William Penn Life, 1986 (21. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1986 / Különszám
William Penn Life, Special Centennial Issue, Page 5 Members Celebrate Across The Nation The celebration of our Association’s 100th anniversary truly has oeen a nationwide event. During the last nine months, thousands of members and friends of the William Penn have gathered at numerous branch picnics, dinlers and other outings marking our centennial. The most well-attended events were the seven major celebrations held during May and June. The banquets and concerts held in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Dayton, Detroit, New Brunswick, South Bend and Toledo drew a total of 3,500 guests. The great success of these major affairs stands as a tribute to the dedication and fraternal spirit of the members who devoted countless hours to organizing them. While the Home Office spent much time and effort in preparing for the main celebration in Pittsburgh, volunteers at the six other host cities expended equal amounts of energy in readying their individual events. These volunteers worked for well over a year making plans, booking halls, preparing menus, creating decorations, promoting their events, selling tickets, designing program booklets and securing entertainment. In several major event cities, the host branch established a special centennial committee consisting of dozens of members responsible for handling the arrangements for its affair. In South Bend alone about 50 members participated in the work of the centennial committee. The efforts of all the volunteers produced a series of events which will hold a lasting place in the memories of those who attended them. Each event was distinct in the characteristics of its presentation, but all were united in their purpose of celebrating 100 years of fraternalism. Audiences listened intently and applauded loudly as National President Gay B. Banes recalled the early years of the Association and reminded all of the great progress made during the first 100 years. They also showed great interest in Executive Vice President John F. Kenawell’s presentations concerning the Association’s Mount St. George Home for the Elderly in Wellsburg, W. Va. The affairs also were times to honor those individuals and groups which have tirelessly promoted the ideals of Hungarian fraternalism. In Dayton an engraved plaque was presented to Branch 249 Vice President Steve Horvath for his long years of service. In Toledo, City Council member Peter Ujvagi presented National Director Stephen J. Ivancso with a proclamation from Toledo Mayor Donna Owens, recognizing the significant contributions Branch 27 has made to the community. And in New Brunswick President Banes presented the American Hungarian Foundation with another installment of the Association’s $60,000 pledge to help construct the Hungarian Heritage Center. These and other presentations made during the events were more than a way of saying thank you. They symbolized the desire to maintain a united front in the fight to keep alive the Hungarian heritage and the spirit of fraternalism. This unity, along with the hard work of the volunteers, helped make these major events what they were meant to be—large birthday parties in honor of the Association. In Dayton, Detroit, South Bend and Toledo, thousands of people enjoyed meals of traditional Hungarian dishes including chicken paprikas, stuffed cabbage, dumplings and wide assortments of Hungarian pastries. The Detroit and Toledo audiences enjoyed performances by the Branch 18 Hungarian Dancers while guests at the Dayton affair decided to dance themselves—before the ceremonies officially began. But, it was the appearances of Hungarian singers Apollonia Kovács and Deszo Sándor Hodos and the Santa Ferenc Gypsy Orchestra which hightened the festive spirits at each of the six major affairs. The Hungarian artists proved that the power of Hungarian music is equal to that of any form of music. They displayed the full emotional scope of Hungarian music, from the high jubilation and energy of the csárdás to the depths of sadness in the hallgata. With each performance the singers and orchestra touched the hearts and enlivened the spirits of the audience members, pleasing the crowds with a range of traditional favorite and modern songs. All of the performances appeared to run smoothly. In reality, however, a number of complications arose which almost threatened the cancellation of several of the musicians’ appearances. The Centennial Celebration Committee of Branch 132, South Bend, Ind. Members of the Branch 18 Hungarian Dancers entertain guests at the Centennial Banquet in Detroit. (Photo by Louis Fodor) Guests at the Dayton celebration take to the dance floor. (Photo by Louis Fodor) The tour’s problems centered around transporting the orchestra’s instruments from one city to the next. On the eve of the orchestra’s first tour stop in South Bend, Branch 132 President Frank Wukovits Sr. received a phone call from the band’s agent, Otto Zalavary. Mr. Zalavary told Mr. Wukovits the band’s cymbalom and large bass violin were stuck at Chicago O’Hare Airport because the local air carrier to South Bend could not accommodate the large instruments. Executive Vice President John F. Kenawell, band agent Attila Zalavary and branch officer Joseph Flowers took the Association’s own van to O’Hare and picked up the instruments. Luckily they returned in time for the performance. The large instruments proved to be a problem again when the orchestra appeared in Toledo. After the night’s performance it was learned that arrangements had not been made to have the instruments taken to the Toledo airport. At about 3 a.m., following numerous phone calls, National Director Stephen Ivancso was able to rent a truck large enough to haul the equipment. The problems continued at the airport where officials refused to accept the large instruments. After Mr. Zalavary showed the officials previous flight papers, the truck was permitted, with an airport police escort, to proceed to the baggage compartment of the airplane. Learning from the experiences of others, National Director Albert G. Kertesz avoided these problems at the Dayton show by borrowing a cymbalom and bass violin from Louis Motko, the cymbalom player for the local Hungarian orchestra. Despite the complications, the centennial celebration’s major events were gatherings filled with love and fraternalism. For those who organized the affairs and those who attended them, these events will always be a fond memory. (We extend our thanks to all those who contributed to this article, especially Albert G. Kertesz, Stephen J. Ivancso, Helen V. Sabo and Emma Oris.—JEL) Pictured at the Cleveland concert are (from left) singer Deszo Sándor Hodos, Santa Ferenc Jr., singer Apollonia Kovács, Regional Sales Manager Jeff Ward and National President Gay B. Banes. (Photo by Louis Fodor)
