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9th Annual Hungarian Charity Ball in Washington, DC |
5/9/2014 - Another successful Hungarian Ball! The 9th Annual Hungarian Charity Ball returned to Washington and raised funds for worthy causes... The American Hungarian Federation and the Hungarian Scouts of Washington sponsor the Jótékonysági Est (Benefit Event) to support educational and charitable programs. This year's event returned to the Sheraton Premiere at Tyson's Corner. Over the past decade, it has raised tens of thousands of dollars for worthy causes both in the United States and throughout the Hungarian communities in the Carpathian Basin. The proceeds from the 9th Annual event will be applied to help support Hungarian Culture and Students of Hungarian descent through scholarships and internships via the Hungarian-American Educational and Cultural Fund (AMOKA); a fund to establish a Hungarian Cultural Center in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area; and the Wounded Warrior Project. The Masters of Ceremonies, Cmdr. Istvan Hargitai (USN) and Rev. Judit Mayer, opened the Ball, thanked guests and recognized the Ball Chairperson, Erika Fedor, and the Ball Committee, whose hard work and vision made this 9th annual event not only possible, but highly successful. Cmdr. Hargitai also reflected on his own work as a doctor for the US Navy and the physical and emotional sacrifices of brave soldiers returning from abroad and thanked the Federation for its support of the Wounded Warriors program. The Ball Committee Chair, and AHF Social Committee Chair, Erika Fedor, welcomed guests, officers of the Federation and Scouts. She introduced AHF National President, Frank Koszorus, Jr., who recalled AHF's work and its support for education and issues affecting the community and focused on the need for the next generation of leaders to emerge to lead the Federation in the next "Century of Service." Excerpts below:
Young Scout Leaders Anikó Tóth & Bert Kőlüs addressed the audience and thanked them for their support. The Magyar Cserkészszövetség, the primary national Scouting organization of Hungary, was founded in 1912.Hungary was a founding member of the World Scout Bureau in 1922 and later was a founding member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, WAGGGS, which was in fact established in Parád, Hungary, in 1928. However, because of the Communist Regime in Hungary, couldn't become a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement until 1990, after the transition to democracy. Next, Rev. Judit Mayer introduced Bryan Dawson, AHF Executive Chairman, who would lead the awards ceremony. He remarked, "Why are we all here tonight? Certainly to enjoy each other's company and to have a good time. But it's more. We are here because we care. I am the lucky one who has the enviable position to say "thank you" on behalf of our community." AHF established the "AHF Service Award" in 2013 to recoginize members of the community, Hungarian and non-Hungarian alike, who have made special, outstanding contributions to the community. This year's recipients were:
The AHF Medal of Freedom AHF established the Michael Kovats Medal of Freedom to recognize outstanding lifetime achievements and selfless contributions to freedom, democracy, and Hungarian society and culture. This year's recipient was Minister Tamas Fellegi:
The Hungarian Scouts (and yes, the Scout Mothers!) were the next highlight in the program. They performed “Magyarbódi Karikázó és Páros Táncok” (including incredible traditional Hungarian folk harmonic choral singing) with choreography by Zsuzsanna Seres. Arpad and Szilvia Fabian-Kovacs performed Transylvanian dances from the Magyar-Palatka, Közép Erdélyi Tájegység (Mezőség) accompanied by the phenomenalm pitch-perfect Hungarian Folk singer from (Kalotaszeg, Erdély), Csenge Konkoly. Following the performances, Anna Smith-Lacey, Poltical Attache and Congressional Liaison for the Embassy of Hungary, addressed the audience with a message from the Ambassador, Dr. George Szapary, and her personal thoughts. Like Frank Koszorus earlier, she too emphasized the need for unity, service and reaching out to the next generation, Excerpts below [download full comments]:
