Folklore Symposium set for August 1

Literature and music are key elements in German-Russian folklore, and they’ll be in abundance August 1st during a symposium that is part of the International Germans from Russia Convention in Casper, Wyoming. The convention opens July 28th and will run through August 3rd at the Parkway Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.

The Folklore Symposium: Storytelling, Youth Essays, and Music will get underway at 8:30 Friday morning, August 1st, with announcement of the winners of the AHSGR Storytelling Contest and the GRHS Youth Essay Contest. Top winners will read their award-winning stories and essays – or they’ll be read by others.

The symposium will be moderated by Ken Koehler of Arvada, Colorado, Chairman of the AHSGR Folklore & Linguistics Committee, and Del Beck, a retired educator from Rapid City, South Dakota, a long-time and well-known song leader and emcee for GRHS events.

Cyndi Lesser Babish will share insights into the “Music Legacy of Adolph Lesser,” honoring her father’s memory as an esteemed German from Russia accordionist known around the world.-

This is a special joint convention for members of both the Germans from Russia Heritage Society based in Bismarck, North Dakota, and the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, which has headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska. As many as one thousand attendees are expected.

Deadlines Approaching!

Sharing stories with younger generations is an important way that we Germans from Russia have preserved many aspects of our culture. In an age when our society is immersed in messages coming from a wide range of technological devices, it’s refreshing to experience the age-old art of simple storytelling!

However, like all things, how you prepare and present a good story are critical factors in just how effective you’re able to communicate. Of course, it all starts with……a good story!

A while back, we featured photographs and information from the 2007 GRHS Youth Essay Contest, and also alerted folks to the 2008 competition. Later, we announced the AHSGR Storytelling contest. Above are photos of the top three winners in the 2007 AHSGR storytelling competition. Their stories and information about all winners are included in the Winter 2007 AHSGR Journal.

With spring just around the corner (really!) this might be a good time to remind everyone that the 2008 GRHS youth essays are due March 31st, and the 2008 AHSGR storytelling competition deadline is April 15th.

For information and entry forms for these two events, visit these web sites:

GRHS Youth Essay Contest

AHSGR Storytelling Contest

In addition to honoring our heritage, these contests can also put some serioius money in the pockets of winners. Think of it as our very own German-Russian Stimulus Package!

It’s all another splendid way of “Celebrating our Common Heritage” – the theme of our 2008 joint convention in Casper, where the winners will be announced. It’s also an opportunity to reach out and capture the interest and imagination of our young people – a vital element in the future of both AHSGR and GRHS.