Bethlen Naptár, 1957 (Ligonier)
To Our New Generations
BETHLEN NAPTÁR 207 on which the older dormitory is situated was purchased in the early part of 1921; it was opened as a home for orphans on July 4 of the same year. In 1939 the Reformed Federation bought a large house in the Borough itself, had an addition built onto it and opened its doors as the permanent home for the children. The growing needs of children and old people alike, as well as a marked rise in the state welfare requirements, have kept us busy meeting these standards and demands, so that is 1952 an 18-room home for old people, housing the sick and convalescents, a new home for the superintendent and his family were built, and the farm was completely modernized. Meeting the demands and home requirements again in 1956, a dualpurpose building was erected next to our children’s home, which will serve as a recreation room for our children and as a meeting room for our church and federation groups, when they hold annual meetings in the Bethlen Home. This structure was dedicated on May 27, 1956, and was the scene of our Federation’s 1956 Convention. Thus, the Bethlen Home will be the beating heart of our Hungarian Reformed people even more so now than before. For 35 years, within the portals of our institution, our officers, as well as our dedicated staffs and personnel, have worked unstintingly to create a good Christian home for those children and old folks whose homes were distrupted temporarily or permanently. About 1200 children (among them 42 displaced children from Hungary) have received Christian nurture and care at our home. They have gone out and taken their rightful places as upstanding citizens in American society, in professional, business and other vocational fields. Orphans, half orphans and dependent children ... all found haven here. All were given equal opportunities; all were given spiritual and physical care. In the case of full orphans who were ready to go out into life, the superintendents always saw that they were adequately placed. Newspapers, radio, and television give hair-raising accounts daily of junior delinquents and their misdemeanors. The Bethlen Home raises no such delinquents because we keep our children busy. Through planned work and recreation, they have no time left for activities that would have a demoralizing effect on them. With this in mind, much thought and work have gone into our child care and training program. In addition to giving children the necessary parental care, the superintendent, his wife and their staff have tried to make the Bethlen Home as nearly like a normal home situation as possible. Each child has some household chore for which he is responsible; enough freedom and discipline are maintained to give the children a good sense of values; daily meditations, Sunday School and chapel services round out their religious lives; and music gives them a taste of the good and beautiful things of life. We have a chapel choir doing four-part choral work and now singing Sunday after Sunday to the glory of God and to the delight of our old folks. This same group of children has visited many of our supporting congregations, presenting them with a fine all-Hungarian musical program. These visits have served as a blessed personal link between our home and our churches, and have greatly enriched our children’s life experiences.
