Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
December 31, 1947 Verhovay Journal PAGE 3 AMENDED BY-LAWS GO INTO EFFECT (Continued from page 2) part time basis and with production quota requirements.*All the rest of the branches will be served, as heretofore, by Branch-Managers, serving on a part time basis, without a production quota requirement. All of these field-workers will be paid for their services by the Home Office on a straight percentage basis. Since all managers will be paid by the Home Office, the payments heretofore allotted to the branches for management expenses, will be discontinued. On the other hand, since all branches have certain management expenses in addition to the compensation of branchmanagers, each member is required, as heretofore, to pay after each and every ordinary membership certificate held by him 5 cents per month to the branch. These contributions are retained by the branch for the purpose of defraying management expenses. MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES “Each member who has attained the age of 16. has the right to appear at any meeting of his Branch and cast his vote there.” The inclusion in this sentence of the phrase “who has attained the age of 16” is intended to encourage the younger members to participate in the management and activities of their branches. Fraternal life is an excellent training ground for public service, democratic government and parliamentary procedure: the youth of the Association will only gain if they avail themselves of the opportunities afforded by their branches. A restrictive feature has been included in the provisions pertaining to the guaranteed surrender value options of membership certificates. Heretofore, cash surrender values or exchange privileges could be obtained within 90 days from the date to which payments had been made on certificates which have been in full force for 36 months. This time limit has been reduced to 30 days. While this restriction will cause no loss to any member, it will greatly facilitate the processing of such requests and, also, exclude the possibility of various misunderstandings which often arose under the former rule. Accidental death benefit protection has been extended from the age-limit of 65 to 70 years. Up to the end of 1947 accidental death benefit certificates were automatically cancelled at the 65th birthday of the members. Hereafter, the accidental death benefit certificate will remain in full force until the age of 70. In accordance with this provision, the accidental death benefit certificates of members who have passed their 65th birthday, but have not yet attained their 70th birthday, may be reinstated by a very simple procedure. An application for membership in the accidental death benefit class must be completed by the manager and signed by the member who, at the same time, pays the dues for the current month. Upon receipt of the application the Home Office will issue to the member an accidental death benefit certificate (double idemnity rider) which then, will remain in force until his 70th birthday, provided, of course that the monthly dues thereon will be regularly paid. Naturally, no request for reinstatement must be made by members who will attain their 65th birthday after January 1st, 1948. as their certificates will be carried in full force until their 70th birthday. The maximum amount of insurance to be granted to applicants between the ages of 55 and 60 has been increased from $500 to $1,000. The maximum amount of insurance for juvenile applicants has been increased in the State of New Jersey to $1,500, and in the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin for applicants over the age of 2 to $2,000. (The National Convention adopted a flat increase up to $2,000 subject to the insurance statutes of the various states in which the Association is licensed.) SICK BENEFITS The following changes have been effected in the provisions pertaining to sick benefit protection: 1.) The members of the Sick Benefit Department shall be entitled to sick benefits beginning with the 8th day of disability, regardless of whether it is caused by illness or injury. Heretofore, the Association paid sick benefits from the first day of disabilities resulting from accidental causes. Hereafter, sick benefits will not be paid under any circumstances for the first week of disability. Eugene H. Swartz Of Verhovay 138 Elected Mayor Of Gary, Indiana University’s Calumet Extension Center, a post he retained for seven years. Enters politics Then, he left his own business to enter the Lake County Auditor’s office where he served as deputy until wide personal popularity, and his recognized ability won him the election as Auditor in 1940. He was reelected in 1944. On both occasions he led the Democratic ticket by a wide margin. While he was auditor he installed a system of modern governmental accounting that has become a model for public financial offices. The system he installed made possible the regular mailing of tax statements and has saved the citizens of Lake County thousands of dollars. He also instituded a program for the retirement of the county’s bonded debt. His handling of the financial problems of the county will have made it possible for the county government to retire all obligations then outstanding by 1951. After leaving the auditor’s office he was engaged in the banking business as a director and officer of two large financial institutions in the county. He was elected to the highest office in the City of Gary last November. Mayor Swartz is married, has two children, and is a member of St. Mary of the Lake church. He has- set himself a definite 11 point program to be carried out' under his administration. In this program he makes the following admirable, seldom heard, statement: “I will welcome the counsel of all citizens but I shall refuse to submit to dictation by any group or by any individual.” What is even more admirable: the Mayor means it! Branch To Honor Mayor The Bowling Committee of Branch 138 is now making plans to honor its distinguished member, the Hon. Eugene H. Swartz, with a testimonial banquet. Details will be announced at a later date. The Bowling Committee, under the leadership of Maynard Halaschak, Andrew Ban, Steve J. Torié, Andrew Szalmasági and Julius J. Danch, are busily engaged in formulating the plans and arrangements for the testimonial banquet (and, also, for sending the bowling teams to the National Verhovay Bowling Tournament in Cleveland.) In anticipation of this event, the Verhovay Journal extends its congratulations and best wishes for a successful administration to Hon. Eugene H. Swartz whose election as Mayor of the City of Gary is a matter of pride to the membership of the Verhovay. 2. ) Sick benefit payments during anyone calendar year are limited to 20 weeks. Up to now the limit was 25 weeks. This limitation, however, does not involve a reduction in the total sick benefit coverage guaranteed the members of the sick bene^ fit department. 3. ) The members of the sick benefit department are entitled to a total of 62% weeks’ sick benefits, except in cases of one continuous illness or injury for which no more than 50 weeks’ benefits will be paid. Claims for further sick benefits on the same illness or injury cannot be honored. All other provisions of the sick benefit by-laws remain unchanged. These are the most important changes affecting the management and operations of the Association and the privileges of the membership. Further information on the provisions outlined in this review as well as on various minor features not mentioned at this time, will be given in future issues. MAYOR SWARTZ Eugene H. Swartz, a member of Branch 138, Gary, Ind., of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, was recently elected Mayor of the City of Gary. He will be installed, to serve a four year term, on the 1st of January, 1948. Julius J. Danch, Manager of Branch 138, in his efforts to activate Branch 138, is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts to place his branch among the -best in our organization. Tihs - Branch will bear watching. Colorful career We feel that the Verhovay has gained a great asset in the membership of the Hon. Eugene H. Schwartz. His colorful career has run the typical course of the successful American self-made man. His father, a Budapest Hungarian, and his mother, who hailed from Kentucky, lived in Pittsburgh at the time of his birth. Soon afterwards they moved to Gary where he attended his schools, graduating from Emerson High in 1918. For the next three years he worked in the billet' and boiler shop at Gary Works to earn money with which to' finance his college education. His membership in the American Federation of Labor dates from that time. He graduated from the University of Illinois and took graduate work in accounting and finance at the Walton School of Commerce in Chicago. During college days he earned expenses by playing \yith a dance band and in summer months by serving as lifeguard at the Gary beach. After the completion of his studies be began a brilliant cai’eer as an expert accountant in Gary, doing business for a number of years as a member of the firm of Drow and Swartz. He is a certified public accountant. His ability won for him the position of director of the accounting department of Indiana T
