William Penn Life, 2011 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2011-06-01 / 6. szám
IN MY APRIL TAKE, I concluded, "If you don't know where you have been, how can you know where you are going?" I would like to expound on that idea a bit as the theme for this month's Take. The aforementioned quote simply means: "I know what our people have to do to perpetuate our great nationality because I have studied and learned about our past." The written past of our great people is fragmented and poorly documented. Of course, we know about King István, Árpád, Attila and Kossuth, just to name a few. Unfortunately, our documentation of lesser known Magyar figures, organizations and events of our American homeland has been poorly chronicled. We have no one to blame but ourselves. The struggle to exist, expand and flourish left our respective communities short of valuable historical information. American Hungarians are the perfect example of the melting pot of America. If we do not get our act together in reference to preserving our culture and history, our ethnic identity will be virtually non-existent by the year 2025. I recently found some issues of William Penn Life published from 1981 to 1983. Besides being light years away from the publication quality of our current issues of William Penn Life, these old issues chronicled the astonishing vibrancy of our culture back then. Things were happening then. I also retrieved from my család's archives a few 30-year-old Hirek newsletters from the old Geauga Magyar Cultural Society (now known as the Northeast Ohio Hungarian Cultural Center, based in Hiram, Ohio). Cultural events in Northeastern Ohio were really cooking. The monthly newsletter informed readers not only about the club's functions but also about Magyar-themed events across the region. Almost every week, there was someplace to go to, Hungarian Style. If a person wanted Magyar food, music or religion, a short drive or bus excursion was readily available almost weekly. Only the cold winter or the Lenten season curtailed the abundant number of activities that took place. Luckily, many of our respective American Hungarian communities have people to help keep our traditions and history alive by either sponsoring or recording our culture and events. Let me tell you about a few of these historians. Paul Lasher is a distinguished gentleman from Nanty Glo, Pa. This Magyar historian has chronicled and recorded countless Hungarian concerts, dances and picnics for several decades. He has written about and recorded on tape the men and women that made the music for the Hungarians of the Pittsburgh area. There may have been other musical historians, such as Dr. Molnár or Julia Orosz, but they are no longer with us. Their legacies have been nearly forgotten or lost. The information and recorded music that Mr. Lasher has compiled is the last. Tibor's Take with Tibor Check, Jr. Stewards of our heritage Points to ponder.... In a few short months, the WPA General Convention will convene in suburban Pittsburgh. The food, speeches, music and politics will be flowing abundantly, Magyar Style. Numbers in attendance will be large. The camaraderie will be harmonious and all will appear to be wonderful. But, the real proof in the pudding will occur when the WPA delegates close the doors and sequester themselves for the Convention. This is where the crucial realization of how things will evolve within WPA will emerge. Their decisions will effect not only the future members of this fraternal organization, but also the entire American-Hungarian community as well. The future is NOW! The delegates need to make some bold decisions concerning WPA. If the voting block concedes to wait and let the next Convention settle the issues that face us, it just might be too late. We as American- Magyars are now in the I I th hour of our very existence. May the divine providence of King István guide each and every officer, national director and delegate in making the BEST decisions for WPA! 8 0 June 2011 0 William Penn Life
