William Penn, 1956 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1956-09-05 / 9. szám
PAGE 6 September 19, 1956 William Penn OTOR fJTY NEWS BRANCH 3S-V. — DETROIT, MICHIGAN By Jolán Lucas GOI.DEN JUBILEE OF BRANCH 36 STEPHEN LUKACS This is the story of a man and the story of a William Penn branch on its 50th anniversary. The story of Branch 36-V of the William Penn Fraternal Association would not be complete without the story of its District Manager, Stephen Lukacs, since the branch could not have grown to its present stature without the tireless efforts and devotion to duty of Mr. Lukacs. In fact, there are really two anniversaries to be celebrated on Saturday evening, October 13, 1956 at the Hungarian Reformed Church Recreation Hall, corner of Vanderbilt and Dearborn, beginning promptly at 6 p.m. Branch 36-V will be 50 years old, and Mr. Lukacs will be rounding out 30 year£ of work as branch secretary, district organizer and now District Manager. This would be a good spot to insert more complete details about the forthcoming Golden Jubilee Banquet and Dance. Dinner will be served PROMPTLY, beginning at 6 p.m. The menu will consist of traditional Hungarian dishes such as fried chicken, stuffed cabbage, Hungarian pastries and all the rest of the goodies. This excellent dinner, including a dance beginning about 8:30 p.m. or thereabouts, can be enjoyed for only $2.00 per person — children under 12 years of age will be served for $1.00 per individual — and the dance admission alone will be only 75<L Joseph Balint and his gay orchestra will regale the guests during the banquet, later will really liven up the party for dancing. On the program will be short speeches by prominent officers and guests — and I mean very short speeches. There will also be musical selections and other entertainment by Miklós Thegze-Gerber and baritone Jeno Mate, from the McKeesport, Pa. and Cleveland, Ohio areas. New acts by some of the talented members of the William Penn Junior Club will also be performed, and these, I can personally guarantee from first-hand viewing, will be tremendously entertaining. A surprise treat, if satisfactorily concluded, will be a re-run of movies from the 1928 and 1939 branch picnics. Those of you who may remember these picnics and movies should have an enjoyable evening of seeing yourselves and reliving those times as they were then. There will be other events which at this time are still in the planning stage. All the other William Penn, branches from the Detroit area, and many from out of state, plus national officers and directors, plus representatives from Hungarian societies and churches will be present. A real Hungarian get-together. Come see your old friends and have a gala evening. We’ll all be there! To go on with the story... Let’s start with the branch. Branch 36-V was organized on June 6- 1906 with the following eighteen charter members: John Artim, Géza Csiszár, Alex Csornai, Joseph Eerdelyi, Frank Horvath, Alex Mészáros, Charles Molnár, I' rank Nemeth, John Nemeth, John Össze, Frank Pari, Joseph Pinter, Joseph Pal, George Soltész, Joseph Spangli, John Szabó, Joseph K. Szabó, and Alex Szalai. Of the above mentioned members only Joseph Erdélyi remains, the others having returned to Hungary or deceased. Let us pause here a moment and give them a deserving tribute. Thus the only living charter member who will enjoy this very happy occasion is Joseph Erdélyi, a farmer living in Carleton, Michigan, who will be a guest of honor at the Jubilee Banquet. In 1910, Mi-. Erdélyi dedicated . a Hungarian flag to the branch. From that time until 1926 there were no more anniversary celebration's held in the branch. The branch grew rapidly so that by 1926, when Mr. Lukacs became branch secretary, there were 400 members. Since Detroit was itself a small town 50 years ago, it is understandable that Branch 36-V started with only a handful of members. Today in competition with four other William Penn branches in the Detroit V area, (cut down from more than ten at one time in the past few years) Branch 36 enjoys the unique distinction of being the second largest branch in the Association with 2700 members. Until last year, when Branch 48-V in New York City was so