Croatian Fraternal Union

The Croatian Fraternal Union (Croatian: Hrvatska bratska zajednica) (CFU), the oldest and largest Croatian organization in North America, is a fraternal benefit society of the Croatian diaspora based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US.

History and activities

In the late fall of 1893 Croatian American journalist Zdravko V. Mužina issued a call for a convention to organize a fraternal benefit society for Americans of Croatian descent. Three hundred people met in response to the call on January 14, 1894 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. Only a handful of people signed up and paid dues to the new group. Mužina arranged for another meeting on September 2, 1894 which merged six Croatian societies into a new group, the Croatian Federation. This group changed its name to the National Croatian Society in 1897. In 1926 the National Croatian Society merged with the Croatian League of Illinois of Chicago, St. Joseph Society of Kansas City, Kansas and the New Croatian Society of Whiting, Indiana to form the Croatian Fraternal Union.^[1] In 1939 the CFU absorbed the Slovanic Croatian Union.^[2]

A street in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, is called Street of the Croatian Fraternal Union. The National and University Library in Zagreb, one of Croatia's central cultural institutions, is located in that street. Josip Marohnić, founding father and first president of the CFU, also has a street named in his honor in Zagreb.

Benefits and activities

The CFU offers a wide variety of insurance plans. However, it has been an important group in preserving Croatian culture in North America, by supporting Croatian roots, and traditional tamburitza groups.^[3] The Zajedničar, the CFU's newspaper, has been in circulation since 1904 and provides insurance information, as well as providing details about CFU cultural events from around the continent. The "Z", as it is called, began as a monthly and became a biweekly in 1909.^[4]

Membership

Membership is open to people of Croatian descent or those married to the same. Juvenile memberships are also available.^[5]

In the late 1960s the CFU had 110,000 members. This declined to 100,000 members in 1979. That year the CFU had 1,000 lodges in twenty six states and several Canadian provinces.^[6] The CFU had 90,000 members in 1988.^[7]

Current officers

National board

National president	Edward W. Pazo
Vice president/member services	Franjo Bertovic
National secretary/treasurer	Bernadette Luketich Sikaras
Second vice president	George Pavlecic
President, board of trustees	Michael Loncarich
Secretary, board of trustees	Stan Blaz
Member, board of trustees	Michael Ricci
	Catherine Obenour
	Ladislav Meze
	Robert Novosel
	Charles Lesko
National president emeritus	Bernard M. Luketich

High Trial Board

President	Richard Major
Secretary	Robert Luketic
	Maryann Boljkovac
	Robert Panenich
	Donald Weakley
	Frank Jerbich
	Stephen Vrkljan

Junior Cultural Federation

President	Donald Weakley
1ST Vice-President	Bernadette Luketich-Sikaras
2ND Vice-President	Goldie Malone
Secretary	Ivan Begg
Treasurer	Ted Sebetich Jr
Trustees	Don Bowman
	Mike Ricci
	Michelle Janicki
	Joe Grman
	Antun Belan
Board of Advisors	Joan Kutz, Festival Coordinator
	Virginia Michtich
	Carol Sees
	Janet Craig
	Emil Riccio
Ex Officio	Bernard M. Luketich

