Apr 19, 2022 Newsletter #42

Hi Member, We're more than a third of the way through Spring, and our thoughts are turning to the warm weather activities. Today's newsletter is focusing on looking forward to the future. Executive Committee meeting summary Annual reports reminder SAT Preparation fee reimbursements Member benefit highlights: Video chat and Royal Perks    Executive Committee meeting summary Your Executive Committee met by teleconference on March 16 & 17. Highlights of the meeting have been sent to officers and council secretaries, and here is a short summary of a few of the items covered: Preparations are continuing for the 105th Supreme Council Session, from the business of the Session meetings to the diners and the area attractions. Those who attend are sure to have a wonderful time. The Home Office is continuing to successfully navigate a hybrid work environment. They have recently implemented a new underwriting software program enabling underwriters to access additional medical information in a swift manner, allowing for quicker decisions on coverage, which is beneficial to making Royal Arcanum policies more attractive to agents. We have also launched this year a new web-based Illustration system, allowing agents and recommenders to create illustrations from their computers, tablets, and smartphones. The Fraternal Director reported early success with obtaining support for the Ukraine Fraternal Project. More help is always needed. Projects such as these are included in the annual report that is currently being compiled for the Americal Fraternal Alliance Our Junior Director recapped the activities by the Junior Department and is calling for past Scholarship winners to get involved with writing an article on the impact of the Royal Arcanum and their scholarship on their lives. New programs designed for our junior members who are involved in volunteerism and community projects are in the works. The Sales department reports in 2021 double-digit increases in first-year premiums and a 5% increase in renewal premiums. The number of new policies sold is increasing, a particular achievement in the face of the pandemic. More information can be found in future Bulletins and by contacting your local Supreme Council Officers and council secretaries.      Annual reports reminder The annual Grand Council Report and Subordinate Council Report are due by June 30 for all councils. Requests are also being sent to the council secretaries of record in the mail. Please note that keeping your council in good standing includes filing the annual reports. Councils in good standing are eligible to participate in the many programs offered that can help provide additional funds to your council. Grand Councils must also be in good standing to provide representatives to the Session. Don't delay, get your annual report completed and sent right away!    SAT Preparation fee reimbursement 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. Don't miss the chance to get your college days off to a good start with a good SAT score. Prepare for the SAT and submit a reimbursement request.      Member benefit highlights: Video chat and Royal Perks Being a member of the Royal Arcanum comes with many benefits. Two we want to highlight today are the free Royal Arcanum Video Chat service, first introduced about a year ago, and the Royal Perks service. Video Chat The Royal Arcanum Video Chat service is a free video chat offered to every member of the Royal Arcanum. This easy-to-use service supports video calls with up to 16 people at a time, all at no cost to you. No special app is needed, only your web browser, and it works from any smartphone, tablet, or computer that has a camera, microphone, and speaker. To get started, simply browse to the Royal Arcanum Video Chat page, and select CHAT NOW to start an immediate video chat, or CHAT LATER to copy a link to a future video chat that you can share with those you want to chat with.   Royal Perks All Royal Arcanum members are eligible to get discounts on travel, hotels, rental cars, clothing, entertainment, and many other items. It's an ideal place to start planning a vacation and save some money. Royal Perks is more than a vacation-savings program: There are hundreds of discounts available: more than 20 different categories to explore and save. Sign up, plan a quick vacation, and while you're enjoying what you saved on your vacation, relax and explore all the other discounts available to you. Join the more than 4,500 Royal Arcanum members who have already joined and start saving.

