Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 2 Hungarian Freedom Day In Pittsburgh (Continued from page 1.) 1947, the 99th anniversary of the beginning of Hungary’s Independence War, NOW, THEREFORE, I, DAVID L. LAWRENCE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, do hereby proclaim March 15, 1947, Hungarian Freedom Day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and urge all citizens to cooperate with our fellow-citizens of Hungarian descent in their efforts to lend moral and material support to the Hungarian nation in its struggle for independence and a democratic form of life. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused my the Seal of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be affixed this 13th day of March in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Forty Seven.” Previously, calls for volunteer solicitors and helpers had been published in the Hungarian daily and weekly newspapers, the “Szabadság”, the local “Magyarság” and the “Népszava” and hunlreds of ladies registered at the Tag Day Headquarters, the Verhovay Building, while scores of our famous Hungarian pastry-makers responded by promising to donate their home-made cakes to Chapter 117’s Bake Sale, held on March 14th and 15th at the Verhovay Building. Verhovay Journal MARCH 26, 1947 Severe Storm Handicaps Event. With all preparations made, everybody organized and heralded by a great deal of advance publicity, success of Pittsburgh’s Hungarian Tag Day seemed to be assured. We cannot recall another event that was awaited with such unity of purpose, enthusiasm and willingness to cooperate. Hungarian Freedom Day really meant something to the Pittsburgh citizens of Hungarian descent. Churches and societies, small groups and, large organizations, and without a single exception all the Hungarian • settlements surrounding the city of Pittsburgh, from Donora to Coraopolis, and from Springdale to Oakdale, had pledged their wholehearted cooperation. The only thing that still was needed — good weather — did not depend on human efforts and that is the only field in which Pittsgurgh chapters 2 and fl7 of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc., could not get any cooperation. Had it been humanly possible, the Tag Day volunteers would have torn the clouds apart, silenced the arctic gale and brought the sun out of the blackened skies. But the fervent ealls to the One who directs the winds and clouds were to no avail . . . The morning of March 15th came on the wings of a vicious snowstorm that made the pedestrians hide their hands in their pockets and kept them running through the streets so that it really took Circean charms to make any male stop, unbutton his coat and start fishing for those hidden coins and bills . . . Then, too, there was another non-human factor: Pittsburgh’s perennial March-visitor, the flu . . . It reduced the grand army of volunteer solicitors by as much as 50% 1 A terrific loss on top of that caused by the inclement weather ... I HOWEVER! Nearly 250 ladies did show up, shivering, cold, their eyes filled with tears from the stinging wind, with snowflakes glittering in their hair,' hut they came, early morning, and after picking up their tags and tin-cans, left for their stations there to brave disgruntled humanity and the anger of the wintry elements. Ignatz Lengyel, President of the United Magyar Civic Association of Western Pennsylvania and of Chapter 2 of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc., Gay Banyacsky-Banes, President of Chapter 117, District Manager Louis Cincel and others chauffeured those who had been assigned to any of the outlying districts, like South Side, North Side, Oakland, East Liberty, Hazelwood, Bloomfield etc., where they held their forts until late afternoon, while the downtown workers quickly spread like a net over the entire Golden Triangle . . . In the meantime, several ladies, including Mrs. John Bencze wife of our Supreme President, set up a coffee and sandwich kitchen in the general office room at the Verhovay Building where the frozen solicitors were de-iced, warmed up, re-charged, fed and en couraged until they were ready to go back for another try . Various methods were tried, mostly successful, by the resource ful ladies of all ages . . . Some used the cheerfully smiling ap proach though in a few cases those smiles were quickly frozen by the icy winds . . . Others applied themselves to their task with grim determination of perseverance, attacking again and again re gardless of repeated refusals . . . Dorothy Lenz, tiniest employee of the Home Office, a non-Hungarian, befriended the biggest officer of the Pittsburgh Police and, through