Fraternity-Testvériség, 2001 (79. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2001-04-01 / 2. szám
FRATERNITY LESLIE L. MEGYERI NEW LEGAL COUNSEL OF THE HRFA Page 7 I am honored that I was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Federation to the position of legal advisor. I sought this position in order to serve the Hungarian American community to the best of my ability. Moreover, it is a distinct privilege to be associated with the truly dedicated and hard working members of the Board, President and Chief Financial Officer. They are the best I have encountered in my long professional life. I was bom in Rozsnyo, which was located in the northeast part of Hungary, but it now belongs to Slovakia. Since my father and I participated in the 1956 Revolution, we had to flee the country and eventually we settled in Washington, D.C. Before coming here, we lived in Logan, WV, where many Hungarian miners and their descendants resided. We felt very welcome in Logan; however, many mines were closed and we could not get jobs. While in Washington, we opened a furniture repair shop and later a small store. Unfortunately, my father was killed in a holdup at the store less than ten years later. At that time, we were very poor, and the only way I could pay for my father’s funeral was from the life insurance from the Federation. Prompt payment of this insurance by William B. Puskas, Sr., then Treasurer, was a great comfort. Subsequently, I decided to go to college and I received four degrees from George Washington University; an A.A. in accounting, a B.A. in economics, a Masters in Business Administration, and a law degree. I became a member of the D.C. Bar and a Certified Public Accountant of Maryland. I worked as an attorney for the U.S. Congress for fifteen years and drafted immigration legislation for the U.S. House of Representatives. Three years ago, I became a certified teacher by obtaining a Masters Degree in education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Since I was required to serve my new country, I enlisted and then stayed in the U.S. Army Reserves for thirty years, finally attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Among the many military schools I attended was the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania. Recently, my wife Kathy and I visited Ft. Jackson, SC, where I took my basic training. Only the foundation of the barracks where I stayed now remains. My wife Kathy taught high school English for 34 years, and she is now busy publishing articles in various periodicals and writing books. She is writing a teachers’ guide for the CHICKEN SOUP series because they have included her essays. We enjoy flying our Mooney, a single engine airplane, on weekend trips and we ski in the hills of Pennsylvania. I would again like to state that I feel deeply honored to be the legal advisor to the Federation and to serve the Hungarian community. I look forward to being part of the Federation’s future plans and new developments. • • Presents for Patients It’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the comer!!! The Activity Department at Bethlen Home is starting to plan for its most important fundraiser of the year the “Presents for Patients” campaign for the holiday season. Each year the Activity Department encourages staff, family, friends, volunteers and community members and civic groups to sponsor a resident for Christmas. The donor is responsible for supplying a Christmas gift from the resident’s wish list. The amount you spend is totally up to you. The gift suggestions range from $5.00 to $25.00. The donor is then responsible for wrapping, tagging the gift, and giving or mailing it to the Activity Department by the suggested date for distribution. The Activity staff will then distribute the gift on Christmas Eve to your assigned resident. Anyone wanting to be a sponsor but not wanting the responsibility of purchasing the gift, may send a cash donation to the Activity Department, and a resident will be assigned to your donation. The gift will then be purchased, wrapped and tagged with your name as the donor by the Volunteers and Activity Staff members. Checks should be made payable to: The Bethlen Home Activity Fund. Anyone having any questions should contact Sherry Humbertson at 724-238-6711 Monday through Friday during business hours. Thanks for sharing the true spirit of the Holiday Season. Sherry Humbertson, Activity Director, The Bethlen Home
