Verhovayak Lapja, 1944 (27. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)

1944 / Verhovay Journal

MARGARET VARGO Idamay, W. Virginia PO. Box 47.

“ANY BONDS TODAY?”

At last I can draw my breath. Since the beginning of the Fourth War Loan Drive on January 18, up until today, we’ve all been dreadfully rushed with the stamp and bond campaign at school.

Today the campaign came to a climax with an Amateur Program. The contest numbers were of the usual Amateur types with pupils displaying their special talents in tap dancing, vocal numbers, humorous skits and entertaining recitations. The unusual part was the way the winners were determined. At the conclusion of the Acts, the audience was invited to the combination stamp and election booth to vote for its favorite contestants. The purchaser of each ten-cent stamp was entitled to one vote. Naturally, the number of votes you could cast was determined by the number of dimes invested for stamps. You cdn easily guess that the lady who bought a fifty-dollar bond had a lot to say in deciding who got the most votes!

The enthusiasm and excitement in making preparation for the contest ran high. Plans were wellorganized ahead of time and most things ran smoothly. Patrons were drafted to apply the grease paint to the “darkie chilluns’ ” faces who were going to sing “Shortnin’ Bread”. A very apt and willing boy volunteered to make the imitation microphone (which fell each time the dancers jarrer the stage floor — but this mishap only added to the amusement of the very appreciative audience.)

The program was a mock radio broadcast from “Station B-O-N-D, affiliated with the Red, White, and Blue Network, broadcasting from the Bondenstamp Studio in the patriotic town of patriotic people—Carolina, West Virginia.” (This quote is from the speech composed by the bright seventh grade chap who served as announcer.) His witty introductions, questions and comments to the contestants added much to the interest of the show. «

Provisions were even made for a short REPORT ON THE NEWS during the program by none other than the school principal. He gave a summary of the stamp and bond sales by the various grades, which totalled well over S2000 during the drive, which we considered very good for a school in a community where all men have signed up for the 10% payroll deductions.

“Minute Maids” attired in blue and white and wearing red hair ribbons served as usherettes, distributed the programs, and took care of the Booth.

Naturally, the Sponsor of the program was UNCLE SAM, who was to give the COMMERCIAL, which advertised BONDS. He made such remarks as “LIBERTY GUARANTEED AND YOUR MONEY BACK, too.” “For EVERY THREE YOU GIVE, YOU GET BACK FOUR.” He also had in his speech the three reasons why we should all buy BONDS.

1. ) To help pay the cost of the war. (Did you know that the gasoline used by a bomber costs $150 an hour?)

2. ) To keep that extra money out of circulation in order to prevent inflation.

3. ) To have spending money after the war when it will be patriotic to spend much in order to get business on a Peacetime Basis so our returning soldiers can get employment.

It’s wonderful how much originality the youngsters can show when set to their own devices for planning a skit or preparing a good speech. So the preparations went along fine with only a little of my guidance necessary.

The afternoon of the Program arrived. Excitment was high. There was an hour left to.check costumes and improvise makeshift properties which might have been overlooked earlier. The boy who was to play the part of Uncle Sam turned up without his outfit. The classmate who had promised to loan him the outfit couldn’t find the trousers to the costume! There was only one thing to do: to go ask the boy’s mother to please find the missing item, which she did. Then when the student Uncle Sam was ready to go to the dressing room, it was discovered that the indispensable whiskers were really lost! Putting a quarter into his hand I dismissed him with “Go buy some cotton and get some paste, get dressed and I’ll put on your beard backstage while the program gets started.” Then “Who’s next that needs lipstick?” Well, the boy only made two trips to the store in the last 30 minutes before the show, for the first time he came back to ask if sterile First Aid cotton wasn’t just too good for a beard? He did get the cotton by 2:00 o’clock when the show was starting.

As I sent him off to get dressed and at the same time took my place for the prompting, a quick glance over my shoulder brought to my attention the realization that he was wearing a typical school shirt — a nice, warm flannel red and black checked number! He then suddenly remembered that the white shirt his mother had gotten ready for him was still at home. So I sent him home to get ready and summoned the announcer off the stage (who was clever — he came off so casually as though he were really supposed to do that) and he was informed not to announce the Commercial until Johnnie got back. One act followed another smoothly and scarcely ten minutes had passed until I turned around and saw Johnnie who a short time ago had no shirt — no beard — no nothin’ — beautifully fixed up — complete to the beard! Thanks to his mother! What would children do without the magic touch mothers have in impossible situations? What would any of

us do without the smoothing-out abilities of our mothers?

These last minute hitches and dilemmas are really interesting, though, and hilariously funnny after a seemingly perfect performance before an unsuspecting audience. I’ll not forget the time when measles almost cancelled a Christmas program. But pinchhitters, after one rehearsal, helped the show go on as planned. Nor will I ever forget the time one of the little Pilgrim boys ruined his paper Pilgrim hat while getting ready.

It would have been a heartbreaking calamity to him to appear hatless on the stage. So the tragedy was avoided. But the hat I made him at the last minute was not dried sufficiently (from the paste) to wear, so he carried it in his hand, — but, by golly, he still had a hat just the same — just like the other Pilgrims!

The aim of the Campaign, of which the program was a part, to sell more bonds, was attained.

In order to make high sales all during the Drive, we made bond and stamp buying as attractive as possible in many ways. At first, it was a novelty to the pupils just to line up at the Booth in the Hall and buy their stamps.

Later, Stamp Corsages were worn and given to their mothers for Valentine’s Day.

