   Cool - Dickson
       iv)   Dietrich - Frechette
       v)    Familiadis - Hajccman
       vi)   Hala - Holomer
      vii)   Hopkinson - Kelly
     viii)   Kendle - McLeod
      ix)   McMahon - Penkala
       x)   Misutka - Saes

BOX 2

      xi)   Sandy - Sweeny
     xii)   Szczokin - Zylstra
     xiii)  *various names
  b) Recruiting, 1991-1992
  c) Recruiting, 1993-1994
  d) Recruiting, 1995-1998

These files contain material used in the recruiting process for the John Hasek Society (or Education for Democracy, as it was called in the earlier years).  Included are lists of applicants, correspondence, articles, and sometimes feedback forms.  Primarily, however, these files contain application packages (including application forms, résumés, cover letters, academic documents  and letters of reference.)
There is an especially large portion of application packages in file 4(a), which are, for the most part, arranged alphabetically. File 4(a) xiii,  marked with an asterisk (*), contains single sheet application forms which do not fit in with the order of the rest of the application packages.
The title for file 4(a) was imposed by the archivist.

5.  Briefing and Feedback -- 1990-1998
This file contains material such as memos, correspondence, response forms, course requirements, teaching aids, articles, and information for participants.  Most material is in English, although some is also in Czech.
Included in this file is an information booklet for participants from 1990.

6. Fundraising -- 1993-1998
This file primarily contains correspondence, receipts and blank donation sheets.

7. Board Correspondence -- 1990-2000
This file contains a list of members of the board of directors for 1994-1995, a study which was conducted concerning the feasibility of the program, as well as correspondence, lists of potential members, and material related to the professional partnership program.


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Last Update:  2002/03/31