William Penn Life, 1987 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-10-01 / 10. szám
Page 8, William Penn Life, October 1987 31st General Convention Memorial service honors departed members On Sept. 14, the 31st General Convention honored those distinguished members of our Association who had passed away since the last convention with a special memorial service. The service was conducted by the Rev. Danial Borsay, chaplain of the William Penn Association and pastor of the United Church of Christ in Springdale, Pa., and National Vice President Zoltán B. Emri. Rev. Borsay opened the service with a prayer in memory of the deceased. National Secretary E. E. Vargo then read the names of those members and friends being honored that day: National Vice President Zoltán B. Emri recites a poem in memory of our departed members. (Photo by Louis Fodor) The Rev. Daniel Borsay, chaplain of the Association, (at podium) leads the Convention in a prayer for the deceased. (Photo by Louis Fodor) Illustrious Members John Bokor, Branch 141 Ellwood City, Pa. Stephen Gall, Branch 52 Windber, Pa. Helen Nemeth, Branch 9 Hazleton, Pa. Frank J. Radvany Sr., Branch 13 Trenton, N.J. Joseph Toma, Branch 48 New York, N.Y. Stephen Varga, Branch 133 Phillipsburg, N.J. Stephen Üveges, Branch 296 Springdale, Pa. Family Members of Official Family Rose Rinkacs Babic, sister-inlaw of retired National Secretary Gus G. Nagy. Margaret Bartges, sister of retired National President John Sabo. Alexander Bero, brother of Advisory Board member Frank Bero. Patti Bruce, mother of Actuary Robert E. Bruce. Anna M. Furedy, mother of National Treasurer Frances A. Furedy and National Director Elmer Furedy. Julius Hartman, father-in-law of National Secretary E. E. Vargo. John Hrabar, brother of National Director Michael Hrabar. Louis Hrabar, brother of Director Hrabar. Anna Kenawell, mother of Executive Vice President John F. Kenawell. LI /»! am V~1------ •m/nA'Uao i lcicu iN-uiiui, uiuuici ui lUiulLi National Director William C. Kohut. Katherine Macker, wife of former National President Julius Macker. Frank J. Radvany Sr., father of National Director Frank J. Radvany Jr. Ethel Sabo, wife of former National President John Sabo. Gladys Wukovits, wife of Advisory Board member Frank J. Wukovits Sr. and mother of National Director Frank J. Wukovits Jr. Branch Coordinators Alex Debreczeni, Branch 85 Daisytown, Pa. Katherine Gall, Branch 52 Windber, Pa. Distinguished Members Who Served Other Societies Rev. Dr. Francis Újlaki, former president of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. Daniel M. Zornan, president of the United Lutheran Society. Joseph S. Molnár, treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. Albert Kocsis, last president of the Rákóczi Aid Association. Retired Home Office Employees Ann Green, Pittsburgh, Pa. Vice President Emri then recited a poem in memory of all deceased members, which read as follows: One by one we miss the voices That we love so well to hear. One by one their kindly faces In the darkness disappear. No one sees the door that opens Through which they pass beyond recall. Like the loosening leaves of autumn, One by one our loved ones fall. Now the laborer’s task is o’er Now the battle day is past, Now upon the further shore Lands the voyager at last. Father in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now our brothers sleeping. There the tears of earth are dried, There the hidden things are clear, There the work of life is tried By a juster judge than here. Father in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now our brothers sleeping. There the ransomed souls that turned, To the cross their dying eyes. All the love of Christ shall learn At His feet in paradise, uädiet in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now our brothers sleeping. Earth to earth and dust to dust Calmly now the words we say Left behind we wait in trust For the resurrection day. Father in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now our brothers sleeping. (Author and title unknown) Pulitzer From Page 7 ethnical identity within a rapidly emerging, multicultural society and as a decreasing minority among an increasing majority of aggressively competing nationalities. To be sure, the practical solution to this problem should transcend all other considerations, whether ideo-political, or otherwise. For how it will be resolved, will determine the longevity of our Hungarian heritage in the years to come. It is also our considered opinion that the William Penn Association is the only organization in the United States today best qualified, in many respects, to provide the kind of leadership and expertise needed to help safeguard what our older, Hungarianborn generations brought with them to America, kept alive and healthy, but now must slowly, but surely, pass custodianship of it on to our younger, Americanborn generations. We further believe that this is the challenge confronting not only the newly elected Board of Directors of the William Penn Association, but also the organization’s nationwide network of branches and each and every member. How to meet this challenge head-on, we submit, may be apparent in available demographical statistics. In 1980, for example, the U.S. Census reported about 1,700,000 respondents as "Hungarian”. But, what about the American-born children and grandchildren of these 1,700,000 Hungarian-born respondents, who rightfully identified themselves as "Americans”? On the conservative ratio-basis of only 4 to 1, a more acceptable figure is approximately 6,800,000 American citizens of Hungarian descent, most of whom can neither read, write nor speak in Hungarian, yet are nevertheless conscious of their Hungarian ancestry, t remain outside of Hungarian community life because of the language barrier. This communication gap must be bridged in order to reach out for this tremendous potential for "revitalization” and with which to assure the preservation, protection and perpetuation of our Hungarian heritage in America. In fact, this great potential has already been neglected, ignored or overlooked far too long. I suggest that, as far as the William Penn Association may be concerned, reaching our for and tapping into this potential for "rebirth” should be considered as a top-priority. Not only to foster the best interest of the Hungarian community as a whole and to guarantee the longevity of our Hungarian heritage, but also to increase its membership at the same time. I am quite confident that the newly elected members of the Board of Directors of the William Penn Association will seriously consider the approach suggested and will cause to plan and implement programs designed to meet this challenge. For, in this process, their organization is bound to emerge as the leader of and spokesman for the Hungarian community in America. Paul Pulitzer, executive vice president of the Rákóczi Foundation-International (USA) and executive editor /publisher of the Hungarian Heritage Review, was one of several leaders from various Hungarian organizations who addressed the convention, including the Rev. Imre Bertalan, president of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, Dr. August J. Molnár, president of the American Hungarian Foundation, and Dr. Jeno Rande, secretary general of the World Federation of Hungarians.
