Hungarian American Coalition News, 1993 (2. évfolyam, 1. szám)

1993 / 1. szám

New Board Members Elected

Three new board members were elected at the Coalition’s General Meeting held on May 1st in Washington, D.C. Congratulations to Paul Fekete, Imre Bertalan, and Stephen Benko, who hold three of the ten board positions reserved for individuals rather than organizational representatives. We also welcome Karoly Nagy, who replaced Paul Fekete last December as the representative of the Hungarian Alumni Association - Bessenyei György Kor, andSuzanneVirgulak, who represents the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America in place of Rev. Bertalan since his retirement earlier this year.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE COALITION

The Hungarian American Coalition is a not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization, registered in Washington, D.C. on August 20, 1991.

OUR MISSION:

The Coalition was established to mobilize and coordinate the talents and resources of its members and to promote the interests of Hungarian-Americans.

OUR GOALS:

1. To identify and promote the concerns and

interests of the Hungarian-American community,

2. To foster interest and appreciation in the

United States for the history, education and culture of Hungary, including its literature, arts, and scientific achievements;

3. To encourage cultural and educational

interaction between the people of the United States and Hungary;

4. To protect and preserve the human and

minority rights and cultural heritage of Hungarians throughout the world;

5. To support democratic institutions and

economic development in Hungary.

ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERSHIP:

The Coalition consists of organizational and individual members and operates in accordance with its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, under the direction of its Board of Directors. (These documents are provided upon request.)

Ohio Governor's Business Mission to Hungary

Between April 14-30, 1993 the Ohio Governor’s Business Mission of 12 businesses visited Austria, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Upon arriving in Budapest on April 23, Governor and Mrs. Voinovich were warmly greeted by Foreign Minister Géza Jeszenszky, who presented the Governor with a Medal of Merit from the Government of Hungary for past service and support of Hungarian causes in Ohio.

It was a Coalition reunion of sorts at the April 22 Ohio Business Reception, co-hosted by GE Tungsram and Procter and Gamble where Magda Sass, Stephen Benko, Paul Teleki, Edith and Andrea Lauer, Andrew Ludanyi and Zsolt Szekeres were in the 150 strong crowd. They were joined by visiting Ohioans Dr. and Mrs. Gyula Nadas, Robert Werner, and Rev. and Mrs. Zoltán Nyeste.

Deputy Director of Mission, David Harpley, reported impressive results of the visit to Hungary: I 11 companies conducted 63 business meetings and site visits; 22 business relationships were identified; requests for quotes totalled $1,300,000; an immediate sale of $36,000 was done.

Eight of the 11 companies project sales to Hungary in the next twelve months; two in the next 24 months!

Coalition President Edith Lauer (right), who had briefed Mission Members on Hungary, accompanies Gov. and Mrs. George Voinovich on their visit to the National Museum in Budapest.

Welcome to Our Newest Member:

The Hungarian (Magyar) Club of Chicago

This active group, founded 72 years ago, is the most recent applicant for membership in the Hungarian American Coalition. Its membership of 170 Hungarian American families in the Chicago area gathers frequently to promote interest in Hungarian culture and history, and stresses the importance of teaching the Hungarian language to future generations.

President Paul Varga listed the regularly scheduled events of the Chicago Magyar Club as follows: Summer Picnic in July, Mikulás Party in December, the Annual Ball in February, and the Annual Meeting and Elections in March.

Summer 1993 • Hungarian American Coalition News • 3

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