Verhovayak Lapja, 1941. július-december (24. évfolyam, 27-52. szám)
1941-09-11 / 37. szám
The Importance of Youth in the Fraternal System By Mrs. Dora Alexander Talley, National President Supreme Forest Woodmen Circle NOTICE, CONTRIBUTORS Some of you are waiting until the deadline or thereafter before sending in your contributions. This condition and trend should stop, as it works to a disadvantage for both sides. First, it means that your materials may or may not appear in issue for which intended, can not be given proper editorial treatment, and their positions in Journal may prove unsatisfactory; second, it means overtime work for the editorial department. / Please send in your contributions as early as possible. Introducing ... JOHN SABO An irregular contributor who is not heard from often, through no fault of his own but because of his many and sundry duties, John Sabo’s articles are imbued with such sincerity, quality and real Verhovay spirit that these attributes make up for the few and far between condition. Read Mr. Sabo’s articles and you will readily note that their theme is VERHOVAY—the spirit and workings of Verhovay. Loyal to Verhovay, and true to his branch, which is Branch 395, McKeesport, Pennsylvania, John Sabo is an asset from every angle. That his ability and value are recognized is evidenced by the fact that the American Branch 395, a branch only seven years old, has seen fit to elect him for its presidency now for the fourth time, and this year the branch is again prospering and faring well under the calm yet prudent guidance of John Sabo. So long as more like John Sabo of the younger generation appear, the Verhovay elders need have no fear of the future of the great organization they founded and which they will some day bequeath to their children. We of the Verhovay Journal are very sorry that Mr. Sabo’s contributions come like rare gems. We hope that ke will be able soon to contribute regularly and often —and so does John Saba The efforts of the Fraternal System to interest youth in its societies extends over a period of about twenty five years, and the results are approximately a million junior members. Since many organizations did not begin writing children until as recently as ten years ago, and some are only now beginning, it is evident that the ..ext twenty-five years will show far greater results than did the first quarter century. The future of our organization depends largely on our success in building up juvenile and young people’s departments. We need to improve present opportunities to train our young people if we expect our organizations to progress in the future as they did in the past. If they are to promote the Fraternal System, we must be persistent in our efforts to keep them active from the time they join the juvenile department, through the adolescent stages, up to the time when they become members of the adult lodges. We must have an attractive ritual, a well-rounded program, social activities that will measure up to their ideas, and create opportunities for them to participate in local community affairs. Children and young people like to be up-to-date. They want to do the popular things of the age, and they will join organizations that give them that opportunity. One of the first essentials then is to secure junior supervisors who are active and alert, and who understand how to meet and satisfy this healthy energy in children. If we keep our juniors vitally interested until they are 16 or 18, we shall have •ittle difficulty in continuing to hold their interest. Let us remember that members in the adult lodges are mostly middle aged and older people and the lodge machinery is generally geared to meet their requirements. How to absorb the group too old for the juvenile department and too young for the average adult department is a prevailing problem. Young people want to associate with others of their own age, and they like to be identified as individual groups even when these groups are part of a larger organization.. To offer them something attractive, such as they naturally anticipate, is, I believe, the solution to this problem. This transition period including ages from 16 to 30 needs to le bridged over so that these yc-ung members may grow naturally into the lodge work which is the heart and soul of fraternalism. It is as necessary to provide specific interests for young adults as for children, because the interests of persons between 16 and 30 and the more advanced ages differ as widely as those between older people and children. Our young people, particularly when they come to us from our juvenile departments are the most promising material we have out of which to build leadership. We cannot afford to lose them. When we succeed in retaining them, we have retained the benefit of new and enthusiastic ideas; lowered mortality rates; increased reserves; the opportunity to contact young people outside of our own groups, and the opportunity to develop hadership. When we lose a young member we have dropped a link in the chain of our fraternal system, which obviously weakens our strength. The churches long ago realized that their strength lay in holding their young people by means of youth activities. When they felt youth slipping away, they organized children’s and young people’s societies, in addition to their Sunday Schools. The church that successfully sponsors young people is a moral and spiritual power in the community. May we not also expect that fraternal societies which succeed in holding the interest of their yowng people are of greater value in the Fraternal System? The strong youth movement everywhere evident is a challenge to our Societies. We see how all countries are <» today placing their hope, their very existence, in the hands of a wisely guided and cirected youth. Youth is even now taking an important part in shaping world events and it will definitely assume leadership in the restoration of civilization and adjustment of world affairs when peace is declared. If youth is equal to taking on tasks so colossal in scope as this, is- it not time we were realizing the ability of our youth to help carry the work ot our organizations to greater success than we have heretofore known? The time is now here when we must make a definite place for young people in our fraternal societies. It is time that we were freeing ourselves from the notion that youth is too busy with its own affairs to he interested in fraternalism. (Continued on Page 7) TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS The English Edition is published the SECOND and LAST Thursdays of every month, and the Saturdays IMMEDIATELY preceding them are considered the closing dates for contributions'. Contributions intended for the September 25th issue should be in before or on September 20th. No assurance of publication in particular issue can be given for material received after that date. Address contributions to ENGLISH SECTION, VERHOVAY JOURNAL, 345 FOURTH AVENUE, PITTSBURGH, PA. FRIENDSHIP Yesterday I was lonely, No friend to comfort me; I know what friendship Is today Because I met you on the way. There was a time for meeting you, A place for making dreams come true; Forever I shall cherish, dear, You as a friend, you bring me cheer. From: Garden of Dreams A Book of Verse By Amelia Nyers Autographed copies of “Garden of Dreams’’ may be ordered from the azithor, at 1031 W. Dubail Avenue, South Bend, Indiana.. The price is 40c.---------------O-------------Do U You ask Do * I miss you? Of course not, silly, Unless you count the times That the wind is chilly ... Or the stars ares bright.., And the moon is high. The shadows blue ... And the willows sigh..« Then I suppose II miss you! You ask Do I love you? Of course not, funny, Unless you call it love, When my heart skips, honej\ If I hear a laugh... Or I see a smile... A quirked eyebrow That I have on file ..« Then I suppose I love you! —Betty Carol Balogé T