 

Apr 05, 2022 Newsletter #41

Hi Member, Happy April! Spring is in full bloom, and we're another month closer to our Session in Annapolis. This month, we have a mix of news to share and encourage you and all our members to spring into fraternalism. Another Booster? Happy Easter & Passover! April is the month of... Ukraine follow-up Scholarship update    Is it time for another booster? At the end of March, the FDA and CDC approved a second COVID booster for those over 50 years of age, in addition to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and received an initial booster dose at least 4 months earlier. The authorization was not a blanket recommendation for everyone over 50 to immediately seek a second booster. While acknowledging that this is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19, there was some question on the timing of an additional booster for everyone at a time when cases were dropping. Some sources suggested it might even be worthwhile to wait until an expected fall increase in cases, or if the Omicron variant causes a sharp uptick in cases. Consult with your medical professionals to determine when would be the optimal timing for your additional booster to determine the optimal plan for you.      Happy Easter and Passover! To all of our members, we offer our sincere wishes for a  Happy Easter and Happy Passover! We invite you to enjoy the Spring holidays with your family and friends, perhaps in person for the first time in a few years. We look forward to seeing you all again at our Session this August, and hope for the best for you and yours!    April is the month of... April brings the first full month of Spring and brings with it a new set of awareness campaigns. Traditional "spring cleaning" can extend beyond our household clutter, and is a great time to raise our consciousness of different needs that need our help. Financial Literacy Month April is focused on educating people about the importance of planning for a secure financial future and has been declared Financial Literacy Month. Take the time to check your financial well-being, review your Social Security statement, and get reacquainted with your finances.   Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month It's estimated that 10% - 15% of people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but many remain undiagnosed and suffer alone. IBS Awareness Month designates April as a time to work to focus attention on the diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life issues associated with IBS. Why not get involved by downloading the IBS Awareness Month toolkit and learning how to get involved.   National Donate Life Awareness Month NDLM, or National Donate Life Month, is observed to encourage people to register as organ donors, as well as a time to honor those who gave the gift of life. Current estimates are that there are about 118,000 people waiting on an organ transplant. While the organ donation registry has grown recently, there is still vastly more of a need than there are organ transplant surgeries. Consider giving the gift of life!   National Parkinson's Awareness Month Parkinson's Awareness Month is a chance to increase awareness about Parkinson's, its symptoms, and ways to support its victims. Parkinson's is a long-term disorder where the central nervous system degenerates and affects the motor system. Help support the search for a cure!    Ukraine campaign update Contributions continue to come in for our fraternal project to help Ukrainian refugees. As of March 31, more than $14,000 has been contributed, with 100% of the funds directly helping the Ukrainian people, both refugees and those remaining in the war zone. A big thank you to our Grand Regents and Fraternal Events Committee for promoting the project in the Royal Arcanum jurisdictions, and to all of you for your continued support! Beyond expectations, the Ukrainian army continues to defend their homeland, but unfortunately, the war and the suffering continue, and the needs continue to grow. It's not too late for Grand and Subordinate Councils, Supreme Council Officers, and Members to send donation checks made out to the Royal Arcanum to: Cindy Macon, Fraternal Director 24 East 43rd Street Bayonne, NJ 07002 As a reminder, please let her know if you have given to another organization to support those in Ukraine. Thank you to all who have given!      Scholarship update Our scholarship and grant applicants will be happy to know that all their submissions are in the hands of our independent judge now and are being reviewed and evaluated. We expect to be able to announce the winners next month. Best of luck to all those in the running!

 

