William Penn, 1963 (46. évfolyam, 5-23. szám)

1963-04-17 / 8. szám

PAGE 4 April 17, 1963 William Penn Official Organ of the William Penn Fraternal Association OFFICE OF PUBLICATION RAPID PRINTING COMPANY 7907 West Jefferson Are. Detroit 17, Michigan PUBLISHED SEMIMONTHLY BY THE William Penn Fraternal Association Managing Editor: JULIUS MACKER Editor’s Office: 436-442 FOURTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH 19, PA. Telephone: COurt 1-3454 or 1-3455. All articles and changes of address should be sent to the WILLIAM PENN FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION 436-442 Fourth Avenue Pittsburgh 19, Pa. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and Canada ......................................... $1.00 a year Foreign Countries ........................................................ $1.50 a year SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT DETROIT, MICHIGAN RÁKÓCZI YEAR In compliance with a Board directive, the President of the William Penn Fraternal Association has declared the year 1963 to be RÁKÓCZI YEAR. This declaration is not only to com­memorate the great Hungarian patriot Francis Rákóczi II, but more so to pay tribute to the 18 pioneer Hungarian immigrants who back in April 1888 in Bridgeport, Connecticut organized the Rákóczi Hungarian Sick Benefit Society., It would be impossible to chronicle the events of 75 years on the pages of this Official Journal, because each of those years has chapters and chapters of the history of the Hungarians who migrated to the shores of the United States of America in search of a better way of life. During these years its name under­went numerous changes. The Rákóczi Hungarian Sick Benefit Society became the Rákóczi Aid Association of Bridgeport, Con­necticut and then finally the WILLIAM PENN FRATERNAL AS­SOCIATION. The history of the Rákóczi is the history of the Hungarian immigrant. The Hungarians began to migrate to these shores in great numbers in the 1880’s. In those days no one waited for them at the docks and piers, there were no relatives and friends to greet them and guide them in the ways of the new world. They were alone in a strange world and had to forge their own way against almost unsurmountable odds. The purpose for organizing fraternal benefit societies was to protect against the always lurking injury, illness and death, which with one swipe could ruin families. Numerous such societies were organized, such as the Verhovay in Hazelton, Pa. in 1886, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding in 1961. The Rákóczi in 1888 in Bridgeport, Conn, with 18 founders. The first treasury records indicate that $7.50 in assets were all that the new group could boast of. Naturally with a sum such as this death benefits had to be minimal, no one dared think then, that some day the descendents would be guaranteeing one hundred thousand dollar life protection on a single life. The records show that the first death benefit paid was one hundred dollars. As the years went by, and the membership grew, this amount kept getting larger and larger too, until the average one thousand dollar protection was offered to anyone who so desired to have this luxury. The Rákóczi founders worked gladly for the interest of the general welfare and to their everlasting gloriful memory goes the thanks of thousands and thousands of orphans and widows who were saved, down through the years, from financial ruin because someone had provided an easier way for their breadwinners to provide security for their loved ones. The 18 founders had no idea that their humble begin­nings would blossom into a national movement, which by 1955 had reached a membership of 28,000 and assets of 8 million dol­lars. Progress was slow and competition became keen and in order for the Society to continue its program of benevolence and fraternalism it began to look around for a similar society with which it could merge and pool its efforts for better service to its members. Thus it was that in 1955 the then two largest Hungarian societies the Verhovay and Rákóczi merged to become the largest fraternal benefit society in the world, the William Penn Fraternal Association. Today its prospective members can now select from among 60 various types of family protec­tion, depending entirely upon the applicants needs and wants. Neither the 18 Rákóczi Founders nor the 13 Verhovay Foun­ders could foretell where their beginnings would be in 75 years. If we today will keep the faith of our Fathers and if we be willing to sacrifice our time and energies as our Fathers before us did, there is no reason why the William Penn can not go on to even greater heights, heights which none of us today would dare to dream as being possible. The William Penn is celebrating Rákóczi Year. Let us do everything possible to assure its growth, by so doing we will be paying the most honorable respects to the memory of our founders. Albert V. Kocsis PRE-CONVENTION NEWS It is decreed by law that the Convention of a Fraternal Benefit Society is the Supreme Legislative and Governing Body. At least once in every four years a Fraternal must hold a Con­vention, delegates to which are elected by the members in the prescribed manner, to gather in a prearranged place for the pur­pose of reviewing the activities of the past four years and to make plans for the ensuing four years. Our Association will hold its next Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, commencing September 9, 1963 in the Penn-Shera­­ton Hotel. Pursuant to our by-laws provisions, all branches having less than four hundred adult members have already elected at their December 1962 regular branch meetings those who will represent them at the Pre-Convention District Meet­ings. The Board of Directors at its regular semi-annual Spring meeting has made the necessary arrangements for calling of the District Session meetings. Notice of same can be found elsewhere in this issue. Each Adult member should feel it to be his obliga­tion to attend Branch meetings and properly prepare for the election of delegates who will represent all the members at the Convention. The most democratic process can be found in the fraternal system, it is entirely up to the members themselves who will go to the Convention as delegates to represent the in­terests of the membership as a whole. If anyone has any con­structive ideas for the good of the Order he should propound these at the Branch meetings and give the elected delegate an idea what the membership is interested in. The time to speak up is before the District session meetings and before the Con­vention itself. If you do not make yourself heard, don’t be a sulker and complain after the Convention, because your com­plaint can not be heard again until the next Convention four years hence. Be a real Fraternalist, get behind your Branch of­ficers, be an active member of your Association, help promote its ideals of fraternalism and brotherly love, participate by acting, not by words. Be an active member at all times, but especially in a Convention year. Elmhurst Student Honored Program in Washington, D. C. The purpose of this course is to observe the United State Government in ac­tion. One of the prerequisites to receiving such an appointment is to complete six semesters on the Col­lege levél as an Honor Student. Dur­ing this semester 103 students from 53 schools have achieved this , goal. Among these are STEPHEN DANKO Senior Political Science Major, of Southgate, Michigan, son of William Penn Director and Mrs. Stephen Danko and grandson of Auditing Committee Chairman and Mrs. Gaspar Papp. Stephen is the first student from Elmhurst College to receive this signal honor. He is assigned to the Appropriation Com­mittee of the House of Represen­tatives and will learn of this Com­mittee’s composition, function and problems through seminars, lectures, courses and by direct, personal con­tact with the members of this all­­important congressional committee. We wish young Mr. Danko much sucess. Each Spring and Autumn from Colleges and Universities through­out the United States, honor stu­dents are selected to participate in the American University Semester

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