Ms. Smith-Lacey closed her speech with a poem in Hungarian "Who is Hungarian" / Ki a Magyar? by Illyés Gyula. Guests throughout the reception hall and ballroom were also treated with photo displays on Transylvania and the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival by AHF Ladies' Committee Chair, Dr. Kati Almay. The evening continued, as usual, with much dancing and fun. Hope to see you next year! - Bryan Dawson Photos Courtesy Bryan Dawson - www.bryandawson.com Previous Hungarian Charity Balls:
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Tiszteletbeli Védnökök /
Honorary Committee
Previous Hungarian Balls Supported: 1. The Hungarian Reformed Church Nursery School in Bácskossuthfalva was founded in 2005, this is the ONLY such school recognized by Serbian authorities. Despite the recognition, Serbia has refused to extend any financial support. The school is under serious financial distress and your support is greatly needed and appreciated. See the VIDEO INTERVIEW ( magyarul). Vojvodina, an integral part of Hungary for over 1000 years, was awarded to the newly formed Yugoslavia by the French at the "Treaty" of Trianon in 1920 when Hungary lost 2/3 of her territory and 1/3 of her Hungarian population. Intimidation, large scale evictions and ethnic cleansing, emigration, and fear of self-reporting have official estimates of only 300-350,000 ethnic Hungarians remaining in the province. Some, however, estimate this number to be double that since many fear self-reporting as Hungarian exposes them to risk. [read more] about Vojvodina. 2. The Hungarian American Education and Cultural Preservation Fund (Amerikai Magyar Oktatási és Kultúrális Alap (AMOKA) to support a wide variety of programs from scholarships and internships that develop our future leaders to assisting local communities at home and abroad to preserve Hungarian schools and cultural institutions, language, history and traditions. In 2012, the Hungarian Scholarship Fund (HSF) / Magyar Ösztöndíjalap surpassed $400,000.00. Founded by AHF Board Member, Prof. Bela Bognar, the HSF supports students who are economically disadvantaged and live in Hungary and in the lands lost at the Treaty of Trianon which cost Hungary 2/3 of her territory, 1/3 of her ethnic-Hungarian population and vast natural resources. [read more and HELP!] 3. Tőketerebes (Trebišov) 4. The Claude Alexander Volunteer Program supporting Walter Reed Hospital was founded by Mike Healy in 2005 to help wounded U.S. Army soldiers being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The program provides outpatients and their families with access to free off-post recreational events. 5. The Budapest-based Juvenile Cancer Foundation. There are approximately 300 children who are diagnosed with cancer in Hungary every year. The key objective of the Foundation is to build a reference 300-bed hospital and treatment center for children with cancer which would offer medical services ranging from diagnosis to sustainable treatment on the level of developed nations by highly qualified medical doctors, nurses and social workers to ensure the recovery of children. 6. The Hungarian Elementary School in Vaján, Slovakia. The school is located in a little ethnic Hungarian village of under 800 people, Vaján (or Vojany in Slovak after annexation following the Treaty of Trianon) in the Kassa District (Kosice) of Slovakia. [read more] 7. "Classrooms of the Future" - This program builds Educational Bridges between the US and Hungary and Promotes Science Education. Securing the support of Dr. Janos Horvath, Hungarian Member of Parliament, AHF worked with McIntosh Junior High School in Sarasota, Florida. The objective is to have students in Zalaber Elementary School in Hungary work directly on scientific programs with their US counterparts via laptop teleconferencing. 8. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival: Hungarian Heritage - Roots to Revival 2013 also supported a unique opportunity for our community, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The Festival's theme was "Hungarian Heritage - Roots to Revival" and featured a wide spectrum of activities from Hungarian folk crafts to dance and music from various Hungarian communities, including Transylvania. [read more] About the Hungarian Scouts [more] The Magyar Cserkészszövetség, the primary national Scouting organization of Hungary, was founded in 1912, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1990. The coeducational Magyar Cserkészszövetség has 7,198 members as of 2004. Scouting in Hungary is maintained through Magyar Cserkészet Tanácsa, the Council of Hungarian Scouting. There