Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)
Dózsa György: Az Amerikai Magyar Református Egyesület 100. Évét Ünnepli
West Virginia, and New Jersey-New York-Connecticut. Just like in 1919, the Convention in 1931 demonstrated its dedication to the needy by establishing an “Old Age Home” for our elderly, next to the Orphans’ Home in Ligonier, PA. During the summer of 1931, a youth camp was also opened to the juvenile members of the Federation. The Convention of 1935 was also another milestone in the history of the Federation. At this Convention, two major decisions were made. The transfer of the Home Office from Toledo, OH, to Washington, D.C. This move was mandated by a Federal Law in 1932, which forced all financial institutions, including fraternal benefit societies, to establish their home office in the state in which their charter was issued. Therefore, since our charter was issued by the U.S. Congress, we had no choice but to relocate to the District of Columbia. The second major decision was to centralize the administrative operation of the Federation with a full-time secretary, treasurer, comptroller and field secretary. The president’s position still remained a part-time position, until 1944. In 1938, the Federation purchased its first home office building named after Louis Kossuth, on Pennsylvania Avenue, next to the White House. Prior to 1938, the Federation operated from a rented office space in the District of Columbia. In 1943 the Convention was postponed for another year due to WWII. In 1944 it called for the reduction of the number of officers from five to four and elected its first full-time president. At this Convention an amount of $15,000 was donated towards a relief program for the war-torn motherland, Hungary. The delegates remembered the late Steve Molnár, one of the founders of the Federation, who held the positions of secretary, president and treasurer between 1902 and 1943. They also held a service in memory of 80 Federation members who lost their lives fighting in WWII. The Convention of 1948 was held in Cleveland, OH, where it voted for the extension of the Orphans’ Home in Ligonier, PA. Its delegates also voted for an additional $6,000 towards a relief program for Hungary. At a memorial service, the delegates of the 1952 Convention in Ligonier, PA paid tribute to one of the forefathers 18
