William Penn Life, 2009 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2009-07-01 / 7. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán Remembering a great leader Elmer Charles MANY TIMES it has been said that Hungarians have made a distinct contribution to the growth and expansion of America. An outstanding Hungarian-American of the 20th century was Elmer Charles (Elemér Károly). Not many who were bom in the old country have achieved such a high-level career as Elmer Charles did. Elmer was bom in Turisivándi, Szatmár County, Hungary. He came to the United States at the age of 12 and lived most of his life in Springdale, Pa. He joined the Verhovay Aid Association in 1935 and was elected auditor of Branch 296 in 1939, then branch secretary in 1941. In 1950 he became field supervisor for Western Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. In 1953 he was named assistant to the president in charge of the field operation. Then, in 1955, he was promoted to president of the field operation and field manager. Elmer was elected national president in 1963, assuming the office on January 1,1964, while continuing to carry out the duties of field manager. He held the post of national president for 19 years. Over the years, Elmer was active with both the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress and the National Fraternal Congress of America. He served a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the National Fraternal Congress. In 1983 he received the coveted John Jordan Upchurch Award, presented by the Pennsylvania Fraternal Congress. When the Fraternal Societies of Greater Pittsburgh initiated its fratemalist of the year award in 1976, Elmer was the first recipient. His unbreakable Hungarian stand was an assurance for the growth of the WPA. The American Hungarian community looked up to him with respect and trust. Elmer lived for the WPA; he worked with his heart. His lifetime dream and desire to unite all Hungarian fraternal societies into a single, major Hungarian-American fraternal association was shattered when the delegates of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America turned down the merger plans at a special convention in 1982. Prior to his death, he was still hopeful that the two great Hungarian fraternal benefit associations would eventually find each other. Under Elmer7s leadership, one of the most significant steps taken by the WPA in the area of fratemalism was the establishment of the William Penn Fraternal Association Scholarship Foundation. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed Elmer to be one of the official members of the U.S. delegation that was returning the Holy Crown of Hungary after more than 30 years in the U.S.A. Elmer was a lifetime member of the Springdale Volunteer Fire Department. He was very generous to his community and never wanted anyone to know where the "funds came from." Elmer was a great cook, hunter and fisherman. He loved the outdoors. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and completed courses of study at Penn State, Purdue and Southern Methodist universities. Elmer loved his church; he truly was a guardian angel to his Springdale Hungarian Reformed Church. He was chief elder up to the time of his illness. He would make a large amount of kolbász several times a year and donate all profits of its sale to his church. Those of us who knew him will always remember him as a great leader and loyal worker of the William Penn Association. Emléke Legyen Áldott és Példamutató Mindnyájunknak! Amerikai Magyar Collegium Nyári Egyetem 2009 Az amerikai és magyarországi professzorokból alakult Amerikai Magyar Collegium (AHC) célja lehetőséget nyújtani a magyar nyelv gyakorlására, a társadalom és kultúra egyetemi szintű tanulmányozására, valamint új szellemi közösség kialakítására. Az AHC egy hetes nyári egyetemet rendez másod ízben a gyönyörű Pennsylvaniában. A nyári egyetemen előadó professzorok jól ismert amerikai és magyar egyetemek oktatói. A Nyári Egyetem időpontja: Augusztus 18-tól 26-ig • Helyszíne: Penn Scenic View, Pennsylvania Jelentkezési határidó': július 10 • Kérjük idejében jelentkezzen! További információ: www.AmHunCol.com • E-mail: AmHunCol@aol.com William Penn Life, July 2009 3
