Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 2 Verhovay Journal July 9, 1947 THE FERRET SEZ By Mrs. Jolán Lucas •‘Waste not tears over old griefs.” — — Euripides. — A sentimental review of events which created and brought to life happy days passes through one’s mind whenever good things near a reluctant ending. Your Ferret’s mind is similarly occupied now, after the last pre-convention audit. In the past when the final day of the audit neared, the prospect of returning to home, family and branch seemed of greater importance than my impending departure from Pittsburgh. I knew I would soon be returning to the excitement and fascination of ieaming the secrets of Big Business. This merry month of June, the month of brides and warm summer sunshine, while standing before the Verhovay Building, I couldn’t resist a feeling of deep sadness and a tender kiss of farewell for the many happy and inspiring weeks spent in probing ; the mysteries which make the VFIA roll smoothly on well-oiled wheels. Jogging home via the Pennsy Railroad I looked back to a cold and bleak February when your Ferret was informed to attend the first audit of 1944 as a regular member of the Auditing Committee. With only a couple of days to toss together a wardrobe, and a few hasty farewells, j I plunged into the intricate ma- [ neuverings of a Travelling Wo- i man of Business. Oh. the many ■ happy days -of blissful and con- j centrated soaking-up of learing... ' the countless hours of solitary and mortified tear-shedding while ! learning to absorb the duties and etiquette of an Official the hard way! Many a time I felt I couldn’t stick to it . . . yet here I am, ready to give a brief review, an examination, so to speak, before graduation exercises. (In Verhovay parlance, the National Convention . . .1 As a branch-manager, the sole interest of your Ferret was concentrated around one branch. I believe this is the case in the majority of branches, forgetting, as I did, that each branch is but a small cog in the vast, humming and throbbing machinery which is the VERHOVAY ASSOCIATION. As an Auditing Committee member my views assumed a drastic change ... I was beginning to get the picture as a whole, the importance of even that tiniest cog which had to be tied in with bond sales and purchases; the necessity for following orders from the Home Office, to facilitate the maneuverings which are required by the Supreme Officers to present an accurate picture of business dealings. As an average member and branch manager, I demanded strict adherence to my desires and wants ... as an Auditing Committee Member I learned that there are rules and regulations and BY-LAWS to conform to these desires. In other words, just because I was a member I didn’t get everything I wanted, because there is such a thing as an EXPENSE FUND, and this Fund must be handled delicately to take care of thousands of more important matters than the petty wants of one member. Speaking of the EXPENSE FUND . . . the bogey-man of every organization . . . your Ferret feels that a more thorough knowledge of this Fund is required by each and every member. This requires a great deal of explanation, but let’s see if we can’t sneak in a few words of wisdom. Many a time, your Ferret along with thousands of other members, would request the Home Offiee for various expenditures with the thought in mind, “Why can’t we have this, that or t’other thing? We have eight million dollars to spend, and I want a piece of that change.” As an Auditing Committee Member, I found out that the eight million dollars isn’t there to spend; it’s there to take care of the fifty-five thousand and more certificates, which must be paid off as they come due. To elaborate a bit . . . each and every member’s premium, when collected by the branch manager and sent to the Home Office monthly, is broken down in the following manner . . . Twentythree cents (23c) is taken from each $1,000 certificate and twelve cents (1201 is taken from each $r>00 and $250 certificate and placed into the Expense Fund. The entire first year’s premium of new members is also placed into the Expense Fund, and if one of these new members dies within his first year, the entire Death Benefit is paid from the Expense Fund, and not the Mortuary Fund. The balance of the premium is put into the Mortuary Fund, that all-important Fund in -every insurance Association whicn must be held in reserve and increased by continuous transactions in interest-bearing bonds. This mortuary Fund must not be touched for any other purpose than that of paying off death claims and Endowment Certificates as they mature. The Sick benefit dues are placed in their entirey into the Disability Fund and must be used only to pay sick benefit and maiming benefit claims. Into the Trust'Fund go all monies which are held in Trust by the Association, such as death benefits left to minors, etc., and ' this Fund cannot be touched either for any expenditures beyond those for which it is intended. Now then, we come back to i that all-important EXPENSE : FUND. It can readily be seen j that the membership certificates represent the only source of revenue and, therefore, only thru’ increasing the membership of the Association will that expense I Fund grow to proportions which j will cover items (called Fraternal PLUS Benefits) which are not strictly necessary to the smooth running of the Association. In other words, just to take one example, if we want the VFIA to finance the sport groups throughout the country, it can be done I only by bringing in new memj bers. In conjunction with this constant need for new members come suggestions from the Board of j Directors and the workers in the ' field, which are heartily approved Bachelor of Science JOHN LEVAY John Levay, a member of Branch 317, a graduate of Wharton High School and Morristown Preparatory School, Morristown, N. J., has graduated on May 28, 1947, from the Newark College of Engineering receiving the Bachelor of Science degree. Congratulations, John, and good luck! IT’S A BOY FOR THE JOCZIK’S! It is a great pleasure to congratulate our good friend and colleague ALBERT JOCZIK, and his wife, the former MARGARET VARGO, upon the birth of their son, ALBERT JOSEPH JOCZIK JR., on June 19th, Thursday. The 6 lb. 6 oz. bundle from Heaven arrived at 9:58 P.M. at the McKeesport Hospital. Both mother and son are doing excellently and so is the proud Papa of the little family. The Joczik’s have thousands of friends among the readers of the Journal who will be happy to hear the good news and join the entire Home Office force in wishing the proud. parents and their little son all the joy and happiness in the world! We understand little Al’ resembles his another (which is something