Florida Estos

Thirty members and friends of the Estonian Society of Central Florida (Kesk Florida Eesti Selts) commemorated the 70th Anniversary of the Baltic Exodus at 2:00 pm, on Sunday, November 16, 2014, in the Sand Room at the Magnuson Hotel-Marina Cove, 6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane, St Petersburg, FL 33711.  Ms. Elin Toona Gottschalk, author of Into Exile: A Life Story of War and Peace, was the invited speaker. Mr. Al Karnavicius, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania, offered greetings on behalf of the Lithuanian community.

Listed by The Economist magazine as one of the best books of 2013, Into Exile is the story of thousands of Baltic refugees who were lucky enough to escape the advancing Russian tanks in September 1944. “It is about what happens when the Russians come into free countries under the guise of ‘liberators.'”-Author

Read Full Post »

The Estonian Society of Central Florida (Kesk Florida Eesti Selts) helds its annual meeting at 1:30 pm, on Sunday, November 16, 2014, in the Sand Room, at the Magnuson Hotel Marina Cove, St. Petersburg, Florida. Nearly 30 members attended the meeting. The assembly elected Mr. Jaan Kuuskvere to conduct the meeting. Materials for the meeting had been emailed to the membership in advance. The Minutes of the 2013-14 Annual Meeting were approved. The Treasurer’s Report for 2013-14 was approved. The proposed budget for 2014-15 was approved. The following were elected 2014-15 officers: Kersti Linask (President), Triin Karr (Vice President), Lisa A. Mets (Vice President), Maare Kuuskvere (Secretary), Rein Raja (Treasurer), and Marju Cabrera (Member-at-Large). The following were elected 2014-15 auditors: Jaan Kuuskvere, Erkki Taada and Tõnu Toomepuu. Annual dues will remain at $15 per person.

Read Full Post »