Founders Day February 21 - William Penn Life

Hungarians,Unite in Supportof WPA!by Kathy MegyeriFOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, I have witnessedthe slow, agonizing death of a long-valued Hungarianinstitution--the Hungarian Reformed Federationof America--and now, it is complete. The insurancedepartments involved have approved the decisionof HRFA’s Board of Directors and its conventiondelegates to transfer its $15 million in assets and its10,000 members to GBU Financial in Pittsburgh, PA,a company that shares no common bond or historywith Hungarians and is currently not able to sell itsproducts in New York state because of sanctions imposedby that state’s insurance commissioner.It broke my heart while walking through the KossuthHouse to see those founding fathers’ picturesbeing taken off the wall, for those miners’ and ministers’goal was to serve the insurance needs of theirHungarian constituency and ensure the continuationof Hungarian culture, language and traditions.HRFA’s doors are shutting forever, and surprisinglyenough, even the CEO of GBU Financial has repeatedlyvocalized his surprise that HRFA didn’t mergewith WPA in light of the Hungarian common bondand shared heritage.I also felt sad today when I learned that, in spiteof the sagging economy in Hungary and its myriadof economic, political and social problems, it haspledged a seven figure sum of money to the HeritageFoundation in Washington, D.C., to help erect amuseum dedicated to all the victims of Communism.While this is a noble act that will no doubt encourageother countries to match or exceed the grant money,the Heritage Foundation does not exclusively serveHungarians. And if the Hungarian government canafford such a grant, why doesn’t it support the interestsof tried and true, time-proven Hungarian organizationsin the U.S.?Why hasn’t the Hungarian government given adonation to the largest and only Hungarian fraternalinsurance society in the U.S.--William Penn Association--tostrengthen its scholarship program, enhanceits fraternal activities and help promote tourism toHungary in addition to the yearly trips that Endreand Arlene Csoman organize each year?12 º February 2012 º William Penn Life