him, the entire downtown police station, reversing the traditional situation by cap tivating the police and, incidentally, filling her tin . . . Sarah Masztics was assigned the front of the Jenkins Arcade Building, but seeing the obvious effects of the snowstorm, thought better of it and entered the Arcade where the changed temperature made the people unbutton their coats rendering them more approachable to her smiling appeal which was eminently successful . . . Mrs Mary O’Toole got a good start by touching Mr. Molnár, charge d’affaires’ of the Verhovay Building, to the tune of a ten-spot (to which more than $20 were added in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and halves . . .) and we even heard of one lady who used the “singing commercial” approach . . . There was as great a variety in response as there was in the approach. Considering, however, the weather, we cannot but praise the understanding and generous attitude of the people. Naturally, there were exceptions. But who would expect success when attempting to stop a lady determined to be the first customer at a basement sale? Or who could expect generosity of a man who didn’t have his breakfast yet or from the one whose little woman just had soaked him for the price of a new hat? It would have been a mistake for any solicitress to take blunt refusals a3 a personal affronts. After all, among thousands of pedestrians there always are several hundred with peptic ulcers, upset stomachs and, last but not least, empty purses . . . for wasn’t March the 15th the last day for filing Income Tax returns? And the same was true of the managers of the various office buildings. Some refused permission to the solicitors, others threw their doors wide open. Hotel William Penn even went so far as to put a table and chairs in the lobby for the ladies’ comfort; certainly a nice gesture which is deeply appreciated! Devotion rewarded by success. It is a matter of pride and satisfaction for us to report that with two strikes against it, the Hungarian Tag Day still ended with a great success. It is impossible to list the results achieved by each and every solicitress, but it is a privilege to mention those whose efforts and devotion to the cause were rewarded by paritcularly outstanding results ... The list of those having collected the highest amounts is the following: Mrs. John Nogrady $41.16; Miss Mary Krizsan (Home Office) $32.75; Miss Cecilia Szecskay $31.04; Mrs. Andrew Molnár $18.59; Miss Helen Stipkovics $26.90; Mrs. Frank Banyacsky $24.45; Mrs. Albert Fiók $17.97; Miss Mary Nahay $15.35; Miss Sári Masztics, (Home Office) $23.13; Miss Emma Hall $16.28; Miss Dorothy Lentz, (Home Office) $17.72; Miss Emma Takacs $20.97; Mrs. Siller $15.26; Miss Gizella Smith $34.22; Mrs. Andrew Buck $20.39; Miss Elizabeth Giles $21.62; Mrs. Emma Phillips Lawrence, Deputy Auditor, $18.00; Mrs. Mary O’Toole, (Home Office) $31.39; Mrs. Julius Lenart $14.00; (that’s ‘VI’ on the picture on page 1), the Ladies of Coraopolis who pooled their resources as well as results amounting to $135.88; Mrs. Michael Duli $24.38; Mrs. John Darnay $16.77; Mrs. Vaskó $25.60; Mrs. Ignatz Lengyel $26.30; Mrs. Joseph Klinko $17.92; Miss Margaret Ardy $25; Mrs. John Fulop (wife of District Manager John Fulop) $29.53; Mrs. Toth $16.27; Mrs. Louis Kucher $27.79; Mrs. Magecic $21.50; Mrs. Andrew Kalas $17.36; Mrs. Michael Princz $15.93; Mrs. Albert Joczik $16.43; Mrs. H. Toth $11.64; Miss Helen Goydan $11.25; Mrs. Margaret Beres (Home Office) $13.16; Miss Ethel Chonko (Home Office) $10.18; Miss Margaret Evans (Home Office) $11.10; Mrs. Stephen Takacs $10.45; Miss Margaret Molnár $11.55; Mrs. Stephen Nemeth $14.39; Miss Susanna Ban $11.36; Mrs. John Simon $10.24; Mrs. John Mathe $10.63; Mrs. John Horvath $13.09; Mrs. Lewis Diera (formerly of Home Office), comptroller of Chapter 117, $12.58; Mrs. Michael Opalko $10.67; Mrs. Charles Simon $13.52; Miss Betty Bölcshazy $12.28; Mrs. Laslo Makrai $12.62; Mrs. Stephen Tokay $14.88; Miss Julia Balogh $11.81; Mrs. Andrew Jureco $11.50; Mrs. Louis Smith $11.07; Mrs. John Bendzsuk $12.22; Miss Vilma Albright $14.80; Mrs. Balogh $13.65; Mrs. Joseph Kato $11.66; Mrs. Charles Jacob $11.25; Mrs. Kondiing $10.43; Mrs. Joseph Lányi $12.35; Mrs. Adalbert Witt $13.30; Mrs. Gabriel Csernai $12.94; Mrs. B. Csorba $13.55; Mrs. John Sabo (Supreme Auditor’s wife) $11.42; Miss Mary Juhasz $12.90, and Miss Betty Kucik (Home Office) $10. ORGANIZING PROBLEMS DISCUSSED AT DISTRICT MANAGERS’ MEETING The spring-conference of the district managers and local organizers of the Verhovay F. I, Association was held on March 10th, Monday, at the Verhovay Building. Present were: D. M. Frank J. Cher, F.I.C., and Asst. D.M. Joseph Toma, New York, N. Y., Josieph Cibolya, Local Organizer, Dickson City-Scranton, Pa., D.M., Louis Cincel, Homestead, Pa., D.M. John Fulop, Pittsburgh, Pa., D.M. Joseph Nemes, Youngstown, O., D.M. Mi. chael Simo, Alliance, O.