Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
July 9, 1947 Verhovay Journal Proceedings of the District Meetings (Continued from page 3) and 5.) John Peleskey, Branch 138, Gary, Ind. Alternates: 1.) Joseph Bartók, Branch 229, Indiana Harbor, Ind., 2.) Alex Korody, Branch 74, Chicago, 111., 3.) Mrs. Gabriel Kirla, Branch 79, Gary, Ind., 4.) Stephen Lippai, M. 58, Chicago, 111., and 5.) Michael Szilvasi, Branch 22, Whiting, Ind. A vote of thanks is given to the officers and members of Branch 342 in appreciation of their hospitality. The expenses of the district meeting are set at $334.56. Thanking the members for their patience and attention, chairman John Peleskey closes the meeting. Signed by: JOHN PELESKEY, President, JOHN CSÖMÖR, Recorder. DISTRICT 20 AKRON, O. Branches 6, 47, 63, 64, 91, 116, 418, M. 19 and M. 49. The meeting of District 20 was held in Akron, O., on June 15, 1947. Present were: Mrs. George Balia, Branch 6, Akron, O.; John Kamany, M. 19 (of the former Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation), Barberton, 0.; John Szász, 47, Canton, O.; S. Mocsári, 63, Barberton, O.; John Mazalin, F. Bors, 64, Canton, O.; Bela Takács, Frank Rapatyi and Joseph Darago, 91, Akron, O.; Peter Bacsó, Jr., 116, Woodsworth, O.; Nicholas Könyves, 418, Mansfield, O., — Branch M. 49 (formerly of the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation) was not represented. After the examination of the credentials and the reading of the Minutes of the last district meeting, the district officres resigned and, then, were reelected. Bela Takacs of Branch 91, is District President and John Szász, of Branch 47, district recorder. The following actions were taken in reference to the proposed amendments to the By-laws submitted by the Home Office: §3: opposed. §4: opposed. §6 and §7 opposed. The proposal that the delegates to the National Convention be paid a compensation of $100 is opposed. §8: once a branch is organized and recognized by the Home Office, it shall not be deprived of its right to representation at the district meeting even if it has not more than 15 members. The proposal that the phrase “speak the English language fluently’’, be omitted, is favored. — The proposal that 8 hours’ travelling shall qualify a delegate for an additional per diem fee is favored. §9: opposed. §10: the vice-president receiving the higher number of votes shall be deemed first vice-president. The proposed amendments to sections m./ and o./ are favored. §17 and §18: District 20 proposes that the office of the Supreme Organizer be not separated from that of the Supreme President. The Supreme President shall also be the Supreme Organizer. §20: opposed. §23: approved. §31: approved provided no more than 3% interest is charged. The proposed amendments to sections 17 and 18 and §44, §45, and §66 are opposed. Upon motion by Branch 47 the District meeting resolves that physical workers be given greater representation in the Board of Directors of the Association. Considering that 85% of the members of the Verhovay are physical workers, the district feels that they are not proportionally represented in the Board nor among the Supreme Officers. The Convention is urged to find some ways and means for simplifying the payment of death benefits. Too many documents are required. The Home Office should have more confidence in the branch managers. Upon motion by Branch 64 the District resolves that the Verhovayak Lapja be published weekly and in its former size. The branch managers shall be given opportunity to contribute to the paper. Provisions shall be made to restore the features which made the membership anxious to read the paper. Upon motion by Branch 91 the district requests the Convention to make some provisions for the relief of the aged members of the Association. The waiver of dues should be granted not only to members having attained the age of 85 but to those 75 year old members in good standing who have been members for at least 30 years. It should be made easier for these members to keep their insurance in force. The circular letter of Branch 14 was discussed at length. After a thorough discussion of paragraph 1, the meeting proposes that the Supreme Officers shall not be elected to any office at the Board of Directors’ meetings. They should attend the meetings merely in advisory capacity. Requesting the National Convention to give due • consideration to the resolutions of District 20, two delegates were charged with representing the district in accordance with its decisions. The two delegates elected by the meeting of District 20 are Joseph Darago of Branch 91 and John Szász of Branch 47. John Mazalin of Branch 64 and Bela Takacs of Branch 91 were elected alternates. The expenses of the session, totalling 183.71, were approved. Signed by BELA TAKACS, District President, JOHN