Awarding of the Highest PZS Awards 2010

On Saturday, December 4, 2010, the solemn awarding of the highest awards of the Alpine Association of Slovenia for 2010 took place in the main hall of the National Home of the Municipality of Celje. The awarding was organized by the Savinja Inter-Association Committee (MDO) of mountaineering associations in cooperation with PZS. After the welcome address by the president of the Savinja MDO, Manja Rajh, and the festive speech by the president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia, Bojan Rotovnik, who highlighted volunteering as the foundation of our activities, the event concluded with excellent vocal inserts by the Šaleški Student Octet and a humorous performance by members of an ad hoc ensemble that presented the Youth Commission of PZS CD Greva pod objem gora.

A special thank you for past work, in the form of an artistic painting, was received by Franci Ekar, the former president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia.

After the official part of the event, the gathering of award recipients with guests continued in a friendly atmosphere and cheerful chatter.

Recipients of the Alpine Association of Slovenia awards 2010:

The Golden Honorary Badge of PZS was received by: Miljana Avsec (PD Liboje), Branko Banovac (PD Sežana), Jerica Čretnik (PD Liboje), Rado Kočevar (PD Kranjska Gora), Meta Petrič (PD Brežice) and Jože Semprimožnik (PD Vransko).

Memorial Plaques of PZS (on life anniversaries) were received by: Karel Brečko (PD Železničar Ljubljana), Franc Gorišek (OPD Koper), Marjan Olenik (PD Sežana) and Ivan Pinter (PD Zabukovica) for 60 years, Albert Marzidovšek (PD Železničar Maribor) and Anton Oman (PD Gozd Martuljek) for 65 years, Stanka Demšič (PD TAM Maribor), Angel Keber (PD Nova Gorica), Jernej Koritnik (PD Kamnik), Štefan Močnik (PD Križe), Marija Mraz (PD Celje Matica), Franc Pretnar (PD Gorje), Anton Primožič (PD Celje Matica), Rudolf Robič (PD Gozd Martuljek), Izidor Sodja (PD Pošte in Telekoma Celje), Angela Sterniša (PD Gornja Radgona), Ivan Straže (PD Šentjur) and Maks Žel (PD Pošte in Telekoma Ljubljana) for 70 years, Marija Golob (PD Kamnik), Franc Rožman (PD Gornja Radgona) and Marjan Rupnik (PD Idrija) for 75 years, Miro Primožič (OPD Koper), Vida Tratar (PD Zabukovica) for 80 years, and Franc Fabčič (PD Sežana) and Srečko Kuret (PD Zabukovica) for 90 years.

Recipients of the highest mountaineering awards, festive certificates of PZS, are: Darko Balažič (PD Pošte in Telekoma Ljubljana), Tomaž Brecelj (PD Ajdovščina), Miro Eržen (PD Dovje - Mojstrana), Rado Goljevšček (PD za Selško dolino Železniki), Elica Koroševič (PD Gornja Radgona), Tomaž Planina (PD Iskra Kranj), Ferdinand Rifelj (PD Gornji Grad), Marjan Rovan (PD Brežice) and Slavica Tovšak (PD Jakoba Aljaža).

Elica Koroševič, PD Gornja Radgona, recipient of the festive certificate, said upon receiving the highest mountaineering award: "In PD Gornja Radgona, we started working with youth in 1980, with mountaineering circles and mountaineering camps. We are the only association in MDO PD Pomurje that has had a mountaineering camp for primary and secondary school youth every year for 35 years. I am glad that we have persisted to this day. The certificate means a lot to me, it is recognition for past work and encouragement for the future, as much as I can still manage. It is also recognition and proof that the attention given to youth was right. I have always felt the need to work with young people. One must be born for that. You can only get a positive response from youth if you do it with soul."



There are not many mountaineers who are still active at ninety. But Srečko Kuret from PD Zabukovica is one of them. For his venerable anniversary, 90 years, he received a memorial plaque. He thought like this: "I have been a member of PD Zabukovica since 1945, before that I was a member of PD Celje. Over all these years, a lot has happened. We had many meetings with friends with whom we visited the mountains, organized courses, led youth on excursions and encouraged them to mountaineering. The company was really good, camaraderie prevailed. I am very satisfied that I have lived to see this day. If I were young now, I would repeat it all again. So far, I have received many awards and completed many transversals. I have always been healthy and without accidents in the mountains. The last time I was on Triglav was when I was 80 years old. The new leadership of the mountaineering organization is fine, the president is agile, and all previous ones were fine too. I would recommend to the young to go to nature, not to the tavern."

Irena Mušič Habjan and Vladimir Habjan