* Local Organizer Joseph M. Toth, Cleve, land, O.; D.M. Nicholas Takacs and Local Organizer Stephen Lukacs, Detroit, Mich., D.M. George Toth and Local Organizer Frank Wukovits, South Bend, Ind. District Manager Alexander Gyulay of Los Angeles, Calif., was unable to attend because of the great distance, while an attack of flu prevented Districti Manager Victor Austerlitz of Allentown, Pa., from joining his colleagues. Their absence was sincerely regretted by all. Supreme President John Bencze presided at the round table conference and Coloman Revesz, Supreme Secretary, John Szalanczy, Supreme Treasurer, John Sabo, Supreme Auditor, Mrs. Emma Phillips Lawrence Deputy Auditor and editor Henry Rettmann took part in the discussions dealing with a great variety of organizing problems. Total amount collected was $2,052.90. For the record’s sake we would like to mention that exactly 10% of the total collected was brought in by the following em ployees of the Home Office: Miss Mary Krizsan, Mrs. Mary O’Toole, Miss Sári Masztics, Miss Margaret Beres, Miss Mary Mészáros, Miss Ethel Chonko, Miss Margaret Evans, Miss Dorothy Lenz, Miss Mary Kazar, Mrs. Anne Green, Mrs. Mary Kurjack, Miss Ethel Prekup, Mrs. Emma Phillips-Lawrence, Miss Helen Erdeky and Miss Gizella Stefurovsky. But the Home Office total is even higher, $244.66 to be exact, if we add to the above the collections of Mrs. Diera and the wives of Supreme Auditor John Sabo, and Messrs. Lenart and Joczik. — We are deeply thankful to these girls, for they have given a splendid example of Verhovay fratemalism. The men, of course, occupied the seats of the money-counters . . . This group was headed by Supreme Officers J. Bencze, C. Revesz, J. Szalanczy and J. Sabo, and ably assisted by Messers. Joseph Bercsi, Gay Banacsky-Banes, Julius Lenart, Bill Kohut, Ignatz Lengyel, George Mészáros, Home Office auditors Ernest Kunstadt, Jo Lucas and Alexander Nyitrai . . . Oh, but it is impossible to enumerate all those who had served on this memorable day ... Bake-Sale Of Chapter 117 nets $509. The Bake Sale Committee, headed by Miss Margaret Kerezsi, Mrs. Betty Kohut and Miss Betty Andrey and efficiently assisted by Mrs. John Bencze, Mrs. John Szalanczy, Mrs. George G. Foley and others, did a land-office business . . . The ladies of Chapter 117 and the supporters of the cause really went out of their way in baking and donating the most exquisitely looking and even better tasting cakes and pastries . . . Everyone who had contributed something to this venture can be proud of its unparalleled success, for we don’t believe that there is a single bakershop in the city of Pittsburgh that could show $509 profit even after a special sale . . . Congratulations to all the warmhearted workers of chapters 2 and 117 of the American Hungarian Relief, Inc. You have done a great job! Keep it up! And thanks to the United Magyar Civic Association of Western Pennsylvania for donating the refreshments ... They were a great help and an effective booster! All we can hope for is that we will have more of such events, for they bring out the best in the hearts of Pittsburgh’s Hungarian descendant and even non-Hungarian citizens. Thanks folks! You are truly grand people! THE BOWLING TOURNAMENT MESSENGER LAST CALL for registrations; Please, remember that registrations for the 1947 Verhovay National Bowling Tournament to be held at Water Bowling Alleys, 922 So. Main St., South Bend, Ind., on May 30, 31, and June 1st, must be filed not later than April 14. Be sure to act immediately! In order to avoid repetitions we urge all bowlers to read the Tournament information divulged in “The Ferret Sez . . .” column. Again your attention is called to the Tournament posters that had been mailed to our branchmanagers. Please, ask your* branch-manager to have them conspicuously posted if he has not yet done so. The least we can do for our Association is to assure it of as much local publicity as possible. The means had been provided, let us make good use of them. Buy Savings Bonds IT ISN’T EASY . . . To apologie, To begin over, To admit error, To take advice, To be unselfish, To keep on trying, To be considerate, To think and then act, To profit by mistakes, To forgive and forget, BUT IT ALWAYS PAYS. — Federal Record. A good idea is nothing in itself. It has potentialities that must be carried through to results before it can be considered worthwhile in the drive for achievement. — Local Agent.
