William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-11-01 / 11. szám
Fraternal leaders gather in Chicago for annual meeting CHICAGO - More than 800 delegates and guests representing America’s fraternal benefit societies gathered in Chicago Sept. 27 to 30 for the 114th Annual Meeting of the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA). While there, the fraternalists elected new officers and directors, celebrated the successful introduction of Join Hands Day and discussed challenges facing America’s not-for-profit life insurers. The NFCA, based in Naperville, III., is the association of America’s fraternal benefit societies. It represents 86 fraternals, including the WPA, and more than 10 million people. It serves as the voice of the fraternal life insurance industry and develops volunteer opportunities, leadership programs and networking sessions for leaders and grassroots members of fraternal benefit societies. During the meeting’s Fraternal Night, fraternalists contributed more than $ 12,000 to the Don’t Laugh at Me Foundation, a group which helps make children aware of the pain caused by ridicule, bullying and other forms of disrespect. Also, six inaugural Join Hands Day National Recognition Awards were presented to communities demonstrating exemplary youthadult partnerships in community service. Winners included volunteers from Decatur, Ga.; Las Vegas; New Ulm, Minn.; Nashville; Gettysburg, Pa; and San Antonio. The second Join Hands Day is set for June 16, 2001. Attendees learned that in 1999, NFCA member societies devoted more the 78 million hours to community service and disbursed nearly $346 million in charitable and benevolent contributions. ran my branch... PITTSBURGH - Want to have a greater say in how your WPA branch operates? Your chance is coming soon. Each December, our branches elect officers to serve the branch for the coming year. By either running for a branch office or simply voting at the election meeting, you can affect your branch's future. It's a marvelous privilege. We hope you take advantage of it. The procedure for conducting branch elections is spelled out in the WPA's By-Laws (Article VI, Section 606). Put simply: Candidates are nominated from the floor at the election meeting. Each adult life benefit member shall have one vote for each office. Elections shall be by a majority of those present at the election meeting. Officers elected at the meeting are installed immediately. What is an "adult life benefit member"? It's a person who has attained the age of 16 and who has a life insurance policy with the WPA. All such members can vote. However, to run for an office, you must be an adult life benefit member age 18 or older who is not: (1) directly involved in litigation against the WPA; (2) a full-time or general agent; (3) licensed to sell for another life insurance company; or (4) a spouse of any of the above. To find out when your branch's elections will be held, check this month's "Branch News" page, or contact your branch's officers. Organizers gear up for second Join Hands Day June 16, 2001 NAPERVILLE, IL - Even as Join Hands Days organizers were handing out awards for the best projects of year one, they were busily rousing the troops for an early push towards the second Join Hands Day, set for June 16, 2001. This year, about 20,000 young people joined another 20,000 adults in 2,500 projects sponsored by local branches of NFCA-member fraternal societies. Organizers are seeking to increase local branch participation by 30 percent and hope to achieve that end, in part, by upgrading their highquality informational materials. Fraternals will again have the support of the 500 Volunteer Centers located nationwide and the Points of Light Foundation. For more information, log onto www.joinhandsday.org on die web. 2 William Penn Lile, November 2000
