The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-07-14
CUc0NcLAvE
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ne judiciary committee.
Joseph Kovach, president of the Ely
edges, will open the program at the
banquet on Saturday evening and will
introduce Mr. Zbasnik as POSTMASTER.
Dinner music will be furnished by a
string ensemble under the direction of
Frank v. DiNino. Large delegations of
people from all the range towns in
chartered buses have signified their
Intention of being present.
The main banquet speaker will be
Dr.. Vladimar Rybar, charge d'affairs
and counselor of the Yugo-Slav lega-
lion in Washington, who will make a
Slovenian address and Trustee Vrani-
char who will make an English adj
dress. Other guests and supreme Of
ficers will be called on for remarks.
Frank Yetka, st. Paul, state insurance
will be the main speaker
at the picnic. Mr.. Zbasnik will be the
chairman of the picnic program. Su-
preme officers and visitors will also be
called upon for remarks. Honors will
be conferred on Joseph Kovach, presi-
dent of the local lodges and president of
Lodge No. l, who has qualified for an
award in the organizations membership
campaign concluded on May both.
Living charter members are also to
be honored at the banquet and picnic.
Music will be furnished at the picnic
by the Ely Municipal Band which will
play a concert. The Little German
Band, directed by John Grahek, will
play for the dance at Sandy Point paw
ilion on Sunday evening. Johnny
Smrekar and His Orchestra will supply
dance music for the Saturday evening
dance at the Community Center.
The Supreme Board will hold a
solemn memorial meeting on Monday
morning and the 10th anniversary will
be officially observed. A wreath will be
placed on the grave of the first presi-
dent, Joseph Agnich, and memorial SER
vices conducted.
A history of the organization has been
prepared by Secretary zbasnik for the
Miner which pictures the trials and
tribulationS of the early years of the
SSCU and the later rise to one of the
outstanding insurance organizations OF
the country, as their statement in
another place in this paper shows. Sec
rotary zbasnik, in his sketch, says:
The South Slavonic Catholic Union
was founded in this city July 10, 1898
by a group of Slovenes numbering ap-
proximately 400, who at that time be-
with headquarters at Joliet, Illinois
Immediately prior to the founding of
our society, said organization held a
convention in Pueblo, Colorado, and it
is alleged that due to the hazardous oc-
cupation of these Ely members, they
were assessed at a higher rate than
members living in other communities
The delegates representing the Ely
members took exception to that decision
and when they arrived home, mass
meeting was held at which said de-
cision was vigorously protested. The re-
suit was that the two lodges broke away
from said organization and organized
a society of their own, which they
named the South Slavonic Catholic
Union.
The movement for new society was
led by the late Joseph Agnich, who was
twice its president and later for many
years its secretary. The founders OF
the society intended to confine their &C.
tivities to st. Louis County and particu-
larry to the range towns, but news OF
its organization spread rapidly through
out the United States, and was sc
popularity received, that in less than one
year nine new lodges were added from
Michigan and Pennsylvania
The society had many difficulties
from the very beginning, especially as
far as the payment of claims was con-
cerned. For the insurance taken out
by the members, a flat rate was charged
regardless of their age or occupation
The rates charged were not adequate
and there being heavy demands on the
treasury, it was necessary to levy heavy
special assessments from time to time
to meet the obligations.
It was not until 1913 that the society
realized that higher rates should be
charged for the benefits granted, and at
the Pittsburgh convention held last
year, the so-called National Fraternal
Congress of America table was adopted
However, it was not until 1924 that the
society achieved the required solvency
IF 100C1 IayoorIarJ lo
various states in which it was doing
business.
At the organization meeting of the
society, the following officers were
elected: Joseph Agnich, president;
George Kotze, vice president; John
Gouze, secretary; Steve Banovetz, as
sistant secretary; Matt Agnich, treas
urer; John Habian, Joseph Mantel and
John Freshmen, trustees.
Fourteen national conventions have
been held since, each in a different
city and state, the last convention was
held in 1886 at Cleveland, Ohio.
The society started out with an empty
treasury. However, since its organiza-
ton, it has paid out in different bene-
fits $5,677, 1882. The assets of the
society at the close of business May 81,
1888 amounted to 1888, 41411. The
society has approximately $4,000 mem
bers in both branches.
The juvenile department of the So
ciety was founded in 1913, but did not
begin to function until the following
year, when the required 400 members
were enrolled. Since the restriction of
emigration, most o. the members adj
mitted into the adult department came
from the juvenile department. The
South Slavonic Catholic Union has one