successful in MERGING all the area Verhovay and Rákóczi branches, Branch 36-V held the reputation of being the largest single branch in the Association. There are nearly 7,000 members in the Motor City area today, and it would be a very proud FERRET who would brag about the HONOR of belonging to the largest single branch if all five Detroit branches would unite — again distinguishing our town as the #1 William Penn city. (You know, it wouldn’t be too hard to do if everyone voted for this happy union.) To write the complete history of Branch 36-V, from its inception in 1906 to the present time, would take a lot of research, time and journal space. Rather, the idea here is to point out the- IMPORTANCE of a successful, diplomatic and courteous manager of a branch. It is THE MAN who makes the BRANCH. Mr. Lukacs is just such a man. Without integrity, high moral character and devotion to duty, a branch or district manager would be unable to make his branch grow to huge proportions. The Lukacs story is the story of every worthwhile manager, a man who is a leader in his community, in civic affairs, and who devotes his personal attention to the needs of every William Penn member. This is a tribute to all those hard-working managers who do so much for the Association and the individual, but who often receive so little credit for their efforts. The active branch work of Stephen Lukacs really began more than 30 years ago when he joined the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association in September, 1910, at the Parent Branch in Hazleton, Pa., where he remained for two years. He was transferred to Branch 199 in Redhill, Pa., where he remained for about ten years, serving in the capacity of secretary for seven years. In 1925 the Lukacs family moved to Detroit where they were transferred to Branch 36-V. In 1926, Mr. Lukacs was elected to the position of branch secretary and has held that position ever since, becoming district organizer in 1944, later traveling district manager, and now district manager. It is easy to see that Mr. Lukacs was well qualified to take over the position of secretary and district manager, and it isn’t too difficult to see why he has held branch posts these 30 years. So that the fraternal experience of npistrict Manager Stephen Lukacs would be well-rounded out, among other things he attended his first ■convention in 1914 in Passaic, New Jersey. At the 1939 convention he was elected to the Auditing Committee and re-elected at the 1943 convention. I remember very well that first Auditing Committee session ip 1944 when I was called in as a member of that body. After working with Mr. Lukacs and Mr. Joseph Bumbulucz for two weeks, I earned a healthy respect for his shrewd mind for figures, an excellent branch manager, and a tough stickler for the rules and regulations of the By-Laws and Constitution of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association. It was Mr. Lukacs who taught me, a raw and young branch manager, the importance of strict adherence to the By-Laws and Constitution and the cooperative spirit of working with the entire membership. It was he who taught me that just being a branch manager wasn’t enough — that wg weren’t dealing with figures and statistics, but with human beings who on occasion become too emotional, who had to be dealt with diplomatically and with tact, that rules were not made to be broken by branch leaders for their own purpose. By 1943 there were 1200 members in the branch, and Mr. Lukacs took care of the business of the members very well, despite the fact that he was Working ten hours a day at the Chevrolet plant of General Motors. Every man was needed to help in the war effort, and yet the duties of the Association had to be taken care of also. It must have been a backbreaking task, after ten hours in an automobile plant, and yet the quota of new business was regularly .secured by Mr. Lukacs, in addition to the very satisfactory managing of the branch. Some of the highlights of branch activities would make considerable stories in themselves, but space ' being at a premium only slight mention can be made of a few of them. As I stated above, up until 1926 when Mr. Lukacs became braneh secretary, no