Verhovayak Lapja, 1949 (32. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1949 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 6 Verhovay Journal ________________________________September 21, 1949 Branch 366 Highlighter j By BILL TORDA :—: Cleveland, Ohio SPORTS ALLOTMENTS- A reply to inquiries on an issue of interest to all bowlers. — MONTHLY MEETING On Friday night, August 6th, our regular monthly meeting took place. To begin with, it was interesting to observe that' the attendance at the meetings is getting larger every month. The business part of the evening was short and to the point, since we also had entertainment. The first question discussed was that of the forthcoming wiener roast. Tickets were distributed among the members present. The coming bowling season was the next topic. Several opinions were discussed, but that’s all as yet, as nothing really definite was decided. However, next month’s meeting will be of real importance to bowling and the organizing of the various teams for the Home League. Well, after the business was disposed of, we came to the entertainment part of the evening. First of all, a case of nice cold beer was presented to the thirsty group, which was very much appreciated during those blistering hot days, I’d say. ONE DICE “COOTIE” Then, ‘Terry’ Moses introduced a game played with one dice. People are grouped off with partners, four to a group. The game is called “cootie.” The object of the game is to assemble a figure “cootie” with each roll of the dice, but the rolling must follow in rotation of numbers. The first person to complete a figure shouts “Cootie!” which makes him a winner of the round. This took place until four rounds Were completed. The two high score winners were John (Jackson) Torda and Joe Marozanyi, each winning a set of four ashtrays. A very nice gift. Jo Jo Szabó, the low score winner, got a giant candy sucker. Jo Jo says his little nephew will be feasting on it for a week. We again give our thanks to Terry Moses for the gifts and the game “cootie” she introduced. We also wish to thank Jo Jo Szabó for having his ever popular recording outfit at the meeting. Since Cleveland was playing a nite game, the boys didn’t miss any of the innings because of the meeting. After the ball game, Jo Jo played all types of popular records. Well, at this part of the session a pause for refreshment took place. Ann Pinter and Terry Moses donated and served home made« pastries and coffee. The pastries were very good and we thank you, girls, very much for your kindness and efforts. WEDDING NOTE . . . The best wishes for health and happiness is our thought for two nice people. Lenny Letterle and his bride, the former Miss Marion Gilbert, were married on July 30th, 1949. A fine reception was held at the home of Lenny. As I hear, the latest along the ‘grapvine’ is that we have a couple more bowlers about to be married in the very near future. Rumor has it that Dick Bayus and Joe Adamo are the two candidates. SPORTS FUNDS . . . Opinions have been discussed and later made into recommendations. So I’d like to write a few words concerning the subject' and see what sort of comments are made in reply to satisfy a group of curious people. This will be put merely as a question and should not be constructed as a criticism of any policy now existing. It has been the policy for a branch to have to solicit a certain number of new members to be able to obtain a certain amount of funds towards the sports activities pursued by the branch. Now, with the understanding I have of the latest policy in effect, it is up to the District Organizer to solicit the new members. Now I come to the fine point of my story as I have it. The past five years or so, our Branch has sponsored our own teams, in our own Verhovay Home Bowling League. All of this has been made possible only through the efforts and a lot of hard work entailed in arranging for various affairs each year for the purpose of raising sufficient funds to cover bowling expenses. The Verhovay F. I. Association receives the advertising benefits but the branch promoting the Association does not receive any funds whatsoever to help support its sports activities. Now for the big questions: why can’t a branch, such as ours, which helps advertise the organization, receive a little financial support in return for its efforts? What is the jack-pot answer? Your Highlighter wishes to thank the editor of the Journal for his pleasing remarks concerning most hrticles and suggestions. We look forward to your helping hand and cooperation in these matters. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Judging from the number of inquiries and suggestions in regards to this problem, it seems advisable to answer the Highlighter, and other correspondents, in a separate article which will be found in this issue, possibly next to this column . . .) WIENER ROAST Saturday night, August 27th, was the big nite for Branch 366. Our annual Wiener Roast was held at the Kalo Farm. The evening was ideal except for a little shower that hung on for a short while, but not enough to hurt our affair in any way. As a matter of fact, our huge fire for roasting hot dogs held out against the rain. Well, as yet we do not' have a complete account of the affair, but according to all indications, the Wiener Roast was very successful. It seems each year before the affair ■starts we have to run into some little hitch in getting under way, but a solution is always found and, then, we really get going. Last year, Tony Pinter claims, it was a little washer, a mere gimmick, you’d say, but a very important link in the process of tapping a barrel of beer. A couple of the boys and Mr. Kalo had to do some fast getting about to remedy the cause. Now again this year, Tony Pinter and yours truly did some chasing around to get the affair going. There was plenty of beer and pop on hand, but it was quite too warm to enjoy drinking. “No ice” was the cause. To be frank, we were quite worried since the evening was starting to möve along. So, again we had to call our very able Mr. Kalo to the rescue. After driving around in the City of Bedford, we finally wound up in Northfield where we did succeed in getting our all-important ice. By the time we returned to the grounds, a gay crowd was milling about, having a swell time. Behind the bar, Joe Marozsanyi, Jake Torda and Chas