Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
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: COLOM AN 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—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. 0. 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. LTalk Wins No Battles “ . . . ‘tis a kind of good deed to say well, And yet words are no deeds.” (Shakespeare.) This year’s membership contest runs just like the scores of the Pittsburgh Pirates who, losing three games for each one won, finally ended up in the basement. Of course, this is no surprise considering Bing Crosby’s recently assumed ownership . .,. On the 'other hand, Verhovay’s record has nothing in common with that of the famous owner of reluctant thoroughbreds and it is that much more of a shod:', therefore, to find ourselves in an embarrassingly similar position . . . Starting at the bottom in January, we went up in the second month, down in the third, up in the fourth and down again in the fifth round, and right now it seems our contestants are trying to break up the floor of the basement determined to get even further down, perhaps, if possible, a few feet under the rock-bottom . . . These are the production figures for the first five months of the year: 240 — 305 — 268 — 348 — 264. (Don’t try to play any of these numbers, they are n.g.) “Conventional” excuses. We have been assured that Verhovay’s managers are not staging !an unauthorized sit-down strike which certainly is an encouragement. Some suggest that this year’s let-down is just a symptom of Verhovay’s quadriennial epidemic known as ‘conventionitis’ . . . Other symptoms are high temper (ature), general talkativeness, circularitis (an irresistible urge to write identical letters to a great number of local officers), oratorical attacks during which the afflicted have a tendency to dwell upon past achievements and uncontrollable promises, and marked lingual overactiveness combined .with general physical debility . . . In other words, our managers are kept busy by the approaching National Convention. Well, there are plenty of signs affirming this theory, yet we still are doubtful. It may be true that, to a certain extent, district meetings and conventions reduce the normally high speed of our promotional machinery but the retardation, as a rule, does not reach a dangerous level. The year of the last National Convention is an example. We were in the middle of World War II, in 1943. The young men, our most promising prospects, were in uniform. War-production took up all the time and energies of our ^managers whose promotional activities were further handicapped by transportation shortages. In view of the difficulties no important contests were launched by the Association in that year. Yet, during the first five months of 1943 we had secured 1,756 members while only 1,425 were secured in the first 5 months of 1947, the year in Which there is no war, no gasoline and rubber shortage, our managers have more time to look for prospective members and more reason, too, because we are running an all year contest providing 12 cash-awards each month for the top-producers. If there is any truth at all in the theory of conventions retarding promotional work, then we have this year an exceptionally severe epidemic of ‘conventionitis’ to contend with and some steps should be taken to prevent the further spreading of this contagious malady which may easily result in promotional paralysis unless the infected elements are carefully isolated from those still able to function normally. “Words are no deeds . . .” A great deal of talking about what ought to be done in September will neither stimulate promotional activities nor ensure that Anything worthwhile will be done by the Convention. The Association does not advance by oratory but by persistent efforts. “Words are no deeds” — said Shakespeare — nor is there any guarantee that they will ever amount to more than mere words. Many a candidate for delegacy talks for months about all the ‘fighting’ he is going to do at the National Convention, but once he gets there he will seem to have lost both his mind and tongue. Many a man talks a great deal where it doesn’t count and keeps quiet when and where Verhovay Journal June 25, 1947 Radio City Skating Star JIMMIE TOTH The new star of Radio City’s "Ice Time of 1948”, Jimmie Toth, member of Branch '98, Betlehem, Pa., son of branch-President Peter Toth, one of this great family’s 21 Verhovay members, is a happy man. He can say, and does: “I got what I always wanted.” And what he always wanted is a contract in one of the greater ice-shows. He got it. In the greatest of them, all, the “Ice time -of 1948” of Radio City, New York. The contract, running for a full year, marks the peak of achievement for Jimmie who must have been skating before he even walked. At any rate, he must have been skating ever since he joined the Verhovay and that was 17 years ago, not quite two years after he was born in Betlehem, Pa., on June 27th, 1928. Skating through, and graduating from, Betlehem Tech. High School, he went to Lake Placid for intensive training in 1945-1946 ... He continued in Ardmore, Philadelphia, Pa. His most outstanding teacher was Gustave LUSSI of Switzerland. A member of the Allentown, Pa., Figure Skating Club, he won great acclaim for his performances at the Washington Figure Skating Championship, Washington, D. C., in 1946 and at the Ice Carnival of 1946 at Lake Placid, New York. Even the great LUSSI agreed that Jimmie was ready for the slipperiest of all stages and offered him a one year contract in the greatest, ice-show of all times . . . Of course, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Toth, and the rest of this outstanding Verhovay family, are very happy about Jimmie’s unusual career and proud of his rise . . . And