William Penn Life, 1986 (21. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1986 / Különszám
'«i *. I 4 é * . * * Á V V. I t * f» I | t .i I 4 I 1 \ * 4 * é. l\ Page 12, Special Centennial Issue, William Penn Life. What the William Penn Association is doing here this weekend and for the last 100 years is another significant effort to enlighten and preserve our Hungarian heritage. I am proud to be a part of the activities this weekend and hope that in the years to come we can celebrate again even greater successes for William Penn Association and for American- Hungarians. Distinguished Service Degrees In preparing the celebration of this great centennial of ours, we felt it was appropriate that we recognize those officers, directors, branch officers and friends who throughout their entire lives have devoted so much time and effort to save, preserve and make progress for our great society. We, therefore, established what is the highest honor which our Association can bestow upon our members and our friends, and that is the Distinguished Service Degree. The first recipients of this honor are: Mr. William J. Arbanas, president of Branch 8020, McKees Rocks, Pa., who has unselfishly devoted much time to assisting the Robinson Developmental Center, a facility which cares for mentally retarded adults. Mr. Elmer Charles, president emeritus and member of the Advisory Board, who for 20 years served as president of our society, guiding it with firm resolve and great dignity. Mrs. Julia Danko, secretary of Branch 18, Detroit, who for more than 30 years has worked so faithfully and loyally to promote the activities of that branch. She has organized dance groups, taught arts and crafts and the Hungarian language and worked hard to keep Branch 18 among the most active branches in the Association. Mr. Stephen Danko, president of Branch 18, who was a director for many years and now serves as a member of the Advisory Board. He, too, has been a great leader who has helped preserve our ethnic heritage and worked to keep his branch active. Miss Frances A. Furedy, administrative assistant to the national president, who has been a loyal employee for many years and has done much to ensure that the Home Office work was done properly and in order so that our members were served promptly and that our society has a sound internal operation. Mr. Albert G. Kertesz, national director, who has been program director of a Hungarian radio program in Dayton, Ohio, for 35 years and who has continued to work for the benefit of that area’s members and our great society. Mr. William C. Kohut, national director, who since the mid-1930s has been active in his branch in McKeesport, Pa. He was one of the first leaders at that branch and recruited many members, earning him a trip to Hungary sponsored by the Verhovay. Prof. August J. Molnár, president of the American Hungarian Foundation, who has dedicated his life to promoting and advertising our Hungarian heritage. Dr. Victor Molnár, a dentist and member of many fraternal societies, who has hosted a Hungarian radio program for 26 years and has published a newsletter on Hungarian people and interests, promoting our heritage throughout the world. Mr. Frank J. Radvany, national director, who has served diligently and faithfully as secretary of the Board of Directors. He, too, has helped preserve our heritage and further the aims and objectives of our great society. Mr. Albert J. Stelkovics, national vice president and retired national secretary, who has done so much throughout his 40 years with our society to help preserve our heritage and achieve success for our Association. Mr. Frank J. Wukovits, Sr., member of the Advisory Board and former national director, who has maintained a Hungarian radio program in South Bend, Indiana, for more than 45 years. We could never hope to have greater leaders than those we have had in South Bend, such as Frank Wukovits. Recipients of the Association’s Distinguished Service Degree included (from left): Prof. August J. Molnár, president of the American Hungarian Foundation; Dr. Victor Molnár, host of a Hungarian radio program for 26 years; National Director Frank J. Radvany; National Vice President Albert J. Stelkovics; Advisory Board member Frank Wukovits Sr. and Judge Leonard C. Staisey of Allegheny County (Pa.) Court of Common Pleas. Justice Nicholas Papadakos, chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, (at microphone) congratulates the recipients of the Distinguished Service Degree (from left): William Arbanas, president of Branch 8020 in McKees Rocks, Pa.; Elmer Charles, president emeritus and Advisory board member (behind Justice Papadakos); Julia Danko, secretary of Branch 18, Detroit; Stephen Danko, president of Branch 18 and Advisory Board member; Frances Furedy, administrative assistant to the national president; and National Directors Albert G. Kertesz and William C. Kohut. Honorable Leonard C. Staisey, judge of Allegheny County (Pa.) Court of Common Pleas, who for the last 40 years, in the many political offices he has held, has remained a reliable friend of our Association and the entire fraternal benefit system. It is a pleasure indeed for our Association to award this degree to these deserving recipients. ACCEPTANCE BY JUDGE STAISEY The lot has fallen to me to express our gratitude and thanks to the family that is the William Penn Association for receiving these awards. Whatever we have done, we have done it because we like to do it. And I suppose that’s about as good a definition of success as you can find: to do what you like to do. In receiving this award, the thirteen of us receive them symbolically in the names of hundreds of you who should be designated and receive this same award. Whatever we have done, as I have said, we have done out of our belief, our faith and our confidence in the William Penn Association. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that one of the great secrets of the William Penn Association is your new president, Gay B. Banes. Practicing law with me back in the early 1950s, I recall the phone calls that were made, the letters that were written, the trips that were taken in order to get the Verhovay and the Rákóczi to join together. And that was successfully done later. There were the calls to Columbus and the attorney general there in order to get the signed agreement with another group, and still later another group, and finally, the Knights of St. George merged with the William Penn Association. Your solicitor virtually gave up his law practice to accomplish it. That’s why I think it is so important that you applaud the president and your Board because they say to all of us that regardless of what your former association was, Judge Leonard C. Staisey of Allegheny County (Pa.) Common Pleas Court accepts the Distinguished Service Degree on behalf of the 13 recipients and, as he said, all of those who served the Association long and well. we must reach out to each other and embrace each other because we need each other in the next century. Your president and Board are borrowing the new technique of the chip, the computer and the word processor in order to see to it that the culture, the history, the tradition and the precious values of the William Penn are preserved. It will be in one place, and what a gift it is for the generations yet to come in the second century to know that nothing that those thirteen men started in this country has been lost----------------------------------------------------Continued on next page
