Verhovayak Lapja, 1940. január-június (23. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1940-01-25 / 4. szám
THE NEW BY-LAWS (Regulations) Effective January 1st, 1940. The important amendments. In a recent issue of the Verhovayak Lapja we made mention of the fact that the majority of the districts have accepted the new amendments, which consequently go into effect Jan. 1st, 1940. We know well that our co-workers—the secretaries of the various branches—have studied carefully the resolutions of the convention. We hope all members have at hand that issue of our paper which contains the minutes of the Convention. It is necessary at this point to draw especial attention to some of the changes and modifications in the By-Laws for the benefit of the Branch Secretaries and all those who manifest great interest in the working of the Association. One of the most important modifications brought about during the Convention was the granting of equal status to women and men alike. Up until now our women members were admitted only up to the age of 55. Commencing Jan. 1st, 1940, women as well as men will be admitted up to the age of 60 with the provision, that should they qualify for enrollment after the age of 55, not more than a $500.00 policy could be ascribed to them. This amendment further states that those women be tween the ages of 45 and 55, who heretofore were only granted a $500 policy, shall hereafter be eligible for as high as a $5000 policy, providing they fall within that age group. * * * The former By-Laws were lax in regard to cancelled and extended memberships, by allowing one year’s grace within which to pay up the year’s dues in installments. The new regulations in effect have done away with this clause, which was a constant source of confusing complications. Only those members can hereafter pay their premiums in monthly installments, who have all of their back dues paid up and have been certified to be in good health, as prescribed by the Central Office. This requirement means that all those members, whose policies have been extended, and those which have lapsed three months, will hereafter be stricken from the lists unless the total dues in arrears are paid up in one sum together with the dues for the current month. We would like to emphasize this change and bring to the attention of all officials, that beginning Jan. 1st, all extended or can celled policies can only be reinstated and the dues for Jan. be accepted, if those members pay up all dues in which they are in arrears. This modification, which at first sight may seem a bit unfair, was so amended in the best interest of the (Continued on Page 2) Attention, Contributors! We earnestly request our contributors, branch reporters and publicity committees to see to it that their news items, articles and contributions intended for the first February issue, reach us not later than the 9th of February. All material received after that date will not be published in first February issue. I American HEAD KINDLY LIGHT By JOHN SABO (SZABÓ JANOS) Fortunate, indeed, are we that the strife of old Europe led our ancestors to seek a shore where the clouds usually have a silver lining. In America we have very much to be thankful for. Little did our ancestors dream of their new home at sometime becoming the shining example of true happiness. Yet today we must admit that every country in the world looks to us to set the pace of a once-in-a-while peaceful world. The poor European envies our free country in which we have freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of worship and the right to pursue happiness. We are fairly intelligent people. We give our little ones books of knowledge, not guns that shoot to kill. We teach our children to love and to trust one another; we do not knife our neighbor in the back; neither do we steal his property when his back is turned. Our problems we settle peacefully. Our vast transportation systems are used for better purposes than the transportation of thousands of young men to fields of slaughter. Sirens do not shriek warnings to our people, for in this country only the rain and snow fall. The dinner table of the American family is well-laden with choice edibles. The Catholic, the Protestant and the Jew worship however they may. Churches are built, not burned. Censorship of the press is not tolerated. We read the truth, for only intelligent people encourage a free press. Everyone has a voice in our government. We think and speak for ourselves. The small neutral countries of Europe today seek our aid. They see in us the one hope for their very existence. If we can help them, in any way without endangering our stand, then we should. And the best way to help is to show the war-mad World that Peace and Civilization will not banish from our country. The President of every branch of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association would do well to urge the members to set aside a "Give Thanks to American Peace Day”. On this day we should honor our country with fitting programs expressing our thanks and our happiness to a GREAT COUNTRY — OUR COUNTRY. Let this be Verhovay’s way of showing the World how proud we are to be Americans! The Stars and Stripes Forever! Suppose the mythical man from Mars came up to you some day and asked you if you were an American. You’d say, “Yes,” of course. Then suppose he asked you another question: “What is an American?” Perhaps y o ur answer would be something like this—or maybe you can improve on it—: “I’m an American,” you’d say. “When I hear an airplane, I don’t look around for the nearest bombproof shelter. I know that it’s carrying people and goods for the purposes of peacetime progress. “I’m an American. I know that my newspaper and my radio will give me a fair picture of what’s happening in the woi'ld, to the best of its ability. “I send my children to a school where the teachers aren’t merely vassals of the state — where the facts that are taught my children help to make them better, more intelligent citizens. “I’m an American. I can talk freely with my friends, expressing my own opinions on both political and nonpolitical subjects, without the fear that there are spies who listen to my every word and then report it to some high and secret tribunal.” You’d probably say these things and many more besides. And saying them would, in these troubled times, make you realize something else, so that you’d come to say just one thing more: “I’m a lucky individual. I’m an American!”--------------O-------------FREE ENTERPRISE In times of war or peace there is one defense we Americans constantly need and should never forget. We consider it so much a matter of course we rarely think of it. FREE ENTERPRISE — the ability to go ahead on our own, to develop our resources; to freely exercise our enterprising spirit. This habit has most distinguished our work and progress from that of the people of other lands. It is not the result of an accident. It found its roots in the stern necessities of frontier life and in the independent character of the founders who firmly believed in liberty of worship, the right of private property, freedom of speech printed word. Liberty and freedom of the individual were the foods on which the founders nurtured their industry, government and religion. They and their children and greatgrandchildren fought to obtain them. Succeeding generations by neglect are in danger of losing liberties so firmly established that they were never challenged. Nothing is so essential to our defense at home as the maintenance of this spirit of free enterprise on which we have built.—Connecticut Economic Council. IT IS THE HABIT OFand the
