William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-11-01 / 11. szám
ARLINGTON, VA - Clarence "Bud" Miller of Chicago, a highway maintenance employee for the Illinois Department of Transportation, was named 1999 Fraternalist of the Year by the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA). The award honors the nation's top volunteer among the more than 10.5 million people who belong to fraternal benefit societies with membership in the NFCA. Miller received the award and a $1,000 check for his favorite charity during the NFCA's annual meeting in Arlington, Va., Sept. 14 to 18. He was nominated for the award by North American Union Life Assurance Society, a division of Western Catholic Union based in Quincy, 111., of which he has been a member since 1991. Miller chose to contribute the monetary award to Ignatia House, a transitional living facility for women recovering from alcohol or substance abuse. "Bud Miller embodies fraternalism at its very best," said David Tetzlaff, NFCA executive vice president. "We are proud to honor him as our outstanding volunteer in 1999." As a member of North American Union's LaSalle Council #15, Miller quickly helped organize the lodge to addressing a wide variety of community needs. This included sponsoring youth baseball teams, donating funds to shelters for abused women, supporting schools and hospitals, and overseeing a program designed to provide computer training to single mothers at the American Indian Center. Miller's community service activities include: • Working as a beat representative with the Chicago Police Department to present community safety meetings on topics including gang awareness, auto theft and burglary prevention; • Holding office for People and Community, where he helped area residents take absentee landlords to court for hazardous building code violations and area youth for vandalism; • Holding fundraising dinners to collect clothing, food and furniture for fire victims; • Collecting and distributing coats to various shelters, thereby aiding more than 900 men, women and children; • Organizing "Caroling for Cans" in which area adults and children go house-to-house singing Christmas carols for canned goods, thereby providing 70 to 90 food baskets with enough food to sustain a family for one month during the holiday season; Charity Links Bud Miller was one of six finalists selected by the NFCA for the Fraternalist of the Year award. To learn how the other five fraternalists made a difference in their communities (and perhaps get a few charitable ideas for your own branch’s activities), log on to the NFCA’s website: 3 http://vvww.nfcanet.org • Distributing thousands of copies of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to school children and newly naturalized citizens; • Assisting the Northwest Nature Center by obtaining gloves and boots for garden work, and by assembling kits for bird houses; • Sponsoring pizza parties for the three classes at a local public school which collect the most food for a food drive, an effort which earned the praise of school officials for providing opportunities for community involvement for young people. In addition, he has hosted a haunted house to ensure neighborhood children a fun and safe Halloween, worked with area elementary schools in promoting "Quiet Please," a program designed to teach kids about the hazards of loud noises, and assisted area schools with their "Say No to Drugs" campaign. "Bud Miller has never held an office or done any of the other things usually associated with stars of the fraternal system, yet his greatness cannot be denied," said A1 Kath, vice president of fraternal communications at Western Catholic Union "His ideas and initiative have driven North American Union to new heights. Because of him, many people are involved in fraternalism, either as active members of an organization or community contributors. His light shines on literally thousands of people, bringing hope in an area of seemingly insurmountable problems." |ffp[J 6 Williai Pm Life, November 1999 The NFCA’s Fraternal ist of the Year proves that one person can make a big difference
