Dec 29, 2020 Newsletter #8

Hi Member, It's the holiday season, and a short newsletter today. A Message from the Supreme Orator Scholarship application deadline is here! Roy's Corner: Our Zoom gathering Have a safe, blessed, and healthy New Year!    A Message From The Supreme Orator Nicole Covelli Happy Holidays to my Royal Arcanum Family, For those of you who do not know me, I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Nicole Covelli and I am your Supreme Orator.  I have been in the Royal Arcanum since birth, which I will only tell you is a very long time! ☺ My grandparents, Ann and Samuel Leto, were very active in the society, as well as my mother and father. They are the reason I became involved in the Royal Arcanum.  I have met so many wonderful people in the society.  Everyone has been so helpful to me during my early years on the Executive Committee.  I have learned so much from all of you and I am truly grateful for what the Royal Arcanum has become to me.  As I look back upon this tumultuous year we have all endured, I really have come to put many things into perspective. First, I have counted the many blessings in my life starting with my wonderful family, including of course, my Royal Arcanum family. There were a couple of times this past year where I had thought about throwing in the towel, but then I thought about all the people that are struggling much worse than I was.  I have been so fortunate to work in such a wonderful organization where we are constantly helping people who are going through such rough times especially during the COVID-19 crisis.  As we approach the new year, I want everyone to remember all the blessings in their lives and how we as a fraternal organization can continue to help those in need.  We are all so lucky for the family we have made through the Royal Arcanum, and as we work through this current crisis, please see what you can do to make someone's day brighter.  I know I am trying to do that each and every day, and because we all have so many talents to share with the world, I know we can make it such a wonderful place to live. Wishing you all a wonderful New Year.  May you and your families all thrive in the upcoming year.  I can't wait to see all of you in the very near future. Warmest Regards, Nicole Covelli Supreme Orator    The Scholarship Application Deadline is here! The deadline for accepting scholarship applications is December 31! If you know of any members that intend to apply but haven't, it's not yet too late. Call us today at 1-888-ARCANUM or visit our web site's Forms area to find the application forms. But be sure to do this before the new year! Applications are due by December 31, 2020. Please include a photograph of yourself in your application that we can use for advertising winners. All components of the application must be submitted and completed by March 31, 2021.    Roy's Corner The  Zoom gathering on December 18 was very lightly attended, but was wonderfully fun! Errica & Joe Conforto, Joann & David Covelli, and Carl and Chris Krzystofczyk caught up and saw each other for about an hour. They shared stories, laughs, and Errica's Italian Pignoli cookie recipe! We thought we'd do this again because it was so much fun. Interested? Let us know if there's a better date and time than a Friday evening and we can plan another get-together in the new year.

 

