William Penn Life, 2010 (45. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2010-10-01 / 10. szám
Great food, family fun & fraternalism, plus a few new features, combine with record attendance to make this year's WPA Picnic the best yet ^Williäm)l)cnn l.ifcr° October 2010' Good weather, great food and a record attendance made the William Penn Association 10th Annual Picnic-A Great Fraternal Fest on Sept. 11 a huge success. Approximately 1,300 WPA members, guests and volunteers attended this great event at Scenic View that showcased what Fraternalism is all about: friendship, patriotism and goodwill to all. Our fraternal brothers and sisters came from near and far to be a part of what has become a must attend event on their calendar. At least 14 states were represented, with attendees from Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut, Michigan, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The picnic, which lasted from noon until 6:00 p.m., set a record not only for attendance but also for money raised for the WPA's Scholarship Foundation. There was plenty of food and activities for both young and old. Children enjoyed the expanded activities area, which included a large, inflatable slide, a playhouse, face painting, crafts and games. For our senior crowd we had George Bátyi and his band playing Hungarian music all afternoon. Raffles, door prizes, the Chinese auction and plenty of great food and refreshments ensured that no one left with an empty stomach, and many attendees left with some great gifts and prizes. The picnic was the culmination of a week-long flurry of activity by a relatively large group of volunteers that prepared from scratch many mouth watering ethnic dishes, including chicken and mushroom paprikás and dumplings, lángos, gulyás, kolbász, hot dogs and plenty of homemade pastries. More than 100 volunteers worked more than 1,500 hours preparing the great meals that were served, preparing the grounds, setting up tents, tables and chairs and cleaning up afterward. An outsider might ask: "Is all this work worth it?" Our answer: "Absolutely!" Those of us involved in what has become a tradition understand that the meaning and success of this event is measured by smiles on faces, not dollars in the scholarship fund (even though, happily, it does raise quite a bit of that). After all, this is the type of wholesome, family-oriented activity that celebrates the best qualities of America and Fraternalism. On the following pages you'll see the people who make all the work worthwhile. So make it a point to circle next year's date on your calendar and join us in the Laurel Mountains of Western Pennsylvania to be a part of the tradition. Membership in WPA does have it's rewards. Colorful fall decorations throughout the'grounds ^ of Scenic View made for a welcoming and relaxed setting. (Photos by Stephen J. Varga). mm
