Verhovayak Lapja, 1946 (29. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1946 / Verhovay Journal
Page 4 Verhovay Journal July 10, 1946 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: 436—442 FOURTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH 19, PA. All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 436 —442 FOURTH AVENUE, PITTSBURGH 19, 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 Mauer at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. They' Gave Their Lives 190. SGT. ALEXANDER PAUL KNOLL Hostilities had ceased long ago but tragedies resulting from the war are still visited upon the people. How many times we had hoped that this—will be the last military casualty of the Verhovay to be reported in the Journal! But, still, those heartbreaking communications keep coming in, adding to the long list of young men who had met death, instead of glory, in the service of their country . . . Sgt. Alexander Paul Knoll, former member of Branch 310, Lynch, Ky., entered military service two and a half years ago. He escaped the bullets and bombs; the depths of the ocean or the soil of distant lands were not to hold his ashes . . . He served his country nobly and loyally and shared the joy of victory with his comrades in arms, l et, he, too, was. destined to pay a part of the price of victory . . . Though returning in good health, with high hopes for a happy future to come, he was taken ill in April, 1946. He was admitted to the dispensary of the U. S. Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina on May 1, 1946, and a week later, transferred to the Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Nothing could be done for him . . . His heart, weakened by the strain of military life, gave the struggle up the following day, May 9tli, 1946. It was a bitter blow to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Desiderius Knoll, Box 33, Benham, Ky. Their joy, turned into anxiety by the sudden illness of their beloved son, terminated in mourning by his early, unexpected death . . . Alexander Paul Knoll was born on August 3, 1924, he joined the Verhovay in 1942, was inducted the following year and lost his life in the service of his country at the age of 22 . . . In behalf of the membership of the Verhovay, we extend our condolences and expressions of deepest sympathy to the bereaved family. THE MEMORY OF OUR 190 HEROIC DEAD SHALL REMAIN WITH US FOREVER. DETROIT, MICH. BRANCH 36. The meetings of the branch are held, as heretofore, at 8005 W. Jefferson Avenue, 2nd floor, Room 12, of the former Verhovay Home, on the first Sunday of every month, beginning at 1 P.M. The members of Branch 36 are requested to pay their monthly dues at the meetings, if possible. The District Office, maintained in the same room, will be open, however, during the following hours: daily from 3 P.M. to 4:30 P.M., and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 to 9 P.M. Those of our fellow-members who cannot attend the meetings, will be served gladly in all official matters during these hours. STEPHEN LUKACS, manager, Local Organizer. —^---------V-------------* “We must beware of trying to build a society in which nobody counts for anything except the politician or the official—a society where enterprise gains no .reward and thrift no privileges.” —WINSTON CHURCHILL “As I would not be a SLAVE, so I would not be a MASTER. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.” —ABRAHAM LINCOLN “Intellectual and moral victories are the only ones which do not leave the victor bankrupt and desolate in spirit when the gcal is won.” TO THE CONTRIBUTORS The next Issue of the Journal will be published on Wednesday, July 31. Contribution for that issue should be in not later than July 24, Wednesday. Contributions should be typewritten, on one side of the paper only, double-spaced, and not exceed 1200 words, or 8,000 letters. Address contributions to VERHOVAY JOURNAL, ENGLISH SECTION, 343 Fourth Ave., Pittsburgh 22, Pa. CHAMPIONS OF THE VERHOVAY NATIONAL BOWLING TOURNAMENT The team of Branch 216, Northampton, Pa., won the championship at the Verhovay National Bowling Congress. With a handicap of 357 they scored a grand total of 3,003. Congratulations to the members of the victorious Northampton team! The Past, Present and Future of the Verhovay Address to the Sixtieth Anniversary Assembly by Supreme President John Bencze Pittsburgh, Pa., May 31, 1946 Ladies and Gentlemen! Honored Guests! On this occasion, I would like to give you the brief history of the development of the Verhovay during the 60 years of its existence. This story, however, sounds like a fairyslory, for it really amounts to a miracle that the society, founded by 13 Hungarian miners in the town of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 1886, developed into a national organization with nearly 55,000 members and more than seven and a half million dollars in assets. Similar societies were founded by the hundreds