V-16

Firstly, congratulations to the Cleveland Bendromene on a well put-together celebration this afternoon and last evening. Trying new concepts in an effort to generate more interest (and hopefully more attendance) at these events is always risky.

Changes to this year's V-16 Mineimas included a luncheon after 10:00 Mass at St. Casimir's and a 1:00 pm start time. I'm told an informal dance party at Lithuanian Village on Saturday night was well-received, especially by families with children. The artistic part of the Sunday afternoon program consisted of singing, poetry and folk dancing, all performed by members of the "third wave" of Lithuanian immigrants.

U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich made a brief appearance, and Cleveland City Councilman Mike Polensek kept his V-16 streak alive at 33 conscecutive appearances. The Bendromene leadership made the unusal (and classy) move of presenting Councilman Polensek, Senator George Voinovich (representated by staffer Mike Brown) and Father Joseph Bacevice with proclamations recognizing their contributions to the Lithuanian community in Cleveland. Dr. Viktoras Stankus made a special point to publicly welcome Fr. Bacevice as the new pastor of Cleveland's Lithuanian Catholic parish.

The performers (Ona Zalensas, Jurgita Dicevicius, Eugenijus Dicevicius, and the Suktinis dancers from Chicago) closed the afternoon celebration on just the right note. I heard several positive comments about the program from friends in the audience.

So what's to complain about? Attendance, or lack thereof. Poor attendance at community events has been a chronic problem for some time now, but it's especially discouraging to see it at the major patriotic event of the year. Even more discouraging is the fact that so few 'third wavers' were present, at an event that prominently featured their own peers on stage.

I'll be the first to admit that the quality of past events has been uneven. Last year's V-16 celebration was less than stellar, to say the least. But give the Bendromene leadership credit. They listened to the feedback of the community, and attempted to address many of the valid concerns. And how did the community repay them for their efforts? With a half-empty hall this afternoon.

Yes, scheduling the event directly opposite the weekly rehearsal of two major youth organizations (Naujoji Intriga and Svyturys) was not the best idea, especially if you want to lower the average age of the audience. But lots of adults stayed away, too. And I don't understand why.

So here's my takeaway: Cleveland Lithuanians need to decide whether they value their community or not. If they do, then they need to support with their attendance, the parish, the Klubas, and events presented by various organizations. If you have constructive criticism to offer, speak up! Better yet, get involved and 'be the change you wish to see' in the community. Or simply sit at home and complain privately to your friends, and watch as the community dies of apathy.

Every week, Tevynes Garsai and this blog bring you up to date on opportunities to come together and celebrate Lithuanian heritage. I challenge you to seize these opportunities before it's too late, and I welcome your comments and input below.