Sokol Spirit History

Although Sokol Spirit was formed in 2005, it was a merger of three strong American Sokol units from the Central District: Sokol Berwyn-Slavsky and Sokol Brookfield. 

In late winter of 2018, our building was flooded and a major restoration and renovation ensued.  We were proud to have modernized our lower hall and commecial kitchen as part of this efforts.

Sokol Spirit was the first American Sokol Unit to provide Wheel Gymnastics (since 2011) classes and continues to hold these classes on Wednesday evenings.  Members of Sokol Spirit are active leaders at all levels of the American Sokol Organization with several also holding leadership roles for the committee to plan the 25th Quadrennial American Sokol Slet in the Chicago area in 2021.

Sokol Spirit holds several annual social and fundraising events including a Pancake Breakfast (January, since 2011), Membership Brunch/Dinner (Spring), Exhibition Performance at Riverside-Brookfield High School (March), Oktoberfest (September, since 2011), Spaghetti Dinner (November), and Semi-Annual Team Trivia Nights (Fall & Spring).

Recurring activities at Sokol Spirit include fitness classes (September - May), World Beer Club socials (3rd Friday Monthly), and Czech Film Nights (3rd Friday Monthly).

Sokol Slavsky

In the year 1890, with the merger of two Sokol units – Sokol Fuegner and Sokol Linka, both of Chicago – Sokol Slavsky, together with its Women's Division, was born, and in just seven year (1897) became one of the founding members of a new Sokol Union: District Fuegner-Tyrs. In 1923 Sokol Jonas merged with Slavsky, and by 1925, Slavsky opened the doors to its grand new building at the northeast corneof Cermak Road and Lombard Avenue in Cicero, Illinois. It was the largest and most modern Sokol building in the entire world. Unfortunately, the building became a victim of the Great Depression and had to be sold, but at the time it was the largest unit in the USA with 985 brothers and 470 sisters. Sokol Hawthorne merged with Sokol Slavsky in 1930 and its Sokolice (Women's Division) of Berwyn merge into a single unit (1944), and Sokol and Sokolice Slavsky became one unit in 1964.

Sokol Berwyn

Sokol Berwyn and its Women's Division were founded in 1911. They joined the older, more Americanized National Sokol Union and dedicated their new hall in 1912. In 1924, Sokol Berwyn dedicated a new building at 6445 W 27th Place, Berwyn, Illinois.

Sokol Berwyn and Sokol Slavsky merged in 1995 and utilized the building on 27th Place, Berwyn and the history was excerpted from a speech by Brother Paul Lebloch on the occasion of the Sokol Berwyn-Slavsky merger banquet, held October 29, 1995.

Sokol Brookfield

Sokol Brookfield received it's Illinois Articles of Incorporation in 1925 under the name of American Cecho-Slovak Club of Brookfield. A new Article was drawn up in 1948 under the name American Czechoslovak Falcons of Brookfield which was changed to Brookfield Sokol Educational Institute in 1949 also known as Sokol Brookfield. The present building was erected in the 1920's.