Royal Arcanum News and Events

 

May 18, 2021 Newsletter #18

Hi Member, Highlights of this newsletter Introducing a new Spirit of Service Program CDC Masking Guidelines Eased Home Office News Thanks for Being part of our Video Chat     Introducing Our Newest Program The Supreme Council is happy to introduce a new program: The Donald E. Ferry Jr. Spirit of Service Memorial Award This program is a tribute to Donald E. Ferry, Jr., who was a Home Office Customer Service Specialist with 29 years of service, and a member of the Supreme Council Junior Committee for 22 years. Donald passed away in November 2020 but his legacy of service to our Society will be carried forth in the fraternal work and fellowship shared by the Royal Arcanum Family. With allegiance to our founding attribute of Charity and his dedicated efforts for the success of the Society’s Junior Department and its programs, Donald’s willingness to create fraternal projects and lead by example was witnessed in the Royal Arcanum for over a quarter-century. This new program is a recognition and remembrance of the inspiring and selfless dedication Donald had for the Royal Arcanum. The 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 runs from June 1st, International Children's Day, through November 20th, Family Volunteer Day, and is open to subordinate councils that sponsor a volunteer activity for a children's charity or a charitable cause for the benefit of children. Each year one project will be selected as the winner by a panel of independent judges and the sponsoring Royal Arcanum council will receive a $500 award for its use. The full guidelines are in the program brochure, which along with the program application are on the Royal Arcanum website. We hope every council has a chance to engage in the program as we honor Donald and his legacy.     CDC Further Eases Masking Guidelines If you've been vaccinated, good news! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places. This past Thursday, at a White House briefing, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, said “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.” As a reminder, "fully vaccinated" are those who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose. The changes come as the number of Americans who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has topped 154 million, or more than 46% of the U.S. population. The aggressive campaign to get Americans vaccinated is paying off with lower numbers of new cases and fewer death rates. If you haven't yet been vaccinated, it's not too late. Vaccination appointments are much easier to get than they were even a few weeks ago, and many are accepting walk-ins. Some states and businesses are offering incentives to those who are not yet vaccinated. We are hoping the progress against this virus continues and that as our members achieve "fully vaccinated" status, we'll all soon begin to rejoin all of our normal council activities.    Home Office News The Royal Arcanum wishes long-time Home Office Associate Dough Kahn good luck after 21 years of service. He has been a fixture in the Home Office, working in supporting accounting, paid agent commissions, and many other critical but behind the scene roles. We appreciate his years of service to our councils and members, and thank him for his more than two decades of service!    Roy's Corner Thanks to members who tried out the new free Royal Arcanum Video Chat service! Our video gathering on May 13 was small, with only 5 members joining us. Connecting was quick and easy, but David and Joanne Covelli had a problem with granting microphone access, so they dropped off early. We are exploring answers to their issue and will provide additional instructions prior to our next gathering.