Fraternity-Testvériség, 2001 (79. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2001-04-01 / 2. szám
FRATERNITY Page 5 • 1998 - Port Authority announces it will sell the lease on the Trade Center towers and three other buildings for 99 years. • July 24 - $3.2 billion 99-year master lease is awarded to Silverstein Properties, led by New York developer Larry Silverstein. Westfield America Inc. of Los Angeles takes over operation of the complex’s 427,449- square foot underground concourse. • September 11, 2001 - Two hijacked airplanes crash into the twin towers, causing the towers and the 47- story office building to collapse. Source: Wire reports Lest we forget.... THE OPENING OF OUR ORPHANS’ HOME The Orphans’ Home in Ligonier was opened on July 4, 1921, with an unforgettable ceremony. Its realization was the result of a resolution of the convention in Buffalo in 1919 that decided all members would have to pay five cents each month in addition to their membership fees for the future Orphans’ Home. This small amount, which meant no special load on anyone among the members of the Federation, made it possible to reach by the end of 1920 the amount decided by the South Bend meeting. That meeting declared that unless there was at least ten thousand dollars in the fund for the Orphans’ Home, there would be no basis for considering the Orphans’ Home a reality. When this decision had been made, the idea was to rent the empty Lutheran Home in Cleveland. That plan, however, could not be worked out. We came to Ligonier after the committee of the first Reformed assembly, upon examining the building, found it suitable. The Federation purchased the building on the “Mount of Poplars’’ for 28,000 dollars, but thanks to the financial considerations by the owner who sold the house, its price was actually 27,500 dollars. After the purchase, the leadership prepared for the opening of the institute that took place on July 4, 1921, with a great ceremony. Not only the Hungarians of the area participated, but also many from far away who were greatly interested in the Orphans’ Home. It would be hard to count how many were present, but the sum of the donations was $1,700. The Orphans’ Home started its work with this consecrating ceremony. The Supreme Council elected the following staff at its meeting in Cleveland: Superintendent, Rev. Sándor Kalassay; his assistant, Mrs. Sándor Kalassay; a nurse, Miss Mary Kerekes. The superintendent was instructed to hire the remainder of the staff necessary to start the work at the institution. The Board of Directors was also elected, with the late Rev. Sámuel Horváth representing the Magyar Synod. The first three orphans arrived the following day: Margit Farkas, György Farkas and Sándor Farkas from Cleveland. So many others came that we can state that during the ensuing fifteen years at least six hundred children have lived there for a time. Regulating the spirit of the institute was very hard. When I was offered this job by the leaders in April 1921,1 had to realize that I was not prepared for it. My office made it hard for me to wear the spirit I would have needed to give the Orphans’ Home a family character. I had the intuition that an Orphans’ Home cannot be
