Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
*prl' 9' 1947___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Verhovay Journal __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________page » MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MEETING MINUTES, taken at the regular semi-annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, held on Monday, March 17, 1947, and the following days, at the Verhovay Building, 436 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Present are: John Bencze, Supreme President; Joseph Szalay and Albert B. Ari, Vice-Presidents, Joseph Prince, M.D.; Julius Macker; Joseph Turner; John P. Kelemen; Andrew Dobos; John Körösfőy; Louis Vizi; Charles Smith directors; Coloman Révész Supreme Secretary; John Szalanczy, Supreme Treasurer; John Sabo, Supreme Auditor, and at certain sessions, Stephen Matassy, Legal Councel, and Samuel Gomory M.D., Chief Medical Adviser. Aloysius C. Falussy and Richard Phillips directors advised the Board that they would arrive only during the latter part of the week. 1.) The meeting is called to order at 10 o’clock in the morning by Supreme President John Bencze who extends an affectionate welcome to the assembled members of the Board. He recapitulates the important events of the last year, the 60th anniversary of the Association and the moving of our Home Office to our own building. He remembers among others the Memorial Ceremonies held by the branches of the Verhovay F.I.A., in the various parts of the country. He mentions the national convention to be held in September as the most important event of this year. Speaking of the merger negotiations conducted with the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation he expresses his sincere hope that they will be successfully concluded and that the great majority of the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation will vote in favor of the merger. He hopes and believes that the merger of the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation, if and when effected, will only be the first step toward greater unification. In conclusion he reminds the directors that in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Convention the motions of the Board of Directors concerning proposed amendments of the By-laws are to be submitted to the District Conventions. 2. ) The Supreme President extends cordial greetings to the members of the Auditing Committee attending the opening session. In behalf of the Auditing Committee, Ernest Kunstadt, chairman, reports that all business checked to this date has been found in perfect order. 3. ) The greetings of Martin Leber, Manager of Branch 59, who had been seriously injured in an accident, are conveyed by director Louis Vizi. The greetings of brother Leber are gratefully acknowledged by the Board of Directors who extend to him their best wishes for his early recovery. The greetings of George Modok, Manager of Branch 33, and fellow-member Moses Csömör, conveyed by director Louis Vizi, are gratefully acknowledged by the Board. A telegram conveying the best wishes of Branch 129, Columbus, O., is received with sincere appreciation by the Board. The greetings of John L. Angyal member of Branch 8, Johnstown, Pa., are acknowledged by the Board. 4. ) The Board of Directors of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, Washington, D.C., convey their cordial greetings to the Board of Directors of the Verhovay who gratefully acknowledge this courtesy and instruct the Supreme Secretary to reciprocate in kind. 5. ) Against one dissenting vote the Board of Directors adopt the following Resolution: RESOLUTION The Board of Directors of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, representing 56,000 American citizens of preponderantly Hungarian descent, at their regular semi-annual meeting held on Monday, March 17, 1947, at the Verhovay Building, 436 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh 19, Pennsylvania, adopted the following Resolution: WHEREAS, The Government of the United States having solemnly pledged itself to guarantee to all oppressed nations the “Four Freedoms” and, WHEREAS, certain terrorist minorities supported by economic and military pressure having ruthlessly prevented the majority to exercise the privileges under the “Four Freedoms” by preventing representative governments, elected by the majority, to function freely and compelling representative governments to carry out the will of these minorities because of fear and oppression and, WHEREAS, Americans of Hungarian descent having shown by their heroic record in the world struggle against totalitarianism in which 100,900 Americans of Hungarian descent took part and in which more than 3,000 gave their lives in this struggle for freedom and as a result thereof, we Americans of Hungarian origin have an immediate interest in the fulfillment of the pledges of the United States Government and, WHEREAS, Hungary, the land of our forefathers is one of the nations in which an attempt is being made by terrorist minorities, aided and abetted by military power to force their rule against the wish of the majority who are seeking to establish in Hungary a Government based upon the principles of American Democracy and, WHEREAS; the Government of the United States has indicated by the two recent notes of protest to the Russian Government their objection to the intervention of the said Government in the internal affairs of Hungary through the use of these terrorist minorities, THEREFORE, We, the Officers and Directors of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, acting in behalf of the 56,000 members of .this Organization, gratefully thank our Government for its stand in which our Government indicated its determination to fulfill the solemn pledges made to all people by responsible representatives of the United States Government and, we respectfully urge our Government to follow unswervingly on the path already taken and to do all in its power economically and diplomatically as may be required to give to the people of Hungary the right and privilege to enjoy their national independence and democratic way of life by preventing totalitarian power politics to rule in Hungary, and we solemnly pledge our wholehearted support of our Government for all actions already taken and to be taken in carrying out those promises for which our sons and daughters together with all other Americans have fought and as we shall fight with the utmost measure of devotion and loyalty, 6. ) The Board instructs the Home Office to forward above Resolution to the President and the Secretary of State of the United States. 