Royal Arcanum News and Events

 

Oct 20, 2020 Newsletter #3

Hi Member, Highlights of this newsletter A Message From the Chairman of the Executive Committee Scholarship reminder Time to order Junior Christmas Gifts Highlights from the Supreme Council Executive Committee Meeting Virtual Meetings using Zoom Roy's Corner    A Message From The Chairman of the Executive Committee Dear Members, We all started on January 1st, 2020 thinking about all the great activities we would plan for this year; such as family gatherings, holidays, worshiping in church, sporting events, vacations, back to school, graduations, council meetings, charitable projects, marriages, medical care procedures, the exciting Royal Arcanum Session in Annapolis and many more activities. Our outlook for our "Great Future" in "2020" was high with anticipation. Suddenly, we were told of the COVID 19 virus, which came along, that resulted in a global pandemic in such a proportion that we have never encountered before! Our "normal" activities came to a hold and all of a sudden our lives were replaced with masks and social distancing and staying basically indoors. Every part of our everyday routine changed in many ways. We had to live secluded from our friends and family and postpone daily activities. It has been truly an extreme hardship for so many people to endure. We will, however by the grade of God, get through this period because of our resiliency and strength to carry on. Hopefully, this will soon be a remembrance of the past and with great hope, normal activities will soon begin again. Please remember, the Royal Arcanum Society and membership has been in existence for over 143 years. We are strong and certainly will endure and survive the current challenges of "2020." We must continue our founding principles: Virtue, Mercy and Charity. We must strive to help others now through different ways, namely; 1. To provide food, support, comfort and friendship to those in need. 2. To communicate with our council members via teleconference if necessary. 3. To continue our fraternal spirit and energy within the community. I would like to give our Home Office staff recognition and thanks for their true dedication and work throughout this pandemic period. They have worked at home and the office to maintain the Royal Arcanum business and fraternal activities. They have all insured that the membership service support was available at all times. Finally, I am certain that the Royal Arcanum and members will weather this storm, but not without the strength and support from you, family and friends. Continue to reach out to others who need reassurance that they are not alone. I wish everyone well and hopefully see the end to this pandemic will be coming soon. Stay safe! James O'Neill, Chairman    Spread the News on Scholarships Applications for our Royal Arcanum Scholarships and non-competitive grants are now being accepted. More than $60,000 in scholarships and over $8,000 in grants is available. Remind your members who are eligible to apply by December 31, 2020 to take advantage of this opportunity! To apply, call 1-888-ARCANUM or visit http://www.royalarcanum.com/forms.html. 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. Do you know of family or friends with children that are not yet members? Talk to them today about signing up so they can take advantage of this golden opportunity when they reach college age! It's just one of the many benefits of membership.    Christmas Gifts for Juniors There is nothing more exciting than the arrival of the holiday season!  It's the perfect time for family get-togethers, seeing friends, holiday parties, the arrival of Santa, and the holiday cheer that fills the air. Unfortunately, this year, with the pandemic and social distancing, everything will be different and we continue to adapt to a new "normal" routine.  I do not know if any jurisdictions in the United States and Canada will be able to host their holiday parties for our junior members, but Christmas gifts will be available from the home office in November as always.  Have your council officer fill out the form requesting gifts or call the home office.   A postcard is being mailed out to promote the college grants and scholarships that are available.  As a reminder, applications need to be received no later than December 31st to be considered.   Wishing you all a safe Halloween and a blessed Thanksgiving.   Yours in VMC Errica Conforto    Highlights of the Executive Committee Meeting The Supreme Council Executive Committee met by teleconference on September 15, 2020. Many topics were discussed, but the brief highlights are: Our investment performance from the end of February through the end of August was down less than 1% Pennsylvania's Penn Laurel Council membership was transferred to Integrity Council in Philadelphia The Home Office has a new Administration system, and it has gone live The Home Office reported on new initiatives with Heartland Medical Supplement, a PreNeed change that should save about $80,000 annually, progress on getting licensed in Texas and Indiana, and gathering of member email addresses. The Home Office is fully operational through partial in-office staff and partial work-from-home staff. We have been approved for the government's Payroll Protection Program since we did not have to reduce any Home Office employees due to the pandemic. The Ohio Grand Council has been reactivated! The "Planting Seeds Together" program wrapped up on September 30. Thanks to all who participated! Sales of new policies so far this year have already matched all sales last year, pointing toward a very good year for the Royal Arcanum    Virtual Meetings Using Zoom In the lasts two newsletters, we covered holding meetings by email and by teleconference. This time, we're stepping up to video conferencing using Zoom. Zoom is a video conferencing service that is very popular: schools are using it to teach remotely. The political party conventions were held using Zoom. Late Night TV talk shows and news stations use Zoom to continue deliver their shows while away from their normal studios. This same technology is available to us! To use Zoom for your council meetings, at least one person in your council should sign up for an account at https://zoom.us/signup. It's free, with limits, or with no limits your council would likely meet for a monthly or annual fee. The rest of your members need only download the Zoom app on their phone, tablet, or computer from the Zoom download page, https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting. When you install it, you may (but need not) sign up for your own account. Installation is quick and in no time at all, you should be able to join a Zoom meeting. They even host if you want to try things out. Zoom also has a lot training information. If you are interested, there are a number of Zoom "How-To" videos. Need some help? Contact us and ask for help from the Executive Committeeon using Zoom. We're happy to help! As always, let us know if your council is holding any kind of virtual meeting, we want to share your success stories.    Roy's Corner Roy has been getting into the seasonal changes in the Illinois Jurisdiction. The summer months were spent lounging around and reading books, but with the cool weather arriving, Roy went out to see the leaves change colors. And with the changing colors, Roy also knows it's time for Halloween. He knows he has to stay safe and stay at least 6 feet away from everyone else, but he wanted to be sure, so he donned his mask. He hasn't yet decided on a costume, but he sure looks ready! Let us know what Roy is doing in your area! Even if Roy isn't with you, let us know what you're doing.