Verhovayak Lapja, 1949 (32. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1949 / Verhovay Journal
August 17, 1949 Verhovay Journal DISEASES OF HEART CAUSED 35 PERCENT OF LAST YEAR’S DEATHS — 1 out of 15 deceased members died within 5 years after admission, Home Office statistics reveal. — At each meeting of the Board of Directors complete and detailed reports on the operations of the Association are presented by the National Officers. In the report presented last March, the chapter dealing with the Association’s mortality experiences is of particular interest to the entire membership. Last year the Association satisfied 481 death benefit claims, the report reveals. 468 of the deceased members were of the Senior Order and 13 of the Juvenile Order. Various heart ailments claimed the lives of 167 members, or 35% of all deceased. Diseases of the heart and circulatory system combined caused 220, or 45% of all deaths. Deaths due to heart ailments have been on the increase for quite a number of years. The membership of our organization is no exception, even though the number of deaths due to- heart disease was 7.3% below the national average. This advantage, however, is only natural since the /members of an insurance organization are selected on the basis of insurability while the nation as a whole, of course, includes the uninsurable as well as the healthy. The persistent increase in fatal heart diseases and the corresponding rise in the death-rate of our Association due to the same cause should be taken as a serious warning by every member. Heart conditions, if diagnosed early, are comparatively easy (and inexpensive) to control under expert medical care and a properly adjusted way of living. Especially those over 40 should submit to periodical examinations in order to forestall the development of a condition that no amount of medical care can relieve. Fortunately, modern methods assure the sufferens of heart-disease, especially in the early stages, of a way of living that is very nearly normal. Continued care and proper self-discipline may completely restore the patient to normalcy. CANCER NEXT After the diseases of the heart and circulatory system, cancer claimed the greatest number of victims. Of the 60 Verhovay members who died due to cancer in 1948, 26 suffered from cancer of the stomach, 7 from cancer of the pancreas, 6 from cancer of the lungs, while the other varieties of cancer were represented by two or three cases each. Intensive research is being conducted to detect the cause and cure of cancer. Though much advance has been made, actually very little is known and some forms of cancer still defy all known methods of medical treatment. FATAL ACCIDENTS One out of twenty of Verhovay’s deceased members died due to accident last year. 24 members, 5% of all deceased, had lost their lives in such tragic manner, but of these 24 only 15 had additional accidental death benefit (double indemnity) certificates. The failure of 37% of the members who died due to this cause, to carry accidental death benefit insurance, resulted in great loss to their beneficiaries. This serves to prove that the membership of the Association has not fully realized the advantages of this type of protection even though much has been done to increase its attractiveness to the membership. With the extension of the age limit to 70 and the increasing of the maximum amount from one to two thousand, the Verhovay double indemnity certificate, available at moderate rates, is one of the finest contracts available. Every member should carry it for the protection of his loved ones. PNEUMONIA Respiratory ailments, among them chiefly pneumonia and tuberculosis of the lungs, usod to rate highly among the causes of death, but the advances made by medical science during the last decade reduced the fatalities resulting from these impairments to a very great extent. The use of sulfa, pennicillin and similar ‘wonder’ drugs produced the decline of the pneumonia death-rate from 119 per 100,- 000 population in 1936 to 44.6 in 1946. Last year, 23 members, nearly 5% of all deceased, died of pneumonia. TUBERCULOSIS The various forms of this ailment caused the death of 16 members representing an average of 26.7 per 100,000, as compared to the national death-rate of 36.4. In this instance, too, the favorable showing of the Verhovay is due to careful medical selection. SUICIDE This is the saddest item in Verhovay’s mortality statistics. 