7. ) The schedule of business presented by the Supreme Officers is adopted by the Board. 8. ) As the first point of the schedule of business the Board hears the report of the Supreme Officers which is then adopted for detailed discussion. 9. ) The annual statement submitted to the various state Insurance Departments is studied and, after appropriate explanations pertaining to its contents, approved by the Board. The increasing of the formerly $180,000.- Contingency Reserve to $400,000,- in the 1946 Annual Statement of the Association, serving to further strengthen the reserves of our 4% certificates, is noted with approval by the Board. This action was taken in compliance with the requirements of the Insurance Departments of the states of Pennsylvania and New York. 10. ) Proceeding to the examination of the Home Office, the Board of Directors is divided into the following Committees: a. ) Committee examining the ledgers and disbursements: Vice-President Szalay and directors Dobos and Vizi; b. ) Committee examining the bond and real estate investments: Vice-President Ari, and directors Macker, Korosfoy and Kelemen; c. ) Organizing Committee: directors Turner, Dr. Prince and Smith. Until the completion of the examinations the meeting is adjourned by the Supreme President. 11. ) The examination of the Home Office having been completed, the meeting is called to order by the Supreme President. 12. ) The Board is deeply shocked to hear of the death of Mrs. Joseph Fiilöp, mother of director Richard Phillips. A condolatory telegram assuring the bereaved director of the deep sympathy of his fellow-officers is dispatched and flowers are sent by the Board of Directors. 13. ) The members of the Committee enthrusted with the examinations of the ledgers and disbursements, Vice-President Szalay and directors Andrew Dobos and Louis Vizi, report that in the course of their examinations they have checked the ledgers of both the Senior and the Juvenile Order, the Trust Fund, the accounts of the district managers and local organizers and the Monthly Dues’ Journal. All journals and ledgers have been found in order. They report that during the last year the following branches had been tardy in sending dues’ payments to the Home Office: Branch 3 in four instances, Branch 52 in 3, Branch 82 in 4, and Branch 442 in 6 instances. The bank statements had been checked against thej auditors’ journals and found in order. The following disbursements had been examined: Senior Order: A. 08626—654—924—946—992—, A. 09033—202—212—217—224—257—259—262—264—, 499—511—522—533—546—553—582—805—826—839, A. 10064—354—398—432—446—685, A. 11039—151, K. 5922 —5933—5944. Juvenile Order: 16402—03—470—74—78—538—550 -691—740—793—794—799—802. Trust Fund: 3493—3505—3517—3568—3569. Issues to district managers, local organizers and medical examiners: A. 08837—09275—11238—12157. They report that all these issues had been found in order. # They report further that they have checked all disbursements entered under General Office Maintenance Expenses which had been found in perfect order. The report of the Committee is acknowledged by the Board. 14.) After hearing the report and the recommendations of the members of the Organizing Committee, directors Dr. Prince, Turner and Smith, the Board adopts the following resolutions: a. ) Juvenile members after attaining the age of 2 (two), may be insured up to $2,000.- (Two thousand dollars) by the Association in all states where juvenile insurance is not otherwise limited by law. b. ) Management regulations are to be prepared in English and Hungarian and furnished to the branchmanagers in order that they may be fully acquainted with all procedures to be followed in the affairs of the Association. c. ) The district managers shall be included in the By-laws of the Association as our representatives under contract with the Association. d. ) When issuing sport-grants the Home Office shall require a detailed statement as to the use made of the previously issued grant. 15. ) Numerous recommendations pertaining to the management of the Association are submitted by the Organizing Committee, and, after thorough discussions and deliberations adopted by the Board. 16. ) In reference to the medical examination of new members the Board desires to establish a new system wherein new members would be examined by physicians appointed by the Home Office. Instructions are given to the Home Office to devise a plan to this effect and submit same for approval to the Board of Directors. , 17. ) In behalf of the Committee entrusted with the arrangements for the Verhovay National Bowling Tournament to be held in South Bend, Ind., Vice-President Albert B. Ari renders a detailed report. The Board acknowledges the report and approves the actions taken by the committee. It is the sincere hope of the directors that this important sports event will come up to the expectations of all parties concerned. The Board rules that the governing body of the Association be represented on this occasion by the four members of the Sports Committee of the Board of Directors and one Supreme Officer. 18. ) In view of the reduced space of the official Journal the editors are instructed by the Board to publish articles submitted by contributors only if they do not exceed two columns. 19. ) Upon motion by the Organizing Committee the Board instructs the Home Office to issue dividends to all those members who having paid up certificates at full face value had not received dividends at the end of last year. 20. ) Report is made by the members of the Committee examining the bond and real estate investments, Vice-President Albert B. Ari, and directors John P. Kelemen, John Korosfoy and Julius Macker, and upon the recommendations by the Committee the Board adopts the following resolutions: a. ) The excellent progress made by the Verhovay Home of Branch 132, South Bend, Ind., is noted with great pleasure. The financial statements submitted prove that the outstanding officers of this Home attend to their duties in the most circumspect and busineslike manner. The Board expresses its commendation and appreciation to the management of the Home for the exceptional accomplishments of the last year. b. ) The Verhovay Home of Branches 189 and 369, Alliance, O., closed the last year with similarly outstanding results for which the Board extends its sincere appreciation to the management of this Home, also. c. ) The Board especially commends the Verhovay Home of Alliance, O., for creating a One Thousand Dollar Fund to aid crippled juvenile members of the Verhovay, furnishing, thereby, another fine example of the noble fraternal spirit reigning among the members (Continue on page 6)