Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
November 12, 1947 Verhovay Journal PAGE 11 The Fraternal Magazine (Continued from page 10) compelled to depend upon news' reports? This is not a snobbish nation, but the fact still, remains that the man in the street takes more pride in his organization if he knows that his governor or his United States senator is also a member. We are not personally a hero worshipper, yet one long wall of our office is covered by pictures of governors, senators and representatives who are members of our Order and we put them there, candidly for the effect they have on our visitors. And the only medium that can carry such information to the membership is our magazine. Joe Doakes may never expect to see his picture on a printed page. He is just an honest member who works for and loves his fellowman. His camp’ finally decides to honor him for his service and present him with a jewelled emblem. The daily newspaper uses about 14 lines on the Want Ads page. The national magazine of his Order uses his picture and tells the complete story. Joe shows it to all his friends and gets new members because of his pride and enthusiasm. Can such a thing be computed in dollar and cents? When this report is printed in the magazine, other camps are moved to pay similar honors to one of their old faithful members, and, soon, a new chain of Fraternalism is made that binds men closer to the Order. This can be done by no agency other than the magazine because, even if a newspaper should publish it. the paper will not reach far beyond its own territory and the press services will not use enough of the story to give any real information. It is a peculiar thing that even while all societies say that they believe in Public Relations and seek to find some way to advise the general public as to their work and worth, many of them are reducing or discontinuing the agency that advises their own members. We would do well to enthuse our own members to the point of making workers of ail of them and worry less about the general public. After all . . . there are more things than charity that should begin at home. Wh« Reads a Fraternal Paper? The remark is frequently heard “Nobody reads a fraternal magazine”. That we also deny. Our answer to that is “Every interested member reads the magazine”, and we ALLIANCE DID IT AGAIN! Verhovay Home Wins Popular Acclaim By Fraternal Actions.would add to that “The only i i possible way to create interest in all members is by means of the magazine”. We will admit that some of our magazines do not offer interesting reading; some ofthem are not produced in at! tractive form; some of them * use poor paper and poor type faces, but all of these criticisms can be answered by the one remark: “Lack of funds to produce an interesting and ap- I pealing magazine.” We have always advocated an attractive type page, but we do not always have one. We like to use pictures but cannot often afford them. We do not pretend that every magazine is all that it might or should be, but how can any person do all of the previously unassigned tasks of a growingfraternal society and give the time required to produce a magazine that will please everyone? How To Cure The Ills Of Fraternal Papers? Some of the cures suggested by Editor Daly are: Do not completely fill the paper with official bunk with little meaning of value to the members. Give them the necessary information about their society; and inspirational messages from the head of the society. Print names . . . the names of those who work for then: Society; the interesting things that have been done by the lodges or individual members. Eliminate from all reports the unnecessary words. It is not news that “the president or the manager opened the meeting or presided”. This is to be assumed. We cannot allow the ladies to serve “dainty refreshments”, nor describe the dress of each woman on a reception committee. When a member dies he does not “pass to the eternal City on high from which no traveller ever returns”. That is how one of our members usually passes. Get rid of all of those things and make room for worth while things that the group has done. Plan a page to pay tribute to worthy members. Use pictures of members of prominence. Have an editorial page, where, you, the editor, may write what you feel and be responsible for it. All of these things, however, •are dependent upon financial support of your organization and here we would sound a warning to all fraternal heads: If you allow your magazine to die, your society will suffer. A population of 23,000 does not make Alliance, Ohio, a ‘big city’, but its Hungarian colony, consisting oi a mere eighty families, is so small that under ordinary circumstances it could not be expected ; to create a stir by its activities, nor to make much progress in popularizing the Verhovay in a community of this*» size. Historically, the Verhovay is a Hungarian organization because it was founded, by Hungarian immigrants and developed by and among Americans of Hungarian birth or descent, who represent the backbone, if not the majority, of the membership