Mar 22, 2022 Newsletter #40

Hi Member, The Spring, or Vernal Equinox, was just a few days ago on March 20. That means that from now until the Summer Solstice on June 21, we'll have a little more daylight each day; and that even as the days shorten until the Autumnal Equinox on September 22, the days will still be longer than the darker winter months. It's time to celebrate and make plans to enjoy 2022! Time to hold meetings again? Session Spotlight Ukraine's need remains urgent Product Focus: Medicare Supplement    Time to hold meetings again? The COVID-19 pandemic is officially more than two years old. Many lives have been touched during this challenging time: it's estimated that more than 6 million people have died worldwide, with more than 450 million infected. Jobs have been lost, savings have been raided, and billions have been spent by governments to try to protect and help their populations. But this isn't the Royal Arcanum's first pandemic. Just in the last century, our organization has seen the 1968 H3N2 virus pandemic, the 1957-1958 H2N2 virus pandemic, the 1918 flu pandemic, just to name a few. We have survived those as a people and as a society, and we're confident that today's pandemic will soon be a memory. Does that mean it's time for us to begin to meet in person again? Perhaps it's time to at least consider it. The CDC notes that for those fully vaccinated and without any comorbidities, the risk of hospitalization and death is very low. It should be noted, though, that the risk of infection is still present. The CDC provides a count-by-county map of their assessment of the risks. We have learned much in the past two years, including the effectiveness of masking, keeping a reasonable distance, especially from those with an unknown vaccination and infection status, the importance of airflow, and of course, how to treat infections. It's recommended that all factors are taken into account along with the considerations of your own council's membership and their own comfort with the risk of infections. The current trends are promising, and warmer weather can allow for safer, open-air options. We are all looking forward to our new normal and a resumption of council activities!      The Session is a "GO!" We're getting excited about the upcoming Session! With five months to go, we're beginning to get into full swing in planning our Session in August after a two-year hiatus. Reservations Reservations are begin accepted! Despite the delay and rising prices, we are holding to the same trip prices! The reservation deadline isn't until July 15, but there's no reason to wait. Secure your room today! Reservations with a deposit of $50.00 per adult must be received by July 15, 2022. All reservations must be made through the Royal Arcanum Home Office. Please complete the reservation form and send it in to reserve your place.   Nominations   Nominations for Supreme Council Officers are also due by July 15. See the official call for nominations that was published in December for details, and remember that the deadline for nominations has been extended. Send bios to Chairman James O’Neill, 6196 Kaski Court, San Jose, CA 95123, or email to: oneillje@comcast.net by July 15.   Dress Code As you begin to plan for the Session, you may be pleased to hear that the Executive Committee has considered the likely temperatures in Annapolis in August and has confirmed that the dress code will be business casual for the meetings. That means that no suit coat or ties are required during the Session business, though some may want to bring something extra to wear in case the air conditioning is overactive. The formal dinner has also been toned down, and instead of calling for the traditional white coat and black tie dress code, if available, we will only be dressing semi-formally for the traditional dinner, with a suit or sports jacket and tie suggested for the men. We are still working on fraternal activities outside of the Session business. Please let us know if you have any specific requests before we finalize the plans, or if you just want to explore some options. Your committee would love to hear from you.    Ukraine's need remains urgent Thank you to all the members and councils who have already responded to our Ukrainian Fraternal Project. Our Fraternal Communications Director, Cindy Macon reports that she has already collected over $11,000, which she has forwarded to her contacts in Poland. But the need remains, and it is urgent. You can see on the news the hardships that this unjust attack has caused. The reports that civilians are being targeted are very real, and families and children, even those lucky enough to leave everything they have and get over the border, are suffering To Grand and Subordinate Councils, Supreme Council Officers, and Members who have not yet joined this effort, we urgently ask that consider sending some help in any amount. You are invited to send donation checks made out to the Royal Arcanum to: Cindy Macon, Fraternal Director 24 East 43rd Street Bayonne, NJ 07002 We know that some of you may have provided support, either from your council or personally, through other organizations. We thank you, but we also kindly ask that you drop a note to our Fraternal Director letting her know of your support, as reporting the involvement of our members and councils in charitable projects is a key element in our organizational and governmental reports. Please let her know of any contributions that you've made in any way. Thank you for all of your selfless charitable support!      Product Focus: Medicare Supplement Did you know that the Royal Arcanum now offers Medicare Supplement insurance plans? If you have Medicare Part A & Part B (traditional Medicare), you may choose to pay for the costs that Medicare requires you to share, or you can offset some of those costs with a Medicare supplement insurance policy. There are no provider networks or referrals required, so you can see the doctors you want and get coast-to-coast coverage, and emergency care anywhere in the world. Did you also know that you don't have to wait for the enrollment period to start or to switch Medicare Supplement insurance plans? Why not consider the Royal Arcanum's plans, and share the information with your friends who may be looking for supplemental insurance. We'd love to add them as members!

