Aug 24, 2021 Newsletter #25

Hi Member, We hope you're enjoying the end of your summertime activities. August is the month of... Henri Leaves His Mark Free Video Service Reminder Manual for Council Officers & Members: Section C    August is the Month of... The month of August is almost over, but it's not too late to remember some of the remembrances celebrated during this month.   National Dog Month A relatively new day of celebration is National Dog Month. It began just last year, at the behest of Milk-Bone brand dog food company, to recognize all the ways that dogs make our lives better. Get in on the ground floor for celebrating this new observance.   National Catfish Month Founded in 2013, August is also National Catfish Month. Yes, there's a month-long celebration of the humble catfish! While there was originally a National Catfish Day instituted by then-President Regan in the 1980s, an entire month has been declared to celebrate the Catfish Industry and all the workers who raise the #1 farm-raised finfish in America.   National Golf Month Time to hit the links to celebrate National Golf Month. Often described as a lovely walk ruined by a little white ball, National Golf Month is a time for golfers to share their love of the sport and bring new golfers to share their passion. And in the spirit of passion, it may not surprise non-golfers that both May and Julyalso lay a claim to National Golf Month. Any excuse to go golfing, right? Fore!   Romance Awareness Month February 14 isn't the only time to celebrate romance in your life. It's important to keep from taking your relationships for granted and grade yourselves during Romance Awareness Month.      Henri Leaves His Mark Hurricane Henri was thankfully weakened to a high-end tropical storm before he coming ashore in Rhode Island on August 22nd. It was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Rhode Island since 1991. It packed 60 mph winds as it arrived and weakened while still delivering slow-moving, drenching rains that have left thousands without power. Our thoughts and prayers are with all our members and their communities that are being affected by this storm. If anyone wants to share pictures or stories in the wake of Henri or has needs for themselves, their members, or their community, please let us know.      Free Video Chat Reminder Back in April, we introduced the free member benefit for free video chatting (from the April 20th edition). We wanted to remind everyone of this free benefit for Royal Arcanum members. No downloads or apps are needed, and it will run on any phone, tablet, or computer with a microphone, camera, and Internet browser.      Officer & Member Manual: Section C Part three of our coverage of the Manual for Council Officers and Members is Section C, which covers information about our Junior Department and programs designed for our pre-adult members, including our generous Scholarship and Grant programs. It also covers the conversation of members from Juniors to Adults and programs to recognize members who have been Arcanians for 25 years and more.   Junior Department The Royal Arcanum has a very active Junior Department that encourages and supports our pre-adult members from birth until they turn 18. The Supreme Council engages our Committee on Juniors through our Junior Director to engage our younger members at every turn: in our Bulletin through dedicated "Junior Pages"; through games and activities at our Sessions, through birthday and Valentine's Day cards, and other ways as they see the needs arise.   Scholarships and Grants The Royal Arcanum offers many Scholarships and Grants opportunities for our junior members to support their education. Tragedies may be covered, depending upon the policies in the family, such as scholarships for orphans and our Child Cancer Grant program. All qualifying junior members may participate in our Competitive Scholarship Program and our Grant programs, which accept applications annually in the fall and are announced around June the following year. Each program's rules are explained in the Manual and are also available from the Home Office. Conversion to Adult Membership When members turn 18, they are automatically converted to adult members, and they become eligible for full participation in all council activities.   Veterans' Awards The Royal Arcanum supports honoring our long-time members through Veterans' Awards, which are available to recognize members who have been a part of the Royal Arcanum for 25 or more years.

 

Aug 10, 2021 Newsletter #24

Hi Member, Highlights of this newsletter Have You Sent Your Letters of Support? Another COVID Wave Manual for Council Officers & Members: Section B    Have You Sent Your Letters of Support? Thank you for all the letters of support that have been submitted thus far! If you haven't yet sent in your letters of support for the Massachusetts legislation regarding investment restrictions for fraternal societies, won't you please take the time to send them? The investment legislation would help to allow our investments to take advantage of the stock market while the bond yields are at historic lows. The proposed legislation would still be more conservative than the restrictions other states require for insurance investments and would help to allow the Supreme Council to continue the level of support they provide to councils for their charitable and fraternal events. Sample letters were provided in the last newsletter. You can feel free to modify them into your own words and send your signed letters to the Home Office. You can send them by US Mail or email them to us. Thank you!    Another COVID Wave The CDC has issued updated guidance because of the rise of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the Delta variant. From late June to late July, the 7-day moving average of new cases increased from around 12,000 to over 60,000. The new recommendation is for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. The new data that has begun to emerge indicates that the Delta variant is more infectious and is leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals. While the vaccines that are authorized in the United States and in Canada have been shown to be highly effective in preventing severe disease and death, they are not a 100% guarantee. We urge you to follow the suggestions of infectious disease experts and your own doctors to protect yourself, your families, and your communities. Together we can overcome this pandemic and once again enjoy our previously normal social interactions.    Officer & Member Manual: Section B Continuing our summary of the Manual for Council Officers and Members, today we'll discuss Section B, which discusses some important procedures and programs in place for our councils and members.. As a reminder, this article provides a quick summary of the information in the Manual, and in some places provides updates that have occurred since the June 2015 printing of the manual. Procedure for Volunteer Recommenders The Home Office uses paid agents to generate much of the new business that is currently produced, but we still encourage traditional volunteer production. Due to changes in insurance regulations over the years, it is necessary for volunteer recommenders to work with a licensed insurance agent, which is provided by the Home Office through their Service Specialists. A call to the Home Office at 1-888-272-2686 will connect you with a specialist to guide you through the process. Volunteer Recommender Awards The manual provides a summary of the awards honoring volunteer recommenders, through Distinguished Service Award pins, the Legion of Honor, 1105 Royal Purple Achievement, and the Founders' Ring of Distinction. Volunteer recommenders will find how to earn points and how to achieve the awards offered. Supreme Council Session A summary of the purpose and procedures of the Supreme Council Session is provided, along with the Grand Council representation for the Session. This one-page summary helps to make the details provided by our constitutioneasier to begin to understand. Member Contact The Royal Arcanum keeps our membership informed through the Royal Arcanum Bulletin, our website and our Facebook page. These newsletters are an additional point of contact for our members. Fraternal Activities and Programs Subordinate and Grand Councils are encouraged to sponsor charitable and fraternal activities, and the Supreme Council supports these through several programs: The Fraternalism in Action Program provides funds for subordinate councils that participate in fraternal and charitable activities. This program has been revised since the Manual was printed to allow more councils to participate and win awards. Councils should include a report signed by the regent, secretary, and member submitting the report to include the councils' Meetings, charitable activities, fraternal activities, participation in the Supreme Regent's charitable service campaign, partnerships with the community, and any fraternal awareness or advocacy activities. Reports should be mailed to the Home Office. The International Fraternal Service Program provides for the reimbursement of funds to subordinate or grand councils for qualifying charitable projects. Our website provides the latest brochure on the program and request form. The Lorraine J. D'Emilio Legacy of Hope Award Program invites grand or subordinate councils to sponsor a volunteer activity for a charity that best exemplifies providing a measure of hope through their fraternal service and charitable work. The Lend A Hand - Lift a Heart Program is designed to encourage participation in our fraternal mission of service through volunteer fraternal and charitable activity. The Donald E. Ferry Spirit of Service Award Program’s purpose is to “See a Need and Take the Lead” in support of a children’s charity or charitable program for the benefit of children. The program brochure and application are provided on our website only, as it was dedicated after the printing of the Manual.