Fraternity-Testvériség, 1955 (33. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1955-01-01 / 1. szám
TESTVÉRISÉG 9 Our approaching Our Federation will be 60 years old next year. This anniversary naturally will be commemorated in an appropriate manner, worthy of the past, traditions and achievements of the institution. There were only eight Hungarian ministers of the Reformed Church in the United States in 1895, when the Rev. Alexander Kalas- say of Mt. Carmel, Pa., wrote a few articles in one of the Hungarian weeklies, emphasizing the need of a fraternal association that would serve the needs of Protestant Hungarians who at that time were coming to the United States in increasing numbers. Most of the Hungarians who were already here, came only a few years before. Rev. Ka- lassay himself was a “greenhorn”: a recently married young man, 26 years old, who had been in the United States only three or four months. The young couple started their new life in a truly romantic manner: the very day they were married in the ancient college town of Sárospatak in August, 1895, they started on their way to America, no mean undertaking in those days. Arriving in New York with another young minister, Bartholomew Demeter, who became the first pastor of our New York church (now on 69th Street), they were introduced to the organized social life which were conceived in the spirit of brotherly help. They knew no such organizations in Hungary, but very soon became aware of the necessity for these associations. The Hungarians, new or older Americans, were without exception poor people who brought only their health and willingness to work and nothing else. When unemployment or sickness came or death struck, their entire world collapsed. Bitter experience soon taught them to rely on themselves only, and as a result, primitive self-helping organizations started to mushroom in every industrial center. This idea was fairly new in the United States itself and since the willingness to help was greater than the knowledge of the proper procedures, the by-laws and working methods of these societies were established without any previous experience or reliable scientific basis. 50 or 60 years ago neither the federal government nor the state authorities cared to bother with such small matters, when other very important problems were allowed to drift along everywhere. In those days of unlimited and quick industrial expansion the young nation had no inclination to spend time and energy on such trifles as the affairs of small beneficial societies. Even the regulation of the big commercial insurance companies could come only 60th anniversary after many years, when the results of experience were at the disposal of the authorities, by which it became possible to make regulations and laws on a strictly scientific and therefore reliable and secure basis. This was a slow process. Meanwhile many small fraternals succumbed, with many big ones. Most of them promised too much for too little and since keen competition soon developed among them, many were inclined even to increase the too much and decrease the too little. There remained the painful alternative: fold up or reorganize on a sound basis. When it was too late for the latter, the society simply ceased to exist. Our Federation was founded July 4-5, 1896, after some months of preliminary work. The one who started the ball rolling was undoubtedly the Rev. Alexander Kalassay, 1869-1950. At the first meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa., in January, 1896, five ministers were present who agreed that the charter meeting would be held July 4-5 in Trenton, N. J. At this latter meeting ten people were present: five ministers and five laymen, elders of different congregations. It was resolved that the work of organization will start at once under the leadership of a temporary board of directors and officers. They planned a meeting for February 15, 1897, with the understanding that if by that time the membership reaches 500, this would be considered as proof of the necessity to continue the work on a permanent foundation. When the appointed day of this meeting came, in spite of the fact that the tentative membership was only 320, it was unanimously resolved that they would start its activities at noon, February 15, 1897. There was $272.15 in the treasury. Five officers were elected. The Rev. Kalassay became secretary and George Bandré, still living in Bridgeport, Conn., as comptroller. Indeed, it was a very small and modest beginning, but there was faith and good will, and therefore strength in it. During the coming months we will find opportunity to write more about the pioneer times of our Federation, mainly with the purpose to remind our younger members that the way upwards was a tortuous, difficult and sometimes well-nigh impossible one. We sincerely hope that our younger members will learn from these reminiscences to honor the past and its workers and appreciate the results of their struggles. Edmund Vasvary
