Bethlen Naptár, 1960 (Ligonier)
Bethlen Almanac
BETHLEN ALMANAC 55 THE CHILDREN’S HOME There are now twenty children under our care, 12 boys and 8 girls. During the year we received four children, all of them boys. A total of sixteen children left, 11 boys and 5 girls. In most instances they left because of changes in their families (the remarriage of either the father or mother). We still have five refugee children. They have learned some English and have become used to the life of the Home. The number of children is small and may become even smaller. Will this part of our work be justified under these conditions? We answer by asking whether it is worth maintaining firehouses when some years there aren’t any fires? No one knows the morrow. Some day we may have far more applicants than room. Training. We care for the soul as well as the body. We are able to educate our children in the American and Reformed Christian spirit as well as the spirit of our Hungarian culture. They live in a religious atmosphere; prayers are never omitted from mealtime or in the morning and evening. Religious education, attendance at Sunday School and church services are an integral part of our program. We also teach the Hungarian language, so that the children are able to speak as well as read and write. Results have also been good in the area of music and singing. Under the able leadership of Zoltán Kovács, our teacher, our children have often presented attractive programs of Hungarian songs, dances and plays to many American and Hungarian audiences. Oversight. The care and training of our children, under the supervision of the superintendent, is the task and assignment of the children’s overseer. Since November of 1957 this role has been carried out by Mr. and Mrs. Zoltán Kovács. They left Hungary as refugees in 1956. He is a trained cantor-teacher and has more than ten years of experience in this field. Summer School. During the summer our Home gives children from outside our community to receive a Hungarian-oriented education. This past year’s program was directed by our teacher, Mr. Zoltán Kovács. He was ably assisted by the Rev. Louis Varga of the Old Peoples’ Home and the Rev. and Mrs. Eugene Galantay of Johnstown. A total of 44 students were enrolled (23 boys and 21 girls). Among them were three children who The Board of Managers, Bethlen Home
