Six years of work ended with beaming faces and satisfaction. That's what Hana Moučková's all-school reunions hide in themselves. The energetic and smiling lady is preparing for the third time as the mayor of the Czech village of Sokolské a meeting of thousands of trainees from all over the country and she is clear: the upcoming XVII. the gathering will be unique.
Mayor of the Czech Sokol, Hana Moučková: Slet is both hard work and great joy
Six years of work crowned by beaming faces and satisfaction. This is what the All-Sokol Slet contains, as put it Hana Moučková. From her position of the Mayor of the Czech Sokol Community, the energetic and ever-smiling lady prepares the Sokol gathering of thousands of gymnasts from all over the country for the third time already - and she is clear about one thing: the upcoming XVIIth Sokol Slet will be unique once again.
With the new school year Sokols enter into the final stage of preparations for the XVIIth All-Sokol Slet. What does it entail?
As always, one can expect a huge amount of work, but also a huge amount of joy. It is a great honour for me to be behind the organization of the whole gathering, one of the greatest events held in the Czech Republic.
How long has it been in the making?
Six years, basically. I have always claimed, and it needs to be emphasized again: we start working on the next Slet right after the previous one is concluded. We learn out lessons from the finished Slet, we fix what can be fixed and bring in new ideas. The work becomes even more intense during the last three years before the upcoming gathering. But we are ready, everything is arranged, and now it’s only up to us how things will go.
Every Slet is special, what will be the upcoming one like?
Every Slet fits into its own time. In 2012, it was held within the framework of the 150th anniversary of our organization, six years later it added the hallmark to the celebration of the centenary of the Czech Republic. In the context of the times and the climate of the society, the forthcoming 2024 Slet has the desire and the wish to bring people together. We need to intensely address this topic now.
For me personally, the biggest reward after the hard work we invest into the Slet preparation are the smiling faces and joy of the gymnasts in the stadium. And a certain glow of satisfaction that all the work we do makes sense.
What was the 2012 Slet unique in?
I took the office of Mayor in 2011 - just a year before the gathering. I jumped on the bandwagon, which made the Slet rather challenging for me.
Were you ready for the the Slet of 2018?
I already got my bearings by then and could imagine what to expect. I had a strong say in what would the closest team of people look like, I could choose excellent and experienced colleagues. To this day, I am surrounded by people who I CAN REALLY RELY ON when it comes to the gathering preparation. Slets have nevertheless always been and always will be challenging. Each of the Slets surpasses the last one, new concerns come up and things are different This time, it will be the same.
What makes you most happy when the gymnasts are already in the stadium?
For me personally, the biggest reward is to see their beaming and smiling faces and the joy radiating from their eyes. And a certain glow of satisfaction that all the work we do makes sense. That the quality work completed by individuals translates into the quality work of the whole.
How much is the public interested in performing during the Slet?
I’m quite pleased because many more gymnasts have signed up this year compared to the previous ones. All generations - from young children, through teenagers to adults - are very interested. We hope its a proof that we do our work well.
What does the All-Sokol Slet mean to you in general?
Sense of belonging. Togetherness. Fellowship.
And Sokol as such?
I’d say the same thing. Social life, cohesion, good relationships, or sometimes even a little worse, as everything can be fixed. Above all, Sokol is about friendship and togetherness.
What would you wish for the XVIIth All-Sokol Slet?
To be a success for ALL of us. To make us all as happy as possible. Even though Tyrš once said, we can never be completely satisfied. To put it in the language of our time, there always is something to fix, something to build on.
