Fraternity-Testvériség, 1977 (55. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

1977-10-01 / 4. szám

social security, medicare, group hospitalization or group insurance. The churches worked together with our fraternal organization and jointly maintained the charitable services for the care of the children and the care of the aged. The federal government’s fiscal year welfare budget will be $30.7 billions. The federal aid is channeled through the states. Out of the 103 guests in the Department for the Aged 77 receive welfare subsidy.

After World War II the welfare policy was to place the children needing care into foster homes. Orphan cases were handled by social workers specializing in adoption. As a result fewer children were referred to the orphanage or children’s homes for institutionalized care. The Bethlen Home cared for many children of the displaced persons and the Hungarian refugees. The ethnic charitable services of the Bethlen Home was made available to our Hungarian brothers and sisters. The Children’s Department rendered a great service to our people by caring for their children. However, at the end of these two special service periods, the number of children needing care sharply decreased again.

In 1936 Dr. Louis Nanassy wrote that “in the future there will be an increasing need for the care of the aged. The first brick building for the aged should be built with the financial aid of the HRFA.” By God’s grace the Kecskemethy wing was built in 1951, the Daroczy wing in 1962 and the new modern wing in 1975. The number of children decreased in the Children’s Department. The number of the elderly guests in the Department for the Aged increased to 103.

Since 1968 we did not restudy and reevaluate the Children’s Department. We thought that silence was the best policy. Since 1921 we held our annual “Orphanage Sundays” whether the Bethlen Home had any orphans or half-orphans or not. During the past months I was pleased to hear from many pastors that in the past their congregations held yearly a “Bethlen Home Sunday” and all the designated donations were sent to the Bethlen Home. They plan to hold these “Bethlen Home Sundays” in the future.

In October, 1976 the news spread throughout the Hungarian communities that the Bethlen Home is in financial difficulty. President Zoltán Beky and Executive V. P. László Eszenyi reported the following to the Executive Committee of the HRFA:

1. The Bethlen Home is unable to meet its financial obligations.

2. The Bethlen Home immediately needs a loan in the sum of $75,000 in order to meet its financial obligations before October 31st.

3. On October 26th the National Officers of the HRFA granted a $75,000 mortgage loan to the Bethlen Home. In 1977 the Board of Directors of the HRF A and the Bethlen Home at their respective special meetings approved the $75,000 emergency loan.

On January 27, 1977 the Board of Directors of the Bethlen Home unanimously voted to close the Children’s Department on July 31, 1977. The directors also requested that a committee be appointed to study the feasibility of using the vacant building as a Retirement Center. At the Board meeting it was emphasized that the HRFA will take care of its deceased members children.

On April 1, 1977 as the new president of the HRFA, I appointed a Committee of Ten in which the HRFA, the Bethlen Home and the supporting denominations were duly represented. The Committee made the following report to the Board of Managers of the Bethlen Home:

1. The Committee was divided into three groups and audited the 1975 and 1976 treasury books.

2. During the past ten years the number of children cared for in the Children’s Department were the following: 1968 - 8; 1969 - 17; 1970 - 20; 1971 - 20; 1972 - 19; 1973 - 16; 1974 - 11; 1975 - 11; 1976 - 7; 1977 - 7.

3. During the past three years the Bethlen Home had no orphans or half-orphans.

4. Year after year the Children’s Department operated with a deficit.

5. The salaries of the full and part-time employees, the cost of maintaining the large building was found to be too high in comparison with the few children cared for.

6. The Department for the Aged closed its operation in 1976 with a minus of $7,466.00.

7. The employees of the Convalescent Home joined a union in 1977. Every 10 cents hourly wage raise for the employees means an extra $20,000.00 expense in the annual budget.

8. In 1976 the Department for the Aged went through a financial crisis which is hoped to be transitional.

9. After the Children’s Department will be closed one administrator will be sufficient to be in charge of the Department of the Aged. The By-Laws of the Bethlen Home should be revised accordingly at the next Board of Directors meeting.

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