are two associations in this national federation, Magyar Cserkészszövetség, the Hungarian Scout Association, and Magyar Cserkészcsapatok Szövetsége. Also serving Hungarian Scouts is Magyar Cserkészlány Szövetség, the Association of Hungarian Girl Guides. Hungarian Scouting was founded in 1909 under Austria-Hungary, and the first Scout group in the dual monarchy, MCA-1912 HAS, was founded in Budapest in 1910. Scouting started in the separate nation of Hungary in 1919, at the end of World War I, when Austria and Hungary were divided. In 1920, the magazine Magyar Cserkész ("Hungarian Scout") was first published. Hungary was a founding member of the World Scout Bureau in 1922 and later was a founding member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, WAGGGS, which was in fact established in Parád, Hungary, in 1928. In 1924, at the World Scout Jamboree in Copenhagen, Hungarian Scouts attending their first jamboree came third in the competition of the nations, behind British and American Scouts. They were especially good at water sports. The first Hungarian National Jamboree in 1926 had 10,000 participants. Hungary hosted the fourth World Jamboree in 1933 at the royal forest of Gödöllo, outside Budapest, in which 26,000 Scouts from 54 nations camped together. The camp chief was Teleki Pál, the member of the International Committee who later became Prime Minister of Hungary. This was the first time there was a Jamboree subcamp for Scouts taking part in aviation. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the fourth World Jamboree, the Hungarian Scout Association hosted a fourth World Jamboree Memorial Camp at Bélapátfalva, Hungary in 1993. After World War II, the Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség
started operating in the displaced persons camps in Germany and Austria
in 1948 as the Teleki Pál Scout Association, renamed in 1948 as
the Hungarian Scout Association. Scouting was well organized and popular
in Hungary until it was officially abolished by the Communist regime in
1948, but remained nascent underground... 100 ÉVES A NEMZETKÖZI CSERKÉSZMOZGALOM Sík Sándor fogalmazta meg legtömörebben, hogy a magyar cserkészet célja “emberebb emberek, magyarabb magyarok” nevelése. Hála a magyar vezetoség kiváló muködésének, a két világháború között a magyar cserkészet – a trianoni csonkítás ellenére – világviszonylatban kimagasló és elismert szervezetté vált. Teleki Pált beválasztották a világcserkészet legfelsobb vezetoségébe, a cserkész világtalálkozókon, versenyeken a magyar kontingens az elsok között végzett, és mindennek koronájaként Magyarországnak jutott az 1933-as nagysikeru gödöllöi jemboree megrendezése. Szinte látnoki ihlet által vezérelve, az akkori magyar vezetoség olyan foglalkozási és nevelési anyagot, u.n. “próbarendszert,” dolgozott ki, amely erkölcsi és gyakorlati tartalmán kívül kihangsúlyozta a magyar hagyományokat és kulturális értékeket. Ez, és a magyar cserkészet elsorangú vezetoképzo rendszere, tették lehetové, hogy amikor a kommunista rendszer betiltotta muködését, a magyar cserkészet zökkenomentesen folytatódhasson külföldön. Az ötvenes évek közepére már magyar cserkészcsapatok muködtek nemcsak Nyugat-Európában, hanem Észak- és Dél-Amerikában, valamint Ausztráliában is. A Baden-Powell-i cserkészet és annak jellegzetesen magyar változata olyan szerencsés induló alapot nyújtott, amelynek segítségével a Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség immár 62 éve tesz eleget jellemnevelo és magyarságorzo küldetésének. De nyújtott olyan alapot is, amelynek segítségével a kommunista rendszer bukását követoen azonnal megalakultak a magyar cserkészszövetségek mind az anyaországban, mind a környezo országok magyarlakta területein. Ma már a Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetségen kívül a Kárpát-medence minden országában muködnek magyar cserkészszövetségek, összesen hét szövetség, amelyek közös rendezvényekkel, programokkal és egymást támogatva munkálkodnak az összmagyar fiatalság nevelésén és nemzeti öntudatának megorzésén. És így, egy angol katonatiszt által száz éve elindított gondolat adta meg azt a keretet, amelyen belül a négy évtizedes kommunista uralom alatt külföldön ápolhattuk külföldi fiataljaink magyar nyelvtudását és nemzeti érzését, hogy aztán a szovjet birodalom bukása után, országhatárokat áthidalva, összekösse a Kárpát-medencében és a világ minden táján élo magyar ifjúságot. - Dömötör Gábor Join online! |