to be envious about), has an excellent appetite (would I that be Daddy’s heritage?), and j has a magnificent voice (at j around 2 A.M.). All of which shows that he is a first rate little chap whose arrival is happily welcomed by all the good friends of Albert and Margaret Joczik. by your Ferrett. Cnanging times and the present size of the ! VFIA make a re-vamping of the organizing system a necessity. It worked well enough up t® the present time, but new ways must be found to assure continued progress. The average branchmanager is only a part-time worker unable to devote the necessary time, nor has the qualifications for the successful selling of insurance. I understand that a well qualified and experienced committee is working on this problem now and I think they will find the solution. To conclude with the EXPENSE FUND: your old Ferret feels that these explanations were necessary so that all of us may think twice before we ask for additional money for expenditures which can only be covered if we add NEW MEMBERS! Walkertown Hungarian Home Scene Of Memorable Event — Five Heroes’ Portraits Presented By Supreme President. — Many great affairs were held in the past in the Walkertown Hungarian Home, cherished possession of the American Hungarians in the Daisytown, Pa., district, but none more impressive than the Memorial Ceremonies jointly conducted on Sunday, June 29th, by branches 43, Brownsville, Pa., 85, Daisytown, Pa., 312, Idamay, W. Va., and 399, Richeyville, Pa. The management of the Hungarian Home went out of their way to provide an appropriate setting for this event. The stage, on which were placed the portraits, each covered by a flag, was beautifully decorated with streamers and baskets. At 2:30 P.M., Alexander Debreezeni, President of District 13, opened the program welcoming the audience and introducing the Rev. Pastor Alexander Silay as the Master of Ceremonies. “My country” was sung by the audience, accompanied on the piano by Pastor Silay, and, then, the M.C. spoke of the significance of the memorial event. The keynote address was delivered by the Hon. Judge Geo. T. Cummines of Washington county. Paying tribute to those who had given thenlives in World War II., the Hon. Judge Cummines gave a comprehensive .analysis of our post-war problems. Speaking of un-American ideologies imported from foreign lands he stressed the need for the betterment of conditions in America as the weapon by which our land must be defended against the dangers isherent in these ideologies. He said: “Brotherliness, fraternalism, the basic principle of the Verhovay, is our best defense against the spreading of the red doctrines.” The Rev. Victor Bodnar, pastor of the Brownsville, Pa., Hungarian Reformed church, spoke of the sacrifices of the heroes and the Calvary of their parents who had lost their sons after having devoted to them the best parts of their lives. The Hon. W. J. Lane, state senator, Harrisburg, Pa., followed with a moving tribute and, then, Supreme President John Bencze extended, in behalf of the membership of the Association, his condolences to the bereaved parents, and, after the presentation of colors by the representatives of the American Legion, unveiled the portraits of Joseph Kish Jr., and Alexander Szabó, members of Branch 43, Frank Boyza Jr., of Branch 85, George Horvath of Branch 312 and Charles Smalko of Branch 399. Deeply moved, the audience arose and with the singing of the Hungarian National anthem the program ended. The portraits and flowers were presented to the next of kin by Managers Emery Kara, of Branch 43, Alex Haydu, of Branch 85, Joseph Füiöp, of Branch 312 and Alexander Szuperak, of Branch 399. An excellent dinner was served in the banqúet hall of the Hungarian dinner. Emery Salamon, President of Branch 399, welcomed the guests and pastor Victor Bodnar offered grace. Following the dinner Supreme Secretary Coloman Revesz and Supreme Auditor John Sabo spoke of the significance of the memorial event. A leter from the Rev. Father Stefurovszky from Brownsville, Pa., was read, conveying his 1 regrets for being prevented by his duties from attending the event. Not only the fallen heroes were remembered, however, on this day. Tribute was paid also to the returned veterans in whose honor a dance was held in the evening. Miss Julia Orosz, director of the Hungarian Radio hour, and her radio orchestra, furnished the music, and everybody had a good time. Thanks are due to the ladies who prepared the eiicellent dinner and to the Memorial Committee who had taken care of the arrangements in an exceptional manner. Their efforts were not in vain, for all those who attended this event, will remember it as one of the most impressive and successful affairs ever held in that district. Last, but not least, thanks to Emery Salamon, President of Branch 399, who made a special contribution to the success of the day. Inspired by the enthusiasm of the audience, he promised at the dinner to devote the rest of the year to a personal promotional program. He intends to add 20 new members to his branch — in memory, of the heroes who had given their lives... That, indeed, will be a fitting memorial and we are certain that he will succeed. June 29th was one of the hottest days on record. Yet, the members and friends of the Verhovay came in great numbers from far and near to attend the ceremonies. For this example of fraternal devotion we thank each and every one of those good people, mostly miners, who heeded the invitation of these four branches. Many Languages, One People 54 Hungarian Papers Shown At Non-English Press Exhibition At New York Public Library. Most of the 1,010 foreign language newspapers and periodicals published in this country were represented in an exhibition of the non-English press in the United States, held at the New York Public Library. The exhibit, on the main ' floor of the Central Building, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, was on display for four weeks. The publications displayed cover 39 different languages and come from all parts of the United States. Some 253 of the papers, a quarter of the total, are published in New York City. A central panel, headed “Many Languages, One People”, showed the number of publications in each language. Spanish with 130 papers leads, followed by German 115, Italian 102, Polish 79, Yiddish 56, Hungarian 54 and Czech 52 while only a single paper is published in Flemish, Korean, Ladino and Wendish. The exhibit, first shown in February at the United Nations at Lake Success, was prepared by Common Council for American Unity, which through a weekly news service cooperates with the foreign language press to interpret American life and institutions to foreign language readers.
