William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-11-01 / 10. szám
For Starters Let your voice be heard Vote in your branch’s upcoming elections Holiday Basket program spreads the fraternal spirit PITTSBURGH - The holiday season is the perfect time to share with your community the true spirit which drives fraternalism. Many WPA branches are doing their share to spread the fraternal spirit by participating in our Association’s annual Holiday Basket program. The idea is simple. Members donate non-perishable foods and other items, while the WPA supplies a turkey or ham to complete each basket. The Home Office will also donate $30 for each basket (up to three baskets per branch) to purchase additional items. Branch volunteers then prepare the baskets and deliver them to families in need living in the branch’s community. A number of branches will start early and deliver baskets over the Thanksgiving holiday, while others will participate during Christmas. Some will prepare baskets during both holidays. In 2001, 37 branches provided Holiday Baskets to 124 families. All told the WPA and its branches donated about $4,200 in cash, food and other items to neighbors in need last year. It is our goal to spread the fraternal spirit to even more families this year, and with your help, we know we can do it. Moreover, the spirit of the Holiday Basket program should not disappear after Dec. 25—we all know the need doesn’t. Therefore, we encourage all branches to collect food and non-perishable items for donation to their local food bank or other family service agencies throughout the year. Let your community know the WPA truly cares. For more information on participating in the Holiday Basket program, call us at I -800-848- 7366. PITTSBURGH -- At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is time for us to once again remind all members to exercise one of the most important privileges of membership in our Association: the right to vote in branch officer elections. Who runs the Association and decides what it does are ultimately decided by the membership, either through direct vote or through electing representatives to make those decisions. This December, every adult lifebenefit member of the William Penn Association has the opportunity to have their say on how their branch is operated by participating in your branch's election of officers for 2003. By running for a branch office or simply voting at the election meeting, you can affect your branch's future. The procedure for conducting branch elections is spelled out in the WPA's By-Laws (Article VI, Section 606). Put simply: WASHINGTON - Marvin Marek, a 61-year member of the Catholic Union of Texas (The KJT), was selected the 2002 National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) Fraternalist of the Year. The award was presented during the NFCA's 116th Annual Meeting held this September in Indian Wells, Calif. "He is a sparkling example of our NFCA motto: Joining Hands to Touch Lives," said Sue Ann M. Seich, chairwoman of the Fraternalist of the Year committee and supreme president of the Slovak Catholic Sokol. Mr. Marek of Missouri City, Texas, received the award, in part, for his work as a project manager for the restoration of the first building of the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange, Texas. The • Candidates are nominated from the floor at the election meeting. • Each adult life-benefit member may vote once for each office. • Elections shall be by a majority of those present at the meeting. • Officers elected at the meeting are installed immediately. An "adult life-benefit member" is a person who has attained the age of 16 and 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. center will ultimately house an amphitheater, museum and library. Mr. Marek's volunteer work in 2001 involved 8,274 miles of travel, all at his own expense. In addition to his work on the restoration, he serves as president of both the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas and the Texas District of the National Alliance of Czech Catholics and serves as an officer or board member of several Czech organizations. He also promotes the sponsorship of children in need through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging and serves on the board of the Quail Valley Townhome Association. As part of the award, the NFCA donated $1,000 to Mr. Marek's chosen charity, the KJT Fraternal Activity Center. National Fraternal Congress honors Texan as its Fraternalist of the Year 2 IVillinni Penn tile, November 2002