in most localities. In many places, however, the Verhovay has long ago broken through the limitations imposed upon it by | its origin. Like our country, the Association, too, .has become a ‘melting ! pot’ of nationalities in which the gradually disappearing differences of origin are superseded by the unifying forces of American fraternalism and its patriotic, humanitarian and charitable purposes. In this, of course, the Association has succeeded only where fraternalism has been adopted as a way of life rather than just a catchy slogan . . . Now, in Alliance, O., the Verhovay has made marvellous progress. The member- j ship of branches 189 and 369 has grown far beyond the walls of the homes of the eighty families representing- the population of Hungarian descent. The more than 600 members of these two branches truly are a cross section of America . . . And the end is not in sight yet! Managers John Körösfőy and James Se-Even unread, the appearanc of your official organ in the home is a reminder of you society. Omit that reminds I and the only thing that you member will receive will be hit assessment notice. It is no' good for your society, nor for the cause of fraternalism that the society should be so completely on the basis of con. mercial insurance. To the member who is “too busy to attend meetings”, the magazine is the only thing that sets your society apart j from ordinary business. Ii spells fraternalism to Joe j Doakes and reminds him of the hundreds of thousands like himself. It carries inspiration for all who read it. It bind all units together and it wi’ be missed by every member if it is to be omitted. We could cite a society that discontinu ed its magazine and fell it pidly in membership during the early thirties while ano ther that continued its ma gazine lost fewer members and then recovered far more ru- . J?idly. Rather than discontinue or limit a magazine, we would en- \ large it and make it more interesting. Even at the costs of a greater amount, we believe that the magazine properi' built is worth vastly more than many things that are promis 'ed to take its place. ra both maintain a steady production by which, so far this year, 66 new members have joined our Alliance branches. Recent happenings have given a new impetus to Verhovay’S progress in that city. And that isn’t unusual, for there always is something going on in Alliance, O. And their goings on make news, they, are taken up by the local press, they are talked about in the city which is made increasingly conscious of the Verhovay . . . We had occasion more than once in tin recent past to write about Verhovay events in Alliance. Only nine months ago the entire membership of the Verhovay as stirred by the news that the Verhovay Home of branches 189 and 369 in Alliance, 0., had created the Verhovay Fund for Crippled Children by donating $1,000 toward this noble purpose. Since then, our fellow-members in Alliance have found new ways of practicing fraternalism and adding new deeds to their truly fine record of humanitarian service. Ten Hungarian Orphans John Körösfőy, retiring director of the Association, who in his son, Mike Korosy, hail left us a worthy successor, mailed a check of $390 to the Home Office the other day, pursuant to an action of the directors of the Alliance Vei'hovay Home providing- for the maintenance and care of ten war-orphans in Hungary for another year. It is needless to elaborate on what this action means in terms of food, clothing and shoes for ten forsaken orphans in war-torn Hungary. The membership of the Verhovay is only too well aware of the crying need of Hungary’s 200,000 war-orphans ... New Ambulance For Red Cross Five years ago, shortly after/ the outbreak of World War II., the Alliance Verhovay Home presented an ambulance to the local Red Cross chapter. The war is over, but the Red Cross stili' is with us, for human needs will go on fpr ever. But it is during times of war when organizations like the Red Cross are given the most generous support which always falls off when the emergency has passed. Not so with our fellow-members in Alliance! The Board of Directors of the Alliance Verhovay Home, at their recent meeting, unanimously resolved to trade in the five year old ambulance of the Red Cross for a Drand new one. Small wonder that the people of Alliance take notice of the Verhovay whose members refuse to tire of charitable activities . . . The Alliance Aviators This is the name of the football team of the Alliance High School. It is a fine team, boosted by the entire population. And the Social Club of the Alliance Verhovay Home, always interested in youth activities, especially sports, decided to join the parade. They have found a unique way of encouraging and boosting their favorite team. Once each week the team is invited to dinner at the Alliance Verhovay Home. We know what kind of dinners the Verhovay ladies serve and we also know the hospitable atmosphere prevailing in that Home. Indeed, those dinners are a treat to body and spirit . . . Recently, the Verhovay Social Club as host to the Alliance Aviators (Continued on page 12)
