Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
Page 4 Verhovay Journal Journal of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Ass’n OFFICE OF PUBLICATION 8502 West Jefferson Ave. Detroit 17, Mich. PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY THE Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association Managing Editor: JOHN BENCZE Editor: COLOMAN REVESZ Editor’s Office: 345 FOURTH AVENUE ROOM 805 PITTSBURGH 22, PA. All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 345 FOURTH AVENUE, PITTSBURGH 22, PA. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and Canada -------------------------------$1.00 a year Foreign Countries _____________________________$1.50 a year ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: P. O. BOX 7, WOOLSEY STATION — LONG ISLAND CITY 5, N. Y. Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. VERHOVAY ASSETS HIT 7th MILLION In accordance with the board of directors’ rules, the semi-annual statement of the Verhovay F. I. A. is published in this issue. The readers who are interested in the financial status of the association will note with great satisfaction that by the end of the first half of the year 1945 the assets of the association have reached and passed the seven million dollar mark. This development will be appreciated by all Who realize that the investment policies of every insurance organization are handicapped by wartime conditions. But it will be appreciated even more if we look back upon the financial history of the past years and observe how this result compares with past achievements. On Dec. 31, 1944, the assets (minus liabilities) of the association totaled $6,632,032.41. Deducting this from the balance as of June 30, 1945, as shown on the semi-annual statement, we note that the increase amounted to $380,955-78. This is the net increase for the first half of this year. Comparing this with the results attained in past years, we note that the net increase in the assets of the association amounted in 1938 to $285,121, in 1939 to $261,360, in 1940 to $378,527, in 1941 to $418,536, in 1942 to $376,- 310, in 1943 to $506,575, in 1944 to $636,477. Cents omitted. These increases were attained in the course of each full year, respectfully, while the increase reported for this year is that of the first six months only! Consequently, the increase achieved during the first six months of this year represents an all time record in the financial history of the association. It is also interesting to observe the increasing speed with Which the new record has been achieved. At the beginning of 1938 the assets of the association hit the fourth million. Three and a half years passed until, in September, 1941, the fifth million had been attained. Two and a half years later, in January, 1944, followed the sixth million and only one and a half year after that the assets of the Verhovay passed the seven million dollar mark. Proof of Verhovay’s Strength This result serves undisputable proof to the virility and increasing strength of the Verhovay. It should serve to strengthen the confidence of the public, and the membership, in the soundness of the organization. It should gain universal approval for the export handling and investing of the funds of the association. When celebrating the attainment of the seventh million, we celebrate the strength, the certain future and the basic soundness of the Verhovay. It fills us with pride to see how wartime conditions notwithstanding, the association grows by leaps and bounds. Membership Increase Compared With Assets One and a half years ago when the assets of the association hit the sixth million, we made a study of the increase in membership for the period of time which elapsed between the attaining of the fifth and the sixth million. At that time we found that the membership of the association showed a net increase of four thousand. We felt that this increase compared favorably with the increase of the assets for the corresponding period of time. It should be kept in mind that it is not sufficient to record an increase only either in the membership or in the assets. Increase must be attained in both fields as any other result, i. e., a onesided increase would be a sign of the approaching eclipse of the organization. As far as membership increase is concerned, the result does not seem to come up to the one noted at the time when the sixth million mark was passed. During the time that elapsed between the attaining of the sixth and the seventh million, the membership shows a net increase of 2451. Yet, there is no reason to take this as a discouraging sign. It must be remembered that two and a half years passed until the assets of the association increased from five to six million dollars. The 4,000 net increase in the membership was attained during that period of time. But it took us only one and a half years to see the assets of the association increase by another million and the 2451 net increase in the membership was attained during this shorter period of time. In other words, it took us 28 months to attain a net increase of 4,000 members between October, 1941 and January, 1944, while the net increase of 2451 members was attained during 18 months. Comparing the net production of the two periods we can find to our satisfaction that the membership increased at the rate of 143 members per month during the previous (28 month) period, while it increased at the rate of 140'/2' members per month during the second (18 month) period. In other words there was a decrease of only 0.11% in membership production in the latter period compared with the previous period of 28 months. How Growing increase