 

Mar 08, 2022 Newsletter #39

Hi Member, There are been a lot of changes since our last newsletter, from the favorable CDC on masking to the troubling attack on Ukraine. Our newsletter this month adds a perspective for our members on these events, as well as tries to add a bit of normalcy with a few regular topics. We're proud of our charter to help our members and our community and know with certainty that we will celebrate good news and pull together to help against bad news. Thank you all for being a part of our fraternal family. New CDC Guidance March is the month of...  Royal Arcanum - Ukrainian Fraternal Project Bulletin article deadline approaching    New CDC Guidance On Friday, February 25, the CDC updated their COVID-19 tracking status and guidance to reflect the changing aspect of the virus. They have recognized the positive impact of vaccinations and treatments of coronavirus infections, and have pivoted from a sole focus on new cases and transmission to a new Community Level status. This new three-state status level is posted weekly for all counties in the United States. These levels now include hospitalization measurements, recognizing that while COVID-19 infections may still occur, there are a growing number of cases with a reduced risk of severe illness and death. They continue to recommend self-assessment of risks for those who are more likely to have severe complications from contracting COVID-19, but it provides a change in recommendations based on medical advances. More detail on community levels and checking individual counties is available on their website. The Canadian response, recommendations, and updatesprovide a tremendous amount of information on cases, trends, travel information, and more. We are happy to report that as of right now, Maryland's Anne Arundel County, which includes Annapolis where our August Session is located, has a CDC Community Level status of Low, which recommends that those who are up to date with their vaccinations, are not experiencing any symptoms or a recent exposure, and are not part of an immunocompromised or high-risk group, may choose to go maskless. We are hopeful the situation will continue to improve by the time of our August Session.    March is the month of... March is the month of the beginning of Spring and includes the celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17 and St. Joseph's Day on March 19. Three great reasons to enjoy this month, but we should also keep in mind the more sobering awareness campaigns that are called to mind in March.   Endometriosis Awareness Month The entire month of March Endometriosis Awareness Month, when we stand together in support of the more than 176 million women worldwide who suffer from endometriosis. Helps support the push for funding so that a cure can be found.   Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month Multiple Sclerosis is a noncontagious but devastating disease of the central nervous system, affecting the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. Common signs of the disease include trouble walking, difficulty maintaining balance, fatigue, numbness or tingling, and vision problems. As the symptoms develop over time, diagnosis is often delayed, further challenging those affected.   National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month March is also National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, a life-long condition with no cure that may occur during development in the womb or at birth. Many therapies and adaptive strategies support someone with CP throughout their life, but there is still so much more progress needed.    Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month This month also calls us to increased awareness of Developmental Disabilities, a condition usually diagnosed during a child’s development that impairs several areas of development such as physical, learning, language, or behavior. Early diagnosis is one of the keys to limiting the impact of this disability, and the support of organizations that provide specialized support to those in need are great targets for council charitable projects.    Royal Arcanum - Ukrainian Fraternal Project Cindy Macon, our Fraternal Communications Director, has reached out with a request for help with the devastation created by the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. If you did not receive her emailed invitation to help, please let us knowand we'll be sure to add you to her email list. The Fraternal Department encourages you and your councils to provide help for the people of Ukraine who are watching their homeland destroyed. Fraternal benefit societies such as ours have a long history of providing help to those whose lives have erupted into turmoil, and we're inviting you to provide your support. There are many organizations providing help to the Ukrainian people, and we applaud you for any help you may be providing. Through her many journeys to Poland, Cindy has made contacts with reputable outlets there that provide aid to refugees. You are invited to send donation checks made out to the Royal Arcanum to: Cindy Macon, Fraternal Director 24 East 43rd Street Bayonne, NJ 07002 Both council and individual donations would be most appreciated. Thank you for rising to the need of this global tragedy through your support and prayers.      Bulletin deadline approaching The Royal Arcanum Bulletin will be accepting pictures and articles until the end of March for the Spring Bulletin. There's still time to let your fellow Arcanians know what your council has been up to and what your plans are for the Spring. Why not use this as an opportunity to think about plans and then let us know with a Bulletin article submission.

