Verhovayak Lapja, 1946 (29. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1946 / Verhovay Journal
AUGUST 28, 1946 Officers and Guests of Harrisburg Verhovay Home Association A CLEAR TITLE was presented to the Verhovay Homo Association of Branch 336, Harrisburg, Pa-, celebrating the return of 195 veterans from the war. The above picture, taken on that occasion shows the officers of the Association and some o.f the guests attending the affair. Sitting at the table are the Rev. Father Lawrence Schott, Hon. David Kohen, Assistant District Attorney, Master of Ceremonies, and Mr. John Berry, Ward-Committeeman; standing are Messrs. Gazer Fabiankovitz, treasurer of the Verhovay Home Association, Supreme Treasurer John Szalanczy, Rudy Krajcsik, trustee, James Nagy, President of the Home Association, John Sabo, Supreme Aiditor, John Parits, vice-president of the Home Association and George Borondi, manager of Branch 336. AN ACT OF HONOR LOSSES SUFFERE] This is the story of an honorary debt voluntarily assumed as such by a group of people who didn’t owe anything, and paid to nineteen guarantors who had for ever lost their money nineteen years ago ... In our avaricious, catch-as-can age this is the story of a miracle wrought in human hearts by the power of honor ... The story begins in 1927 when the Hungarian colony in Alliance, O., decided to build a Hungarian Home. There was a real need for such a building and the people responded generously to the plan. A nice amount was raised which, together with a substantial loan from the local bank, made the realization of the plan possible. However, as it goes when building a house, more money was needed but not to be had from the bank. An appeal for collaterals was heeded by nineteen Hungarians who signed aditionr.l notes offering their homes and holdings as security. Thanks to their confidence in the future of the Alliance Hungarian Home, the building was completed in due course and taken over by the owners. Hard times cause failure. Then came the great collapse. Hard times, too, well remembered by all, caused great hardships and, finally, failure of the courageous undertaking. Demands for payments could not be met and the sad day came when the Alliance Hungarians had to face the bitter fact that the Heme ) LONG AGO MADE GOOD BY which they cherished, was not to remain in their possession any longer. And because prices hit the bottom, the proceeds from the sale of the home could not be expected to cover the amount of the mortgage and the notes signed by the nineteen guarantors were called. Their combined losses amounted to $1,691.42 ... Of course, they felt bitter about their losses. But so did the good people of Alliance who for years had worked and sacrificed in order to build and retain their beautiful home. They just couldn’t get used to the idea that this building, the Home of all Alliance Hungarians, should be lost to them forever, nor could they resign themselves to the fact that nineteen families should be made to suffer additional losses because of the failure of their noble undertaking. Verhovay steps in . . . Branches 189 and 369 of Alliance, O., decided to enlist the assistance of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association. The Board agreed to their request and the building was purchased by the Verhovay for the Alliance branches. And the people in Alliance were thankful and happy, for even though ownership was assumed by the members of the Verhovay, at least it remained the Home of American Hungarians. From that time on, they worked together to clear the Home of all indebtedness for ALLIANCE HOME they were determined not to lose it for the second time. That they succeeded was reported last year in our Journal. On September 20, 1945, a chartered bus left Pittsburgh for Alliance, with the members of the Board of Directors, the Auditing Committee, the Supreme Officers and the Home Office employees who went to attend the mortgage burning celebrations in the Alliance Verhovay Home which, purchased by the Verhovay in 1931, was finally cleared of all encumbrances by that time. It was a joyous occasion attended by guests and representatives from many sister-branches who joined the members of the Alliance branches in rejoicing over the success of 18 years of hard work and self-sacrifice. An honorary debt. Eleven months had passed since that day. Eleven months packed w’th social and fraternal activities. Many a time the Alliance Home stepped into the Verhovay lime-light. Many a time did the members of its Club earn the applause and admiration of their community as well as the membership of the Verhovay. Indeed, they have made themselves a record rarely matched by any group of similar size ... Their part in supporting the wareffort, their contributions to the American Hungarian Relief, Inc., their participation in all patriotic, humanitarian and fraternal movements made Alliance one of (Continued on Page 2) A Memorable Event 195 Returned Veterans Honored By Harrisburg Verhovay Home Association Celebrating Acqisition of Title to Home Harrisburg, beautiful capital of Pennsylvania, on