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

1944 / Verhovay Journal

'9’ 1944-----------------------------------Verhovay Journal

THE WAR CLAUSE

The number of our heroic dead approaches the mark of one hundred. Most of them are members of our Association since their childhood, bút there are some amongst them who joined the Association only recently and we must assume that there will be more in the future. All of our certificates contain what is called the War Clause. However, after Pearl Harbor, it was decided by nearly all the insurance organizations of America that the provisions of the war clause shall not apply to those policy holders whose policies or certificates were dated prior to Pearl Harbor.

The Board of Directors of our Association went even further than that and decided that the War Clause shall not apply to members who joined our Association at any time prior to April 1, 1942. At the same time, a new War Clause has been attached to all certificates dated after that time which provides that if a member who joined after April 1, 1942, should die in military service or within six months after his discharge, then the Association shall be bound to pay only the net mortuary dues plus interest to the beneficiaries.

This War Clause rider already found application in several instances when death benefit claims were submitted. No insurance organization in the United States pays death benefit after soldiers who were killed while in military service who applied for their insurance after the dates set forth in the respective War Clause riders. The rule that binds the other insurance organizations

also binds the Verhovay F. 1. Association. We realize that, in many instances, this means a keen disappointment to the bereaved family, however, an insurance organization must always consider the safety and security of the organization for the sake of the entire membership. Therefore, it must be clearly understood by the beneficiaries of all those members who joined the Association after the 1st of April, 1942, that if they should lose their life while in military service or in consequence of same within six months after their discharge, then only the mortuary dues plus interest can be repaid to the beneficiaries.

Let us emphasize again that the Association pays the full death benefit to the beneficiaries of all those members who joined the Association before April 1, 1942, w'hether they died in military service or not.

* * *

WIIY KEEP UP SOLDIERS’ INSURANCE?

Of course, some parents and relatives may ask: “What is the

, use of keeping up the insurance if, due to the fact that the member joined after April 1, 1942, the Association will not pay the full death benefit should he die while in military service?” This question is easy to answer. First of all, we must point out that neither the member nor the beneficiaries lose a cent, because in the event of the military death of a member who joined lately, the beneficiaries will receive what has been paid into the Treasury of the Association. Furthermore, the Association will pay the full death benefit if the member dies at any time of any cause after the end of the war. That means that upon returning from military service, his insurance certificate will go into full effect to protect him throughout his lifetime or whatever period of time his policy calls for.

Now this is a very important point.( Let us study for a moment the casualty list of our armed forces as published by the War Department. We have 102,000 heroic dead in the armed forces of our nation but we have four times as many wounded and other casualties. That means that at the end of the war, many a soldier will return with impaired health. He will be able to work, he will be able to support his family, he will be able to lead a normal life but he may not be an acceptable insurance risk. The issuance of life insurance certificates and policies always depends on medical examinations. Medical examinations will be very strict after the conclusion of the war because medical authorities have found that in some theatres of war where millions of our soldiers are serving their country, sicknesses prevail which do not show up immediately but in many instances only a year or two after they have been contracted. Physicians all over the country will not only examine the ex-soldier but they will also make inquiries as to where he had served and upon learning that he has served in such parts where they may have been exposed to such lingering maladies, they will be hesitant to subscribe to his acceptance as a member. There will be a great many rejections of apparently healthy men on this single count alone. Then there will be hundreds of thousands of young men who will have impaired nerves, weakened hearts, ruined stomachs and other conditions with which they may live for many years to come but which prohibit the issuance of life insurance certificates on their lives according to the existing insurance laws of the various states.

Now a member who has joined our organization after April 1, 1942, will have an insurance certificate in force upon his return provided he or his family keeps up the payments of monthly dues. He will not have to apply for new insurance and therefore he will not he placed into the unenviable position of being subect to rejection on any of the above enumerated counts. Many of these returning soldiers will never be able to take out insurance certificates or policies and they will be thankful that the certificate they had with our Association has been kept in-force throughout their military service, for in many cases that will be the only insurance protection they are going to have.

PUBLICATION DATE OF JOURNAL ADVANCED-----OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT-----Our readers keep on complaining because of the late delivery of the Journal. We have tried nearly everything to make sure that the Journal arrives in time to serve as a week-end diversion but to no avail.

