Fraternity-Testvériség, 1990 (68. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1990-01-01 / 1. szám
FRATERNITY Page 3 PRESIDENT’S CORNER ON THE STATE OF THE FEDERATION The Spring Meetings prescribed by our By-Laws are of great importance to the life of our Federation, as they afford an opportunity to the National Officers to report their activities to the Board Members and share their views on the state of the Federation with Branch Managers in light of the statistics of the previous year. The first series of meetings were held with the "lifeline" of our association, namely our Branch Managers and Agents. These District Meetings took place in Elyria, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Board Meeting was held in our Home Office during the week of March 26,1990. The reports of the National Officers provide further details; however, it can be said at this point that 1989 was a good year for the Federation. Our ASSETS increased $328,000; the SOLVENCY RATIO reached a record level of 147.85 per $100 liabilities; GAIN FROM OPERATIONS was a substantial high of $397,263. These figures once again represent a record high in the history of the Federation. Most importantly, the trend of decreasing membership and insurance in force, which plagues so many fraternals, finally leveled off. Of course, the merger with the St. George Catholic Union helped us in this respect. In summary, from a fiscal point of view, the Federation is secure and well — ready to serve the insurance needs of our members. For us as a fraternal organization, not only is financial security important, but equally important are the fraternal services rendered to our members and the communities in which we operate. Unlike commercial companies, we have the opportunity, not only to serve the insurance needs of our community, but its social needs as well. There was a noticeable increase in fraternal activities on branch and district levels. The results are all the more gratifying when we take into consideration that both the financial and fraternal achievements are the results of voluntarism, which is the cornerstone of any fraternal society. We operate through the dedicated service of part-time workers who are our Branch Managers and Agents. We do not have a single full-time agent. It is therefore heartwarming to realize that we continue to operate on the principle of those volunteers who founded our fraternal society in 1896. ST. GEORGE DISTRICT The merger with the St. George Catholic Union was finalized. There were many mergers in the history of the Hungarian fraternal community in the past. Without exception, it always meant that the smaller society was swallowed up by the larger one — in other words, it meant the loss of its name and identity. However, with the St. George Catholic Union this is not the case. The agreement made provision for this smaller society to keep its identity. It will continue to exist as the St. George District with two branches, Youngstown and Perth Amboy, under the leadership of elected district officers. The agreement also made provision for a representative of the St. George District to be on the Board of Directors of the HRFA. It was in this capacity that we welcomed at our 1990-Spring Meeting Michael Pauli, Jr. and through him the entire membership of this historical society. 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED CHURCH LIFE Many opportunities are offered to me as President of the HRFA to speak on important occasions, and it is always an honor for me to represent the Federation at such events. One such important occasion was the 100th Anniversary of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, when I was invited by the Consistory of the Pittsburgh Church to speak on that anniversary day. It would be unbecoming to say the least for the President as editor-in-chief of the Fraternity to publish his own sermon, all the more as I am expecting a report from the two historians of the church, Pastor Nicholas Novak and Elder Bert Olah, to be published in our next issue. Nevertheless I would like to add a few words. The anniversary of the Pittsburgh Church marks the 100th milestone in the history of all Reformed Churches in the United States. For that reason their jubilee is shared by the entire Reformed community. The setting of the anniversary service was masterfully prepared with a historical exhibit. I urge the historians of the church to prepare a video of the exhibit and make it available to our churches as an example to be followed by all. Amidst the present day tensions in ethnic communities in Eastern Europe, the Pittsburgh anniversary has a message to send. The original name of the church was the St. Paul Hungarian-Slovak Reformed- Lutheran Church of Pittsburgh and Vicinity. The first pastor who served holy communion to the congregation was a Hungarian-speaking Slovak Lutheran minister. The American ethnic experience could serve as an example of ecumenical reconcilation to the tension-filled Eastern European community. The history of the church makes us aware and proud of the fact that the American Hungarian community is deeply rooted in the American history. The first generation Hungarians contributed to the industrial growth of this nation. The records of the Pittsburgh church indicate another contribution—the members
