William Penn Life, 2011 (46. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2011-03-01 / 3. szám
Branching Out A brief history of William Penn Association Part Two: From World War I to the 1930's, Evolving from 'Hungarian' to 'Hungarian-American' by Endre Csornán Following the First World War and Hungary's defeat, the Association was in the forefront among hundreds of other similar Hungarian-American organizations in the fight to save Hungary's territorial integrity and to establish greater unity among the numerous Hungarian-American organizations. The Association's first publication, Verhovayak Lapja (Verhovay Journal), began publishing in 1917. By the early 1920's, the Verhovay Aid Association was the nation's largest Hungarian fraternal organization. Its membership and assets made it twice as large as its nearest rivals: the Bridgeport Federation, the Rákoczy Fraternal Association and the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. The branches of the Verhovay played an important role in the social, cultural and patriotic life of the Hungarian immigrant. Fraternal activities were sponsored by the local branches. Without the presence and protection of the Verhovay, many Hungarian immigrants would have been unable to face the harshness of their everyday existence. The Association played a big role in creating a feeling of unity within the scattered Hungarian-American community that stretched from the Great Lakes to the hills of West Virginia and from New England to Mississippi. Many Hungarians considered themselves as temporary immigrants; however, after a few years most of them chose to stay permanently in America. By the late 1920's, the native-born Hungarians began to outnumber the rapidly aging immigrant generation. The leaders of the Verhovay recognized the need to cater to the social and cultural needs of the second generation. It was for this very reason that they established the juvenile branches and published an English version of Verhovayak Lapja (Verhovay Journal). By the early 1930's, many second-generation-led (English) branches were in existence. The autonomy of the English branches continued to increase during the next two decades when the Association became an English-speaking organization. The leaders of the Verhovay were also desperately trying to retain the Hungarian character of American-born children as much as possible. They supported Hungarian Boy and Girl Scout troops, the study of the Hungarian language, weekend and summer schools, radio programs, and Hungarian studies at Bloomfield College and Seminary, Elmhurst College and Columbia University. The Verhovay also underwrote textbooks for Hungarian schools, bilingual books on U.S. citizenship, and a correspondence book which helped the native born soldiers to correspond with their Hungarian parents whose knowledge of written English was minimal. To be continued next month. William Penn Association is seeking old branch records, minute books, artifacts, ribbons, pictures, badges, uniforms, and other items from our Association’s past. Some of these items may be stored in your attic, basement or garage. Verhovay, Rakoczy, Knights of St. George and William Penn Association artifacts are wanted to display at our 125th Anniversary Gala and General Convention. Mail any artifacts to: William Penn Association 709 Brighton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15233 Please call I -800-848-7366, ext. 136 if you have any questions. form.) WPA Youth Camp August 9-1 I (Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday) Our first Youth Camp will be held at Scenic View. We will offer sports, dancing, Hungarian history, outings and more to girls and boys ages 12 to 18. Registration is $25 for WPA members and $50 for non-members. The cost includes lodging, meals and activities. (See inside the front cover for registration form.) 125th Anniversary Gala September 3 (Saturday) The Gala will be held at the Marriott Pittsburgh North in Cranberry Township, Pa. The dinner-dance will feature an outstanding Hungarian gypsy orchestra from Budapest. We promise you that this will be one of the grandest weekends of your life, so plan on being there. Nth Annual WPA Picnic-A Great Fraternal Fest September 17 (Saturday) Our Great Fraternal Fest will again be held at beautiful Scenic View. This year we will be entertained by the worldwide famous Rajkó Ensemble from Budapest. (See Page 26 for more information.) WPA Tour 201 I September 21 - October 6 Again we are planning an unforgettable trip to the Land of the Magyars. Departures will be from Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. (See inside of back cover for more information and reservation form.) For more information on these events, call the Home Office at 1-800-848-7366, ext. 136. William Penn Life 0 March 2011 0 5
