William Penn Life, 2006 (41. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
2006-05-01 / 5. szám
Meeting in Harrisburg Pennsylvania fratemalists strengthen ties with legislators, learn about state programs during visit to state capitol Among those attending the recent Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress Meeting and Legislative Breakfast in Harrisburg were (l-r) National Director Charles S. Johns; Pa. State Rep. John E. Pallone; National Director Ronald S. Balia; National Director Nickolas M. Kotik; Vice Chairman of the Board £ E (AI) Vargo; Joseph Fabri, director of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America; Pa. State Rep. Michael R. Veon; National Director Anthony C. Beke; Membership Activities Manager Endre Csornán; and National Vice President-Secretary Richard W. Toth. by Richard W. Toth, FIC National Vice President-Secretary I had the great pleasure of attending the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress Meeting and Legislative Breakfast in Harrisburg, Pa. on April 3 and 4,2006 along with a few WPA national directors. I represented the WPA as national vice president-secretary as well as represented the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh as president. On Monday evening, a Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress (PFC) meeting was held at the Verhovay Club in Harrisburg which was sponsored by WPA Branch 336.1 would like to thank National Director Charles S. Johns and Branch 336 for holding the meeting at their facility. The food the branch served was delicious and well received. On Tuesday, April 4, a large delegation of ffatemals attended the PFC Legislative Breakfast in the State Capitol. The PFC presented its Keystone Fraternal Legislative Award to Nicholas A. Micozzie, a member of the State House of Representatives and chairman of the House Insurance Committee, for his tireless efforts supporting the fraternal benefit system and his help with preventing the taxation of fraternal benefit societies. Also in attendance was Nickolas M. Kotik, a member of the House of Representatives and member of the WPA Board of Directors. After the awards presentation, we adjourned to meet with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, who welcomed us to her office and gave us a tour. She is a big supporter of the fraternal benefit system. Lt. Gov. Knoll distributed pamphlets describing various programs and issues which she thought may be of interest to our members: • Ben Franklin’s 300th birthday-The State Library is building a state-of-the-art vault on the ground floor of the Forum Building to house the Pennsylvania Rare Book Collection. When the unveiling takes place on Oct. 2,2006, the Transitionally Rare and Newspaper areas will be in close proximity to the original collection, facilitating preservation and research for future generations. There will be approximately 14,000 items housed in the new library. Some of the books date back to 1771, including al 1 books from Ben Franklin’s press, such as Poor Richard s Almanacs and the General Assembly Collection originally purchased by Franklin when he was clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1745. The collection will also include other rare items, including The Travels of Captains Lewis & Clark and the first edition of Audubon. For more information, contact the State Library at 717-783-5982. * Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation for Nursing - Due to the critical shortage of nurses in Pennsylvania, six new nursing education initiatives were created to encourage current nurses to return to school and earn their graduate degrees and teach the next generation of nurses. For more information, contact the Foundation office at 717-720-3%!. • CHIP Program-The Children’s Health Insurance Program covers all kids with health insurance so parents with higher, ineligible incomes will be able to purchase health insurance for their children at affordable prices. • Seniors Pace Plus Program - To save thousands on prescription drugs and ensure same level of coverage. • Possible Influenza Pandemic — Preparations are being made in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak and what actions can be taken to help lessen the impact on your community. In addition, Pennsylvania has two new, first in the nation, mobile health laboratories to respond to emergencies. For information on pandemic influenza, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hotline at 1-800-232-4636. It was a very informative and enjoyable visit to the State Capitol and Harrisburg Branch 336.1 look forward to returning next year, [vvpl] William Penn Life, May 2006 3
