William Penn Life, 1976 (11. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1976-04-01 / 2. szám
ELMER CHARLES... was offered by Rev. Mariján Soric, St. Nicholas R.C. Church. Michael Stivoric was an exemplary Toastmaster. Greetings were extended by the following: Honorable William J. Sheppard, Pa. Insurance Commissioner, Raymond A. Klee, Executive Vice President, National Fraternal Congress of America; Hon. James Flaherty, Chairman Allegheny County Board of Commissioners; Charles B. Wagner, Jr., President Pa. Fraternal Congress; Louis L. Varga, Vice President William Penn Association; Thomas R. Balaban, Secretary-Treasurer, Pa. Fraternal Congress. Principal address was delivered by Hon. Ernest P. Kline, Lt. Governor Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Plaque and citation was presented by Joseph Miller, Supreme President Catholic Knights of St. George. Response was by the Honoree Mr. Elmer Charles, National President, the “Fraternalist of the Year.” Remarks of Lt. Governor Kline, Vice President Louis L. Varga and National President Charles are published in this edition of William Penn Life to provide a Historical record of this wonderful occasion which occurred in the 200th year of the U.S.A. and 90th year of the William Penn Association. The Hungarian Ethnic Dancers of Western Pennsylvania performed to the delight of the audience. Lou Kurnech and his orchestra provided dance music. From William Penn Association the following shared in the Testimonial to our National President: Vice President and Mrs. Louis L. Vraga, Vice President and Mrs. John P. Balia, Director and Mrs. Frank Bero, Director and Mrs. Stephen Danko, Director and Mrs. William C. Kohut, Director and Mrs. Steve Lesco, Director and Mrs. Frank J. Radvany, Director and Mrs. John Sabo, Directors Zoltán B. Emri, Michael Hegedűs, Albert G. Kertesz, Stephen Lang Jr., Joseph Toma, Frank J. Wukovits Sr.; General Counsel and Mrs. Gay B. Banes, Vice President Membership Services and Mrs. Gus G. Nagy, National Secretary and Mrs. Albert J. Stelkovicsr and National Treasurer and Mrs. Julius E. Somogyi. From the Auditing Committee: Emma Beganyi and Mr. James Beganyi, Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Fodor, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Hrabar, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Kara, Charles Fabian, and Mrs. Helen Nemeth. From the Home Office Staff; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Bendzsuk, Ms. Frances A. Furedy, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Hleba, Mr. and Mrs. Sándor Karpathy, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Kozma, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Lehoczky, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Lovász,Mr. and Mrs. Robert Robison, Mr. and Mrs. John Tusai, Mary Szeszak, Marie Tady, Helen Werling, George Charles Jr., REMARKS OF LT. GOVERNOR KLINE This is an important gathering of Americans. There is a lot of American history in this room and a lot of political power too. I want to talk about that because I keep hearing that the American people are frustrated and feel helpless in the face of so many problems in this country. Well that may be but it doesn’t have to stay that way. This country is at tte crossroads. Some critical decisions have to be made. They will be made. The question is who’s going to make them? Those of you in this room and the many others you represent can determine which road this country is going to take if you assert yourselves. And I think it is time you did. You know, the historybooks used in most of our schools have missed the boat in describing how this country was really built. The boat they missed is the one your families and mine came over on. It’s time to rewrite the history of this country in a more accurate way. It's a history of an America built by immigrants and the children of immigrants. They were the new Americans and got the hottest, hardest and dirtiest jobs. But they did them so well that they built the most powerful industrial nation in the world. And in spite of the sacrifices it took, they kept their religion, they raised strong familites and they built their future serving their God and their new country while respecting and preserving their heritage. Those of us here tonight share that history. But it is more than a history. It is the living present and it’s time that we in America, who are the children of those and Rose Ann Rapagna. Branches 71,89, 150, 226, and 296 were also well represented. Honored guests, other than those previously mentioned included: Ambassador from Hungary to U.S.A. Ferenc Esztergályos, Washington, D.C.; 1st Secretary of the Hungarian Embassy, Rezső Mikola, Washington, D.C.; Mr. and Mrs. Zoltán Gombos, Cleveland, Ohio; Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Bruce, Lake Bluff, III.; Paul R. Baier, Indianapolis, Ind.; Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Waskiewicz; Mr. Andrew Fohl, President St. George Catholic Society, Perth Amboy, N.J. Our personal congratulations are extended to Mr. Charles for being recipient of this high honor. May God in his wisdom grant him a long, healthy life so that he may continue to serve his fellowman through the fraternal benefit system. immigrants, faced up to the fact that our voices are not being heard as they should be. Most leaders in America in the seats of government and in the board rooms of industry want your vote or your work but your values and your opinions don’t seem to count as much. That should be changed. It is time to take a hard look at power in this country to see if the people who built it have gotten fair recognition. It is time you insisted that your voices be heard in the halls of city, state, and federal government - in all the seats of power. The Pennsylvania Fraternals have the numbers and in our democracy that means power if it is properly applied. The will to apply that power lies with you. In the last few years I sense a new spirit of ethnic pride. Perhaps it is stronger here than anywhere else because Pennsylvania has such a rich mixture of cultures. I doubt that there is a city in the United States that can match Pittsburgh as the home of ethnic groups in America. That is why this is such an important meeting with such great potential. We have here the beginnings of an understanding that America is great, not because we are all alike, but because we are different. People are regaining pride in their ethnic origins and young people are showing a willingness to explore their own ties to the past - ties of family, language, religion and culture. I don’t think the full importance of this movement has yet become clear but it suggests to me the development of a new vision of America. Not just about its past but about what its future should be. The plain fact of the matter is that many Americans find our present rootless mechanical existence terribly unsatisfying. They yearn for a life rooted in family, in community, in church and in culture. But for the most part they don’t find it in today's American way of life. So, for many people, belonging to an ethnic community is a source of strength for which the broader society has no substitute. The question for us now to face is: Are we going to harness this ethnic energy and commitment to creat a new and better America? Instead of despairing over the erosion of our way of life and our political standards, we have to use this power to bring about greater justice in our cities, greater responsibility on the Continued on Page 10 7
