Fraternity-Testvériség, 2004 (82. évfolyam, 2-4. szám)
2004-07-01 / 3. szám
Page 15 Fraternity- Testvériség WE STAND TALLEST WHEN WE SERVE OTHERS The fraternal activities season at the HRFA started off in high gear early this spring. Without much ado, our branches across the nation jumped on the bandwagon and began organizing activities for Join Hands Day on May 1. Join Hands Day is a national day of volunteering, when youth and adults across America unite to make their neighborhoods a better place to live. The different generations work together to plan, organize, and implement the day’s activities. Join Hands Day is held annually on the first Saturday in May. This year, on Join Hands Day, twelve Branches of the HRFA performed countless hours of charitable work within their communities. We want to commend the Branch Managers and their volunteers for their selfless work and dedication to the community. After a short breather, John A. Brieden 111, National Commander of the American Legion in Indianapolis, Indiana, invited us to join him on Memorial Day Weekend. With the American Legion in Indianapolis, we honored the World War II veterans of the HRFA and from the Hungarian American community to ensure that the “greatest generation” of Americans is not forgotten. This celebration was held in conjunction with the dedication of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC on Saturday, May 29, commemorating the 16 million Americans who served, fought, and died to preserve freedom, liberate the oppressed, and rid the world from tyranny. The response we received from our Branches and the Hungarian American churches was overwhelming. Many observances were held across the nation to honor our veterans and mourn the lost. The Branch Managers also ceremoniously presented beautiful certificates signed by the American Legion Post Commanders to each veteran. Thus far, the HRFA has paid homage to 173 veterans (see page 12 for the listing of their names), and we will continue with our efforts until the very last veteran we know of is recognized. To help us recognize Hungarian WW1I veterans, I ask you, our readers, to please give us the name and rank of any veteran you may know, as well as the country he or she served in. We are also asking for photos, letters, diaries or any other mementoes from WWII veterans that we could scan into our Website. We will return all material sent to us promptly. For information or any questions you may have, please contact Teri Pflum, Fraternal Coordinator, HRFA, 2001 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20036-101 I; or hrfa@hrfa.org; or 1-800-567-7884. Soon thereafter, we held the HRFA-Bethlen Home Golf Tournament at Champion Lakes Golf Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 17, followed by the Bethlen Home Fraternal Day in Ligonier on Sunday, July 18. On Monday, July 19, the Bethlen Home hosted the Annual Meeting of the Area Fraternal Coordinators. It was a very informative meeting with roundtable discussions concerning the planning of upcoming fraternal activities and the Convention. Fraternal Coordinator Teri Pflum said that Mrs. Elizabeth Medgyesi will be honored as Fraternalist of the Year 2004 at the Convention in September. Mrs. Medgyesi is the director of “The Breakfast Bunch” program of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. See the write-up on her activities in the spring 2004 issue of Fraternity-Testvériség. Since we, the Fraternal Coordinators, wanted to incorporate charitable work into our business meeting, we brought donations of hot cereal and chocolate for “The Breakfast Bunch” program. The Home Office staff also sent contributions, and we were thus able to fill a sizeable box for this worthy program. Ms. Priscilla Hunyady, Co- Director of the Hungarian Reformed Youth Camp, also requested the youth to participate in this endeavor. They did with over 35 boxes of cereal and hot chocolate. As you can tell, there is never a dull moment in the fraternal activities of the HRFA. I urge you, my friends, to join us in our various activities—not only will you have a good time, but you may also decide to do volunteer work through your Branch in the community. Teri Pflum Fraternal Coordinator BRANCH NEWS Branch 20 - Trenton, New Jersey Members of Branch 20 have been involved in numerous projects over the past few months. One of our biggest projects was the West Windsor Relay for Life Cancer Walk. Seven members of our Branch were part of the Spicy Paprikas team-one of 38 participating teams in the Walk. We raised over $400 for the American Cancer Society. Team Captain Deneice Oroszvary also took sewing machines and supplies which were set up in the activities tent to make saddlebags, which are designed to hang on the bedrails of children in the hospital with cancer. Anyone who stopped by to sew could earn points for their team, and many people spent some time sewing and left with brochures explaining the project of Quilts for Kids, Inc., which is mainly directed toward children with cancer. Branch member and WWII veteran John Szucs, Jr., who served in the 9th Army Air Corps in France, was one of 84 veterans honored at the Yardley Country Club on May 30. All of the veterans received a “ruptured duck”