SZÁSZ, District Recorder. DISTRICT 15 LOGAN, W. VA. Branches 24, 103, 213, 248, 334, 343, 350, 482, 509, M.44, M.71, M.87. The meeting, held on June 15th, was opened by District Recorder John Vizi who greeted the delegates and extended a warm welcome to the representatives of the former Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation. Following the examination of the credential^ the meeting records its regrets that branches 24, 103, 213, 334, 343 and M. 44 had not sent any representatives. Present were the delegates of branches 350, 482, 509, 248, M. 71, and M. 87: eight delegates representing 6 branches. Since district president John Hegedűs has left the territory, which is regretfully noted by the meeting, the district recorder moved that a pro tern, chairman be elected. Andrew Wagner and Moses Domokos were nominated and Andrew Wagner was elected. Assuming the chair, Andrew Wagner ordered the reading of the Minutes of the last meeting. The letter of John Tompa, Manager of Branch 24, Dante, Va., explaining his absence and expressing his confidence in the judgment of the delegates, was read and acknowledged. Deliberations on the proposed amendments to the Bylaws followed. 1. ) Opposing a change in the district apportionment, the meeting voted in favor of retaining the present division, to wit: 300 members represent one district. 2. ) Branches having at least 25 members shall be entitled to representation at the district meetings and one additional delegate shall be sent to the sessions for every 100 members or fraction thereof. Delegates must be members of the Sick Benefit Department. 3. ) A roll call vote shall be ordered upon request by 15 delegates. 4. ) Each district shall be required to elect a President, a Vice-President and a Recording Secretary. 5. ) Salaries and per diem fees are to be set only by the national convention and shall be effective for the following four years. 6. ) 12 directors shall be elected and they shall elect their own officers. 7. ) The Association shall be divided into 12 districts and the director and alternate director for each district shall be elected by majority vote. 8. ) Directors for the Hungarian as well as American districts shall be simultaneously elected. 9. ) Of the two vice-presidents the one more competent shall take the place of the Supreme President, in case of vacancy. 10. ) The Auditing Committee shall be eliminated. 11. ) The introduction of a new class in the Sick Benefit Department, paying $24 sick benefits for corresponding monthly dues, is urged by the District. 12. ) The Hungarian Verhovay Journal shall appear each week and the American Journal shall devote more space to the affairs of the Association. 13. ) The continued support of the preferably widening program of the American Hungarian Federation is favored. 14. ) District 15 expresses its approval and appreciation of the merger of the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation with the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association and pays tribute to the Supreme Officers and the Board of Directors for this achievement. 15. ) After a lenghty discussion of the proposals of the Home Office some were favored and others opposed. 16. ) The charging of a 20 cents’ fee for the issuance of a loan is opposed. 17. ) Discussing the circular letter of Branch 14, several of its paragraphs were seriously objected to by the meeting. 18. ) The meeting resolved to lend continued support to the Hungarian Relief Movement which already has achieved important results in this territory. The cooperation of all American Hungarians in the district is requested. 19. ) The next meeting of the District will be held again in Logan, W. Va. The election of the district officers followed. Elected were: Andrew Wagner, district president, John Vizi district recorder, I Alexander Tarsoly of Branch 350, and John Vizi of Branch 248 delegates, and Peter Csanady of Branch 482 and Moses Domokos of Branch 509 alternate delegates. The expenses of the meeting totalled $176.10. The meeting was closed by the president. Signed: ANDREW’ WAGNER, District President, JOHN VIZI, district recorder. DISTRICT 8/B. BEAVER FALLS, PA. Branch 39 The meeting, held on June 22nd, was opened by District President John Nemeth. Andrew Boiler, Manager, was unanimously nominated and elected delegate to the National Convention. John Nemeth was elected alternate delegate. The district resolved to propose that the dues of those members whose certificates had been issued prior to 1924 be waived and they be issued paid-up certificates, or, if that should not be possible, that they be granted six months’ relief per annum. This was proposed on the ground that these members already had! paid as much as the face value! of their certificates. The following proposal pertaining to the organizing setup was adopted