13 members of the Association ended their lives by their own hands — twice as many as the national average. Tuition Loan Fund Operations Resumed — Repayment of $1,455.00 in 1948 makes funds available To Verhovay’s collegian members. — In March, 1948, the Board of Directors requested Vice-President Albert B. Ari, chairman of the Board of Directors, to write to all recipients of Verhovay tuition loans who had not repaid their loans by that time, urging them to live up to their pledges in order that other deserving college and university students also may avail themselves of the tuition loan privilege. Last March, a year later, in his last report to the Board of Directors, the since then deceased chairman of the Board revealed that in response to his appeals, $1,455.00 had been repaid in outstanding loans, by the end of 1948. Most of the recipients of tuition loans had completed their education and many of them have been placed shortly afterwards in highly advantageous positions. That economic conditions had favored them, is shown by the fact that some repaid their en-Despondency is the fatal illness of the lonely soul. It couldn’t occur where the ties of brotherly love unite all members of an organization in a great family, — such as fraternal societies claim to be. Fraternalism is based on the creed that “I am my brother’s keeper.” The fact that our suicide rate exceeded the national average by 100% casts a sad reflection upon the lack of the brotherly spirit, that permits victims of unfortunate circumstances to become theI preys of despondency in the hopeless isolation of loneliness. NEW MEMBER MORTALITY An exhibit showing mortality experience in regards to new members reveals that of the members admitted during the last five years 32 have died. Of these 21 were members of the Seniop and 11 of the Juvenile Order. The frequently heard argument that insuring people inf volves hardly any risk, should be silenced by these figures. And those who postpone purchasing insurance from one year to the next on the ground that “they have plenty of time,” would do well to consider the following table showing at what ages death overtook those members who joined the Association during the last five years. 2 were over 60, 11 were between 50 and 60, 3 were between 40 and 50, 2 were between 30 and 40, 2 were between 20 and 30, 2 were between 10 and 20, 10 were between 1 and 10. Parents of small children should pay particular attention to the last line of the above table. It shows that of all age groups under 50, mortality is highest in the class of child-PAGE 11 tire loans within the year, one of them, for instance, in monthly installments of $100 each. Others, less favorably situated, have started repayments and still continue them, at the rate of 5-10 dollars per month. Without exception all of these former students promised the late Mr. Ari to take care of their obligations at the earliest possible date. As a result of these repayments, tuition loan funds again have become available to deserving university and college students meeting the requirements. Last year one of Verhovay’s members received a loan assisting him in countinuing his education at the University of Miami. , Tuition loans are granted to applicants who have successfully passed their freshman year and have accumulated 30 credit hours at an accredited college or university. The applicant must be a member of the Association of at least 2 years’ good standing and one mf his parents must be a member of at least 5 years’ good standing. The application for a tuition loan must be endorsed by the branch of which the applicant is a member. Recommendation by two professors must accompany the application. * ren under 10 and experience shows that the first five years are the most critical. One of these ten children died due to a brain hemmorhage, another died on the operation table, a third one, age 4, died of pneumonia ... a fourth died of a brain tumor ... In view of the great and numerous dangers threatening the lives of young children, can any parent afford not to insure the life of his child? Verhovay Watchtower (Continued from page 9) Cleveland, O., has been a diligent member of that body and he has brought many improvements to his ward. He is running for reelection and deserves it, too. Good luck, Jack! Gustave Bessenyei, Assistant Police Prosecutor of the City of Cleveland is an ardent American Legion member . . . We often wonder if our illustrious member, Justice Harold Burton of the United States Supreme Court ever has read our items ?! Ex Animo, Jos. J. Horvath c/o Verhovay Home 8637 Buckeye Rd. Cleveland 4, Ohio. UNHAPPY CELEBRANT A stranger arriving at the town hall of a small southern town found the townspeople participating in a gala celebration. “What, may I ask, is the cause of all this excitement?” he inquired of one of the celebrants. “We’re celebrating the birthday of the oldest inhabitant,” was the reply. “She’s 101 today.” “Oh, yes,” said the visitor. “I see her. May I ask who is that little man with the dreadfully sad countenance who is walking at her side?” The other laughed. “Oh,” he replied, “that’s the old lady’s son-in-law. He’s been keeping up the payments on her life insurance policy for the past 40 years!”
