Monthly Progress | March 2020

PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED GERMAN-HUNGARIANS OF PHILADELPHIA AND VICINITY

VOL. 75

OAKFORD, PENNSYLVANIA

No. 2

—A WAY OF LIFE— I know its cliché but most of you reading this have a place, “where everybody knows your name.” Now that you have an NBC sitcom title sequence stuck in your head, let me amend that idea. That place, it isn't so much a place as it is a group of people. The fact is that wherever they may be does not matter. Those people know your name, they know more about you than that. You might call them your family, your friends. You might use another little word that despite its length is packed with meaning, ideas and feelings, Club.

When I was young, some smallminded folks that were around thought (and maybe still do) that the club was a location, a building, fields, real estate. If we are talking about the small c, club its true. If we leave 4666, we are done for, someone intoned. I don’t think so.

If we are talking about Club, with a capital C, that’s something else entirely.

The tragic thing is that we don’t as a people talk about the big-c Club often enough. It’s easy for each of us to get too deeply wrapped up in what we do. It’s hard to stop and reason, wonder, and appreciate what we have in the lifestyle afforded to us by the German Hungarians.

Clubs like ours often talk about gathering for the purpose of preserving culture and tradition. While that is true to an extent, my Aunt Marlene once said something to me that struck a chord. I won’t quote her directly, but the sentiment was that these clubs did not form for that reason. These clubs like ours formed for companionship and community. The preserving of a culture then was a secondary reason to continue to gather.

In our 50th Anniversary Book from 1960, the history opens with a paragraph (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)

—2020 SCHEDULE UPDATES— THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR ANOTHER DATE. OUR 110TH ANNIVERSARY BANQUET HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2020 More information will be forthcoming!

—2020 ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE— May 9, 2020—7:30pm—U.G.H. Day Out at the Union Subaru Park (Formerly Talen Energy Stadium)

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 - Spring Penny Party Trifecta Sporting Club—4666 E Bristol Road, Feasterville, PA 19053

May 24 & 25, 2020 - National Donauschwaben Soccer Tournament Akron German Family Society, OH

September 5 & 6, 2020 - Landestrachtenfest mit Tanzwettbewerb Cleveland Donauschwaben

Saturday, November 14, 2020 – Kirchweihfest Trifecta Sporting Club—4666 E Bristol Road, Feasterville, PA 19053

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - Winter Penny Party Trifecta Sporting Club—4666 E Bristol Road, Feasterville, PA 19053 Saturday, November 28, 2020—110th Gala Anniversary Banquet Bensalem Township Country Club

Sunday, December 20, 2020 - Club Christmas Party Trifecta Sporting Club—4666 E Bristol Road, Feasterville, PA 19053

VOL 75. No. 2

MONTHLY PROGRESS

—MONTHLY PROGRESS—

PAGE 2

—MEET THE MAJOR WOMEN—

Founded by TED KERECZMANN† in 1946 Published by the United German-Hungarians of Philadelphia and Vicinity At Trifecta Sporting Club

4666 E. Bristol Road, Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053 215.357.9851 | www.ughclub.us

Editor: MICHAEL FRICKER 313 S DuPont Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19805 267.736.4390 | mfricker@ughclub.us Circulation: LISA FRICKER | 215.500.0757

President: JANET MALOFIY 14 Sugar Maple Lane, Horsham, Pennsylvania 19044 267.718.0059 | jfmalofiy711@hotmail.com Our Mailing Address: United German Hungarians P.O. Box 838, Horsham, PA 19044

VOLUME SEVENTY– FIVE

—IN MEMORIAM— Mary K. "MITZI" Pack

NOVEMBER 10, 1933—MARCH 14, 2020 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mitzi pack. She was a fun-loving person who supported all things German-Hungarian. Our prayers are with Jimmy and all of her family at this time. Mitzi, We will miss you!!

Name: Jennifer South Age: 25 Position(s): Defense Years at UGH: 4 Grade School: St. Frances Cabrini High School: Conwell-Egan Catholic College: Rosemont College Occupation: Project Coordinator Favorite Food: Steak Favorite Athlete: Kelley O'Hara Favorite Sports Team: USWNT If you didn’t play soccer, what would you play?: Lacrosse If you could pick a superpower, what would it be?: Teleportation... Because I'm always late.

If you could pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?: Organized Anything else exciting you want to share: Newly Engaged!

—ATTENTION— All Former Dance Group Members!

Elizabeth E. “BETTY” Wagner

MARCH 14, 1933—MARCH 24, 2020 It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Elizabeth Wagner.

