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

1947 / Verhovay Journal

Journal___________________________________PAOE 9

FALSE PREMISES LEAD

TO WRONG CONCLUSIONS

— The Full Knowledge Of All Pertinent Facts Is The Basis Of Sound Judgment. —

THE FERRET SEZ

is capably handled at present by a fellow member. Mrs. Louis Sabo, the former branch manager of Branch 96 has a good-going sporting goods store in the Windy City and has no further time for contributions. Steve Huzianyi, who still writes now and then . . . only now and then because he has a very responsible position with a million dollar concern, the Santay Corp. — I hear that Irene Varo moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where no Verhovay members are located. Margaret Vargo Joczik, as the Journal informed us in the previous issue, is busy at the present time with a brand-new baby ... If my sunny friend rea'ds other articles besides the one nearest to his heart, he will note where J. J. Horvath and John “Dirk” Fulop still contribute on occasion. Although we lost some of our old contributors, we have gained several new members who are interested in letting us know, in true fraternal spirit, what’s news around the camp. It takes new blood, OR NEW IDEAS, to make matters more interesting.

There are a number of reasons why the Journal is still not up to the standard Ye Ed, and, yes, many readers would like to see it. One of . the main reasons is the high cost of printing. Alsó, please remember, that there are orders from the governing body, the Board of Directors, and these orders are obeyed by Ye Ed as well as by every clear-thinking contributor. Then, too, it is difficult to improve a paper if the editor has to be unduly considerate of the sensibilities of the contributors. Personally, I trust Ye Ed’s judgment and whenever he cuts, or corrects, my article, it is alright with me because I know a better man is doing it. On the other hand,

I have seen proof of the resentment heaped upon him H>y jealous , contributors for the ommission of a comma, or the changing of a word, even though it improved their contribution.

It is not my aim to defend the Editor, his knowledge, his courage and his excellent American education. (Incidentally, he has a degree from an American university, a fact which he never mentions.) Ye Ed’s background in newspaper work goes back to 1926 when he started as a staff writer of a radio magazine. Two years later he began his own newspaper which is still in existence, though he has left is more than 12 years ago. Since then, his essays and articles have seen print in scores of periodicals. That background alone qualifies him to answer any unjust accusations.

He is not only a diplomatic man, but a conscientious Verhovay worker, who likes every phase of his many duties, despite the heavy load which he carries at present. I do not believe that he will take time (or space) to answer petty arguments against himself, but your Ferret, who has fought pro and con for this grand little paper’s editorial policies for years, cannot sit back and take unjust acusations sitting down. In my personaKopinion, despite my fight for ECONOMIZING,

I still desire to see a bi-monthly (and eventually a weekly) Journal, because only by keeping the members in touch with every phase of Verhovay activities can we go out and interest prospects in joining the V.F.I.A.

Let me state in conclusion that during the last thirteen years as a tough fighter for the ideals of fraternalism, your Ferret has come into contact with hundreds of Verhovay members and officials, and the greatest majority have nothing

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but favorable comments of the highest nature towards the present editorial policies.

* * *

Just a friendly word of welcome to all the delegates and visitors who will attend the XXI-st National Verhovay Convention. I will be here

in Pittsburgh to greet as many, or all of you, personally.

When deciding on major issues,

please keep these few words in mind . . . believe me, they were

intended for an earlier issue but as usual the deadline slipped by.

There are individuals who have worked in the field for years, who know every angle of promotional problems and can cope with them efficiently and diplomatically. But many of these excellent field men would never fit into an administrative position. On the other hand, there are exceptional people who cannot sell insurance, but who can view all aspects of the value and necessity of insurance, and the fraternal angle, and can fit themselves into administrative cublicles like a hand into a well-worn glove. Being a Supreme Officer, Director, or Auditing Committee Member shouldn’t be viewed merely as a reward for field work well-done. Our Leaders should be unselfish in their capacities, always remembering that the ASSOCIATION is more important than the INDIVIDUAL. I’m not saying, mind you, that the individual is not important. He is! But to make the individual aware of his importance he must prove himself an asset to the Association, thinking first of the welfare of those thousands who invest their hard-earned money for future protection, and then perhaps looking for that well-earned “pat on the back”.