by the district: smaller districts shall be established, each to be headed by a full-time local organizer whose duties would include all services now rendered by the branch managers. Only in this manner would the Association be assured of continued increase in the membership. Aware of the conditions prevailing in District 8/B., the membership feels that the retaining of the present system would result in the cessation of promotional activities. The expenses of the meeting, totalling $10.25, were approved by the meeting. — Thanking the j members for their confidence, delegate Andrew Boiler promised to | conscientiously represent their in- j terests at the National Convention. Signed by JOHN NEMETH, chairman, ANDREW BÖLLER, recorder. DISTRICT 8. MCKEES ROCKS, PA. Branches 12, 62, 147, 162, 163, 222, 262, 264, 277, 285, 345, 352, 448, 466, M.23, M.29, M.77, M.101, M.106, M.116, M.119, M.144. The following were present at the meeting held on June 15, 1947, at McKees Rocks, Pa.: Andrew Toth, Br. 12; Mrs. Frank Hegedűs, Br. 62; Michael Molnár, Br. 147; Michael Jakab, Br. 163; Anton Borsody; John Borsody, Br. 222; Frank Arnold, Br. 262; Louis Karpy, Br. 264; John Toth, Br. 277; Balazs Csonka, Br. 285; Moses Bokor, Br. 345; Andrew Szladics, George Fijo, Br. 352; Michael Balogh, Br. 448; Edmund Pecsani, Br. 466, and the following representatives of the lodges of the former Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation: Andrew Kucher, Br. M.23; Louis Pater, Br. M.29; Frank Nagy, Br. M.77; Paul Marton, Joseph Horvath Br. M.106; John Buksa, Br. M.119; Andrew Forgács, Br. M.144; and the former District Recorder Zoltán Nemeth. No delegates were sent by branches 162, M.101 and M.116. Also present was Supreme President John Bencze whose informative replies to various questions afforded great help to the district delegates. Former Recorder Zoltán NePAGE 5 ' meth opened the session anouncing that the district meeting had to be called by him due to the death of the district president. He calls upon the delegates to elect a district president and a recording secretary. He also calls their attention to the desirability of electing one of the Convention delegates from among the representatives of the lodges of the former Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation of which eight had been assigned to this district. Moses Bokor was elected district president and Andrew Szladics district recorder, as sole nominees. The Minutes of the last meeting were read, approved and attested by Frank Arnold and Moses Bokor. Assuming the chair, district president Moses Bokor called for the examination of the credentials and, then, the meeting proceeded to the discussion of the proposed amendments to the Bylaws. The proposal of the Board of Directors to raise the District constituency to 500 members was lost. With 11 votes against 6 the District resolved in favor of retaining the present system in which 300 members constitute a district. The proposed amendment to §4 was adopted with the exception of the word “500’’ which is to be replaced by the original “300”. The proposed amendment to §7 (“15 delegates” instead of “5”) was approved. — The recommendation that the Convention delegates be paid $100 was defeated by 9 votes against 5. It was noted, however, that final decision will be passed in this matter by the Convention, anyhow. The proposal that “15 members” in §8 be amended to “25 members” was defeated. 14 voted against and 6 in favor of the recommendation. The District voted to retain the rest of this paragraph unchanged with the exception of the phrase “speak the English language fluently” the omission of which was favored. The proposed increasing of travelling time entitling to per diem fee, from 6 hrs. to 8 hrs., also was favored. The amended text of §9 as proposed by the Board of Directors was unanimously approved. The meeting voted in favor of the proposal that the tenure of the office of the directors be changed to “from convention to convention”. The proposed omission of section K/ in §10 was unanimously adopted. The recommendation to increase the amounts mentioned in sections m./ and o./ was unanimously approved. Section f./ of §13 was unanimously favored. The insertion of the proposed paragraph concerning the district managers between §17 and §18 was unanimously adopted. The proposed amendment to §20 was defeated. The district wishes to retain the provision that new branches may be organized upon request by 15 members. The proposed amendment to §23 was defeated. The amendments recommended to parts a./ and b./ of section 9 of §31 were favored. The amounts recommended for section 17 also were favored. The amending of “90 days” to “30 days” in §18 was unanimously adopted. The text of §44, as proposed by the Board of Directors, was favored. The recommendations (Continue on page 6)