It is possible that the delay results from the fact that most weeklies appear on Thursday, thereby causing a jam in the mail. It has been decided, therefore, to advance the date of publication of the Journal by one day. Hereafter the Verhovay Journal will appear on WEDNESDAY instead of Thursday. We hope that as a result of this change most of our readers will receive the Journal before the week-end.

Naturally, the deadline is also advanced. Contributions must arrive at the editor’s desk not later than the WEDNESDAY preceding the day of publication.

The Journal will be published the SECOND and LAST WEDNESDAY of each month. Contributions should be in on or before the preceding Wednesday. The next issue of the Journal will appear on November 29. Contributions intended for this issue must be received by the editor on or before November 22.

Contributions should be typewritten. Use one side of paper only, and double space.

Contributions are confined to TWO COLUMNS each, that is 1200 words, or 6,000 letters.

No report, nor any other material is acceptable which does not deal with Verhovay affairs, fraternal problems or news concerning MEMBERS of the organization.

Short stories and poems are acceptable only if they conform to recognized literary rules and standards, provided their subjects matter is not objectionable morally or otherwise.

The Journal publishes pictures of soldier-members free. Only pictures made by a professional photographer and suitable for reproduction, are accepted. Pictures will not be returned unless requested. THE EDITOR.

Page 5

Verhovay Military Wedding in Detroit

1st Lt. Edward S. Agni and Marie Ethel Chont

Both are members of Branch 511, of Detroit, Mich. Their wedding took place- in the Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church on Oct. 1, 1944. The Rev. Father Andrew Jakab officiating. Best man was Ensign Edward Ribits and Maid of Honor was Irene Mato.

The bride-groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Agni, of 8152 Thaddeus Street, well known in American Hungarian circles. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Chont, of 8334 Vanderbilt Street. You all know of course Mr. Daniel Chont, Jr., the manager of branch 511, brother of the bride, while Mrs. Chont, the mother of the bride, was one of the few women delegates to the XX. Convention of the V .F. I. A.

The beautiful wedding was followed by a dinner, after which the-young couple departed for Fort Knox, Ky., where 1st Lt. Edward Agni is stationed. We join the host of the good friends of this popular couple wishing them Godspeed, good luck and all the happiness in the world.

THE COST

Then there is another point to be considered. We refer now to the age of the member. Some of our men will return after 3, 4 or 5 years of military service We all know that insurance taken out at a younger age costs much less then if taken out at an older age. Five years makes a substantial difference even in the monthly dues, not speaking of the total cost of the insurance protection. It is, therefore, sound judgment to keep up the insurance certificate that has been taken out at an age in which the lowest possible monthly dues apply.

INCONTESTABILITY

And that is not all. There is the added question of incontestability of which we wrote recently in this Journal. Death benefit claims on a certificate that has been in force for two or three years, will not be contested by the Association under any circumstances. If a new certificate is taken out, death benefit payments may be contested if death occurs within two or three years and the Association is in a position to prove that the member had not submitted the true facts concerning his health at the time of application.

A SOURCE OF CASH

Finally, there is the point of cash values to be considered. A certificate that has been in force for at least three years has a cash surrender and loan value which increases with every

year. If the family of a member who joined the Association after April 1, 1942, lapses his certificate, the cash value of that certificate will also be lost. Now let us suppose that after 3, 4 or 5 years that member returns and upon returning, meets difficulties in finding an appropriate position, he may need that cash surrender or loan value to tide him over difficult times. He will sincerely appreciate it if he finds that while he served his country, his family has accumulated a fund in his name to which he can take recourse in the time of need.

DON’T LET YOUR BOYS DOWN!

If we conscientiously consider all these arguments, then we can come to only one conclusion and that is that the certificates of soldier members should be kept in force at any price. There is not* a single argument in favor of dropping it. Every argument is in favor o! keeping it up and if we remember that our soldiers give their youth, their health and their lives for the country and for the nation, then we cannot but feel that a soldier member, whose certificate has been permitted to lapse. HAS BEEN LET DOWN BY HIS OWN FOLKS!