An ax — the blade covered with war stamps and with the slogan “Axe the Axis” on the handle — was the Lincoln Day feature which sold many stamps.

Two rival teams canvassed the town to see which could have the most townspeople finish their partly-filled Stamp Albums and send them to school to be converted into Bonds. This created a lot of competition and interest.

A “Fourth War Loan” Poster contest made art classes interesting and novel.

All in all, the Campaign was quite enjoyable and profitable for ourselves as well as for our country. It was well-worth the many, many after-school hours I spent in getting plans made and carried out.

So that’s my tale — of how I’ve been spending my time. Perhaps my very good friends whom I’ve neglected so long will understand why I still owe them answers to their very welcome letters.

Now I’d like to give a little boost to my “Kid” sister, Irene, who’s a junior at Farmington High School (my alma mater, too). Last week she was one of the three honor guests at a George Washington Day Banquet held by the West Virginia Society, Sons of the Revolution on the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary. Irene read her essay, “The Part Western Virginians Played in the Revolutionary War”, which won first prize in a state-wide essay contest. If our editor will think it all right, IT send in Irene’s 1600 word essay for the next issue of the Journal. I think its a fairly good essay, in spite of the fact that I had to hear it through three times — “rehearsal” ■— the night before the banquet, e — —

Editors’s Note: Despite the fact that we would like very much to publish the essay mentioned above, for it is written by a talented young lady, we regret very much that space will not permit the publishing of the fine essay.)

Verhovay Journal

Page 3

THE SNOW

Slowly the snow is falling Through the morning air;

Drifts piled high in the forest,

Where the lake is ice;

Our city is covered with snow, —

All white and shining, too;

The trees raise their empty arms And catch the glistening snow.

Now see the children play their games;

They made a house of snow;

They built a fort of fragile flakes,

And a big snow-man who stands Guard at its entrance door;

Too soon the snow will vanish, —

Now see it melt away!

One day we will have snow again;

And play our games once more.

—Rose Simo, Branch 276 Royalton, Illinois

, LET TRUTH BE UNCONFINED

CHICAGO BRANCH 503

Ii

Faith must have adequate We’re mighty proud of you,

evidence, else it is mere superstition.—A. A. Hodge.

Pvt. Herman Talaber recently paid a surprise visit to Mrs. Anne Grebenar, his cousin. The soldier was for many months with the military forces in Alaska and thereabouts, and had items of interest to relate. That Pvt. Talaber took part in various campaigns is attested to by the many campaign ribbons he wears. He is now at Fort Benning, an instructor in the art of warfare.

Staff Sergeant Paul Szabady was on furlough recently and visited with friends in Chicago and Mishawaka, Indiana. S/Sgt. Szabady is an instructor at Camp Lee.

Mrs. Emma Czvitkovicz is returning from Tacoma, Washington, where she spent many months, while her hubby—Corporal—was stationed there with the armed services. Now that he has left for overseas, Emma is returning to Chicago and we welcome her back. We hope that the Corporal will soon return. We wish him the best of luck wherever he may be stationed and we know he will give a good account of himself.

Belated congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Varga (4936 W. Byron Street) on the new arrival to their household. Raymond, a strapping little fellow, was born to them on Dec. 27, 1943, in time for a New Year’s Eve present.

Corporal Ed Talaber (4140 W. Crawford Avenue) went overseas several weeks ago, after training with the army in the deserts of Arizona and California. A graduate of Lane Tech, he work-, ed for Stewart Warner. Corporal Talaber has several bars for sharpshooting. We’re proud of you, Ed, and our thoughts are with you.

Frank V. Huziany, S 2/C, it seems to us, has been out in the Pacific theatre of war for several months. We hear from him irregularly, and only when he reaches a port on the West coast. Frankie says that he may get a furlough soon, and we earnestly hope so, for he hasn’t been in town for a long while. By trade he is a machine-gunner on a Mosquito boat, and pinch hits as captain of a 5-inch gun crew. And the kid’s only 16 years old!

Frankie!

Mrs. Anne Grebenar (nee Talaber), 2943 N. Mason Avenue, does her bit in war work 10 hours daily, 6 days weekly—many times 7 days a week. Like other wives, she too wants to do her share to get this war over real quick, so that her husband, Sgt. Frank Grebenar, will come home. He has been overseas for many months now, and writes that he misses her very much, that he saw Bob Hope in Sicily, misses also the good old U. S. beer, drives jeeps in his spare time, and admires the beautiful churches in Italy, where, he says, there is too much rain. In Sicily, writes the Sergeant, the weather was much nicer to him.

Pvt. John Huziany, with the U. S. Engineers in Camp Ellis, was in on a visit for a day this week, and reports that something big is in the air at the camp. The regiment to which he belongs has been on maneuvers in the Shawnee National Forest recently, and is rarin’ to go.

Mary C. Grebenar (5732 N. Merrimac Avenue) has a responsible and important job at Oscar Mayer. She deserves it because she has the following certificate to her credit: Job Method by the War Production Board; War Production Job Instruction; Job Relation Training awarded by the War Manpower Commission. Mary, incidentally, came to Chicago about 10 years ago from Szakonyfalu, Vasmegye, Hungary, where she was taken to at the age of eight. She attended evening school at Schurz High School to gain additional information. Although busy with work essential to the war effort, Mary keeps an eye open to the post-war period of social and athletic activities of Branch 503; she promises cooperation.

March 1, 1944,

The Scribe ef Kőszeg.

DELAY NO LONGER

in

GETTING YOURSELF INSURED because

LIFE IS SO VERY UNCERTAIN