Former League President Rev. Dr. David Fekete

We continue our profile on former SCYL Presidents ~ Where are they now?

This month's featured former League President:

Rev. Dr. David Fekete
Served 1973

(current SCYL Chaplain)

[Dave at age 19]

When I became President of the SCYL, things were pretty dismal. I was elected at Convention in 1973. There were maybe 7 of us, and that represented about how big the SCYL was then. Church membership was falling off at alarming rates. There was no League Journal. There were only us few. It looked to us like the SCYL was going to die out.

I decided to revive the Journal that year. We gave it the title Clear Blue Sky, because we had hopes for a new, greater future.

[Dave preaching at age 13 in the Almont Chapel]

That summer I was hitch-hiking across the US and Canada. People were doing that back then, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend it today. I decided to visit all the leaguers who were spread across the country and get in touch with them. I also got their addresses so we could send them Clear Blue Sky and keep those in touch who were spread out, though there weren’t many. We published a Journal each month from Detroit, where I lived then.

We had Christmas retreats at Almont then. But the only minister there was the Detroit minister, and most of the leaguers were from the Detroit church. We got a few from New England. As it is today, we all had a great time together. We enjoyed religious sessions and having fun with each other.

[Rev. Dr. Dave today]

It is thrilling for me to see how the SCYL has grown since I was president. You now have significant numbers and close ties of friendship. The SCYL is a strong organization now. The hopes we had way back in 1973 of a vibrant youth group are realized today. And the SCYL is growing stronger by the day.