May 31, 2022 Newsletter #44

Hi Member, We have just a few short items for you in this edition: celebrating our scholarship and grant winners and previewing some of the awareness days for June.    2022 Scholarship & Grant Winners The Royal Arcanum is proud to announce the winners of our 2022 scholarships and grants!   Joseph E. Hallinan $10,000 Scholarship Justin Koplinka of Dobbs Ferry #1823   Lloyd E. Williams $10,000 Scholarship Nina Pantaleone of Sons of Poland #2016   $8,000 Scholarships Penelope Aboud of Integrity #586 Amanda Butto of Versatility Council #2501   $5,000 Scholarships Matthew Crawford of Fort Dearborn #278 Judith Kolek of Pawtucket #537   $1,500 Scholarships Sydney Jacobs of Woodside #1358 Caden Fowler of Group Colorado #1998 Jaclyn Giurintano of Sons of Poland #2016 Alyson MacDougall of Integrity #586 Connor Deboda of Integrity #586 Emma James of Integrity #586 Anthony Torricella of Claremont #1655 Michael Tomaszkowicz of Sons of Poland #2016 Paytyn Bavaro of Fort Dearborn #278 Javonta Hairston of Home Office - ACA #13   $750 Grants Kiersten Echon of California Group #1999 Wanda Marfo of New York Group #5100 We’re proud of all our winners and all applicants! The Royal Arcanum is happy to award this $62,500 in total to our deserving members. Spread the word on this and all the benefits of Royal Arcanum membership.    June is the month of... Global Day of Parents is observed on June 1st. This worldwide celebration, founded by the United Nations, marks a day to focus on the key role that parents play in the full and harmonious development of children for the well-being of families and society as a whole. June 5th is World Environment Day, a day to connect with nature and understand environmental issues in order to move towards sustainable consumption. International Albinism Awareness Day is observed on June 13. Albinism is an inherited genetic condition that occurs in all racial and ethnic groups throughout the world. It reduces the amount of melanin pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. Many people with albinism have impaired vision or are legally blind. They can sunburn easily, and the condition sadly causes social problems because since they look different, they are ostracized. World Blood Donor Day is on June 14. This day was set aside to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank blood donors for their life-saving donations. World Music Day is an annual summer solstice music celebration. Celebrated since 1981, it encourages all musicians to perform on the streets and organize free concerts. It is now celebrated in more than 120 countries. United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23, which celebrates the value and virtue of public service to the community. How fitting that it’s also Royal Arcanum Day, the celebration of the founding of the Supreme Council of the Royal Arcanum in 1877.

 

May 17, 2022 Newsletter #44

Hi Member, Here's what's on our minds this time: 2022 Spirit of Service program is ready to start Planning for the Annapolis Session trip I wish I knew... The Royal Arcanum Facebook page The Royal Arcanum scholarship winners will be announced by May 27th and published in our next newsletter on May 31st.    2022 Spirit of Service program starts soon The Donald E. Ferry Jr. Spirit of Service Memorial Award is preparing to start its 2022 program. This program is dedicated to the memory of Donald E. Ferry Jr. and focuses on his drive to "See a Need and Take the Lead” in support of children’s charity or charitable programs for the benefit of children. It runs from June 1 (International Children’s Day) through November 20 (Family Volunteer Day) and is open to subordinate councils that sponsor a volunteer activity supporting children. The full guidelines are in the program brochure, which along with the program application are on the Royal Arcanum website.    Planning for the Annapolis Session trip As the excitement builds for finally gathering together again this August at our Session in Annapolis, we wanted to remind you of the wonderful vacation area this is. You may want to consider coming early or staying late and enjoying all the things to do in the area.   What to do The city of Annapolis is a great location! Learn about the top ten things to do in Annapolis.    What's the weather The long-range forecast for the Session calls for highs in the upper 80s and lows around 70. Keep an eye on the weather when the dates approach with the 10-day forecast to be sure you're prepared.   Day trips from Annapolis Don’t forget you can choose to explore the area around Annapolis, too. There are some great places to visit that are less than an hour away - such as Baltimore and Washington, D.C. - and other interesting locations not much further away. Consider extending your stay with Annapolis as your base and taking some day trips before or after our Session.    I wish I knew... How well do you know the Royal Arcanum? Any questions about our products? What about offices in the subordinate, grand, or supreme council? Any programs you have a question about? Any questions about events or people in our history? Whatever your question, we’re ready to find the answers. We invite you to submit questions to us that you’ve been wondering about. We’ll do our best to track down the answers, and highlight the most interesting questions and answers in future issues of the newsletter.    The Royal Arcanum Facebook page Are you on Facebook? Do you check our Facebook page regularly? It’s a great place to learn about council activities, articles about current topics, or learn of changes in the Home Office schedule for holidays or weather closures. For example, a recent Facebook update on our page gives some ideas on how to save money as gas prices rise. Make checking our Facebook page a regular routine in your daily updates.