A Life-long German-Hungarian she ws prod of her heritage and her family. Our prayers are with son Michael and all of their family. Betty, we will miss you!! www.ughclub.us

Name: Allison Barker Age: 26 Position(s): Center mid Years at UGH: 4 years Grade School: St. Thomas High School: Conwell-Egan Catholic College: Rowan University, Villanova University School of Law Occupation: Attorney Favorite Food: Gnocchi Favorite Athlete: Julie Ertz Favorite Sports Team: Philadelphia Eagles If you didn’t play soccer, what would you play?: Lacrosse, maybe If you could pick a superpower, what would it be?: To teleport If you could pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?: Uncompromising

Name: Kacey Cerankowski Age: 25 Position(s): outside midfield Years at UGH: 4 years Grade School: Herbert Hoover Elementary and Maple Point Middle High School: Neshaminy College: Elizabethtown College Occupation: Physician assistant at Princeton Sports and Family Medicine Favorite Food: pizza Favorite Athlete: Messi Favorite Sports Team: USWNT If you didn’t play soccer, what would you play?: I think I would just run track If you could pick a superpower, what would it be?: Telepathy If you could pick one word to describe yourself, what would it be?: Hardworking

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facebook.com/GermanHungarians

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The United German Hungarian Schuhplattler Group is in search of any German Attire/Trachten outfits that retired dance group members have and are no longer using! Please consider donating any of your "Trachten wear" back to the club to be repurposed for the current and future dancers to use for generations to come! We are accepting Dirndls, Lederhosen, Women's Meters and Spencers, Kirchweih Skirts, shawls, hats, black vests, or any Trachten jewelry/accessories, etc. for any age (kids to adult). Please, if you have any German attire that is collecting dust in your closet, we will gladly take it off your hands! Contact Sofi Walter, the dance groups Trachtenmutter, at 609-6104815 or email her at sofiwalter106@gmail.com to arrange a pick up or drop off of any clothing.

Thank you!

twitter.com/UnitedGHSoccer

VOL 75. No. 2

MONTHLY PROGRESS

UNITED GERMAN HUNGARIANS

GALA ANNIVERSARY BANQUET Cocktail Hour with butlered Hors d’oeuvres Full Service Sit Down Dinner & Dessert Four Hour Open Bar (Beer, Wine, Soda, House Liquor) Entertainment:  Heimatklaenge Orchestra  Special Performance featuring the GermanHungarian Dancers

RESCHEDULED DATE:

Saturday, November 28, 2020 Hors d’oeurves 6:00pm Dinner Served 7:00pm Black Tie Preferred Price $80.00 per person Reservations - Seating Limited to Venue Capacity ~ Reservations Confirmed with Payment

Contact: Nichole Blank Deely at nichsmalls@hotmail.com or 215-806-1998

BENSALEM COUNTRY CLUB 2000 BROWN AVE, BENSALEM, PA 19020

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—’LIFE’ CONTINUED— I'd encourage all members to read. A particularly notable passage is: “Everyone who has had the experience of being alone amidst strange surroundings will recall having felt a sudden glow of warmth upon seeing a familiar face or hearing a familiar voice. During the great immigration to this country in the early part of this century there were many people who upon arrival experienced a feeling of loneliness, and oftentimes fear.”

Those waves of immigration first created, and then later rejuvenated our communities.

They added new but likeminded people to our Club. Since then we have maintained an ever-tighter grip on our customs and traditions. I’d argue the reason being that those traditions remind us of those immigrants.

Again, it's not the place or the what, it’s the people.

In modern Club life, we often hold our contemporaries to impossible standards.

Though it can be frustrating and is often a source of quarrels within our ranks I’d like to offer another view that there is a beauty in it.

Pushing each other's participation with such fervor as to offend stems from a deep-seated fear of loneliness, and a passion to be together.

My other aunt uses the term often “F.O.M.O.” or “fear of missing out.” Those following this way of life definitely have it.

I think we also have a sometimes frustrating, wonderful, beautiful need to be amongst our people as much as we can. Lately, with the spread and worry of this Chinese virus, the Coronavirus, the technical term COVID-19 we’ve been kept away from our club. Yes, social distancing is helping to stave off the spread of disease and we are all of us Americans safer because of it. Still deep in our hearts, many of us might be feeling lonely and fearful in these times.

Our own special 110th Anniversary had to be postponed because of this. (Do not worry, we celebrated in our own way on Saturday and will celebrate even bigger and better again in November this year).

I believe things happen for a reason. A higher power than any of us leads us in ways we may not understand. Maybe big c Clubs like ours needed this separation to remind us of how much we crave the warmth of each other. Maybe this happening is a challenge to our human fear. Maybe we just needed a reminder how dear we hold those folks that always know our names.

Michael