Verhovayak Lapja, 1951 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1951 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 4 Verhovay Journal January 17, 1951 Verhovay Journal Journal of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Ass’n. OFFICE OF PUBLICATION 7907 West Jefferson Ave. Detroit 17, Mich. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association Managing Editor: JOHN BENCZE Editor: JOHN SABO Editor’s Office: 436—442 FOURTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH 19, PA. Telephone: COurt 1-3454 or 1-3455 All articles and changes of address should be sent to the VERHOVAY FRATERNAL INSURANCE ASSOCIATION 436—442 FOURTH AVENUE PITTSBURGH 19, PA. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States and Canada ........................ 31.00 a year Foreign Countries .................................................... $1.50 a year Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Detroit, Michigan under the Act of March 3, 1879. OFFICIAL COMMENT YOUR PRESENT ADMINISTRATION This is the year of the big convention. It is also the time for a few members to level criticism at the present administration (national officers and directors) of the Association. The present administration has conducted the business of this society in the interests of all members of the Association. It had the foresight and the courage to take whatever steps were necessary to safeguard the interests of all the members, even at the risk of facing unjust criticism from a few who thought otherwise. It divorced all politics from its actions. Immediately after the Convention of 1947 the administration put the new field supervisory program into operation. This plan, patterned after the field pattern of leading insurance companies and fraternal insurance societies, was adopted by the National Convention of 1947. The Verhovay field of operations was divided into four fields, each field headed by a Field Supervisor. The duty of each supervisor was to build up his field by securing men and women who could be trained as good insurance representatives of the Association. Above all each field was to have at least three full-time district managers who would have a certain number of branches to look after. This program was instituted in the interests of better insurance service to the members and increased production in new membership for the Association. In carrying out the new plan — as with any new plan — many obstacles were encountered. It is not unusual in American business circles to meet with obstacles, and it is not uncommon for business to make changes when it deems changes necessary to remove obstacles. So it was with this Association — after eighteen months the field supervisory plan underwent some* changes, notably the division of the operating field into five fields instead of four, with every man on a commission basis of remuneration. It was found that the territories were too large for four field supervisors and that additional full-time men were needed. In going forward with the building of the strength of each field to the minimum number of full-time district managers and assistant district managers the administration experienced difficulties at some of the branches because they, for one reason or another, did not want to be part of an organizing district headed by a fulltime district manager. Strange as it may be, the majority of the objections came from those branches who were not fulfilling all the duties required of them. The branch managers of these branches would not or could not do their duty of securing the required number of new members, yet they wanted to retain their jobs. When the administration found that the new membership program came to a virtual standstill and that the membership totals began to decrease it had to take necessary emergency steps. It knew that if progress were to be made by the Association the control of the branch manager had to be in the hands of the Home Office. This control over the branch manager is nothing new, two of our Hungarian sister societies and the majority of the other-nationality fraternal societies have practiced it for years. The administration therefore informed the branches that once any branch approved the Home Office appointment of a full-time man to manage the affairs of that branch, that man was removed District Manager Stephen Lukacs Assigned Eastern Michigan Branches Announcement is made of the assignment of the branches operating in the eastern part of the State of Michigan to the organizing district of Mr. Stephen Lukacs, Manager of Branch 36, 3038 S. Liddesdale Ave., Detroit, Mich. The Home Office requests the managers and officers of the branches in the area to cooperate with District Manager Stephen Lukacs in his endeavour to assist each manager in meeting his productiori quota requirements. Managers in urgent need of assistance in the task of securing new members are urged to feel free to call upon Mr. Lukacs who pledges his wholehearted efforts to help and assist them in this vitally important task. District Manager Mr. Lukacs’ long experience and many successes in organizing work undoubtedly will prove helpful to the managers cooperating with him and in the certain hope that on this larger field he will make important contributions to the advancement of the Association we wish him the best of success in his additional duties which he assumed as of January 1st, 1951. THE HOME OFFICE.---------------------------------------------!------------------------------«.* from the politics of the branch and his job was guaranteed to him so long as he satisfactorily performed the duties required of him. The administration further proposed to put this into the new proposed By-Law amendments. Shortly after news of the administration’s actions became public, the critics began their task of spreading confusion among the members. They yelled that the steps taken by the' present administration were dictatorial and that all the rights of the branches were being taken away. Nothing could be more absurd than these unjust charges. In the first place how could any critic accuse the administration of being dictatorial when the administration placed the issue before the general membership at the December By-Laws Amendment proposal meetings?.In the second place how can anyone be justly accused of dictatorial methods when the steps taken by the administration were in the interests of all the members and not the few objectors? In the third place how can anyone justly say that the rights of the branches werd being taken away? Isn’t the branch made up of all the members, not just the few objectors? Isn’t it the interest of all the members that the administration maintain the society on a strong and sound basis? Isn’t it true that the By-Laws of this Association require each branch manager not only to collect and report the monthly dues, but also to secure new members? Isn’t it algo true that the life-blood of any insurance organization — fraternal or commercial — is a steady and ample flow of new members who will keep their membership? Isn’t it true that a branch manager who cannot or v/ill not keep the new membership lifeblood flowing into the arteries of the Association is jeopardizing the interests of all members? And if all the above statements are true, as they definitely are, then how can the critics of this administration justly make such undeserved statements? Probably if the critics knew that out of the 317 branches only 27, or less than 9%, secured the required number of new members, or if they knew that less than twenty district and assistant district managers have produced 65% of the total number of new members as compared with only 35% produced by the 300 branch managers elected by the branches under the old custom, they would be a little moi-e reserved with their criticism. Or if any of the critics knew how difficult it has been for some of our branches to get enough members together to hold a meeting and how hard it has been to get someone who is employed on a full-time basis in ihe mill, the mine, or elsewhere to take the job of managing a branch, or if they knew how many of our older branch managers have begged the Home Office to relieve them of their duties because they wanted young men to carry on their work, men who would be vigorous and enthusiastic, and who could talk the language of the young people from whom most new business today is secured, or if they knew of the branch manager who wanted to cash surrender his membership certificate if the Home Office would not get a good man to replace him, then our critics would realize how absurd a statement they make when they accuse the administration of being dictatorial and of taking away the rights of the branches. It is the sincere belief of the administration that the overwhelming majority of the members appreciate w'hat has been done in their interests. These people want, more than anything else, capable insurance-wise men and women to perform the duties of full-time managers who can give the same type of good service' and good insurance counseling as can be had from the full-time agents of the life insurance companies. These people are not interested in branch politics, they want service. With these in mind the administration has acted in behalf of all members of the Association, not just a few. The administration feels that the record has wron the faith and confidence of the majority of the members. The members can feel that the courageous and fearless efforts of this administration will assure to them and to their children the benefits offered by a strong and sound Association.