 

May 03, 2022 Newsletter #43

Hi Member, We bet you're excited about May arriving! It's not much more than 100 days until the long-awaited Session in Annapolis, with reservations and nominations due in less than 75 days. The NBA and NHL have finished their regular seasons, and the MLB season is well underway. Warmer weather is here and with it an ideal time for fraternal and charitable efforts to begin in earnest. Let's take a look at all the excitement that the month of May brings. May is the month of... Grand Councils: Prepare your representatives Looking to increase your protection? The AFA Fraternal Pinboard    May is the Month of... May is the third month of the year with 31 days, and what a lovely time of year to get an extra day. The month's name is likely to have come from the Roman goddess Maia, who watched over the growth of plants and represents the focus on things giving life throughout the month. Some of the days of life-giving related celebration this month included May 1: Lei Day in Hawaii, first observed on May 1, 1928 May 8: Mother's Day, celebrating the women who gave us life May 21: Armed Forces Day, honoring all those who serve in all branches of the United States military and protect our lives May 23: Victoria Day, a Canadian celebration that includes marking the beginning of the summer season in Canada May 30: Memorial Day, remembering those who gave their lives while serving in the military May also hosts many awareness campaigns, including   Celiac Disease Awareness Month Celiac disease is a chronic digestive genetic autoimmune disease that damages the small intestine. Millions are victims of this disease, which is triggered by eating foods containing gluten but doesn't always cause an immediate onset. Research searching for a cure continues.   Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Appreciation Month Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or EDS, is a group of inherited disorders that affect connective tissue and cause hypermobility, fragile skin, and chronic fatigue among other severe and life-threatening health issues. Its cause is unknown, and the founding of EDS Awareness Month in 2006 was established to help bring education and funding for research.   National Stroke Awareness Month / World Stroke Month Learn the signs of a stroke, the risks, and how to take action during National Stroke Awareness Month. Become familiar with their FAST campaign and learn how to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and how to respond and help save lives: Face - Ask the suspected stroke victim to smile, and see if one side of the face droops Arm - Ask the person to raise both arms, look to see if one arm drifts lower than the other Speech - Ask the person to repeat a single sentence and listen for slurred speech Time - Call 911 if you suspect that you see any signs of a stroke. Time can make a huge difference in recovery, and even between life and death.    Grand Councils: Prepare your representatives Each Grand Council in good standing is allowed a minimum of two representatives to the Supreme Council Session. Representatives from each jurisdiction are the heart and soul of the Royal Arcanum, and their voice and votes are the most important part of selecting the new slate of officers and the leadership they provide to our society. Prepare your Grand Council for representation by encouraging your subordinate councils to have members move through the chairs and serve as their council's Regent -- a requirement to be considered as a Supreme Council representative. First-time representatives provide for more available members to run for Supreme Council offices. Trips to the Session for representatives include reimbursed travel expenses and trip costs, to the extent approved by the Supreme Council. If you haven't been thinking about your jurisdiction's representation, now is a great time for your Grand Council to think about it, and include the selection in your election of officers. We look forward to meeting more of your local members at our upcoming Session.    Looking to increase your protection? Are you looking to increase the amount of insurance protection you have? We can do that! Call the Home Office to get started Members seeking to increase their insurance protection should contact a Service Specialist at the Home office at 1-888-ARCANUM (1-888-272-2686). A Service Specialist will take your information and send you the filled-out application and illustration for your signature. You can even complete the application electronically and set up electronic payments.   Increase your current policy or start a new one Each person has different circumstances. You may want to increase the amount of your current policy -- which may require additional medical certification -- or you may want to obtain a Simplified Life policy, which has fewer medical questions and no exam is needed. The choice is yours.   Recommenders can still earn points The Royal Arcanum member who recommends and helps you with coverage choices can earn their full points. Just let the Service Specialist know the member who has recommended you to call the Home Office, and they will earn their Distinguished Service Award points. You can even recommend yourself! Call today and find out if an increase in protection is right for you.    The AFA Fraternal Pinboard Did you know that the American Fraternal Alliance (AFA, of which the Royal Arcanum is the last surviving founding member) is the online host of the Fraternal Pinboard? The Fraternal Pinboard highlights Alliance members' fraternal activities, highlighting a wide variety of events and activities. It's a great place to look for inspiration for our own councils' plans. Visit their site today, bookmark it, and read it regularly. Fraternalism does make a difference, and it's alive and well across the United States.  This is just one of many interesting pieces of information that can be found on the AFA website. Add a new place to browse to your routine.