William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003 / Különszám
Remaining committed to the ideals of our founding fathers The Address of the National Vice President-Secretary to the General Convention By Richard W. Toth, FLMI, FIC Delegates, fellow ex-officio delegates, friends and guests: It is a great pleasure and honor to stand before you at this, the 35th General Convention, as National Vice President-Secretary of the William Penn Association, the largest Hungarian ethnic fraternal benefit society in America. As you know, our Association was founded by 13 Hungarian coal miners. They had only a few dollars saved, but they had the wisdom, the compassion and the Fraternal Spirit to help families during the loss of a loved one and to preserve the rich heritage of their ancestors. Our founders would be proud to know that, 117 years later, the William Penn Association remains committed to their ideals. During the past 19 years, I have witnessed the fruition of those ideals. I have had the pleasure of working with and meeting many caring and dedicated members at our annual bowling and golf tournaments, Hungarian Language Camp, Penn Scenic View's annual picnic and branch family Christmas parties. It is at these events, and in particular the branch Christmas parties—which I first attended as a child and now attend as a branch officer and national officer of the William Penn Association—that I truly have experienced Fratemalism at its best. During the past seven years as National Vice President- Secretary, I have worked diligently and with much enthusiasm and dedication to ensure and maintain the continued success of the William Penn Association. My fellow officers can attest that we have faced many challenges and obstacles, such as implementing a new P.C. platform computer system, becoming Y2K compliant, improving our insurance portfolio and managing our investments during difficult economic times. But, we have persevered. Today, the William Penn Association's flame is burning brighter than ever, with assets in excess of $147 million, and we can attribute this great accomplishment, in large part, to the untiring efforts, dedication, loyalty and support of our past and present National Officers, National Directors, National Auditing Committee members, Home Office staff, branch officers, sales representatives and, most importantly, our members. Within the secretary's department, our underwriting, annuity and membership services departments remain committed to providing quality and timely service to our members and sales force. In closing, I would like to thank the William Penn Association Board of Directors for the confidence and trust they placed in me in 1996 and again in 1999, when they elected me to the office of National Vice President-Secretary. You can rest assured that I will continue to strive to do what is in the best interest of our beloved William Penn Association. Af the conclusion of his address, Mr. Toth read greetings received from elected officials and leaders in the fraternal system, including Hungarian Ambassador András Simonyi, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendeli and President George W. Bush. In his greetings, President Bush said: "Throughout our history, America has welcomed millions of immigrants seeking a better life for themselves, their families, and future generations. The perserverance, traditions, and spirit of these individuals have helped to strengthen our communities and shape our national character. Today, Hungarian Americans across our country are proud citizens who also remain committed to preserving their heritage and appreciating their ancestry. Your values, dedication to family, and strong sense of community continued to play a vital role in the success and prosperity of our country. "I commend you for upholding your traditions. By sharing your history and culture, you enrich our Nation and reaffirm the ideals that make our Nation strong." 2 Williu Phi Life, Special Convention Edition, November 2003
