Magyar Hírek, 1986 (39. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1986-05-23 / 10. szám

in spite of successful individual achievements there is no great Hungarian orchestra?"

“I have not thought about this, but the answer seems obvious: because there are no really great conductors here, who would raise the orchestras above the grey average.”

“Every orchestra of renown can boast about successes achieved with Antal Dorati as their conductor. How do you feel about conducting the Hungarian iSymphony Orchestra, where János Ferenc, stk worked for decades?"

“The talented leadership of Ferencsik is felt in the performances of the orchestra. Nevertheless, l have experienced a rather odd way of thinking. We have to start everything again and again from scratch. It is as if I would be reading a book but before that 1 had to learn quickly the alphabet and I had to do the same with the next book. I have been working with this orchestra for years. Their work is very good, yet I have the feeling that we always start everything again fron» scratch.”

“Last year you established prizes itt, memory of Mátyás Seiber, the composer and János Ferencsik, the conductor. What news is there about them?"

“The Ferencsik prize has already been awarded to László Kovács. My objective with these prizes was to help talented, young Hungarian musicians at the start of their working lives. The winner of the Ferencsik prize, for instance, will coine to where I happen to work, and the two of us will prepare the works working together with some world-famous orchestra. This is how I want to help in my own way in the education of talents.”

“When will you be conducting again in Hudapest?"

“1086 is the Liszt centenary year, therefore I will come home again in October to conduct Liszt’s works with the State Symphonic Orchestra.”

“Please accept our and our readers congratulations and good wishes on the occasion of your eightiethbirth day. May you live long in good health!"

“Thank vou.”

SÁNDOR UN’TNER

Ticket of the birthday-concert

THE WILLIAM PENN CENTENARY

The William Penn, the largest Hungarian fraternal society in the U.S., celebrates its centenary in 1986. Though the H. Q. is in Pittsburgh the membership is scattered over many states of the Union. Dr Julianna Puskás, a Senior Fellow of the Historical Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, who has done much work on Hungarian emigrants, was interviewed on the occasion of the centenary by János Bodnár. Excerpts from the four part interview which appeared in the Hungarian sections of Nos 5 — 8.:

“A hundred years are a long time in the U. S. considering the country has only gust celebrated its bicentenary."

“Few institutions have a continuity of a hundred yiars in the U. S. Many changes have occurred, and naturally within the William Penn as well. The name itself has only been in use since 1955, objectives have changes, and so has the sphere of activity and the character of the organization, not to mention the social environment and the composition of the membership.”

“What is a fráternal society?"

“Unlike an insurance company a fraternal society is a non-profit making organization. There is no capital, and the monthly contributions of members form the reserves. All the assets are the property of the membership. Elected executives are in charge and local organizations form the local branch offices.”

“How is the formation of fraternal societies linked to mass migration?"

“The time of foundation is that of the start of the flow of Hungarian migrants. There was already a trickle early in the 19th century, and some went into exile after the 1848 Revolution was suppressed but mass migration really only started in the 1880s, motivated by economic reasons and the desire to make a fast buck.

Mihály Pálinkás, a young joiner who became a miner in Hazleton, was the founder of the Verhovay Friendly Society, the ‘ancestor’ of the William Penn.”

“Houi many foundation member1were there?"

“The minutes tell us that twentyeight combined their few cents, but only thirteen signed the foundation charter.

The first President, Mihály Pálinkás, expressed a wish at the first six monthly meeting: ‘1 should like to live to see the day when my association has a thousand members.’

Little could he know that, in 1926, at the time of the 40th anniversary, there would be 15.014 adult and 5.542 juvenile members.

The Bridgeport Rákóczi Sickness Benefit Society was the second root. In the 1880s Bridgeport was second only to Cleveland as a Hungarian community. János Hevesi became the president of the association founded on April 10th 1888.

Both the Verhovay and the |Rákóczi absorbed a number of other larger or lesser Hungarian organizat ions in the course of the years.”

“How did America's Declaration of War in 1917 affect Hungarian migrants."

“American nationalism flared up and America and Hungary found

IH IUJU m ■■

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The Hungarian House in Bridgeport

themselves on opposed sides. According to the official melting pot theory of the time the sooner people forgot their ethnic origins, the sooner a new, and American, type of man would be born.

Social objectives were more closely adjusted to the desire to settle there for good. ‘Let’s become Americans anrl stay Hungarians’ was the slogan. Stress was laid on naturalisation and on learning English, and yet, in this way or that, they endeavoured to strengthen a sense of staying Hungarian.”

“How did the Great Depression affect Hungarians in America?"

“Things were tough. According to the union principle of Last come, First to go migrants tended to find themselves out of a job first. Most Hungarians were miners and steelworkers, and coal and steel did worse than most other industries during the depression. There are estimates that at the height of the depression around half the Hungarian working men of Cleveland found themselves out of a job.”'

“In the Second World War the U.S. and Hungary once again found themselves on opposite sides. Hoiv did this affect the living conditions of Hungarians in America?”

“Once America entered the war everything and everybody became suspect again that in any way, be it culturally or politically, deviated from the norms of American life. Tension rose high in Hungarian associations and clubs.

The various Hungarian groups tried to support the war effort but more or less in isolation.

Immediately after the war democratic changes, the impetus of reconstruction, the proclamation of a republic and the land reform met with sympathy on the part of Hungarians in America. There were many messages of support. Later however, the cold breezes of the Cold War made it impossible to maintain close ties even with one’s own kin.”

“What prompted the amalgamation of the Verhovay and the Rákóczi?

“The newspaper Amerikai Nemzetőr had already urged one large Hungarian organization back in the 1890s. There have been many attempts since, but they only bore fruit in the middle fifties.

The 1955 joint general meeting opted for the name of William Penn the Quaker, a man who stood for freedom and individual liberty, and who had founded the State of Pennsylvania.”

“What changes in William Penn activities can be discerned since Vie middle sixties?”

“Rationalisation first of all led to economy measures. Non-viable branches were amalgamated or liquidated.

At the 1971 General Assembly, bearing in mind the interests of the future, the term ‘fraternal’ was dropped from the title after heated debates. The future name was to be: William Penn Association.

Americans of Hungarian origin began to look for their roots and showed an interest in their Hungarian heritage. Starting with the second half of the fifties there was more support for fraternal activities once again. In response to a growing interest trips to Hungary were being organized regularly not only to visit relatives but also to familiarise oneself with the ancient homeland.

The executive of the William Penn was supportive as regards the return of the Hungarian Crown and the President was a member of the delegation which escorted it on its journey. A more extensive scholarship fund, and the commissioning of Hungarian grammars all allow one to conclude that the executive of the William Penn is looking for ways in which, adjusting to the requirements of a changing world, they can better coordinate their business and social activities with efforts to preserve Hungarian ethnic interests.”

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