Fraternity-Testvériség, 2005 (83. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2005-10-01 / 4. szám
Page 3 Fraternity- Testvériség The President's Corner Boldog karácsonyi ünnepeket! As Christmas 2005 ■ approaches we are thankful for all the S good that has occurred to us in the I past year and also mindful of the H calamities that befell the victims of ® the hurricanes in the US and the 4 floods in Transylvania. Please remember to contribute to the less fortunate through the “HRFA Victims Fund” and through your favorite charity. As insurance members of FIRFA, you can rest assured that your families will be provided for in case of fatal accidents or illness. Christmas tends to bring out stories about the best in people. I was reminded of this at the Christmas party we sponsored at the American Hungarian Citizens League (the Garfield Club). As I drove the 250 miles from DC to Garfield, NJ, I wondered what was awaiting me. Well, besides the great kolbász and the obligatory red wine that I had to partake of, I heard heartwarming stories about how the Club was built. It was built by Hungarian Americans giving selflessly: someone named Bodnár helping to construct the building for free and someone named Simon giving of their hard earned money to pay for materials, and many others. I understand that HRFA was built the same way, by people who had nothing but street smarts, giving selflessly, to create the wonderful organization you have now. The task we have is keep the HRFA legacy intact and find ways to build the future. I will do my part based on my financial background at leading financial institutions, but I need your help. HRFA, like all fraternals, needs to change to survive. I ask you to contribute selflessly to the organization like your predecessors, by urging your friends to become insurance members, and by giving me your support for the changes to the organization that will be required. While giving toys for tots at Christmas may be a wonderful idea, why not instead (or also) give a present that will last a lifetime. A gift of a whole life juvenile policy will be a small investment on your part that can pay huge dividends in terms of future education and emergencies for the young ones (see our front cover for our latest juvenile member). The following is a short update on the executive staffs and my fraternal activities to support Hungarian culture, charities and organizations. These included: the “Csángó Dinner” to support the building of Hungarian schools in regions in Romania where Hungarian heritage is President’s message continued on page 5 Report of the Secretary-Treasurer As your Secretary/ Treasurer, I am the guardian of all property of the Federation. Among other things, I am responsible for all monies HRFA receives from various sources. A major source is membership dues. With increasing membership, our dues increase correspondingly so that we can maintain and support the social and fraternal culture, heritage, language, and religious traditions of Hungarians in America. There are over one million Americans who claim Hungarian ancestry. Unfortunately, only a fraction of these people are members of HRFA. Certainly, they belong to many organizations other than HRFA. One reason for our small membership is that we are competing against many other organizations for people’s time, money and effort. There are over one million not-for-profit organizations in the U.S. seeking membership and attention. HRFA is one of those organizations. Although the competition for members is fierce, there are many opportunities for us to obtain members. Fortunately, most U.S. households give time or money to non-profits and almost half of these household members did some volunteer work last year. Of those who did not belong to any organization, half of them said that “no one asked me to join,” but almost % said that they would serve if asked. So it is important that our members ask other people they know to join HRFA. We not only sell insurance but provide membership privileges such as scholarships, mortgages, etc. Joining HRFA is a personal investment, and members can expect their valuable return to include connecting to an affinity group, garnering an economic payback, gaining recognition, and helping a cause they believe in. In spite of the Internet being such a dominant marketing force, membership in any group still grows mainly through personal contact. We, as fratemalists, must be prepared to answer the following questions from prospective members: What is expected of me? How much time is involved? How many others have joined? Is anyone like me a member? Our fraternal organization has been in existence over 100 years, and it is located in the nation’s capital. Few of the over one million not-for-profit organizations can claim such esteem, and we are also a faith-based entity. Therefore, if God is with us, who can be against us? Evidence of our religious activities is documented by the mortgages we grant to Hungarian Reformed churches. Evidence of our humanitarianism can be found in our Join