so are we, wishing Jimmie all the luck and success in the world ... He will have it too. After all, who should have it, if not the exceptional man who, at the age of 19, can say: “I got what I always wanted . . .” Congratulations, Jimmie, we are proud of you! he ought to speak. Of course, in many instances this is a wise policy, for it keeps him in the good graces of both the electorate and the members of the National Convention. Still, he could make his delegacy count in a much more effective manner were he to spend the months preceding the convention in doing something for the advancement of the Association. For words spoken in the field do not lend any backing to a delegate on the floor of the convention, but deeds certainly do. The Convention is glad to listen to a man who makes his words count by deeds, while windbags are | listened to only out of courtesy and in compliance with the rules ) of procedure. It is easy to gain passing popularity in the field by making high sounding promises, but on the floor of the Convention a man’s words are weighed by what he has done and, what is equally important when he had done it. While great deeds done in the distant past command respect, no one can expect perpetual admiration for discontinued services. The delegate credited with the most recent achievements commands more attention than the one whose accomplishments, though similar, are matters of the past. Indeed, there is need for talk, but only at the district meetings and the National Convention. The rest of the time, now spent in fruitless oratory, ought to be used for constructive efforts that would substantiate the words to be uttered at the floor f>i the Convention by the dignity of recent achievement. Battles are won not by words but by acts of heroic persistence, devotion and unselfishness. Now is the time for acts! We will have plenty of time for speeches — in September. Sufficient incentive has been provided for deeds . . . Due to most awards having been unclaimed in the contests of the preceding months, 52 cash awards awaited distribution by the end of May. Not a single prize had been claimed . . . due to ‘conventionitis’? Leaders in the field of indifference ai'e the small branches for which special advantages had been provided in the Classified contest enabling their managers to compete with those heading the larger branches. Of the 111 branches in Class I only 10 deemed it worthwhile to secure a few new members. In this class only 9% of the branches took part in the campaign. However, none of the managers met the minimum requirement of a mere 3 units. Victor Jesensky, manager of Branch 143, George Vass of 207, Joseph Varga of 488, John Kerner of 489, and Joseph Hurst of 520, each credited with 2 units, led this class. Participation was somewhat better, but still subnormal, in Class II (membership 51-100) in which 18 branches participated out of a total of 85, or 21%. None of the managers met the minimum requirement of 10 units. Highest production in this class was only 3 units attained by Joseph Domonkos, Branch 389, Coloman Hetyey, Branch 449, and Anthqny Farkas, Branch 527. Class III, with branches numbering 101 to 250 members, had a much better showing. 40% of the branches of this class (33 out of 83) took part in the drive. 15 units not having been attained -by anyone, the field was led by Joseph Kantor, Manager of Branch 172, Leechburg, Pa., credited with 7 units for $4,000 insurance. Participation was the highest in Class IV (membership above 251), where 77% of the branches (47 out of 62) gave some measure of participation. No one having met the minimum requirement of 25 units, leading honors go to Joseph Danish, Manager of Branch 21, Youngstown, O., credited with 10 units representing 9 applications. Eugene Pachler, Manager of Branch 45, Cleveland, O., was close second with 9i units. 64 Awards, totalling $2,140 for June. All unclaimed awards will be cancelled at- the end of the contest. Originally the contest was planned to run for 12 consecutive months. In view of the general indifference, however, it is possible that the contest will be closed before the Convention by the Board of Directors, in which event all unpaid prizes will be withdrawn. The following is the schedule of awards for June: Class I: 13 awards, 3 of $15, 4 of $10 and 6 of $5. Class II: 18 awards, six of each $30, $25 and $20. Class III: 15 awards: 3 of $45, 6 of $40 and 6 of $35 each. Class IV: 18 awards, six of each $60, $55 and $50. VETERAN DOCTOR TO PRACTICE IN ALLENTOWN DR. JOHN MUNCHAK JR., M.D. Dr. John Munchak Jr., son of Funeral Director and Mrs. John Munchak of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has opened an office for the practice of medicine and surgery at 440 Ridge Avenue, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Dr. Munchak is a graduate of Central High School, Scranton, and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Muhlenberg College Allentown in 1940. He entered Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, where he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine in December, 1943. He interned at the Sacred Heart Hospital Allentown. Doctor Munchak spent two years in the Medical Corps of the United States Army where he served as Medical Officer in Army Hospitals in Texas, Georgia and Florida. He was honorably discharged with the rank of captain and has since been assistant to his brother-in-law Dr. Eugene Polgar at 401 Taylor Street, Bethlehem. Dr. Munchak is a member of Branch 174 of Scranton Pa. “You wrote a policy on a 92- year old man-” gasped the insurance branch manager. “Sure,” replied the new and elated salesman, “our statistics show that few me ndie after 92. Dottie: “I refused Henry two months ago, and he’s been drinking ever since.’’ Lottie: “I think that’ carrying a celebration too far.”
