William Penn Life, 2008 (43. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2008-05-01 / 5. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán To help with the war effort, the Association invested heavily in war bonds and received many citations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Board purchased, through war bonds, two ambulances for the Red Cross, including the one pictured above. • Despite the war effort, the first national bowling tournament was held in 1942. This activity, with a brief interruption, continues today. • To honor all of its members who died in combat, the Association provided that an oil portrait be painted of each member and presented to the family. Nearly 400 such portraits were presented. After World War II, the Association granted nearly $20,000 to the Homeland to support the widows and orphans of Hungary. • The Association employed many displaced persons in the Home Office from the late 1940's on. • After one-and-a-half years of negotiations, the merger with the Rákóczi Aid Association of Bridgeport, Conn., succeeded in 1955. The Association, thereafter, operated under the name of William Penn Fraternal Association. • The Association invested in a large quantity of Hungarian language books for distribution to those members who were interested in learning the Magyar language. • In 1956, the Association contributed large sums of money to aid the Hungarian Freedom Fighters. The Association granted three months leave of absence to its president to travel to Austria to lend his abilities and influence to aid the Hungarian refugees. • Several tours to Hungary were sponsored by the Association since 1930, and they always were sellouts. • In 1971, the Association merged with the Bridgeport Szövetség (American Life Insurance Association) and the St. Stephen's Society of Trenton, N.J. The Association's name was changed to William Penn Association. • In the mid-1970's the Association acquired a 178-acre property-complete with buildings and a lake-in Somerset County, Pa. This was to serve as a youth camp and adult activities center. It is now known as Penn Scenic View, Inc. • The William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation was established in 1972. In 1977, the Scholarship Awards Committee approved grants of $200 each to 50 qualified student members. • At the request of the U.S. State Department, the Association, as the largest Hungarian fraternal organization in the nation, was selected to accompany St. Stephen's crown as it was returned to Hungary. • In 1982, the Board of Directors authorized the publication of a Hungarian language textbook for high school and college students. • Also in 1982, a special convention was held to approve the merger agreement with the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. The William Penn Association approved the merger 110 to 0. However, the Reformed Federation's delegates did not approve, thus a dream of many years vanished into thin air. • In 1983, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department approved the merger of the Catholic Knights of St. George into the William Penn Association. • Also in 1983, the Association's first annual golf tournament was held. This tournament continues to this day, and is one of the Association's most accomplished fraternal activities. • In 1986, the Association granted a large sum of money towards the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. • The William Penn Association Foundation, Inc., was officially incorporated in March 2002. Its purpose is to generate donations from the Association's membership, business relations and the general public. These funds are then disbursed as contributions for charitable, fraternal, religious, cultural, educational or humanitarian purposes within or outside the United States. Our Association continues to render service to its members and performs cultural, charitable, educational, patriotic and religious work. We provide scholarships to our qualifying members, granting more than $86,000 in scholarships last year alone. One of the ways we promote and support the study of the Hungarian language, culture and arts is through our annual Hungarian Heritage Experience. We continue to unite Hungarian Americans to preserve, protect and perpetuate the Hungarian heritage, as established by the Founding Fathers of the Association. |wpl| William Penn Life, May 2008 7