 

Feb 22, 2022 Newsletter #38

Hi Member, We've got a few short reads for your mid-winter newsletter today, with two items thinking ahead to the summer. Can you almost feel the warmth of the sun just thinking about summer? Maybe you will with the topics we have for you. Annapolis in Summer Scholarship completion reminder Celebrate our 145th Anniversary this coming June Be on the Lookout for Scams    Annapolis in Summer Still thinking about coming to the Session in Annapolis, Maryland this coming August 21 to 25, 2022? Why not invite your family and friends to join you. Aside from coming to the Session and all the wonderful plans around the business of the Supreme Council, Annapolis is a wonderful place to visit. Take a look at their visitor's guide and think about visits to the Art District, the City Dock and Ego Alley, and enjoy their Main Street. August is a wonderful time to visit, and family and friends just might be looking for a reason to get out and about this summer. Share the excitement of our location and invite others to join you for a terrific late summer adventure!    Scholarship Completion Reminder We hope all the scholarship applicants met their end-of-year deadline to get their applications started, but that's just the first step! Now is the time to finish the steps needed to be sure you are considered for the scholarships and grants. Everything must arrive in the Home Office by March 31. Be sure to get it done right away! While you're at it, be sure to include a recent picture of yourself if you didn't include one with your application. Reminder, everyone who sent in an application should have received a confirmation from the Home Office, along with a checklist of items that will need to be completed before the application is finalized. Call the Home Office immediately if you haven't received the confirmation and checklist. Please call (888) 272-2686 or send us an email to ensure your application has been received. Only applicants who have completed all necessary steps and sent in all required documents will be considered for consideration. Don't delay, act today!    Make Plans for our 145th Anniversary Did you know that the Royal Arcanum will be 145 years old this June? That's a tremendous achievement, one that few organizations can claim, and it's a great reason to take on a special project or have a special celebration to mark the event. Reach out to your council's officers and plans for the 145th Anniversary celebration. Make a special donation to mark the event, or join with your community to take on a needed sponsorship, or work with another group in some special fraternal or charitable project. To celebrate the successful completion of your project, you might want to plan a special event for your council members (and maybe some new friends, if you've partnered with another organization) to mark our 145th anniversary on June 23rd.      Be on the Lookout for Scams It seems as if there's another rise in scams, so it's a good idea to be sure you're as safe as you can reasonably be in protecting yourself. There was even a story recently of a woman in Florida who lent her phone to a teen who said his phone battery was dead, and where he managed to transfer almost $4,000 from her accounts in minutes right in front of her! Here are a few tips to help keep yourself safe. Know who is contacting you. Don't believe any email from the Home Office or any of the Executive Committee who are urgently requesting you to help them by buying gift cards or sending them money. Yes, there are fundraisers that are held, but we never ask for any urgent action. If you receive a request and you think it's legitimate, you can always check by initiating contact yourself to call the Home Office to see if this is a legitimate fundraiser. We'll say it again: urgent requests are suspicious. Don't just be on the lookout for bogus requests from those saying they are from the Royal Arcanum. Be suspicious of calls saying they are from the IRS, from your bank, from Social Security, or on behalf of a relative. A message that tries to scare you into immediate action should make you question the request. Check with a trusted person. Even if you think something is on the level, it's always prudent to check with a trusted friend or relative. They won't be as emotionally rattled by the urgent request you may have received, and they can suggest a calmer approach to verify suspicions or remove any concerns for legitimate requests. Be sure to protect your assets. Using good passwords or other security measures may slow you from instant access to your phone apps, but it may save you in the long run. In the case of the Florida woman mentioned, she did not have a face ID verification on her cash transfer app; if she had, the teen wouldn't have been able to complete a transfer. Stay safe!