Dec 15, 2020 Newsletter #7

Hi Member, We hope you are enjoying this season! Soon the winter solstice will be behind us and the longer days with more sunlight will be here. In the mean time, we hope this newsletter will add a bit of sunshine to your day. A Message From our Sitting Past Supreme Regent Thank you for the letters Join us this Friday for a Zoom gathering The Scholarship Deadline is approaching Roy's Corner and his recent adventures    A Message From Sitting Past Supreme Regent Errica Conforto As we head into the Holiday season, I can’t help but reflect on the past year, the unexpected challenges that we have faced, and the way we connected with each other during these unprecedented times. Holidays are all about tradition, family, community, and being together. I don’t know what this year's festivities will look like with Covid-19 concerns for all of us, with the effort to reduce the spread by staying at home and social distancing, but I’m sure it will be a memorable year. For us, one thing is for sure - celebrating at home with only immediate family members has more meaning than usual this year. Even if we can’t greet everyone in person, let’s aim our energies toward showing the rest of our families and friends how much we love, miss, and value them even if we can’t be at the same table and give each other hugs this year. Let’s try to focus on things that we are able to control. Normalcy will return soon and we will celebrate in person once again. Looking forward to getting together with all our Royal Arcanum families after all this is over. Wishing you and your families a health and happy holiday season, and a prosperous New Year.   Best Regards, Errica Conforto    Thank you for the Letters I wanted to express my sincere thanks to everyone who submitted a signed letter of support on behalf of our Fraternal Investment Bill currently in the Massachusetts Legislation.  These letters of support make a difference with Legislators  and shows the type of members we have within Royal Arcanum. The letters have already been sent to Speaker DeLeo and Minority Leader Jones as I anticipate having a hearing schedule in which I will testify on the bills behalf.  These letters of support will be used to demonstrate the importance of this bill for fraternals domiciled within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.     Thank you again,   Nick Benoit      Join us and Say "Hi" Won't you join us on Friday, December 18 at 8:00 pm Eastern / 7:00 pm Central / 5:00 pm Pacific for a Zoom gathering to say hello to your Royal Arcanum friends? It's been over 2 years since we've been able to gather across all our jurisdictions, To join, just click on the link for the Royal Arcanum Holiday Get-together and say hello to friends that are missing you. Using Zoom is easy: just click the link on the phone, tablet, or computer that you plan to use for the gathering. If you don't have Zoom, it will guide you to download and install it, a process that takes about 5 minutes. For best results, use a device that has both video and audio (a smart phone works well, but so do most tablets and many computers). We're looking forward to seeing you on Friday!    Don't miss the Scholarship Deadline December 31 is the deadline for applications for the Royal Arcanum scholarships! Don't miss the chance to get in on this benefit of membership! To apply, call us at 1-888-ARCANUM or get the application from our web site.    Roy's Corner Roy has been staying safe while getting out of the house lately. Here are some of his adventures in the Rhode Island area. Thank you to Jackie Wudkiewicz for providing updates of Roy's latest escapades. Has he been busy anywhere else? If so, send us some pictures!

 

Dec 01, 2020 Newsletter #6

Hi Member, Highlights of this newsletter A Message From the Executive Committee Scholarship deadline approaching Urgent call for letters Year-End Reminders Roy's Holiday Zoom Get-together    A Message From Executive Committee Member Janice Brazas With the Christmas Season fast approaching and even though we will be celebrating different than last year due to COVID-19, we cannot give up on faith and hope.  We have our family and we might not be able to visit face to face, however, we have so many other ways to keep in contact with them.  We have the hope of a vaccine that will be available soon, which we will help us be able to go back to some sense of normal.  Just think what things would be like if we did not have the technology we have today.  Back a hundred years ago when the Spanish flu hit, those folks were really isolated.  Today, we can face time or zoom call family & friends, order dinner and do shopping online.  What would this pandemic be like if we did not have this technology?  As you prepare for Christmas, let’s remain hopeful and find strength within your faith that 2021 will be a better year! Merry Christmas & Happy 2021! Jan Brazas Elected Member of the Executive Committee      Scholarship Deadline Approaching! The deadline for accepting scholarship applications is fast approaching! Get the word out and have your members apply before this month is over. To apply, call us today at 1-888-ARCANUM or visit our web site's Forms area to find the application forms. Applications are due by December 31, 2020. Please include a photograph of yourself in your application that we can use for advertising winners. All components of the application must be submitted and completed by March 31, 2021.    Urgent call for letter writing The Massachusetts legislature is nearing a vote for our push to have the investment rules adjusted so that fraternals such as the Royal Arcanum can make investments to take better advantage of today's market. If you haven't yet responded to our urgent call for letters, please take the time today and send your letters to the Home Office. We will ensure the letters get to the legislature. If you need to email them, please do so. Thank you for your help!    Some Year-End Reminders It's a good idea once a year to check on things to make sure your policies are in order. Take the time to check your policies and see if things are up to date: Beneficiaries: Check to ensure your beneficiaries are up to date. The law requires we pay beneficiaries as listed, or to the estate of predeceased beneficiaries, and changes cannot be made after death. Please be sure your beneficiaries are correct. Contact information: Do we have your most up to date address, phone number, and email address? If not, update the information with us now. Are your policies using CHECK-O-MATIC? If you have or are planning to change your bank account, be sure to update your auto-payment information    Roy's Corner Roy has been getting lonely and wants to see his Royal Arcanum friends. Would like to join a Zoom meeting with him to say hi? Just click on the link for a Royal Arcanum Holiday Get-together on Friday, December 18 at 8:00 pm Eastern / 7:00 pm Central / 5:00 pm Pacific. If you're new to Zoom, all you need to do is click the link on your smart phone or computer to use the phone/computer audio and video. If you don't have the app, it will prompt you to download and install it (installation usually takes about 5 minutes). There's no special agenda, just a chance to see each other and say hello. Put it on your calendar!