the’ enchantingly romantic Susquehanna River, is the seat cf Branch 336 whose beneficial and social members gathered on August 7th, Wednesday evening, to celebrate the acquisition of title to their splendid home and to offer a rousing welcome to the 195 returned veteran members of the local Verhovay Home Association. As pointed out elsewhere in this issue of the Journal, the acquisition of this Home is an outstanding achievement, indeed, considering how small the number of Hungarians is in that city. Hungarians are sociable people' and wherever they settled, churches were built, societies formed, organizations developed, but there were so few of them in Harrisburg that not even a congregation could be established. The Verhovay, however, though Hungarian in origin and name, is not bound to any particular nationality and its fraternal program met with a warm reception among the residents of Pennsylvania’s capital, who joined the Association in ever increasing numbers attracted by the excellent leadership and the fraternal spirit prevailing among the members of our local branches. The largest of these, 336, however, had greater ambitions. The members of this branch conceived the dream of building in Harrisburg, a Verhovay Home, an institution which was to be a lasting symbol of the productiveness of the Hungarian spirit and an expression of faith in the permanency of Verhovay fratemalism. The addresses delivered on this occasion tell how the dream was realized. Here we emphasize cnly the particular significance of the Verhovay Home of Branch 336, the only institution of its kind in Harrisburg, conceived, planned, developed and built with the help and under the guidance of an American society with a Hungarian background. This building and the various activities conducted therein serve conclusive proof of the Verhovay having a certain future among American fraternals, regardless of its foreign origin and name. Even among our own membership we hear many glocmy prophecies to the effect that the days of Hungarian institutions are numbered because interest in them will cease as soon as the Hungarian population disappears in the great melting pot of American nationalities. These glcomy prophets don’t seem to understand that their message of doom had been loudly proclaimed even before they were born. Their predecessors have passed on, but their institutions are still with us, in fact they are progressing and expanding more than ever. But of all the American Hungarian organizations the Verhovay has the greatest chances for survival and permanence," because our Association already has proven itself as effective a melting pot as the land in which it was born. Denominational, national and social boundaries had been crossed long ago by the Verhovay which is one of the first organizations of foreign origin that has become totally americanized. This is the lesson taught to us by the progress of the Verhovay in Harrisburg and the acquisition of a prosperous Verhovay Hom-i in a city where Hungarians, due to their small number, could make headway in no other field of endeavor but in that afforded by fraiernalism which is essentially American both as an institution and a philosophy. The Harrisburg Verhovay Home is a symbol of Verhovay progress and the result of eight years of coordinated efforts and wellplanned activities. Credit for the acquisition of this Home goes to the Verhovay Home Association of Branch 336 whose officers, rendering leadership of the highest quality, succeeded in making Verhovay history by establishing the precedent for advancing the Verhovay, as an institution, in a field that lies beyond the original realm of American Hungarians. THE CELEBRATION. The National Anthem was sung by the audience and then the Rev. Father Lawrence F. Schott offered prayer which was followed by the introduction of David S. Kohn, Assistant District Attorney, the Master of Ceremonies. After extending his warmest greetings to the audience, he introduced the officers of the Verhovay Home Association who were given a rousing ovation in recognition of their excellent leadership that, with the cooperation of the members of that body, has made it possible for them to acquire their fine building. We, too, pay tribute to these men who had made such an important contribution to the advancement of the Verhovay. Rudy Kruchick, chairman, Steve Kerzmich, Alex Fabiankovich, Jim Nagy, President of the Verhovay Home Association, Geza Fabiankovich, Joe Light and George Yurovich, Secretary of the Association. Following their introduction, Mr. Kohn continued: “I was born in Hungary and I am proud to be from Hungary. Now, however, I can t help thinking of the many starving people in Europe. In our country we have plenty and it is our sacred duty to help those who are deprived of everything. Then, too, our country is the greatest in the world. It has sent the most powerful army, navy and airforce to the field of battle. Hundred ninety-five of our fellow-members had served with the armed forces. Now we owe it to the starving nations of Europe and our heroes to resolve (Continued on Page 2)
