Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1966-04-01 / 4. szám

FRATERNITY

5

church anniversary albums served as excellent media for our publicity. The most effective promotional tools which best aided our fieldmen were the preaching of the Word, speaking on special occasions, the showing of slides about our work and special fraternal affairs held with our branch membership. In addition to the 12 church services and 16 slide lectures in Canada, which I mentioned at the beginning of my report, I took part in four anniversary services, four church dedications, two installations of a pastor and a bishop, six other church functions and organizational meetings — altogether 16 services.

In addition to these services we tried to preserve close ties with our church youth. It was with joy that we made our annual contributions to both the Calvin Synod and the Bethlen Youth Camps. In the last two years, the Secretary paid personal visits to both camps. He familiarized more than 400 young people with the work of our Federation, asking them to hold it in esteem and help in building it further as their heritage. He gave the young campers a program with slides and lectures touching on both the American and Canadian work of our Federation, the winners of the scholarship contest, and the interesting phases of our trip to the Old Country.

For the purpose of winning over our youth, and thus insuring and building the future, we held discussions of great importance with church and youth leaders, both in America and in Canada. The topic under consideration was the building of a Magyar Reformed Youth Camp and Retreat Center on the grounds of the Bethlen Home and a similar camp and center on suitable grounds in Canada also. The youth camp committee appointed by the Supreme Council will give reports on this periodically.

Last year the National Fraternal Congress of America gave publicity to our Federation before a vast audience, when it asked our Federation’s Secretary to conduct the Memorial Service and give the invocation at the banquet at its annual Convention which was held in Washington. On the “Grand Spectacular” program of the Congress, the Hungarian Rhapsody Dancers of our New York membership were sponsored by the Federation, and brought honor and glory to the Hungarian name with their Hungarian folk and classical dances.

Although the following points are pertinent to the current year’s promotional work, I feel it is important to make mention here of our program for this Anniversary Year. At our six Field Workers’ Conferences we set up Anniversary Committees which included pastors, elders and branch managers. The officers were duly elected. In six

of the largest Hungarian communities throughout the country, preparations are being made for anniversary banquets and dances. We have every hope that with the united effort of the pastors, congregations

and branch managers, these activities will prove to be good media not

only for publicity, but for successful membership drives. In addition, these festivities bear a charitable aspect, since the net profits of these events are designated for the building fund of the Bethlen Home Youth Camp and Retreat Center. The places and dates of these events are as follows: Detroit, April 16; Bridgeport, May 1; Pittsburgh, May 14;