William Penn Life, 1976 (11. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1976-04-01 / 2. szám
Remarks Of Louis Varga All organizations if they live long enough have their ups and downs - their peaks and their valleys. ( The William Penn Association is now 90 years old and we are no exception to this rule. We were up but moving down - the situation was not critical but the trend had to be reversed.) There is a Hungarian saying “the Lord is good to fools and Hungarians’’, so Elmer Charles came along and he is Hungarian, but no fool and a man of the Lord. The Convention in its wisdom elected him President and chief executive officer in 1963. His dynamic and masterful leadership became apparent and he proclaimed that there must be a re-evaluation of the Wm. Penn’s plans and objectives in sales, financial planning, employee relations, human relations and then a complete restoration of Fraternalism in our Association because growth and successes in the best years of development were directly and proportionately related to our Fraternal work; but he said “the hallowed Fraternal words of the past are not enough, many changes in the life style of our people have occurred but the human needs still exist. We must re-dedicate ourselves into this age and needs with new depths and new insights if we are to meet the principles and ideals of our founding fathers. Our Association takes much pride that our President is the recipient of this high honor granted by the Greater Pittsburgh Fraternals; for to us Elmer Charles personifies and characterizes the true meaning of Fraternalism. Elmer is a man who possesses and professes Godliness with goodness, an urbane person with a good head and heart; is never corruptable and completely trustworthy. He is a lesson in Patience,Wisdom and Charity. He cares for others and he gives generously of his time and pocketbook. Those who would despair he counsels with words of encouragement suppo rted by his knowledge and experience. At executive and Board meetings when sometimes the chips are down and an impasse is apparent his leadership and individuality transcends the dismal spirit and he says “Be strong - fear not the truth will be and the impasse will be no more and righteousness will be victorious." Elmer has known personal hardship, he has toiled - not rested, and has learned through these experiences that the basic needs in Fraternalism are human needs so for these reasons and others Elmer Charles qualifies for this award tonight. One would think from the accolades I have just expressed that this man is too good to be true and the Holy Spirit hovers over his head, and this man could be without strength to lead in this complicated business world. Not so - he is a free thinker, a good listener; but completely individualistic and an independent decision maker. He is not particularly a conformist to the general business pattern. He is strict and demands proof that it is good not only generally acceptable. He is modest about his achievements, but is courageous and daring and is equal to any man, anytime, in any situation in the conduct of business. In fact he can be tough at times But this is no index to the quality of his inner life. So on behalf of our Board of Directors, Officers, Auditors and Employees, we say simply to him - May the Lord continue to be in your heart and may you continue to do good. It is now my pleasure on behalf of our Association to present you with this beautiful scroll as a memento of this evening and our esteem for you. ELMER CHARLES’ RESPONSE Sisters and Brothers, Distinguished Guests: It’s a rare honor to occupy a rostrum that is graced by so many distinguished fraternalists and civic leaders. I am complimented by the presence of Lt. Governor Kline. His inspiring message is gratifying and it is an honor to share honors with him tonight as the recipient of the “Brotherhood of Man Award." We are all delighted with the presence of our good Commissioner and Mrs. Sheppard. Some credit for this occasion belongs to Commissioner Sheppard, the reason I will share with you a bit later. I am grateful for the singular honor that you bestowed upon me as “Fraternalist of the Year." Your selection more than impresses me, it humbles me as well. The honor I want to joyfully share with my fellow officers and Board members of my Association, and with every fraternal leader of the Greater Pittsburgh Fraternal Socieites. The honor that is mine tonight is a reminder, and will continue to be, that the business of a fraternal leader in life is not to get ahead of other people, but to get ahead of ourselves. Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved - of all the gifts which we have wasted - of all that we might have done which we did not do. In this bicentennial year we should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there. Our societies maintained and preserved through the years the cultural heritage of our forefathers. It is our aim to perpetuate our ethnic heritage of various cultural groups in the “Park of All Nations” and I am asking all of you to support our call to help the “Park of All Nations" become a reality. Our fathers have established our identity and maintained it through our societies, and as grandchildren of industrial slaves, we are proud that we need not ask for reparation, all we ask for is recognition. On two occasions our Commissioner Sheppard said to us, “ You fraternal leaders must take your candles out from under the bushel.” Tonight the candles are out from under the bushel. The purpose of a candle is to give light in the dark. I stand here with my candle burning, but alone it does not shine bright enough, as you can see. Now would you please all light your candles. Mr. Commissioner, candles are out from under the bushel, shining brightly, showing us the way. We thank you for encouraging, supporting, and protecting fraternalism. To the Officers of Greater Pittsburgh Fraternal Societies, to the members of various committees, my thanks and appreciation for the honor and joy of this event. I want to testify that your work and your efforts exemplify the noblest calling of man. We can not be all great, but we can attach ourselves to something that is great - such as this event. COOK BOOK HUNGARIAN SPECIALTIES and OTHER FAVORITES WILLIAM PENN SCHOLARSHIP FUND BR. 19 P.O.Box 122, New Brunswick, N.J. 08903 Net Proceeds for the benefit of the William Penn Ass n Scholarship Foundation Donation $3.00 for 1 Copy Send Check or Money Order 11
