Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)

1947 / Verhovay Journal

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PAGE 4

Verhovay Journal

Journal of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Ass’n.

OFFICE OF PUBLICATION

7907 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.

Telephone: COurt 3454 or 3455

All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 436—422 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 Matter at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. a

1946 Membership Increase Beats Last 5 Years Records

During the year Of VerhovayV 60th Anniversary much emphasis was laid upon the promotion of the Association by the securing of new members. That our district managers, local organizers and branch-managers responded splendidly to the challenge of that year, is proven by the fact that 4,977 certificates had been issued between January 1 and December 31, 1946. The true progress of the Association, however, depends to the same extent on the retaining of members in good standing as on the securing of new followers. Nothing would be gained by the writing of 10,000 applications if just as many members were lost through lapses and cash surrenders. We arrive at the figure showing the NET INCREASE in the membership by adding the number of reinstated members to that of the new ones secured and deducting from the total the number of deceased members and lapsed or cash-surrendered certificates. Many times in the past more new certificates had been issued by the Association than during 1946, yet because of the high number of lapses and *ash surrenders, the net increase was lower than last year. As far as the number of new members is concerned, 1946 takes the third place among the last five years, 1942’s production having been 20% and 1944’s 2% higher than that of the last year. And yet, in regards to net increase, 1946 ended with the establishing of a new record. The point we are driving at will become more clear if we give a little study to the following table containing the membership total, the number of new members secured, the net increase of the membership and its ratio to the total number of new members, at the end of each of the last five years, beginning with December 31st, 1941.

Year.Total

Membership

New members Secured

Net increase in membership

Net increase percentage.

1941

46,937

1942

49,174

5,971

2,237

37% '

1943

50,120

4,675

946

20%

1944

52.292

5,083

2,172

38%

1945

53,291

3,745

999

26%

1946

55,695

4,977

2,404

48%

Both in the ratio of the net increase to the number of new members secured and in the number of members by which the Association increased, 1946 was the best of the last five years. As far as the percentage of net increase in its relation to the number of new members secured is concerned, however, 1946 was by far one of the most successful years for an even longer period than that.

It follows that promotional campaigns result in real progress only if corresponding efforts are made along the lines of retaining new members. That is one of the reasons why the NET DECREASE COMPETITION is featured in this year’s Classified Contest.

Every conscientious officer, manager and member of the Association must realize that progress made thru’ fairly successful organizing activities coupled with intensive efforts at retaining the members in good standing, is less expensive than that attained by sensationally successful drives the results of which are reduced by 60— 70 or even 80% due to poor salesmanship and neglect of the membership

Let us take, for instance, the year of 1942 when 1,006 more certificates were issued than in 1946. Yet, that high figure w'as reduced by 63% due to lapses, cash surrenders and a fairly average number of deaths, while in 1946 the loss amounted to only 52%, so that, even though less new members were secured the net increase was 167 higher last year than in 1942.

Everyone is aware of the expenses incurred by the issuing of new certificates. Medical fees, administrative expenses etc. etc., in connection with the securing of new members absorb approximately 15% of the Annual Budget of the Association. Now, if the gains

BEAVER FALLS FAYS TRIBUTE TO HEROES

Verhovay Journal ______________________________February 26, im?

City officials, members of the clergy and the American Legion Col. Joseph Thompson Post No. 261 joined the membership of Verhovay’s Branch 39 of Beaver Falls, Pa., in honoring the late Sgt. William Geary and St/Sgt. Eugene Vigosky on February 9th, Sunday evening, when the portraits of these hero dead were unveild and presented to the bereaved parents in the beautifully decorated auditorium of the Carnegie Library.

Members of the American Legion stood guard of honor at the portraits which, covered with banners, were placed on the stage. The program was opened with the Presentation of Colors by the American Legion Post 261, and the National Anthem was sung by the audience. La- Rue Uwingle, Florence Strohl, Katie Woods and Marie Jo Babbitt gave an excellent lyric rendition which was followed by the welcoming address delivered by John Nemeth, President of Bi • nch 39.

The Hon. G. G. Goff presided

conducting the program with unsurpassable skill and a deep understanding for the significance of the occasion. The Rev. Father John Phillips, priest of St. Ladislaus’ Hungarian Roman Catholic Church led the assembly in prayer and then the Master of Ceremonies introduced Commander Ed Salili of the Col. Joseph H. Thompson Post, American Legion, the Hon. Charles Medley, Mayor of Beaver Falls, Pa., Councilman James McKenzie, and John Campbell of the Junior Board of Trade, each of whom delivered a one minute address honoring the hero dead members of Branch 39, and their bereaved parents-Another impressive rendition by the Lyric ensemble led by Councilman James McKenzie, an excellent vocalist himself, was followed by the Memorial Address delivered by Dr. J. R. Miller, Superintendent of the Beaver Falls High Schools who held the entire audience spell bound throughout the excellent delivery of his important message.