anniversary celebrations were noted. In 1926, a banquet and dance was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary, and every five years since then, up to the present time, the Golden Jubilee. In 1926 an American flag was dedicated to the branch, sponsored by Godparents Mr. and- Mrs. Joseph Balogh, now deceased. At the same time a Hungarian flag was also dedicated and sponsored by godmother Mrs. John 1iCasa, deceased, and godfather Joseph Erdélyi, the only charter member remaining in Michigan and Branch 36-V. During the depression years, the branch voted more than $2,000 to pay the dues of members who were unable to keep up their policies. To insure the interest of the younger members, Branch 36 has sponsored baseball teams which have won trophies at the National Bowling Tournaments; there was a social club at one time which did a great deal to promote fraternal interest between younger members of other Detroit branches (that was fun and I see no reason why we can’t start) something like that again): and there have been numerous activities for the children since 1938, culminating this year in the first William P'enn Junior Club in the Association. I could go on and on. However, there is just one thought I would like to leave with you today. United all five William Penn branches in the Detroit area could accomplish much as a strong fraternal group. Separated the way we are the struggle is harder, but we here at Branch 36-V will set our sights on a new America, a new way of living, a way of life which will take . into consideration that we are human beings — with emotions, loves, desires, hates and ambitions. If we have to go the long way alone, we will set an example for our fellow members throughout the Association — the true fraternal spirit of the Brotherhood of Man. Lest we forget, we pay tribute to the current crop of branch officers ... President Martin Marton, kindly and a gentleman; dear Joseph Marczis, Controller for many years, who celebrated his 75th birthday in August; Stephen Jozsa, who has been Sick Visitor for so long that convalescents look eagerly for him; Recording , Secretary John Dienes, one of the best recorders I have ever known; Steven Kopcsek, senior officer of the Auditing Committee, who so eagerly welcomes second generation members Geza Madarasz and Jolán Lucas. Thank you, gentlemen, for accepting me, a woman and a housewife, into your ranks of leadership. Your old FERRET •12996 Rosedale Avenue Wyandotte, Michigan AVenue 5-0106 LAPSED — MAY 1956 13.V. Baytell Mrs. Louis, Moore Mrs. Fenton, Moore Fenton I. Jr., Ritchie Mj-s. Carew, Ritchie Dolores, Ritchie Peggy»S., Smith Charles; 14.V. Bohm Adelheid, Böhm Conrad, Bohm Ladislaus, Bohm Mrs. Ladislaus, Bolesic Paula1 J„ Bolesic Sharon Ann, Csikós Karoly, Grill Ingeborg, Grill Otto, Kende Mrs. Géza, Szabó Mrs. Stephen; 15.V. Rokor Paul Jr., De Jaeck John Jos., De Jaeck Mrs. John; 26.V. Pache Elizabeth, Pache Julianna F.; 27.V. Bowers Eugene A., Bowers Mrs. Eugene, Koleszar John Jos.; 36. V. Caruso Rocco, Eskie Frank A., Mahar Mrs. Earl; 45.V. Falk Ildikó, Lendvay Joseph, Lendvay Joseph, Lendvay Mrs. Joseph, Szarka Esther Eliz, Szarka Sándor, Toth William Allen; 50.V. Folmer Brian J., Folmer Edith Ann, Folmer Eugene M., Folmer Jeffrey P., Uhlean Matthew Jr.; 71.V. Davidovich Andrew, Davidovich Virgini; 76.V. Heron Doris J., Weiss Albert J., Weiss Mrs. Albert J., Weiss Albert J. Jr., Weiss Cheryl Lee, Weiss Darlene, Weiss Geraldine M.; 84.V. Hanzly Mark, Hanzly Michael; 88.V. Brochetti Mrs. John. Elkin Harry C.; 129.V. Manter Harry K., Marezika Steven, Matheny Harry A., Morgan Howard C., Nevius John, Winterhalter Quent; 132.V. Carson Shirley A., Harsanyi Joseph, Joossens Edward L., Klipich Richard D., Winslow Edward Jr.; 138.V. Baranko Ethel May; 152.V. Logue Gerald M.; 189.V. Pisoni Marcia Jean; 226.V. Madar Mary Ann; 248.V. Grover John Tim; 285.V. Wieclaw* Beverly A.; 361.V. Gertner Michelle, Pongracz Irene; 383.V. Dancsik Joseph; 433. V, Lucoteh Mrs. Eliz; 443. V. Hovizi Gloria Jean, Lasky Mrs. George, Lutz Irene Elizf 482.V. Harmon William, Meadows Mrs. Claude; 511.V. Barnyak Denise K., Kovach Edward John, Kovach Kenneth S.; 514.V. Kalosky Mrs. Steve, Kalosky Susan M. , Total: 85.