between New York and San Francisco, and it is miraculous that, among these, that one should have developed into the greatest American Hungarian fraternal association which was founded by thirteen Hungarian miners, in such an insignificant little town, as Hazleton. It would have been more natural for a society founded in New York, Cleveland or Chicago, to develop into such a great organization. It seems that the Hungarians residing in the big cities, were not willing to devote as much of their free time to fraternalism as those living in the small settlements . . . Perhaps that explains why the small town societies could develop into national organizations. I know very well that Hungarian societies had been formed in this country before Verhovay’s time. However, they were shortlived because their officers could not induce the Hungarians to join their organizations. A great part of the Hungarians, coming to the United States during those years, did not intend to make this their permanent home. Their purpose was to save sufficient money for the purchasing of a few acres of land, or for the remodeling of their old dilapitated home in Hungary. Every payday meant to these people just another step toward the day when they could return to their families. They had no other thought in their mind but to save enough to return to the old country. Naturally, they did not feel inclined to prolong their stay in this country by spending some of their savings for paying monthly dues. Whenever they were invited to join a fraternal society, their invariable reply was: “I don't want to die, in America.” The founders of our Association knew that others, too, had experimented with the organizing of fraternal societies, nevertheless, they tackled the difficult task, because they had witnessed too many sad occurrences that convinced them of the great need that existed for mutual aid societies. They knew of many of their countrymen, victims of protracted illness, who if they had no relatives to whom they could turn for help, were doomed to starve in loneliness. Many a Hungarian died without having been able to provide for emergencies. In such instances, his friends had to go from door to door, collecting donations to defray the costs of his funeral. Common occurrences like these prompted them to organize a fraternal society. Naturally, they had to face great difficulties. It was hard to explain to the Hungarians who had no other thought but to return to Hungary, how necessary it was for them to join a fraternal society. But they did not give in. Canvassing every home they continued in their efforts to solicit new members for the society founded by them. Soon after the founding of the society, the organizing of branches commenced. Notwithstanding their strenuous efforts, however, it took several^ years until substantial progress could be noted. But, then, the membership increased from year to year until 1924. In that year the Verhovay and all the other fraternals were ordered by the state insurance departments to adopt the lega1 reserve system and to introduce new rates based on the American Experience Table of Mortality. The advantages of the certificates to be issued on the higher rates, were well explained to the delegates of the Convention whose task it was to adopt the reconstruction of the Verhovay on the legal reserve basis. Nevertheless, the membership began to decrease at an alarming rate. In view of the increasing losses in the membership, of the Association, the advantages of the new legal reserve certificates were continually expounded in the Verhovay Journal, but to no avail. Many of our members could see only that they have to pay higher rates and failed to realize that through the introduction of the new system they came into posession of certificates which assured them of superior advantages. The same situation prevailed among all the other fraternal societies which adopted the legal reserve system at the same time. After the introduction of the new system, ttie membership of the association dropped from 25,000 to 18,000 within a few years and in spite of the fact that the financial structure of the Verhovay was greatly strengthened, no progress could i be attained for many years. The unparalleled advancement of the Association commenced only after the adoption of a new promotional system. Today I am at liberty to admit that this reform was looked upon by the members and officers of our branches with as much hostility as the reconstruction of the Verhovay on the Legal Reserve basis. I can well remember to this day, how many a branch secretary wrote me letters daring me to send the district manager to their branches on whom they threated to use their broomsticks should they take it upon themselves to call on them. They insisted that they were unable to secure new members, provided any prospects existed. without the assistance of district organizers, and that, therefore, there was no need for (Continued on Page 5)
