Fraternity-Testvériség, 1967 (45. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1967-06-01 / 6-7. szám
^jf~rateyyiall\f ^\jfours — Joseph Kecskemethy: Graduates! Let Us Live Climbing In Switzerland many years ago, a young man had gone forth to scale the heights, but mishap overtook him and he lost his life on the steeps and in the snows of the Alps. His friends inscribed these simple but altogether suggestive words on the marker of his grave: “He died climbing.” All things considered, there could scarcely be a finer tribute to anyone, and there could scarcely be a more delightful epitaph—for what could be better than that having to die sometime one should “die climbing” in the fullness of strength, and enjoying all the thrill of a great adventure. I. But he couldn’t have died climbing if he hadn’t first of all lived climbing. Every now and again a novice will venture forth and mishap will overtake him, but for the most part when a man dies climbing he has been living that way for a long time past. It is a way of life before it can become a way to a glorious death. And there could scarcely be a more wonderful experience than the experience of a climber. What a way of life it is for those who engage in it—the glamour of the heights and the lure of high altitudes! FRATERNITY OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation Published monthly, with the exception of the summer months, when the June-July and August-September issues are combined. Subscription for non-members in U. S. A. & Canada $2, elsewhere $3 a year. Office of Publication: Standard Press, 364 Somerset St., New Brunswick, N. J. 08901. Send 3579 to Editorial Office: 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20016. Telephone: (202) 244-7555.___________________________ EDITORIAL COMMITTEE THE SUPREME OFFICERS Dr. Zoltán Béky, President Rev. Joseph Kecskeméthy, Secretary Paul St. Miklóssy, Treasurer László L. Eszenyi, Controller Second Class Postage Paid at the Post Office in Somerset, New Jersey. II. But the spirit and way of life of the climber is not limited to the members of the Alpine Club. You needn’t scale actual mountains. To live climbing is possible for us all, and it is a great way of life. It means always to be moving on from one experience to another—onward and upward. It means refusing to “settle denen,” however old you may be. It means believing in progress— ever making new starts and fresh efforts, ever seeking new worlds to conquer, ever believing that life should be a great going-on from strength—of body, mind and soul. I cannot think of a finer motto for life than “I live climbing.” On the grave at Mentone, of J. R. Green, the great historian, are inscribed the words, “He died learning”; meaning, of course, that right up to the end he was adding knowledge to knowledge, adding strength to strength. “He died climbing,” which again meant he lived climbing. III. Don’t get old before your time, blasé, listless and indifferent, thinking that everything in connection with you has been achieved. Believe that you were meant for eternity, and that you are only at the beginning of things here. What a fine example of the Alpine man was the Old Testament character of Caleb! His was the climbing spirit. “Give me this mountain,” he said. He might have had the pick of the countryside, for he had rendered great service to the people of Israel. Moreover, he was an old man and was entitled to some portion of easy fertile country which would have yielded crops without much labor and anxiety. But no—he lived climbing. “Give me this mountain,” with all its hard and stony soil, its difficulties to tackle. In youth his word had been: “Let us go up and possess the land, for we are well able to overcome it.” In aee his word is still: “Give me the mountain.” Verily he lived climbing. It is this joy of youth, the joy of climbing, of those who refuse to accept life as having come to an end, but believe in new beginnings constantly, who simply refuse to settle down and grow stagnant and blasé —as so many people do with the passing of the years—it is this joy of spirit which belongs to us. “We live climbing.” IV. And by living climbing, we shall at last die—still climbing. Never allow anybody to make you believe that death is the end of everything. It isn’t. On the authority of reason and intelligence, on the authority of a sense of humor, on the authority of the Book and the whole word and life of Jesus Christ, death is not the end of all things. “Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.” We die to live, we sleep to wake; we climb, and we go on climbing yonder. They climbed the steep ascent of heaven, Through peril, toil and pain; O God, to us may grace be given To follow in their train! —A.A.L. With the Spiritual lesson above, in this memorable month . . . the month of graduation, we convey our hearty congratulations and good wishes to all graduate members of our big family, The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. We hope, that those who are high school graduates and plan to continue their studies will find the college of their choice the best school for their higher education. To those who completed their college work and are starting out on life’s journey, or are seeking even higher grounds of learning to reach their goals and realize their professional ambitions, we say: good luck, and we hope you will make it! God be with you all! Along with our sincere good wishes, we also offer to all our graduates . . . in the true spirit of fraternalism . . . the best Life, Sick Benefit Accidental, Hospitalization, Educational or Income Protection plans of insurance, which could help them in their further education or in their life’s vocation. If any of our graduates are interested in promoting and selling fraternal insurance or wish to obtain any of the above-mentioned plans of insurance, please call our nearest representative, or write to: Secretary, The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C. 20016, telephone 244-7555. 8