Good luck, Delegates, and perform a humdinger of a job!

Jumping to conclusions is a poor method of exercising one’s mind, yet many of the Association’s self- appointed advisers consider it the proper approach to the problems to be solved by the National Convention. Afraid that the delegates will be unable to cope with these problems without their enlightening influence, they use every available means of communication to extend unsolicited assistance to the elected representatives of the membership, regardless of the fact that they have far more working knowledge and experience in fraternal matters than most of these advisers.

Let’s get this straight. Well meant suggestions are not only welcome, they are invited and duly considered at all times. However, not all suggestions are well meant, nor are all suggestions practical just because someone has offered them. Besides, some qualifications are required of those who wish to assume the role of expert adviser. Especially if the body to be advised consists of men and women who have spent years in actively and successfully promoting the Association and, in doing so, have become fully aware of the difficulities to be met. At least 90% of the delegates to the National Convention are field workers of long standing. They know their business. They know their Association. And what they don’t know, they are willing to learn, but — only at the source. They are willing to learn but they cannot expect to gain anything from the theories of those who have never been engaged in active field work and, therefore, cannot possibly have a clear picture of its difficulties and possibilities.

Every successful business enterprise is run by experts. Suggestions from the staff as well as from well-meaning customers are given due consideration by these experts » who, on the basis of their theoretical and practical knowledge will judge each suggestion by its merits. As a rule, no outsider would venture to give advice to such an enterprise, but if he should do so he would accept the judgment of the experts without a grudge.

Fraternal insurance societies are business enterprises, too, but some parties seem to be quite reluctant of granting them the privilege of minding their own business. Customers of a business concern rarely feel called to volunteer advice as to how that business ought to be run and few, if any, policyholders of a large insurance company feel qualified to tell the company how to conduct its business. On the other hand, fraternal societies are the meat of everyone. People who never have sold a policy come forward with infallible theories as to the management of promotional activities. People who never have invested a penny, have irrefutable methods for investing millions. People who never have managed two employees suddenly pop up as efficiency experts. People who never have sold a line of their writings suddenly know all about how to write and edit a fraternal newspaper. People who have no inkling about the distribution of the insurance dollar suddenly offer a wealth of information about how a dollar can be made to do the work of two dollars.

Of course, all of these suddenly developed experts insist that they know whereof they are talking and writing. They

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THE 376 HERALD

Prop. & Ed. John “Dirk” Fulop

THE PITTSBURGH ADDRESS

(with apologies to A. Lincoln, and the City of Gettysburg.)

Four score and several weeks ago Albert Steinmetz brought forth in this journal a new column, conceived in birthdays and dedicated to the proposition that all journalistic stuff is created equal to good sound writing worthy of publication in the journal. Equal, that is as long as it is written by A.^Steinmetz.

Now this journal is engaged in a struggle, testing whether that Birthday Column or any irrelevant column, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.

We have come to dedicate our little address to the hope that the Birthday Column will find a final resting place outside the pages of the journal. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it will never be able to figure out what the Birthday Column is doing here in the pages of the journal.

It is for us the members, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which we have an idea the editor, the Supreme Officers, and all the members would like to have nobly advanced. It is for us the members to be here dedicated to the task remaining before us—that we take increased devotion to that cause—that we here HIGHLY RESOLVE that this BIRTHDAY COLUMN SHALL HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN VAIN. And that the editor shall have a new birth of freedom to CUT OUT all Birthday Columns, all trivial and ineffectual articles and. all those that are obviously written for the sole purpose of the public advancement of their authors,—SO THAT this Journal of the Verhovay, by the Verhovay and for the Verhovay shall not perish.

ABE LINCOLN FULOP.

September 10, 1947

Verhovay