ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1956-06-13

of the present times.
Our conventions are, therefore, necessary, not only for
the adoption of new or amendment of old bylaws, but also
for purposes of keeping alive a sense of fraternal conscl-
to the end that all of us together, the Admin,
istration and the membership, may forge ahead to a still
better future for the Croatian Fraternal Union and the
membership within it.
The complaints which are occasionally voiced mostly
by irresponsible persons, and some times by non-nenbers,
are so small and puny in comparison with our great works
and tasks before us, that we should not permit ourselves to
give these complaints one iota of our attention.
Let us pledge here, at this session, in our own name
and that of the entire membership of the Croatlan Frater-
nal Union, that we will give answer to all of these critics
bership, with redoubled efforts in the building up of the
Society to new and enviable heights in total membership,
assets, and above all, maintaining unity and harmony VIII
in the Union first, and then among our people IN this
country, generally!
Our Business in the State of New York
Relative to our efforts to legalize that which the Union
has been doing illegally during the past 60 years, much has
been written publicly from the last convention to date, by
unlimited and unqualified individuals, in such irresponsible
and malicious manner, as to bring harm to the Society itself,
to its good reputation among americans and our own peo-
pie in the United States and Canada.
The first lodge of the National Croatian Society in the
State of New York, was organized December 9, 1895, at
Rosendale, NJ: Y. That was Lodge NO. 49, 81; Jerome
which merged with Lodge 243 in Cementon, N. Y, in June,
1924.
From 1895 to 1906, when the Ninth Convention of the
National Croatian Society was held in New York City, nine
lodges were organized in that state, with close to 5OO mem
bers, without a license for doing business in that state hav-
ing been applied for. Why that was done, nobody knows,
TO-DAY If it were desired TODAY to organize a lodge in a state
where the Society did not have a license, we would first
apply for a license in that state, and only then autnorlze
the organizing of the lodge. That procedure was followed
in the state of Florida, where we are licensed Tor TWO years
already. .
The truth of the matter is that the Croatian Fraternal
Union never had a license to do business in the State OF
New York. Therefore, the organization could not lose its
license, which certain individuals are claiming to be a tact.
The Convention empowered the Supreme Board to con
tinue with efforts for admission to New York. From the
Convention, to date, the Executive Board did everything
that was deemed necessary, and a full report on the SUBJECT
will be submitted to you during these meetings.
1 trust you will agree with me in one thing, and that
is, that this question is one of a purely administrative ma
ture, concerning which the Convention handed down it's
opinion, and the Supreme Board its directive, which the
Execrtive BOARD so far as has been possible, carried out.
UNLIMITED individuals have no moral right to NEEDLE IN the
administrative affairs of the Union. Together, we Will So
berly, from now on, as we have heretofore, discuss and de-
eide this question, always having in mind only the welfare
of our organization and our membership, particularly in the
state of New York. No force will defect us from that path,
and especially not the interests of any foreign political
faction.
The work in the Supreme Office is going on at normal
Tempo, despite some unavoidable delays in some depart
with the new CSC Mortality Tables recently adopted. The
Executive Board will be compelled to hire additional otfee
personnel to overcome the backlog of work and to permit
current work to be put out on time.
It is my desire that every new members membership
certificate be forwarded to his lodge or nest on the same
day as the applicant was accepted to membership in the
Union. One day soon, our work will be organized IN such
a way, that monthly assessments to our lodges Will be
mailed the first day of every month. All of this can be
accomplished, if sufficient help will be available to permit
the timely performance of all transactions between the lod-
gs and the Supreme Office.
We are generally well satisfied with our present office
personnel.
Our Print Shop, as is usual early in the year, and es,
: pecially so following a convention, extremely busy, but it
is expected that everything will be brought to normal rou'
E tine in the very near future. 49,,
4 The "Zajednicar' is the main artery through which
e new life is injected into all, even the most remote, branches
of this great trunk, under whose crown over 100000 OF oul
i people throughout America and Canada, have found pro
e lection.
e Since the last Convention, I represented the Croatiar
s Fraternal Union at the annual meeting of the National Fra
e ternal Congress in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, late in Sep
t TENDER, and at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania
f Fraternal Congress at Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the New
York Fraternal Congress at New York. At the Pennsylvania
r Fraternal Congress meeting, our Union was honored by my
e election as Second Vice President of the Congress.
BY attending the meetings Of the various fraterna
t. Congresses. the Executive Officers and Officials of our owl
Society gain much experience, coming in contact with rep
resentatives of other fraternal organizations, and coming t.
know their problems and methods of solving them. This
e opens up new views, which are certainly of inestimable valu'
t in the resolving of our own everyday problems, with which
l.. we are confronted in the administration of a great organi
J.. zation such as the Croatian Fraternal Union.
h l wish the Supreme Board every success, and to you
it's members, a pleasant stay with us in Pittsburgh, with tn
=, familiar: Long live, blossom and prosper the Croatian FRI
= ternal Union, its Membership, Junior Order and Children
l. Home!
Respectfully submitted, -
" T Mond;ch Suprayoo pras;don