William Penn Life, 1987 (22. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-12-01 / 12. szám
William Penn Association Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Founded February 21, 1886 By-Laws of the Association As amended and adopted at the 31st General Convention held September 14-15-16, 1987 in the City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada effective date October 28, 1987 Special Section Special Section THE BY-LAWS ARTICLE I Section 100 - THE ASSOCIATION 101 - NAME The name of this corporation is the William Penn Association, a fraternal benefit society, incorporated in Pennsylvania, not for profit, without capital stock. 102 - HISTORY The William Penn Association was founded on February 21, 1886 in Hazleton, Pa., by thirteen Hungarian coal miners. Original name was Verhovay Aid Association. In 1926, the Home Office was moved to Pittsburgh, Pa. Throughout the decades of its fraternal work, the Association offered a helping hand to many Hungarian fraternal societies, both local and national, when these fraternals were no longer able to successfully continue their aims and purposes. The helping hand consisted of merging those societies into the William Penn Association, so that those who were insured in those societies would not lose their benefits. Major mergers included the Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation (Munkás Betegseglyzo Szövetség), East Pittsburgh, Pa.; Hungarian Baptist Society (Magyar Baptista Egylet), Cleveland, Ohio. The major merger occurred in 1955 when the Verhovay and Rákóczi Aid Association of Bridgeport, Connecticut, merged to form the William Penn Fraternal Association. The Rákóczi was organized in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1888, thus, the then two largest Hungarian fraternals merged to form a stronger Association in order to preserve Hungarian culture in America. In 1972 the name was changed to the present William Penn Association. In 1979, the American Life Insurance Association (Bridgeporti Szövetség) merged into the William Penn Association. The American Hungarian Catholic Society, Cleveland, Ohio, which was formed by merger between the Szt. László Society (Bridgeport, Conn.) St. Stephen Society (Cleveland, Ohio) was merged into the William Penn in 1980. In 1983, the Catholic Knights of St. George, organized in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1881, as the Knights of St. George of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, Pennsylvania, merged into the William Penn Association. 103 - REGISTERED OFFICE The registered office of the Association shall be domiciled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or in such Pennsylvania location as the Board of Directors may determine. 104 - NATURE OF BUSINESS AND PURPOSES The business of this Association will be conducted in accordance with the purposes of fraternal benefit societies. 1. To provide for payment of death, health, accident, disability, annuity, retirement and other benefits for its members and their beneficiaries. 2. To own and maintain or provide, for an established fee, homes for retired or disabled members through itself or wholly owned subordinate bodies. 3. To render service to its members and perform charitable, educational, patriotic and religious work. 4. Provide scholarships to its qualifying members, through the William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation, Inc. 5. Promote and support the study of the Hungarian language, culture and arts. Unite American Hungarians to Preserve, Protect and Perpetuate our Hungarian Heritage, as established by our Founding Fathers. 6. To exercise all other powers granted by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the various jurisdictions where it is licensed to do business. 105 - SEAL - LANGUAGE 1. The official seal is a circle around two elapsed hands, inscribed, Founded 1886 Pittsburgh, PA. Outer circle inscribed WILLIAM PENN ASSOCIATION. 2. The official language is English and Hungarian may be used when necessary. 106 - GOVERNMENT The Association will have a representative form of government, operating on a lodge or branch system with ritualistic form. The Association shall have the power to frame and amend its own By-Laws, and to amend its Charter, as the interests of the Association and its membership shall require. 107 - MEMBERSHIP 1. Admission to membership shall be extended to any person in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Resolutions of the Board of Directors. 2. A benefit member is one who is insured for life or endowment benefits. 3. An adult benefit member is one who has attained age 16, or more, as defined in his certificate of life membership. He shall have the right to vote at meetings of the branch in which he is a member and to hold office unless such rights are restricted by these By-Laws. 4. A juvenile benefit member is of attained age 15 or less as defined in his certificate of membership. Application for membership and insurance on behalf of such member may be made by an adult person. Unless otherwise provided by law, a person who applied for insurance membership on behalf of a juvenile shall not, by reason thereof nor by reason of any benefit providing waiver of premiums in the event of disability or death of the applicant, become a benefit member of this Association nor of any branch thereof. Initiation in a branch shall not be required of a juvenile benefit member nor shall he have a voice or vote in the affairs of the Association. At attained age 16, as defined in his insurance certificate, a juvenile benefit member shall become an adult benefit member. 5. A social member is one who is not insured with the Association but is admitted to branch membership under rules established by the Board of Directors. Such social member shall have the right to participate in all social and fraternal activities sponsored by a branch or the Association upon payment of social membership dues as established by the Branch, without voice or vote in the management of insurance matters. When any of the foregoing is in conflict with the fraternal laws of any state, where the Association is licensed to do business, the state law will be applicable. 6. An adult life benefit member assigned to a branch in his own locale, shall not be permitted to transfer to another branch within one (1) year of a Delegate or Area District Election Meeting unless he lives in the area where the branch is located to which he is to transfer. Transfer, in all events, can only be made by written request by the member and upon approval by the National Secretary. A member, regardless of the number of certificates, must belong to one branch only. ARTICLE II Section 200 - THE GENERAL CONVENTION 201 - GOVERNING BODY 1. The Supreme Legislative or governing body of the Association shall be known as the General Convention. 2. The General Convention shall be composed of delegates elected as provided in Section 205. The National Officers, Directors, Auditing Committee members and Advisory Board members are ex-officio members, as provided in these By-Laws. 3. The elected delegates shall be no less than 2/3 of the vote, nor less than the number of votes necessary to amend its Articles of Incorporation, or the By-Laws. 202 - REGULAR SESSIONS Regular meetings of the General Convention shall be held every fourth year in the United States, during the month of September at a place designated by the Board of Directors. 203 - CONVENTION OFFICERS The Chairman of the Board shall be the Convention Chairman and the Board Vice Chairmen shall be the Convention Vice Chairmen. The Secretary of the Board shall be the Convention Secretary. 204 - COMMITTEES 1. CONVENTION COMMITTEES The Chairman of the Board shall propose to the Board of Directors from the list of certified delegates prior to the General Convention, a Nominating Committee, a Credentials Committee, a Resolutions Committee, a Tellers Committee and such other committees deemed necessary for transacting the business of the General Convention. The Board shall confirm or in the alternative substitute, add or delete nominees. 2. NOMINATING COMMITTEE a. The Nominating Committee prior to each General Convention nominates candidates for National Directors and Alternate Directors, Auditing Committee Members and Alternate Auditing Committee Members. b. In order to assure the preservation of a representative form of government, as provided in the fraternal laws, nominations may also be made from the floor of the General Convention. 205 - DELEGATES, ALTERNATE DELEGATES AND ELECTION 1. QUALIFICATIONS - Any candidate for delegate or alternate delegate must be an adult life benefit member of the Delegate District and an active member in
