William Penn Life, 1988 (23. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1988-01-01 / 1. szám
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION WILLIAM PENN ASSOCIATION Volume 23 January 1988 Number 1 ■■■■ Fratemals host joint worship BEAVER FALLS, PA — The nation’s two largest Hungarian fraternal benefit societies joined together to add a touch of their shared heritage to the recent Christmas celebration. The William Penn Association and the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America co-sponsored an ecumenical worship service for Americans of Hungarian descent. About 75 people attended the service, held Dec. 20 at the Third Avenue Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, Pa. The day’s events began with the singing of several traditional Hungarian Christmas carols prior to the service. The Rev. Miklós Novak delivered an inspiring sermon, both in English and Hungarian, about the true meaning of Christmas. Following the service, all in attendance proceeded to the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church hall for refreshments. During a short program, several people voiced their support for more affairs like the ecumenical worship service, which bring back old Hungarian memories and revive the traditions of our ancestors. Representatives from the Hungarian Reformed Federation and the William Penn stated they will support a renewed interest in the Hungarian people of this area. Speaking on behalf of the Hungarian Reformed Federation was Endre Csornán, a member of the Federation’s national board of directors. The William Penn was represented by National Vice President Zoltán Emri. A good time was had by all who attended this fraternal affair. Inside __ ■ An inspiring message from our president emeritus .... Page 3. ■ Branches celebrate holidays, elect officers........Pages 4-8. Next Deadline January 15 Christmas cheer Rainbow the Clown is surrounded by his friends at the Branch 51 Passaic, N.J. family Christmas party. At right is Branch Coordinator Ernie Mozer; at left is his son, Ernie Jr. More Christmas pictures appear on Page 6. Contest offers children free trip to camp, Hungary PITTSBURGH — This summer, 40 of our juvenile members will learn about their Hungarian heritage and tour the historic sites of Hungary at the Association’s expense. The lucky children will be chosen based on the results of a special sales/referrals contest being sponsored by the Home Office. The contest is open to all adult life benefit members and will run from Feb. 1, 1988 to April 30, 1988. The winners will be those adult members who sign up — and/or make referrals which lead to the signing up of — the highest number of new members. Only those sales made during the contest period will qualify. Those who make the most sales and/or successful referrals will be eligible to send their children on an all expenses paid trip to Hungary. To qualify for the trip, the contest winners’ children must be between the ages of 8 and 14 and must be William Penn members prior to Feb. 1, 1988. More than one child per winning household may qualify. The trip includes two weeks at a special cultural camp at Lake Balaton followed by a two-week tour of Hungary. Tentative plans call for the camp and tour to be conducted in July. The Association will pay for each child’s roundtrip air fare plus all costs for rooms, meals, ground transportation and fees relating to the camp and tour. The Association will also provide two adult chaperons, one male and one female. One of the chaperons will have meditál training. The Lake Balaton camp will also provide 24-hour medical service and supervision. Further details on the contest, the camp and the tour will appear in the February issue of the William Penn Life. Until then, all adult members interested in earning their children a free trip to the "Land of the Magyar” should start lining up new members now. Association mourns loss of John P. Balia Death comes to all, but great achievements raise a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold. George Fabricius NEW KENSINGTON, PA — John P. Balia, Advisory Board member and president of Branch 296 Springdale, Pa., died Dec. 9, 1987, in the emergency room of Citizens General Hospital, New Kensington, after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 78. He lived according to the true spirit of fratemalism, devoting his energies to his family, our Association, his church, his community and his fellow man. Mr. Balia served the Association on the national level for 32 years. From 1955 to 1983, he was a member of the Board of Directors and was a former chairman of the Board, secretary of the Board, national vice president and chairman of the Field Committee. He was appointed to the Advisory Board in 1983. He was equally committed to serving his branch. His last act was helping Branch 296 prepare for its annual Christmas party. For his devotion, the Association awarded Mr. Balia the Illustrious Citation and the Distinguished Service Degree during our Centennial Celebration in 1986. "We, at the William Penn Association, have lost a true friend and an inspirational leader who loved and was devoted to his Association and, more importantly, to his family,” said National President Stephen G. Danko at a memorial service held during the December meeting of the Board of Directors. President Danko called on those present to remember Mr. Balia for "his energy, his dynamic personality, his accomplishments and his belief in his own ability to achieve.” "John was a fighter and won his greatest fight this past September by having his son, Ron, elected to the Board of Directors,” he said. Born on Oct. 13, 1909, in Hungary, Mr. Balia immigrated to New Kensington in 1922. He retired in 1967 from the foundry department of Alcoa in New Kensington where he worked for 25 years. He also had been a deputy sheriff in Westmoreland County, Pa. Active in local politics, he was a Democratic committeeman for 42 years and was chairman of the Sanitary Authority of New Kensington in the 1950s. He was an usher at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church and a member of the United Steel Wor----------------See 'Balia’ Page 2 JOHN P. BALLA
