VESTNIK September 22:Layout 1
ˇ ´ VESTNIK
9/17/10
Volume 98 Number 37
1:39 PM
Page 1
S P J S T Benevolence
H E R A L D
Humanity ISSN —07458800
Brotherhood
September 22, 2010
Officials represent SPJST at Annual Meeting in Chicago
SPJST Lodge 17, New Tabor Member Susan Skrabanek Named National Fraternalist of the Year By Brian Vanicek, FIC Supreme Lodge President
Last week, I had the opportunity and honor to be part of the SPJST delegation that traveled to Chicago to participate in the 124th National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) Annual Meeting. The 124year-old N F C A unites 69 not-forprofit frat e r n a l benefit societies operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The association represents nearly 9 million fraternalists in 32,000 local chapters, making it one of America’s largest member-volunteer networks. Fraternal benefit societies provide their members with leadership, social, educational, spiritual, patriotic, scholarship, financial and volunteerservice opportunities. Combined, the NFCA’s member-societies maintain more than $363 billion of life insurance-in-force and, in 2009 alone, contributed almost $402 million to charitable and fraternal programs, and volunteered nearly 108 million hours for community-service projects.
LEFT PHOTO: Supreme Lodge President Brian Vanicek will serve as 2010-2011 NFCA State Fraternal Congress Section President. CENTER PHOTO: Congratulations to Susan Skrabanek, center, of SPJST Lodge 17, New Tabor. She was named 2010 National Fraternal Congress of America Fraternalist of the Year at the annual meeting on Friday, September 10 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown - Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois. Pictured with her are NFCA Chair of the Board Teresa J. Rasmussen and NFCA President and CEO Joseph J. Annotti. RIGHT PHOTO: Vestnik Editor/Director of Communication Melanie Zavodny, center, was presented the Marcia D. Heywood Fraternal Communications Award. Pictured with her are NFCA Chair of the Board Teresa J. Rasmussen, left, and Kathleen Moriarty, Immediate Past President of the Communications Section.
The NFCA Annual Meeting is held each September to keep fraternal managers and directors abreast of industry trends, to promote the spirit of fraternalism and to resolve mutual concerns. SPJST delegates in attendance were District One Director/Supreme Lodge Chairman Donnie Victorick, District Two Director Bobby Wuensche, District Six Director/Supreme Lodge Vice Chairman Mike Ahlstrom, and myself. Also attending were Vestnik Editor and Director of Communication Melanie Zavodny, who received the Marcia D.
Interest Rates.......................................3 Important Dates ...................................3 Financial University ............................3 District News........................................8 Lodge Section......................................9 Reunions ............................................19
Heywood Communications Award, and Lodge 17, New Tabor member Susan Skrabanek who received the 2010 NFCA Fraternalist of the Year Award. This year’s NFCA Annual Meeting covered virtually every aspect of fraternal benefit society management and operations. It was a great opportunity to refresh our way of thinking about fraternal benefits and products. What a positive and invigorating fraternal experience! Know that we’ll be looking for ways in the coming weeks and
Inside This Week’s Vestnik
Statement of Ownership ...................19 In Memoriam ......................................20 Youth Section ....................................22 Czech Culture ...................................28 Advertisements .................................29 Lodge Calendar .................................30
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SPJST sponsors kolache eating contest in Caldwell
months to integrate some of the ideas that came out of the annual meeting. The SPJST delegation devoted the first full day of the 2010 annual meeting to attending the Board Member Institute. The program was designed to educate fraternal board members on what they can and should be doing to ensure the legal and financial health of their society, protect them from liability and enhance the growth of their so-
Continued on Page 4.
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Lodge 4 Hallettsville honors longtime members
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Lodge 155 Austin members gather for quarterly meeting