Fraternity-Testvériség, 1956 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1956-04-01 / 4-5. szám
FRATERNITY 13 This progress enabled the Federation for the first time in its history to grant the first “church loan” to the Reformed Church in Flint, Mich. By that time the membership had grown to 11,703, the assets amounted to $324,737.09. Due ot this fact, the meeting resolved to raise the monthly contribution for the orphanage to 10 cents from each member. This is still in effect, and it is included in the monthly dues. THE FOURTH DECADE The fourth decade was introduced by the convention held in 1927, also in Ligonier, Pa. This was the meeting which had laid the foundations of the system by which our Federation adopted the practice well proven and accepted by the insurance science, and had given our certificates cash and loan, as well as paid-up and extended, values. This, of course, necessitated renewed rate adjustments, but the members accepted these without complaints, being well aware that the changes served their own interests. The convention here declared that the problem of the official journal be solved once and for all by publishing the Federation’s own paper. The well increased membership, and the swelling assets which reached half a million dollars, gave renewed hope regarding the future. Still of greater significance was the convention of 1931, held in Ligonier, Pa., which took up the haunting question of merger plans, which were talked about for decades. The result was that the convention, at which an imposing number of delegates took part, decided that our Federation should remain what it originally intended to be — an independent institution of Hungarian American Calvinists with a special purpose. The official monthly publication of the Federation, which appeared until then in a modest form, was ordered to be published in a magazine form with the idea that in due time it would, as a weekly, unite in itself the church publications as well, and in such a way serve all Hungarian Calvinists in America. Unfortunately, partly for reasons of principle and partly for personal reasons, this beautiful plan, notwithstanding several attempts, could not be realized up to this date. Our own publication, first published as the “Református Újság” and at present under the name “Testvériség-Fraternity”, faithfully serves the interests of our Federation since January 1932. THE FIFTH DECADE Without any doubt, our most important convention was the one held in 1935, which voted for the centralization of our administration. The situation was such that an administration demanding more and more work and harmony was being taken care of by a staff of officers whose secretary resided in Toledo, Ohio, the treasurer in Lancaster, Pa., the controller in Cleveland, Ohio, and its three auditors in Youngstown, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Bridgeport, Conn., respectively. To further complicate matters, the Insurance Department of the District of Columbia issued a definite order that if we desire to keep our Congressional Charter, our Home Office must be transferred to Washington, or the Charter would lose its validity, and we would have to seek a registration somewhere else. Our Supreme Council commissioned the Auditing Committee, composed of
