Fraternity-Testvériség, 1944 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1944-07-01 / 7. szám
TESTVÉRISÉG 15 hivatásuk teljesítéséhez kell előre megnyerni az amerikai magyarság támogatását, hanem olyan benyomást kell gyakorolniok a tudományos pályákra készülő amerikai magyar if jakra is, a mely vonzólag hat rájuk, hogy Elmhurst felé ne bizonytalan lépésekkel, hanem határozott célkitűzéssel és bizalommal közeledhessenek. Nyugodt lelkiismerettel mondhatjuk, hogy ebben a tekintetben nagyon sikeres volt szereplésük. A harmadik cél diák alap létesitése volt, a mi abból az ősi diák közösségi érzetből fakadt, .amellyel segítséget kívánnak nyújtani azoknak a jövendő diák társaiknak, akiket anyagi gond aggaszt és tart vissza attól, hogy tudományra szomjuhozó lelkűket kielégíthessék. Ez a célkitűzésük is nagyon szépen sikerült, úgy is mondhatnám, hogy várakozáson felül sikerült. Azt bizonyítja ez, hogy a támogatást kiérdemelték és azt, hogy magyar népünk sokra értékeli azokat az ifjakat és hoz áldozatot értük, akik atyáik nyomdokában kívánnak járni. A megértésnek és a jószívűségnek könnyekig megható példáját láttuk, amikor nehezen dolgozó, kérges kezű, de arany szivü öregjeink a belépő díjon felül kérés nélkül adakoztak erre a nemes célra. Az elért siker és elismerés a diákoké, de az érdem mégis csak a tanárjuké, aki nemcsak életre keltette a rég megszűnt felsőbb iskolai magyar nyelvi oktatást, hanem olyan lelkesedéssel és odaadással szolgálja mindenkor, amely a legnagyobb tiszteletet és hálát kell kiváltson az amerikai magyarságból. Hálásak vagyunk a mi Református Egyesületünknek, amely a jelenleg tanuló 8 diák közül 6-nak adott évi $200.00 ösztöndíjat, hogy igy Amerikában a magyar felsőbb oktatás pat- rónusa legyen, hálásak vagyunk az elmhursti főiskolának is, amely megnyitotta kapuját a magyar nyelv tanítására is és szeretettel hívogatja ifjainkat, hogy magyar kulturmunkára készítsék fel magukat. Szülők! Ifjak! Testvérek! Halljátok meg Elmhurst hivó szavát, ragadjátok meg az alkalmat, hogy legyen, aki faji értékeink zászlóját magasan hordozhassa, hirdetvén azok örökkévalóságát. Balla Zsigmond. LETTER FROM ENGLAND The Chaplain and I returned today from our services at our old base, and we were both delighted to find so many letters waiting for us. It always seems to happen that as soon as I go away somewhere, the mail comes in; maybe the fact that I’m always so anxious to get letters scares them off a ittle, or at least delays them. I should like to be able to arrange to be away for a couple of days each week, just so the mail would come in bunches. We had a very nice time while we were away, and enjoyed ourselves very much. His preaching mission was eminently successful at that camp, as it was here; and his sermons were the talk of the camp. You would be surprised how much good a really good sermon can do among soldiers. There is always a good smattering of officers as well, and they never fail to come up front to congratulate the Chaplain after each service. "Like human being .. While we were on special duty, we stayed at a hotel within a short distance of the castle, and had tea with Mrs. Manley twice. Her two brothers, the English cinema actors, Hugh Dempsters and his wife (quite well known here though not in the States), were also on hand for the teas, and we had some grand chats together... Mrs. Manley has taken so many Americans under her wing, and anyone who has had the pleasure of being considered one of her friends feels pretty good about it. I can tell you, that just the knowledge that somewhere over here, so far from our own homes and friends, considers us such good friends, and looks forward to our visits, makes all the difference between forever feeling like a perfect stranger everywhere, and knowing that you belong a little bit at least. While we were at the hotel, we visited one or two of the other nice ones for meals, and even has roast pigeon one night for supper, and it wasn’t bad either. You cannot imagine what a real pleasure it was to sit down at a nicely laid table again, with real silver, napkins and tablecloth, quiet efficient service,' and a good meal. And though the meals here cannot compare with those at home (the war of course' still just the idea of eating like a civüized human being again is return enough. Battle with currency I found out last night that I am to have another job besides my regular one, and that is PX cashier. We have a small PX which we set up today, and which was already in operation tonight. The supplies came in from the Quartermaster this afternoon, and by tonight at six PM, we had everything laid out in display, and I was ready to do battle in earnest with the English currency. Although I have gotten as used as any to handling and counting it, still it is not an easy job to make cash as fast as though it were our own currency. One has simply to remember, when adding up items paid for in shillings and pence, that any amount in pence above twelve is to be devided by that number 02) to find out the nearest shilling (sounds complicated but isn’t really.) So we had about eighty customers this first night and the men were delighted to have their own PX. Rare things, oranges Today, much to our undiluted pleasure, we actually got a Sunkist orange apiece. When we have had oranges previously, they came from Spain, I believe But this having a real, genuine Sunkist (plainly stamped on the orange) was a treat out of the ordinary. I put mine up on the shelf of my tent, to look at it for a while before eating it. Rare things, oranges. And this one has a breath of home about it. England, 1944. Gedeon Géza Takaró.
