Verhovayak Lapja, 1943. január-június (26. évfolyam, 1-25. szám)

1943-05-13 / 19. szám

VOL. XXVI.

MAY, .13, 1943

NO. 19.

Fraternal Societies Give Victory Banquet

The Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh gave a Victory Banquet at the William Penn Hotel, in Pittsburgh, Penn’a, on Thursday evening, May 6th, which was a celebration during the National Fraternal Week from May 3rd to May 8th. The Fraternal Societies found it necessary, due to the present world conflict, "to meet in great numbers and plan the work founded by the various Fraternal Societies.

It was shortly after the Civil War, in 1868, that the first Benefit Society was founded in Meadon ville, Penn’a, by John Upchurch. Many other societies soon followed after the “The Ancient Order of United Workmen”.

Today there are 214 societies In America, with assets totaling 7 billion dollars, and with a membership of 19 million; 118,- 000 lodges meet every month in the country. In Allegheny County alone, there are 400,000 members of Fraternal Societies, with 17 societies that have their main Office in Pittsburgh.

The purpose of the Fraternal Societies is to protect the home in time of distress and illness. The leaders of the various societies are but the pupils of today, the teachers of tomorrow; they are now learning how to bring the idealism of true fraternalism into their lives, and tomorrow will teach the new generation how to carry on the work of the benefit societies. These leaders of today are but the descendants of the past, and soon they will become the parent of the future.

The program was opened with the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, followed by a short invocation.

John P. Sekerak, president of the Greek Catholic Union, introduced the toastmaster, Francis Taptich, president of the Fra! ternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh. Music was furnished by the Duquesne University Tamburitza Orchestra of the Croatian Fraternal Union. Hon. Gregg L. Neel, gave an interesting address; . he had been empowered as Insurance Commissioner, to waive the requirement for conventions which otherwise would have to be held at least once in four years. The waiver of the legislation is to be permitted only at such times as these, and only as long as the war lasts. Singing was by the Greek Catholic Union Choir, under the direction of Professor George Pauley. Hon. Ralph H. Smith,* Judge of the Common Pleas Court, gave an address, urging all members to unite and (help bring about world peace, and to bring together all men of the world through the spirit of fraternalism. Miss Anna Pekich, accompanied by Lelia Wilson Smith, of the Serb National Federation, gave a fine solo, followed by an encore. Oscar A. Kottler, president of the Penn’a Fraternal Congress, gave an address. Francis Taptich introduced the guests at the banquet.

The war effort is helped tremendously by the donations which the Fraternal Societies have made.

The Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association was well represented at the Victory Banquet by supreme president, Joseph D. Darago; supreme secretary, John Bencze; supreme auditor, Coloman Re vesz; supreme treasurer, John Szalanczy; Norman Gluck, attorney; and the employees of the Home Office.

In Search of the Ideal

By KATHRYN RAW

Some philosophers claim that materialism should be balanced by idealism.

How is this possible in a world peopled with beings who know only greed and vanity? The wealthy have too much, and greed keeps them from sharing their goods with the poor. The down-trodden poor are miserable and illiterate, and burdened with work that soon breaks the fragile hopes they had of rising above their sordid environment.

Can science aid in my search of the ideal? But science is cold, rather materialistic in many respects; it can prove facts only within its observation of verifiable laws, mainly by induction and a working hypotheses relating to the physical world.

In the laboratory I learned that atoms can be broken down into electrons and protons. The electron is the most elementary charge of negative electricity, the opposite of the proton; its mass is believed to be entirely electro-magnetic, and electrons are constituents of all atoms. They make up cathode and beta rays; cathode rays generate X rays, while beta rays are a stream of electrons sent forth from a radio-active substance, similar to the cathode ray, but it has a higher velocity. A proton is the nucleus of the atom of the light istope of hydrogen, which is one or more elements filling the same position in the periodic table, uniform in chemical behavior, and discernible only by radio-active transformations or small distinctions in atomic weight; the nucleus constitutes the most important part of its atomic mass and manifests a unit positive charge of electricity. It is believed to be a nuclear constituent of many of the elements,

Science can explain the physical composition of my body, the tissues, bone and blood, but it can not tell me the why and wherefore of my life. Is life just a chemical accident? What is my emotional nature, thoughts, mind and soul? The years I spent in a laboratory seem wasted, for I can not find that intangible something that animates my being.

Tired in body and mind, I went out into the fields, where the sweet odor of new pink clover blossoms scented the air, and I grew languid under the spell of their fragrance. Completely wanting in interest and indisposed to physical exertion, I lay under a gnarled, wind-blown tree, and gazed up at the soft blue sky, and watched big white clouds

Spring

By AGNES CSONTOS

To see the sun come up at dawn,

To see the rays of light

Seep through the sky’s blue covering,

Is truly a wondrous sight.

For this is a message from One above,

To start men out anew.

Another dawn! another day!

Another gift from Him to you.

(This poem was written by Aggie Csontos, of Branch 503, Chicago, Illinois. Aggie is junior at Harrison Icchnical High School.)

It Will Be Heaven

I will not ask which way the sails are set,

Nor whence the breeze that carries you away;

Life is so short ’twere better to forget

What might have been; but know that every day

A prayer will follow you across the foam

At eventide, and one heart will entreat

The angel mariners to guide you home

And moor you safely at the Master’s feet.

And sometime in the dusk on that far shore I trust that we shall wander arm in arm,

When lonesomeness and sadness are no more,

And we are past the bourne of this world’s harm; There in the twilight’s gold and crimson hue It will be heaven to be so near to you.

By THOMAS E. BURKE, C. S. C.

When a Soldier Leaves

It’s five o’clock in the morning;

The rooster began to crow;

Clouds were sailing lightly Above a drifted road;

A young man sat alone,

Upon a hard cold stone,

Waiting for another train To take him to his goal.

He’s leaving his home on the farm; To the city he must go;

And there is no time to spare,

For the army wants him so;

His thoughts are reminiscent,

While waiting for the train;

He’s glad to join the army,

For his country needs him so.

MISS ROSIE SIMO, Box 321.

Royalton, Illinois.

sail beyond the horizon, while ever come to know that Wise

fanciful thoughts came to my mind. Aimlessly, I touched the grass, then marveled at its soft, cool, velvety greenness; and, idly wondered if it was confronted with the problems that perplexed me. I smiled at my foolish thought. Of course, it was not concerned with any problems; it just grew with no thought or knowledge of anything in the past, or of things to be in the future, concerned with life in the present. The thought came back to me — it just grew! Why? What Intelligence filled it with life?

I sought to silence the psychic voice within myself, for I could not answer my- questions. I admitted my helplessness, my utter lack of comprehension of the Greater Being Who had brought me into being. Will 1

Unchanging One Who can look serenely upon my tribulations? Am I foolish to cling to wordly conditions that brought about my afflictions and distress?

Somehow, I feel there is a greater value of life than I have heretofore placed upon it. My mind begins to clear, and I realize I must turn my thoughts inward, into the depths of my being, if I would learn the meaning of my existence, and not seek for knowledge in the transient world. Within my inner self I can glimpse my soul restored to itself, set free to perceive the truths of my divine nature. For the answers to all my questions lie within myself, and I must learn how to delve into my inner nature to find real happiness and peace — the end of my search for the Ideal.