Supreme Secretary Coloman

Revesz, speaking in Eglish and Hungarian, presented the portraits to Alexander Görgey, widowed father of William Geary and to Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Vigosky, parents of Eugene, assuring them of the lasting sympathy and gratitude of 55,000 Verhovayans who will for ever remember the sacrifices of these heroes and the unredeemable losses of their loving parents.

Through a curtain of the tears of sympathy and sorrow the audience witnessed the unveiling of the portraits. A moving selection by the quartet followed and, then, the Rev. Julius Kish, pastor of the H ngarian Presbyterian Church spoke the benediction. Taps by the American Legion Post 261 and the closing address by Hon. G. G. Goff concluded the impressive ceremonies.

John Nemeth, President, and Andrew Boiler, Manager of Bianch 39, are to be commended for the excellent planning of the j program, the selection of speak- Í ers and the efficiency with which ' the ceremonies were conducted.

SORRY — NO RETURNS!

This is not a bargain-sale advertisement but an official announcement which is made with much regret and after a great deal of hesitation. It seems, however, that we have no other choice, and had this decision been made earlier, we would have avoided a lot of embarrassment and resentment.

The Verhovay Journal always was glad to publish PICTURES of our fellow-members, soldiers as well as civilians, babies as well as brides and grooms, graduates, elected officers, bowlers, musicians, both greater and lesser stars of the movies and stage etc., etc. The Association was glad to assume the considerable expenses incurred by having cuts made of these pictures and we hope that there will be no change in this policy.

Hundreds, if not thousand’s, of pictures had been published during the last few years and your editor was glad to assume the extra work involved by keeping track of these pictures until finally he could return them to their rightful owners.

Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures returned after publication a certain percentage was lost in the mail. To the average person receiving only a few pieces of mail every day, this seems to be an unusual occurrence, but not to us handling hundreds of incoming letters

every day. The risks of getting j lost, however, are especially j great as far as pictures are concerned, for they go through eight 1 hands and four trips before returning to the owners. And it seems that even though the war is over, the postal situation does not improve.

Naturally, the owners of lost j pictures are not easily satisfied : w ith an; kind of explanation, j They seem to feel that we are only trying to find an excuse for our own confused, haphazard j and negligent manner of handling the pictures entrusted to our care. Complaints are made I and they have to be answered explaining'our svstem of keep-; ing track of the pictures, but the j explanation will not bring back j the lost ones and, therefore. ! our time-consuming correspond- j ehce does not really lead anywhere.

Under these circumstances we cannot find any other solution I for this recurring and most emj barrassing situation but that of j announcing that in the future i Bit TU RES sent in for publication WILL NOT BE RETURN- j ED. Actually, hardly any news! paper’s staff lakes it upon itself to return any unsolicited material. They can't afford it, neither can we. In the future, there- S fore, if you send us a picture for publication in the Journal,

1 please do not ask for its reattained by securing a great number of new members are permitted to be reduced by too many lapses and cash surrenders, then much of the money spent for the securing of new' members is WASTED and the losses caused thereby are reflected in lessened pi%fits and reduced dividends.

It rfands to reason, therefore, that it Is in the best interests of the membership as a whole to make the results of our organizing activities COUNT by keeping the lapses and cash surrenders at the lowest possible level.

We are not working for the show but for results. Brilliant achievements in one field can be w ip d out by failure in other Gelds. Naturally, the number of new members secured always will be reduced by cancellations due to deaths and a normal rate of cash surrenders and lapses. But the reduction should never amount to 80% like in 1943, or 74% like in 1945!

The fact that the membership of the Verhovay increased by 48% of the number of new members secured in 1946, proves that greater progress can be made at less expense! And that should be our goal for 1947!

turn because, due to circumstances entirely bevond our control, we cannot guarantee that

it will get back.

This, of course, does not mean that we propose either to discaril the pictures once they are published, or set up a. private gallery of our own. We will continue keeping track of picturés sent to us and returning them

by mail. But we will not be responsible for any losses, nor will we engage in any kind of lcnghty explanatory correspondence trying to explain the losses and, thereby, pacify the victims of

these occurrences. We can’t, neglect urgent work by crying over spilled milk.

Though we are well aware of pictures costing money, we feel that the publishing of the picture should be worth something to the member concerned, too. Copies of photographs always can l>e obtained while it is entirely beyond our power to retrieve that which is lost.

We request our readers, therefore, to reconcile themselves to our new policy: “SORRY — NO j RETURNS.”

Speaking of pictures, we also ! wish to call the attention of our j readers to the lack of space, caused by the severe paper shortage, of the Hungarian Journal due to which NO PICTURES at all can be published in our Hungarian semi-monthly. Many pictures are sent to us with the I request that they appear in both j the Hungarian and English isj sues. Sorry, it can’t be done, nor can any exceptions he made. As long as the paper shortage lasts, j pictures can be published only in I the English Journal, hut, effective immediately, the rule is: "Sorry — no returns.” ^

The Editor.

A mother is a person who sees there are only four pieces of pie for five people and says she doesn’t want any.

The secret of success is making hay with the grass that grows under other people's feet.

i Propaganda is the other side’s case put so convincingly that it annoys you.