ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1957-05-01
"ZAJEDNICAR"
Childre11'S Home Part I
By v. l. Mandich,

BY v. l. Mandch,
The Supreme Board of Directors of the Croatan Fra
erna Union of America at it's regular semannual session
held September 1856 designated four members of the
Board and the Societys Legal Counsellor to serve as
Special Committee to investigate the financial condition OF
the Chdens Home examine receipts and expenditures the
condition of the physical facilities care and maintenance
of the Home and it's adaptabilty for continued
The financial reports of the Chdren's Home for
the last several years. have consistently shown deficit
in the administration fund. The costs of maintaining
the Chdrens Home have exceeded the regular receipts
by $4,000 to 10000 These shortages at
the end of the year have dwnded the below
$4,000 close to the point where the Supreme Board
of Directors felt it necessary evauae the whole
question of the Childrens Home. For that the
Special Committee appointed and directed to make
a report to the Supreme Board in writing and make
special recommendations on its findings of fact.
The Special Committee composed of the Supreme
President " l. Mandich Supreme Vice President Joseph
N Bazdarc; Secretary of the Board of Trustees Sister
Sylvia Niksc; Member of the Board of Trustees Nkola
Hinich; and General Counsel Edward B. servov Esq.
met at the Chidrens Home in Des Planes Illinois,
Thursday November g. 1856 in session which lasted until
Sunday November 18th.
At the Ninth Meeting of the regular semi-annua
sion Of the Supreme Board held March 29 1857 the report
of the Special Committee thoroughly discussed by all
members of the Board and officials together with the Su-
perntendent of the Chdrens Home Brother Nick D. Sa-
rh and the President and Secretary of the Chdrens Home
Board Brothers Tomo Spusic and Frank Krasch All rec
concentrations of the Special Committee unanimously
adopted by the Supreme Board of Directors 1t also
unanimously agreed that the portion of the report covering
the findings of fact and recommendations be published in
the official organ.
In the written report submitted to the Board of Drec-
tors the Special Committee summarized its findings and
recommendations as follows:
FINDINGS OF FACT
1. - History of the Home
The Chidrens Home of the Croatian Fraternal Union
of America has long and interesting history. Time does
not permit this Committee to go into all the details and to
mention all of the of the prominent Croatans in and
around the Chicago who instrumental in organ
zng the movement for the Childrens Home
| A committee formed in Chicago in 1915 from
among the delegates of six lodges of the National Croatlan
Society and five lodges of the Croaan League of Illinois
The committee formed for the purpose of organizing
association for the of Croatan orphans in Amer
placed in orphanages throughout the country The pur
pose of this association to support financially those
institutions in which Croatan orphans being cared for
| Due to the publicity which this association
ceved i'm the CrOaan press in America at that time,
! the name of the Association changed to Associ-
! alton for Building Croatian Orphanage. As result,
many lodges of both of the largest CrOatan raternals
became members of that Association. The First World
War interrupted much of the of the Association
but in 19S both of the Croatian fraternas namely the
Croatian League of Illinois and the CrOatan National
Society, approved assessment of &c member per
month, and the of the Association was again
changed to the Croatan Orphanage in the United States
of America and became chartered as such in the State
of Illinois.
In 1921 the membership of both Societies totaled
900 MEMBERS and the assessment was raised to &c per
month Shortly thereafter they purchased SO acres of
farmland Planes Illinois, about 18 miles north
of the City of Chicago where the Chdrens Home is
now located.
After the merger of the two Croaan fraternal soci
eties mentioned along with Others and at the first
convention of the Croatian Fraterna Union of America
held in Cleveland in 1926 the Croaan Orphanae was taken
by the Croaan Fraerna Union of America and the
changed to the Chldrens Home of the Croatian
Faerna Union of America The Croatan Fraternal Union
of America maintains sole and exclusive control of
the Chldren's Home
2. - Purpose and Operation of the Home
The rules and bylaws of the Croaan Orphanage of the
United States Of America adopted in 1922, were as
follows:
| CHAPTER 2.
The purpose and the object
Section l. The purpose of Croatian Orphanage is:
a. To establish and to maintain Institution or more
Institutions necessary wherein children who without
parents will find shelter;
b. To educate children in everything that is learned in
the public schools of this country;
c) To teach children the Croatian language;
d. If desired by parents by guardian, children
be given lessons also in the religion to which they
belong;
e) To educate children generally in such manner
that they become worthy people and good citizens
of this country that they may be able to provide for
themselves the necessities of life when released from
| the Institute;
! f) To the eroWn1p children who talented