On December 2, 2000, the Hungarian American Coalition held its tenth Annual Meeting at the Kossuth House in Washington, DC. At the Annual Meeting three new individual Board members were elected: Dr. Geza Simon of Minnesota, Dr. Peter Kovalszki of Michigan and Julius Varallyay of Washington, DC; the Board membership of the following five individuals was renewed for 3 years: Edith Lauer, Geza Kadar, Jr, Andras Ludanyi, Zsolt Szekeres and Charles Vamossy.
During the Annual Meeting, the members heard the report of Chairman Edith Lauer and the financial report of the Treasurer, Zsolt Szekeres. At the Chairman’s request, Charles Vamossy and Julius Varallyay began an evaluation of the goals and operation of the Hungarian American Coalition.
In afternoon Board meeting, after the approval of the reports presented by the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Committees, the following officers were elected: George Dozsa, Imre Lendvai-Litner, Rev. Istvan Mustos, Dr. Balazs Somogyi, Rev. Dr. Francis Vitez, Vice Presidents, Geza Kadar, Jr., Legal Counsel, Zsolt Szekeres, Treasurer, Julius Varallyay, Secretary. The Board also elected Edith Lauer as Chairman, and postponed the election of its President until after the completion of the evaluation report on the Coalition in the early spring of 2001. As for the composition of the Board, the Cleveland Hungarian Heritage Society was elected for a-three-year term as organizational member, and the membership of the following eleven organizations was renewed: Hungarian Scout Association Abroad, Hungarian Communion of Friends, Hungarian American Cultural Association, Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, The Bethlen Home, Hungarian Club of Colorado, American Hungarian Catholic Clergy Association, Hungarian Alumni Association, American-Hungarian Federation of Washington, DC, and Calvin Synod of the United Church of Christ.
The Board approved continued support for the reconstruction project of Vamosujfalu, Hungary. In the area of new business, the Board heard reports from Laszlo Hamos on the plan for the creation of a Council of Western Hungarians to advise the Hungarian government, and a proposal for a potential health project in Romania from George Pogan. The Board also approved support for the Duniversitas program that provides professional training for ethnic Hungarian reporters and producers affiliated with DUNA TV. The Board also made plans to acquaint the new administration in the White House and the U.S. Congress with issues of interest to the Coalition.
On Friday evening, December 1, Coalition members and guests, just over 100 people, attended the traditional Mikulás Dinner hosted by His Excellency Dr. Géza Jeszenszky and Mrs. Edit Jeszenszky at the Hungarian Embassy. The Coalition’s guest of honor, Minister without Portfolio Dr. Imre Boros of the Republic of Hungary, spoke of the unifying effect of the yearlong millennial celebrations all over Hungary; of the awakening in the population of a sense of history and of national accomplishment. Other distinguished guests of the gala dinner included Mr. Cameron Munter, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, Mr. Daniel McDonald, President of the Potomac Foundation, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Nicholas Kehoe, former Deputy Chairman of NATO Military Committee and Mr. Istvan Csicsery Ronay, President of Occidental Press.
In his speech, Ambassador Geza Jeszenszky pointed out the importance of the future agenda of the Coalition in view of the recent elections in former Yugoslavia and Romania. Edith Lauer, Chairman of the Board of the Hungarian American Coalition, gave a brief report on the projects and accomplishments of the Coalition. The evening ended with the singing of Christmas carols in English and Hungarian.