Fraternity-Testvériség, 1956 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1956-04-01 / 4-5. szám
28 FRATERNITY Home. A dormitory for boys and a spacious dining room were added to the newly-purchased building, which was formally dedicated in 1941. The first children’s home “on the hill” was now remodeled to house the aged guests, and the children were moved into their new home in town, across the street from the public school. The requirements of the Welfare Department of the State of Pennsylvania had been fully met. Life in the Bethlen Home was now well regulated. Dr. Kalassay resigned as overseer of the aged in 1942. His place was filled by Rev. Alexander Mircse, who served in this capacity for nine years. Dr. Nanassy resigned because of ill health in 1944, at which time Rev. Joseph Kecskemethy was elected the third superintendent, filling this position in November of 1944. Rev. Louis Varga became overseer of the aged on January 1, 1952. During the past 12 years the growing needs of children and old people alike, as well as a marked rise in state welfare requirements, have kept the present superintendent busy meeting these standards and demands. A new 18-room home for the old people, housing the sick and convalescents, and a new home for the superintendent and his family were built in 1952. The farm was completely modernized. At this writing, a dual-purpose building is being erected next to the children’s home. It will serve as a recreation room for our children and a meeting room for our Hungarian Reformed people. This structure will be dedicated on May 27 and will be the scene of the Federation’s 1956 Convention. The Bethlen Home thus will be the beating heart of our Hungarian Reformed people, even more so than before. For 35 years now, within the portals of our institution, my predecessors and I, 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 disrupted 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. Our papers 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 care have gone into our child care and training program. In addition to giving the 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