Lodges

United States

Arizona	978 – Phoenix	1002 – Tucson
California	121 – Oakland	177 – Los Angeles	352 – Watsonville	434 – Sacramento	581 – Fresno	588 – San Pedro	612 – San Jose	619 – Roseville
	641 – San Diego	677 – Los Angeles	730 – Dinuba	900 – San Francisco	929 – Mountain View	959 – Fontana	1007 – San Francisco	1983 – Sunnyvale
	1987 – San Pedro	1989 – Sunnyvale	1991 – San Mateo	1993 – Los Angeles
Colorado	12 – Denver	402 – Pueblo
Connecticut	616 – Stamford
District of Columbia	1976 – Washington	1984 – Washington
Florida	982 – Miami
Georgia	1014 – Atlanta
Idaho	693 – Boise
Illinois	9 – Chicago	18 – Joliet	32 – Chicago	75 – Waukegan	175 – Joliet	201 – Dunfermline	202 – Chicago	217 – Benld
	222 – Madison	229 – Chicago	367 – Canton	440 – Chicago	848 – Chicago	948 – Chicago	3055 – Chicago
Indiana	57 – Whiting	154 – Chicago	170 – Merrillville	805 – Whiting
Iowa	64 – Des Moines
Kansas	35 – Kansas City
Maryland	684 – Baltimore
Michigan	69 – Caspian	259 – Hermansville	270 – Ahmeek	335 – Escanaba	351 – Detroit	533 – Battle Creek	561 – Flint	656 – Kipling
	717 – Detroit	1015 – Grand Rapids
Minnesota	94 – Eveleth	238 – Gilbert	316 – St. Paul	355 – Ely	513 – Keewatin	550 – New Duluth	635 – Virginia	664 – Nebish
Missouri	50 – St. Louis	167 – St. Louis
Montana	84 – Anaconda	987 – Lewistown
Nebraska	101 – Omaha
Nevada	428 – McGill	1985 – Las Vegas
New Jersey	362 – Hoboken	760 – Camden
New Mexico	60 – Gallup
New York	243 – Cementon	326 – Astoria	557 – Buffalo	789 – New York City	1981 – Astoria	1990 – New York City
Ohio	47 – Cleveland	66 – Youngstown	136 – Lorain	182 – Warren	185 – Campbell	235 – Cleveland	310 – Columbus	337 – Euclid
	403 – Cleveland	472 – Akron	514 – Canton	563 – Dayton	570 – Brewster	598 – McDonald	600 – Massillon	614 – Newton Falls
	699 – Akron	859 – Cleveland	995 – Cleveland
Oregon	130 – Portland
Pennsylvania	1 – Pittsburgh	3 – McKeesport	4 – Etna	5 – Johnstown	6 – Rankin	10 – Export	13 – Steelton	19 – Pittsburgh
	34 – Pittsburgh	72 – Uniontown	79 – Dysart	80 – Smoke Run	85 – Rochester	126 – Farrell	141 – Pittsburgh	146 – Versailles
	194 – Monessen	234 – Pittsburgh	248 – Clairton	274 – Homer City	279 – Whitney	304 – Ambridge	307 – W. Brownsville	309 – Bessemer
	314 – Steelton	320 – Duquesne	327 – Donora	345 – Greensburg	354 – Cokeburg	423 – Aliquippa	432 – Yukon	508 – Greenville
	522 – West Pittsburg	528 – Republic	535 – Midland	540 – Conway	541 – Trafford	567 – Canonsburg	576 – Bethlehem	592 – Simpson
	602 – Verona	669 – Coraopolis	716 – Tire Hill	718 – Rankin	720 – Aliquippa	740 – Rices Landing	776 – Monaca	992 – Fairless Hills
Texas	1836 – Houston
Utah	282 – Helper
Washington	56 – Roslyn	246 – Tacoma	271 – Aberdeen	439 – Seattle	488 – Spokane	695 – Gig Harbor	867 – ESL Tacoma	1012 – Anacortes
West Virginia	2 – Benwood	523 – Warwood	595 – Weirton	606 – Bluefield
Wisconsin	392 – West Allis	599 – Sanborn	639 – Eagle River	680 – Ashland	692 – Kenosha	993 – Mukwonago	1959 – Milwaukee	1994 – Milwaukee
	1995 – Sheboygan
Wyoming	306 – Rock Springs	374 – Rock Springs

Canada

Alberta	503 – Calgary	520 – Edmonton	949 – Alberta
British Columbia	268 – Nanaimo	787 – Vancouver
Nova Scotia	786 – Stellarton	796 – Glace Bay
Ontario	500 – Cambridge	501 – Ottawa	512 – Mississauga	515 – Toronto	525 – Mississauga	530 – St. Thomas	531 – Simcoe	545 – Etobicoke
	617 – Welland	638 – Windsor	644 – Hamilton	648 – Kirkland Lake	650 – Toronto	679 – Thunder Bay	793 – Sudbury	874 – Huntsville
	919 – Sault Ste Marie	930 – Schumacher	936 – Bothwell	954 – Hamilton	961 – West Toronto	975 – Toronto	977 – Toronto
Quebec	739 – Montreal	814 – Val D'Or	866 – Montreal	990 – Montreal
Saskatchewan	521 – Saskatoon

Croatia

Croatia	2000 – Zagreb	2001 – Ogulin	2004 – Koprivnica	2005 – Rijeka	2006 – Split	2007 – Županja

Notable presidents

Anton Gazdić, first president of the executive committee for the Yugoslav Classroom at the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning.

References

1. About CFU History
2. Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Westport, CT; Greenwood Press p.76
3. Schmidt p.76
4. About CFU History
5. Schmidt p.76
6. Schmidt p.77
7. Alan Axelrod International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders New York; Facts on File, inc 1997 p.57

External links

• Official Website