 

Nov 17, 2020 Newsletter #5

Hi  Member,  Amidst the reminders and regular news tidbits, this time we pause to reflect on the loss of a bedrock member of the Royal Arcanum. In Memory of Don Ferry Jr. A Message From the Executive Committee Scholarship application reminder Protecting email address Do we have your members emails? Roy's Corner    In Memory of Donald E. Ferry, Jr. It is with a heavy heart that we share that our friend and Home Office colleague Don Ferry Jr. passed away on Monday afternoon, November 9. Don worked in the Home Office for 29 years, primarily in the member service department, and was very well known for his ceaseless help to our members. He was also an active fraternalist who loved to share his Royal Arcanum knowledge and fervor. He served on many levels within the state level as Grand Regent of Massachusetts and held multiple positions within the Supreme Council, most passionately on the Junior Committee and as a member of the Supreme Council Color Guard. In 2014 Don was inducted as a member of the Legion of Honor. He was extremely proud of this achievement, and we were all very proud of him. Don will be missed dearly in the home office and throughout the breadth of our membership as an inspiration and as a caring friend who left us far too early.    A Message From Executive Committee Member Carl Krzystofczyk The weather patterns are changing and beginning to bring the change of seasons across our continent. As the season turns and we direct our thoughts to celebrations of remembrance and thankfulness, we're keenly aware of the loss of normality this year: our celebrations will likely occur without the normal gathering of family and friends. Keep your hopes up! Promising news of major progress in finding a COVID-19 vaccine has come out recently, as has the CDC's confirmation that wearing masks greatly helps reduce the risk of transmission both for those who unknowingly have the COVID infection and for those who do not. Dining and gathering together with groups of people outside your "bubble" is a hotspot for spreading infections, so please be careful in all indoor settings this autumn and winter. Still, we have to remember our core values, and especially remember the needy in our communities. Many charitable organizations are hurting from fewer donations of funds and goods. Many organizations that help the homeless are struggling to help their clients during the pandemic. In our area, the PADS shelters have been suspended due to concerns about the virus, with some homeless organizations struggling to fund hotel rooms for the needy. Several organizations have suspended or curtailed what they will accept as donations due to the heightened concerns of passing on infections. Please continue to encourage your members and councils to help out! Make or increase your monetary donations if you can. Remember that the International Fraternal Service Program will reimburse your council up to $1,000 per year for qualified donations, and both a subordinate council and a grand council is eligible for the reimbursement. Our Fraternalism in Action program can help your council gain funds through hands-on charitable work, too (please be sure to do so safely). Don't forget to keep in touch within your council. Our past newsletters described a few ways to do so through virtual meetings -- why not try one soon? Keep safe and keep promoting the Royal Arcanum! Yours in V.M.C., Carl Krzystofczyk Executive Committee Member    Scholarship application reminder Applications are being accepted for the Royal Arcanum competitive scholarships and non-competitive grants. Don't delay, make sure members who are eligible apply now! To apply, call us today at 1-888-ARCANUM or visit our web site's Forms area to find the application forms. Applications are due by December 31, 2020. Please include a photograph of yourself in your application that we can use for advertising winners. All components of the application must be submitted and completed by March 31, 2021.    Protecting email addresses Have you ever gotten an email from someone pretending to be somebody else? Or worse, have you ever been told that somebody hacked your email? It's relatively easy for this to happen. But how does it happen, and how can you help prevent it? How it can happen If a hacker gets a hold of any email that has your name, they can create an email account using their own email address but using your name. This doesn't mean your account was hacked, they are just trying to impersonate you. All they have to do is set up their email app to substitute your name, but continue to use their email address. They will then send emails to your friends and family, pretending to be you, and see if anybody replies to them. How do they get your name and email in the place? The most common way is that they get forwarded an email that others have sent along with a long list of email recipients. For example, let's say you get emailed a joke you find funny, and you forward it to everyone on your email list. One or more people whom you send it to do the same, forwarding it to everyone in their list. After this is done a few times, someone might intercept the email, and they now have the names and email address of everybody from your email list! How to help prevent email impersonations One of the easiest ways to prevent this is to refrain from forwarding such emails to everyone on your list. You can still share the email if you want, but take the time to remove the previous email header that show the email names and address from the email you received. You can also change the way you send an email with a long list of names. Instead of including a lot of people in the TO or CC sections of the email, add them in the BCC section (Blind Carbon Copy). Those who receive the email will not see any of the names and addresses of those in the BCC list, so they won't be able to steal the email names and addresses. If you suspect that an email you receive isn't really from the person you think it is, there are a few simple ways to check. If you get an email from someone and it doesn't seem like the kind they normally send, check the email address of the email you received. If it isn't the email you normally use from that person, it may be a hacker trying to impersonate someone. Send a new email to the person you received the suspect email instead of replying to them, using the email address you have used in the past. Ask them if they sent you the email. You might also contact them in some other way, such as a message or calling them. By starting with a fresh message, you can insure you aren't writing to a hacker.  With these few easy steps, you can help prevent the spread of email hacking.     Do We Have your Members' Email? We have over 100 members receiving our newsletters! Perhaps there are members in your council that aren't yet getting these emails. Why not send us a list of your member names & emails for us to add to our list. We're happy to separate out duplicate emails, so no need for you to worry about that. And should one of your members decide they don't want to receive emails, remember that each member can choose to unsubscribe at any time. Send us your members email addresses today!    Roy's Corner Roy is doing his part in upholding the principle of Charity. What is he doing in your neck of the woods?