Was Attained Undoubtedly, wartime conditions have cause a substantial slow down in the task of securing new members. The number of new and reinstated members in previous years was usually over 300, which was seldom attained during the last period. Undoubtedly, our managers and local organizers have done a more successful job in RETAINING members, thereby reducing the lapses whieh in previous years have caused substantial reductions in the otherwise admirable results achieved in the task of securing new members. This proves that the retaining of members is as important as the securing of new members. If the old members are retained, even moderate results attained in securing new members will effect a substantial increase in the membership of the association. A New Sales Help For the Contest The fact that the association’s assets have passed the seven million dollar mark and the analysis of this result offered in this article, may well be used by the contestants when talking with their prospects about the Verhovay. The public is more insurance conscious than ever. People will buy life insurance because they appreciate the security it affords. If we can prove to them that the Verhovay is a strong, vigorous, growing and dependable organization and if we explain, in addition, how many benefits the Verhovay offers, over and above life, sickness and accident insurance protection, the prospect will be glad to sign on the dotted line and become the member of this great FRATERNAL association which instead of growing old, gets younger and stronger with every year. Verhovay Journal July 25, 1945 They Gave Their Lives MINUTES (Continued from Page 3) 9.) The following had been elected: Captains of the women’s teams: Erma Rosta and Elsie Srock. Captains of the men’s teams: Murray McLaughlin, Stephen Giss, Secretary: Elvira László, treasurer Elsie Srock, manager Joseph Szabó. The above minutes have been read and adopted at the meeting. . JOSEPH SZABÓ, manager. TO THE CONTRIBUTORS The next issue of the Journal will be published on Wednesday, August 8. Contributions for that issue should be in not later than August 1, Wednesday. Contributions should be typewritten, on one side of the paper only, double-spaced, and not exceed 1200 words, 01 6,000 letters. Address contributions to VERHOVAY JOURNAL, ENGLISH SECTION, 345 Fourth Ave., Pittsburgh 22, Pa. ELMER SOLDIER first heroic dead member of Branch 303, Washington Park, 111., who was killed in action on May 4, 1945, in Austria, as reported in the June 13th issue of the Journal. Elmer, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Soldier, was the 152nd Verhovayan to pay the Supreme Sacrifice. OSCAR TURI, COXSWAIN WAS KILLED BY EXPLOSION The death of Oscar Turi, Coxswain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve J. Turi, R. 1, Delta, O., was reported in the June 27th issue of the Journal. At that time we stated that neither the place nor the circumstances of his death had been revealed. Since then, Russel Hartranft Jr., Lieutenant, USNR, one of the surviving officers, wrote a letter to the parents in which the whole story is told. As a tribute to the memory of a heroic Verhovayan, this letter is published in full. My Dear Mr. and Mrs. Turi: It is with heartfelt sorrow and sense of loss that I as the senior surviving officer of the U. S.S. Halligan, write to you concerning your son, Oscar Turi, Coxswain, USNR, who was initially listed as missing in action as a result of the sinking of this vessel. However after a thorough investigation of the known circumstances, it has been concluded that he was killed in action. The ship was steaming alone in enemy waters six miles west of Okinawa in the late afternoon on March 26 when, without warning of any kind, the forward magazines blew up, completely demolishing that half of the ship. The remainder of the ship was immediately searched for wounded and surviving personnel. I am positive that when it was abandoned less than an hour later, there was no living person remaining aboard. The explosion effected tne complete obliteration of the part of the ship in which your son was last known to be. It is inconceivable to me that anyone could have survived the blast, and death must certainly have been instantaneous and painless. Oscar was at his battle station in the handling room of the forward five-inch gun when the blast occurred. None of the gun crew has since been seen. Your son was one of the mainstays of the boat division of the deck force and had developed into a good petty officer. His services at his gun station were also invaluable. Oscar was a “plank owner” of the Halligan and had contributed greatly to the ship’s fine record in the major campaigns of the Pacific during the past year. I have served aboard the Halligan during the entire period of Oscar’s service there and was immediately attracted by his pleasing personality and cheerful attitude. Throughout every experience and occasion he held the respect and confidence of shipmates and officers alike. His moral courage, devotion to duty, and intelligent attitude made him a fine man of whom all of us were as proud as you must be. Though it is impossible for us to give you any recompense or consolation for your loss, I can only say that all of us remaining share your deep feeling and will always hold the memory of Oscar and his great sacrifice in our hearts. Very sincerely, Russell Hartranft, Jr., Lieutenant, USNR. May the certainty of his noble service give some measure of comfort to the parents of Oscar Turi. While victory is far in the Pacific theatre of war, Oscar Turi assuredly had a great part in its future achievement. (Continued on Page 5)