Moses did a “Why can’t a branch, such as ours, which helps advertise the organization, receive a little financial support in return for its efforts,” asks Bill Torda, the Branch 366 Highlighter, in his latest column appearing in this edition. He isn’t the only one to raise this issue. Many other inquiries have reached our desk lately, some of which approach the subject from a different angle, but all of the correspondents seem to agree that a number of deserving branches are deprived of support due to the rules governing the awarding of sports allotments. The discussion of this problem at this time must be somewhat limited due to the fact that some petitions appealing for a change of the rules governing the distribution of sports allotments have been submitted to the Board of Directors through the regular channels. Since it would be improper to discuss points raised in petitions now pending before the Board, the consideration of such points must be deferred until action will have been taken by the Board of Directors. However, the changes, if any, to be made by the Board in the rules governing eligibility for sports allotments, will hardly affect the basic principles underlying the methods of distribution and, therefore, a review of the fundamentals will in no way conflict with whatever action the Board of Directors may take in regards to pending petitions. Our Highlighter suggests that the value of free advertising provided by a socially active branch be taken as a point of merit in the distribution of sports allotments. This is not an altogether new idea. It seems to have gained quite a following lately, especially among the bowlers, many of whom feel that by bowling under the Verhovay name they are getting a lot of valuable publicity for the Association, a service for which the Association should be willing to generously reward them. “After all,” some claim,” undertakers, breweries, business establishments go to great lengths in boosting and supporting bowling teams, why shouldn’t the Verhovay do likewise, seeing that other business sponsors consider monies spent for such purposes a sound investment.” The fact is, however, that an insurance organization occupies a position entirely different from that of other business enterprises. People will go to a well-known, well pubswell job of handling matters. Veri* Moses, wife of Chas, and Terry Moses helped out a short while in serving refreshments. Ed Torda was quite busy most of the evening walking around with the little cash box shouting “T-E-E-K-A-T-S!” In the meantime, wife Kay, was busy enjoying herself. Ann Pinter, who was in charge of the food, and did a very fine job, too, saw to it that everybody was taken care of around the food counter. Carl Pertz and wife, Lou and Louise Torda, Andy Bakos, Julius Nagy and wife were all huddled in a group singing favorite songs of yesterday . . . later changed their tunes to singing those everlasting Hungarian favorites. Paul Virost, our latest addition to the membership, Fritz Guenter, Joe Simko, accompanied by their wives, seemed to be having a time of it . . . Ella Moses, Annie Bakos, Len Letterle and wife were doing some fancy stepping to the music from Jo Jo Szabo’s recorder. licized undertaker and engage his services. They will buy a popular brand of beer not because of its distinguished flavor, but because it is well advertised. They will go to a well publicized store to make their purchases. But they will not go out of their way to buy life insurance. Life insurance is one of the few commodities that must be taken into the home of the customer and skillfully sold to him, not like a bottle beer in the bar, or a steak in the butcher shop, or a ribbon in the dime store, which gets sold even by the most antagonistic sales person. As a result, an insurance organization can advertise day in, day out, all over the country, using full pages in the Saturday Evening Post, in the daily papers, hours on radio programs, ' sponsor bowling teams, purchase, if you please, baseball and football teams and still — it won’t sell a single policy unless there are ambitious, vigorous, well trained agents to hunt up the prospects and convince them of the desirability of owning life insurance. And that is why, without exception, all life insurance companies rely much more on an effective sales force than on the power of advertising. Hence, advertising is not of such immediate value to a life insurance organization than to a business establishment dealing in tangible goods. This does not mean that advertising and publicity are underestimated by life insurance organizations. As far as the Verhovay is concerned, branch affairs are highly valued for their advertising appeal as well as for their social values. However, from the point of view of a life insurance organization, the value of advertisement in itself must not be overestimated. Advertising by whatever means, the press, the radio, or social affairs, indeed, is a wonderful and effective thing, but only if there is no lack in follow-up. This vital phase of an insurance advertising program has been completely disregarded in Verhovay circles. Yet, the lack of follow-up completely cancels whatever beneficial effects advertising may have. Advertising without a follow-up is like sowing without any thought of harvesting. To be specific: for the Vex-hovay or any other insurance organization the main purpose of advertising is the creation of goodwill with a view to securing new members. We may have a wonderfully successful affair About midway of the evening the prizes were awarded. First prize, donated by Terry Moses, a. small throw rug, went to Bill Biro. Of the second and third prizes, donated by Florence Marozanyi, a plastic table cloth was awarded to Oscar Federau, while a plastic apron was taken by Dorothy Tromski. Ann Pinter donated two towels which now serve Joe Zsiga. Chas Moses was the acting M.C. for the awarding ceremony and I must say he acted like a veteran. After that, the affair continued on and on into the wee hours of the morning. So, again I say to those members who weren’t present: you missed a grand evening of entertainment. We wish to thank members of the Sports Club, änd members of our branch, and other branches, and friends who attended, for helping make the Annual Wiener Roast of 1949 a success. Your Highlighter, BILL TORDA (Continued on page 7)
