[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 86 (Friday, May 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MERRILLVILLE ALLIANCE OF TRANSYLVANIAN SAXONS-

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2008

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take this 
time to recognize the officers and members of the Merrillville, 
Indiana, branch of the Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons (ATS). On 
Saturday, May 31, 2008, the Merrillville Alliance of Transylvanian 
Saxons will host a celebration honoring its 100th Anniversary, while 
also celebrating the ATS National Constitutional Convention at the 
Radisson Hotel in Merrillville, Indiana.
  The Saxons originated in Germany and traveled eastward to settle in 
eastern Hungary during the 12th and 13th century. Following the 
conclusion of World War I, the Hungarian boundaries were altered and 
the Saxons' home became Transylvania, one of the three major provinces 
of Rumania. In Rumania, the Transylvanian Saxons were oppressed as 
minorities by the totalitarian Rumanian government, causing many to 
migrate to the United States.
  The ATS was founded as a fraternal organization in 1902, with a 
mission of providing a safe community for immigrant families of 
Transylvanian Saxons to share and enjoy their language and traditions. 
The Merrillville Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons was established in 
1908 under its parent organization to offer the same community to the 
3,000 plus Transylvanian Saxons who had immigrated to Northwest 
Indiana. The fraternal fellowship provides cultural activities such as 
singing, dancing, and family and youth exchange programs. The officers 
of the Merrillville ATS, who so selflessly give to their organization, 
share the goals of the national organization and allow for their 
longstanding traditions to remain a part of their lives.
  This year's celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Merrillville 
Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons will recognize the continuous efforts 
of the Merrillville Lodge's officers: President Jeffery Szostek, Vice 
President Daniel Schuffert, Recording Secretary Raymond S. Palyok, 
Treasurer Donald Bowman, Secretary Randall B. Floyd, and Trustees 
Walter Szostek, John Sumichrast and Jim Smith.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to 
join me in commending the officers and members of the Merrillville 
Alliance of Transylvanian Saxons for the efforts, activities, and 
leadership they have provided in maintaining their Transylvanian Saxon 
history and culture as part of Indiana's First Congressional District.

                          ____________________