Apr 20, 2021 Newsletter #16

Hi Member, We have an exciting new member benefit today along with updates from your Executive Committee. New Member Benefit: Free Video Chat service! Executive Committee Meeting Summary SAT Preparation Fee Reimbursements Updated form for IFS Requests Roy's corner    New Member Benefit: Free Video Chatting! We are happy to announce a new free member benefit: Royal Arcanum Video Chat service! We have already offered to sponsor council meetings through our teleconference and Zoom services, which are business-level services that have been purchased. But this is different: this is a free video chat offered to every member of the Royal Arcanum! Any of our members can use this service to have a video call with up to 16 people at no cost to you. The service is easy to use. No special app is needed, only your web browser. It works with any kind of smart phone, tablet, or computer that has a camera, microphone, and speaker. The first time you use it, it will ask you to give your permission to use your camera and microphone, and then you're ready to use it. You can either start a chat immediately, or plan one for the future, using a link you can copy and send to those you want to have a chat with. We are proud to be continually adding new benefits for our members. Benefits such as the Royal Perks program and this video chat service are just an example of the benefits of being a member. Don't forget to brag to your friends and family about these benefits in addition to the terrific protection and investment products we have. Steps to use the video chat service 1. Use the video chat web link below Use your phone, tablet, or computer browser to go to the Royal Arcanum Video Chat page. 2. Select Chat Now or Chat Later You can immediately start a chat by selecting the CHAT NOW button. If you instead select CHAT LATER, a link that you can use later for a video chat will be copied to your clipboard. 3. Grant access to your camera and microphone As you join the chat room, you will be asked to allow access your camera and microphone. 4. Send the chat link The link to your video chat will be copied to your clipboard to send as a text or email to those you want to join you in the video chat. Paste it and send it to them and in just a few minutes, you'll be chatting! That's all there is to it. Happy chatting!    Executive Committee Meeting Summary The Executive Committee met by teleconference on March 23 & 24. Highlights of the meeting have been sent to officers and council secretaries. Here is a quick summary of those highlights: Our investment portfolio recorded a modest increase from last September through this past February Discussions on the current and future impact of the pandemic on our society Charitable work has continued despite the pandemic We had a financially difficult year overall due to the pandemic impact, a Massachusetts Department of Insurance change in considering the stock portion of our portfolio, and low yields available in the bond market Operations increased both first year and recurring premiums in 2020 The Pre-Need product was eliminated The pandemic delayed income expected from the Medical Supplement initiative The Executive Committee is exploring the ways of reducing costs and increasing revenue A new program to create a Donald E. Ferry Spirit of Service Memorial Award is being developed to honor the service that Donald shared with us for three decades The Grand Council of Ohio has been reactivated with new officers being elected and installed   SAT Prep Fee Reimbursements College-bound members, don't forget that the Royal Arcanum will reimburse you up to $50 for members who submit a request to the Home Office along with a receipt for any SAT prep course that's completed. Speaking of college ... the scholarship winners will be announced next month! We'll let you know when we receive the notice.    Updated IFS Form The International Fraternal Service Program request form has updated by the IFS Committee to make it a bit clearer to use. Key changes are:   The form and the attachments can be emailed in for faster response time. The top of the form now shows not only the mailing address, but the email address as well. Sometimes, proof of a donation is hard to get, and few banks provide canceled checks without a fee. The IFS Committee can accept a copy of your bank statement showing the check to the donation was cashed, ideally with a copy of the check when it was written. That has been added as a "proof of donation" in step 7 of the form. The previous form had a line for the subordinate council officer, but the IFS Program is available to Grand Councils, too. The form now asks for the council officer name and the title of the council officer, so that it is clearer who is submitting the form. There is now a box asking for the name and address to send a response. The address is important, as a reimbursement is always mailed. There is also a place to put in a response email address, where questions about the request can be sent, or where the acceptance of the request can be received quicker than using the mail. The new form is available on the Royal Arcanum web site.    Roy's Eager to Try the New Video Chat Service  Roy would like everyone to be comfortable using the new free Royal Arcanum video chat service. If you're looking to try it with someone, just send us a quick note and we'll get Roy ready to chat with you so we're ready to use it for our next video gathering.

 

Apr 06, 2021 Newsletter #15

Hi Member, Here are the highlights of this edition of our newsletter Easter and Passover greetings April is National Stress Awareness month Read the Bulletin online Follow us on Facebook Another Zoom Gathering completed   Happy Easter! Happy Passover!  Wishing all of our members a Happy Easter and Happy Passover! We hope you celebrated carefully and were able to gather safely with some of your family and friends, either in person or virtually. There is hope in the air and in our future. We hope you are all enjoying the season.    National Stress Awareness Month Spring is here! Vaccines are rolling out and are proving successful. It's holiday time. But despite all the good news, sometimes we are still feeling worried and stressed. That can be a real health issue, but don't let that stress you out. The medical community has long recognized the dangers of stress, and have found many healthy ways of dealing with it. If you're feeling stressed, some simple relaxation routines may help. For example, try to become aware of your breathing, and to slow it down, taking deep, slow breaths in and out. Maybe you feel like a rubber band being pulled too tight, try using that energy. Exercising has long been known as a way of calming the mind -- it may work for you, too. Just as stress can cause or worsen medical problems, taking care of your body can help to relieve stress. These and other techniques may help remove unhealthy stress from your life. Get more information about these and other ideas from the American Institute of Stress, and make this a more stress-free season.    Read the latest Bulletin Did you know that you can read the Royal Arcanum Bulletin online? The latest issue is available on the Royal Arcanum web site, along with past issues. Stay connected to your friends across the jurisdictions wherever you are!    Follow us on Facebook Do you have a Facebook account? Have you Liked our Facebook page? It's another way to keep up with what's going on. All approved IFS projects are posted on Facebook -- it may be the fastest way you find out that your council's project has been approved. We also post when the Home Office is closed for holidays and other timely information that we share with members and non-members alike. If you don't have a Facebook account but would like to see us on some other social media outlet, let us know and you just might find us there soon.    Roy's Corner Our latest Zoom Gathering saw a number of new participants: Rosella Berger, Joe Tedesco, Nick Benoit, Jim O’Neill, Joanie Francis, and Evelyn Magarban. They joined veteran Zoom attendees Ken & Judy Kolek & Jackie Wudkiewicz and Carl & Christine Krzystofczyk. Roy Al Arcanum, of course, made his appearance as well. We had some technical difficulties, and we're working to help resolve them for next time. Watch for future Zoom hints and tips before another Zoom event. Despite the difficulties, the conversation was terrific. From discussing sports to the latest in each other's lives to the most popular current topic about vaccinations, everyone enjoyed the time spent together. A few folks asked for the next gathering to be about an hour later, so we'll try that next time. Maybe that will work for you and you can join us!