William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-02-01 / 2. szám
It Starts With Us May 1,2004 The William Penn Association and America’s Fraternal Benefit Societies, in partnership with The Points of Light Foundation, invite you to be part of the fourth annual JOIN HANDS DAY, Saturday, May 1,2004. This day is dedicated to bringing youths, adults and community groups together to plan projects for their neighborhoods. Join us as we join hands fora better tomorrow. Call 1-877-OUR-l DAY today for registration information. A JOINK]£\RD[5)§DAY it starts with us Sponsored by America's Fraternal Benefit Societies In Partnership with The Points of Light Foundation www.joinhandsday.org Branching Out with Endre Csornán 18862004 From our Founders to our Future ON FEB. 21 OF THIS YEAR OUR Association celebrates its 118th anniversary. The beginning of the Association can be traced to a group of Hungarian coal miners in the anthracite region of central eastern Pennsylvania who longed to establish a society in which like-minded Hungarian immigrants could find financial help in sickness and a social outlet through an active branch life. It is difficult to comprehend that the founders were completely on their own. There was no workmen's compensation, social security or state agency to help the men and women out of work. When illness or accidents struck the wage-earners, neither the employer nor society cared. It was the dedicated efforts of the founders of the fraternal organizations which addressed these needs. According to the so-called " Verhovay Legend," 28 miners contributed to the founding expenses. Only 13 of them signed the founding charter of the Verhovay Aid Association. Consequently, those 13 are the ones who came to be known as the "Founders." The formative period of our history lasted several decades. However, our Association quickly emerged as the most significant of the four top Hungarian fraternal organizations in America. The accomplishments of this Association speak for themselves. For 118 years, the fiscal and social needs of our members have been met. Thousands of young people have been endowed with scholarships. Many Hungarian fraternal societies were merged into the William Penn Association because they were no longer able to succesfully continue their aims and purposes. The helping hand consisted of merging those societies into ours so the insured members would not lose their benefits. Some of the mergers included the Workingmen's Sick Benefit Federation (Munkás Betegsegélyzö Szövetség), the Hungarian Baptist Society (Cleveland, Ohio) and the St. Stephen Society (also of Cleveland). The major merger occurred in 1955 when the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association and the Rákóczi Aid Association of Bridgeport, Conn., merged to form the William Penn Fraternal Association. The aim of that merger was to form a stronger Association in order to preserve the Hungarian culture in America. The Bridgeport Federation (Bridgeport Szövetség) merged into the William Penn in 1979. Then, in 1983, the Catholic Knights of St. George merged into the WPA. Today, the WPA stands as the largest Hungarian fraternal organization outside of Hungary. Throughout these nearly 12 decades, our Association has promoted the rich history and traditions of Hungary, the land of our forefathers. As we celebrate our 118 years of existence, we must look to the future with new insight and creativity to face the challenges ahead. With over 36,000 members, more than $160 million in assets and $233 million of insurance in force, the William Penn Association can be proud of its past and confident in its future. God bless our organization, and may each of us re-dedicate ourselves to the spirit of fratemalism in serving the needs of our members and of all Americans. We must continue to promote and support the study of the Hungarian language, culture and arts and unite Hungarian-Americans to preserve, protect and perpetuate our Hungarian heritage. IffPL I 6 Williu Pen Life, February 2004