 

Nov 03, 2020 Newsletter #4

Hi Member, With all the excitement in the USA with the election (even Roy has gotten involved!), we thought we'd keep it light this time. A message from the Supreme Secretary Need a change of address? Reports on virtual meetings Roy encourages you to vote    A Message From The Supreme Secretary As the days grow shorter, the weather begins to change, we would normally be looking forward to the holiday season. We all realize that 2020 will not be normal in any way that any of us can remember. The ongoing pandemic has affected all our lives at some level. Social distancing, wearing of masks, working from home, virtual meetings and education are now the norm for most of us and our families. As members of the Royal Arcanum, most if not all of our Subordinate Councils have suspended in-person meetings. At the Supreme Council level we have postponed our 2020 session until August of 2021. The most frustrating aspect of the pandemic is that there doesn’t seem to be any timetable for returning to normal. We are currently in the midst of cases rising in almost all parts of the country and around the world. With colder weather on the way, more people will be spending more time indoors, which doesn’t bode well for reducing the number of new cases. We can all do our part in keeping the virus under control by listening to the doctors and science and following the guidelines of our local officials. The virus is not political, it doesn’t care about race or religion, male or female, young or old or social status. Any one of us can contract the disease and spread it to others if we are not vigilant going about our lives. Please take the time to be safe, care about one another and remember we can get through this. Hopefully at this time next year we will be able to celebrate the holidays as we have in the past. Yours in V. M. C. Pete Ferrara Supreme Secretary      Moved lately? Change your address Have you or a member of your council recently moved? Don't forget to update our office with your new address. It's easy! Just head over to our web site, go to the Forms area, and get the Change of Address form. If it's easier, just send it over to us by email    Reports on Virtual Meetings How are the virtual meetings going? Illinois' Medora Council held a meeting using Zoom on October 21, and it was a success. There was a lower than normal number of members at the meeting, but it was great to hear and see some members again after so many months. Why not try it for your council? Reach out and ask if you need any help.    Roy's Corner Roy is helping out this election handing out "I voted" stickers. Have you voted yet? If not, get out there and vote!