William Penn Life, 1998 (33. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1998-10-01 / 10. szám

October 1998, William Penn Life, Page 3

NFCA members gather in Atlanta for annual meeting

ATLANTA - More than 740 fratemalists and their guests gathered Sept. 16 to 19 for the 112th annual meeting of the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) at the Hilton Atlanta & Towers. The NFCA is a trade association of 91 fraternal benefit societies with a combined 9.2 million members in the United States and Canada.

Representing the William Penn Association at the meeting were National Directors Michael F. Tomcsak of Lakeland, Fla., and Elmer W. Toth of Muhhall, Pa.

Among the convention’s highlights:

*Vera A. Wilt, president of CSA Fraternal Life in Oak Brook, 111., was elected to a one-year term as

president of the NFCA. In her acceptance remarks, she challenged fratemalists to join hands to touch lives through financial protection and volunteer service. She also emphasized the importance of “keeping one’s promise” in service to members and the broader community.

*Gilbert Daniels of Sutherlin, Ore., a member of Neighbors of Woodcraft in Oregon City, Ore., was named the 1998 Fratemalist of the Year (see story on Page 2).

*Fratemalists learned that more than 72 societies and 22 state fraternal congresses contributed $63,417 and their members donated hundreds of volunteer hours toward building two Habitat for Humanity

homes in Americus, Ga., this August. Since the NFCA began supporting Habitat for Humanity in 1990, member societies and state fraternal congresses have sponsored or participated in 2,313 Habitat projects and donated $9.7 million to the organization and its affiliates. This is in addition to the $444,614 raised under the banne: of the NFCA’s national cause projects held each vear.

*Robert P. Gandrud, president and CEO of Luthe’m Brotherhood in Minneapolis, Ivnnn., was presented the Jacobsen-Rugland Award as the nation’s outstanding actuary. The award is sponsored by Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

ATTENTION!

Parents & Grandparents Aunts & Uncles

This year, give your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews a gift that can last a lifetime. The William Penn sAiSsoei&tion offers a variety of juvenile life insurance plans that can provide children valuable life insurance benefits.

• You can choose among a variety of whole life plans or among several term plans that can cover children from birth through their college years and beyond.

• We offer plans that build cash values and plans that children can convert to adult policies as they grow older.

• All our plans feature low rates and added benefits you won’t get from most other insurers.

To learn how our juvenile life insurance plans can benefit the children in your family, call your local William Penn representative or our Home Office, toll-free, at

1 -800-848-PENN (7366)

WILLIAM PENN ASSOCIATION

rratemal Life Insurance and Annuities 709 Brighton Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 Phone: (412) 231-2979

or 1-800-848-PENN (7366)

FAX: (412) 231-8535

Talk about extended vacations! Has it really been more than two years since we last chatted? My, how time flies.

You’ve probably been wondering what happened to me. (For the sake of my ego, please nod your heads.) First, let’s get some of those nasty rumors out of the way. No, I did not fall into a kettle of gulyás leves. No, I was not “on holiday” fulfilling my lifelong dream of emptying all the wine cellars of Tokaj (but I’m working on it in my spare time). And, as for those rumors involving a young female sous chef, a stained apron and cigars-never happened. Nope, nope, nope. Hardly know the girl. No way. No-sirree-bob.

So, what did happen? Well, dear readers» your favorite Hungarian cooking columnist had what we professional scribes refer to as writer’s block. In my case, the block was a 10-foot thick reinforced concrete wall, 50 miles high and 100 miles wide, with a solid stone foundation extending 10 miles underground. It was not a fun experience.

However, as with any proverbial dark cloud, this one had a silver lining. Frustrated in my writing, I found myself spending more time than ever cooking. That part of my creativity which had previously found expression through my pen, was now added to that which I have always expressed through the culinary arts. Not to brag, but one epicurean masterpiece followed another. My family and friends-while saddened but supportive in regards to my writing woes-relished the results of my heightened efforts in the kitchen. To use terminology from the sports world: as a writer, I was “riding the pine”; as a chef, I was “in the zone.”

Then, one day in late August, I received a letter from my old teacher and friend, Chef László. I had not heard from him for nearly three years. He had just returned home from a two-month trip during which he circumnavigated the entire Mediterranean coast, and he knew I would appreciate the details of his gastronomic experiences along his journey. Naturally, I had to write back. I wrote about my recent rejuvenation in the kitchen and the problems which led to it. And, as I wrote to my old mentor and confidant, I felt something I had recently only felt as I cooked. I felt joy ... not only because I was renewing an old friendship, but also because I was expressing myself through the written word.

So, now I am here to renew my old friendship with you, dear readers. It’s good to be back.

To get things restarted on the right foot, I would like to share with you a recipe for that classic Hungarian dish, töltött paprika (stuffed peppers). It comes from another old “friend” of ours, “An Outstanding Collection of Treasured Hungarian Recipes and Family Favorites” available for a $5 donation to the WPA scholarship fund. (See ordering information below.)

Stuffed Peppers

(Töltött paprika)

1/2 lb. ground beef 1/2 lb. ground pork 1 medium onion 1/2 cup rice 1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 egg

3 tblsp. margarine

2 small cans tomato sauce 10 small green peppers

Wash peppers, cut off tops, remove seeds and scrape inside with spoon. Mince and brown onion in margarine, then pour onion in bowl, add meat, washed rice, salt and pepper. Add egg. Mix well. Fill green peppers about one-half full with mixture. Place peppers open end up into deep pot. Pour on tomato sauce and enough water to cover. Simmer for about one hour or until rice is cooked.

To order “An Outstanding Collection of Treasured Hungarian Recipes and Family Favorites,” send $5 check of money order to:

William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation, Inc. 709 Brighton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15233