May/June Edition of the Fraternal Dispatch

Hello, and thanks for looking to Fraternal Dispatch for news, updates and ideas for
Fraternal activities through Catholic Aid Association.

Click here to download the most recent issue of the Fraternal Dispatch.

Topics in this issue:

· 2010 Annual Convention Details and Schedule

· Scholarship Winner Highlight: Ryan Symanietz

· Salute to Youth Winners: John Kimlinger, Anthony LeClair, Brooke Matuska, Brandon Schaust. Honorable Mentions: Andrew Kueppers, Jacob Scott

· 2009 Fraternal Program Summary

· Nominate your volunteers of the year

· More youth news on www.catholicaid.org

· Get paid now! Find out how!

· A message from Director Kathleen Moriarty

If you have any problems with this download, email ads@catholicaid.org.

If you want to receive a paper copy of this newsletter, email cvoyda@catholicaid.org.

Thank you!

Your Fraternal Staff

What's next for CAA?

by Jared Roddy, Editor

Spring is a time of change. The snows melt, the streams and rivers swell, the earth eases out a sigh of moist organic smells and the sky is once again filled with the song of birds. Out from their shuttered homes troop the stoic Upper-Midwesterners to sunny, 40-degree weather and declare winter officially over as snowbirds return from their winter escapes.

Like those that came before it for untold years, the spring of 2010 will tempt out the winter-weary, drop a few more inches of unwelcome snow, then bloom into the season of green. Unlike those of years past, Catholic Aid is in for some changes as well.

Nothing remains static, true of nature and the nature of business. Change keeps things fresh, allows an organization to adapt, and prevents the stagnation of ideas. So at a spry 132 years old, what’s new for Catholic Aid in this coming year?

Making It Count
The social and service aspects of a fraternal society are part of what makes our Association so different from commercial insurers.

In 2010, Catholic Aid will test a pilot-program seeking to involve more people in larger, region-wide celebrations and service projects. It is the hope of the company to organize festive gatherings this summer and fall, while in some way improving the lives of Catholics and the communities in which they live.

A change announced at last year’s Convention was the plan for a shorter, one-day business meeting in August this year. With the money saved by shortening the main convention, Catholic Aid hopes to throw two or three member celebrations across its territory. The focus of these will not be the business of the Association, but the business of fraternalism.

The idea at this stage is to offer members and non-members the opportunity to take part in a volunteer activity that would directly improve the community in which it takes place.

“As far as we know, this will be a first for Catholic Aid,” Fraternal Director Kathleen Moriarty says. “Organizing a community event, leveraging our membership base to improve a community, offering a chance to give back – we like to think that our Council events do all these things, but we’ve never done it on such a large scale.”

In 2011, there will be time to reflect on the success of this year’s member celebrations, which will likely offer a community picnic, children’s activities and service opportunities, capped off by an outdoor Saturday evening Mass. The goals of the program are to increase the visibility of Catholic Aid in the communities and Dioceses it operates in, to improve the community itself, to increase awareness of the company and its products, and ultimately, to increase membership rolls. These events are meant to involve members and non-members, and we hope to have a large turnout.

Participants will have the opportunity to do a good work, meet new people, and see the power of an organized Fraternal in action. For kids and youth, it’s another way to improve college applications and instill a culture of service; for adults and seniors, it’s a way to give back to the community and work together.

For everyone, it’s a chance to spend a nice day outdoors with family and friends. Though no firm dates have been established, a trial run is hoped to be offered in early summer, with another one or two in the early fall.

Once again, the name game
For most members and employees of the Catholic Aid Association, however, no change will be more monumental than the one the delegates will consider at the official one-day convention in August.

Like a debate in Washington, this issue has been polarizing at times. One goal throughout the process, aided by this publication, has been transparency and due process. President Michael McGovern explains what has gone into this process so far:

“By last summer’s convention, we had committed to the name update enough to end our gathering with a video that explained why. After the convention, the real work began. We compiled names, sifted them against our criteria, checked whether they were legally available, commissioned a survey of members and non-members and compiled the results. There has been a clear winner, in all our surveys. And on Thursday, March 11, the Board voted to accept this name. The very next day, the Constitution Committee approved the name and declared the path clear for a vote at the convention. We’ll continue to accept feedback and hope to engage our members more than ever over the next few months to further understanding of why this name update is important to our organization.”

Before the Board vote, however, Lead Director Fran Barten spoke to her fellow board members and helped to crystallize exactly why she believes the update was necessary. “This is about our future, and our future members. If you Google ‘Catholic’ and ‘financial,’ we don’t even show up. Yet this is exactly what we do as an organization. We have to be able to be found by the current generation. They don’t look in the yellow pages, they don’t make the connection between ‘aid’ and ‘financial’ except in terms of college loans. Catholic is who we are. United is what we are. Financial is what we do. This name update is about our future, not our past. For those who, like myself, grew up with Catholic Aid, we have to remember that the most important element of our name, ‘Catholic,’ still comes first. It influences every decision we make, and so, like Catholic Aid, Catholic United Financial is Catholic first.”
The more things change

A yea or nay vote in August by the elected delegates of the Catholic Aid Association will determine what name the Association takes in the future. That control of this great Association is one thing that has not and will not change. We may try different ways of involving our members, or of holding our annual meetings, we may even change what we call ourselves. But none of those things changes who we are or what we do. And as always, the final decisions will rest in the hands of the members.

Originally published in the March/April 2010 issue of Catholic Aid Journey, the official magazine of Catholic Aid Association.

Meeting the Daily Needs of Our Seminarians...

by Susan F. Detlefsen, Staff Writer
This story originally appeared in the January/February issue of Catholic Aid Journey magazine.

The Monsignor Schuler Seminarian Charitable Trust was able to bless more than 100 seminarians with grants this year. The Trust gave out $25,200 in major awards and $11,500 in minor awards for a total of 109 grants and $36,700 total dollars awarded.

The numbers are high this year, but the most rewarding part of the grant program is receiving the moving notes of thanks and gratitude from the grant recipients.

Many seminarians said that the grants help them focus on their studies rather than fret about finances. “Time in the seminary is filled with many challenges, not least of which is the occasional financial challenge of books, travel and various other personal expenses. With your generous and prayerful support, it makes it possible for seminary to be a time to be concerned with the study of Theology, formation and especially to be growing in prayer,” wrote Jeremy Vidmar.

Lee Fortin of Watertown, S.D., agrees. “It’s scholarships like the Msgr. Schuler Trust that allows seminarians the time to focus on classes, discernment and formation. I encourage you in this giving because it is becoming ever more apparent to me that our God is never outdone in generosity.”

This is the fourth grant that Matt Wiering has received since starting his studies in Rome more than three years ago. “After my ordination, I will obviously no longer need the grant, but I will always remember the help the Schuler Charitable Trust gave me during my seminary years,” Wiering wrote to the Trust in a letter.

The grants helped seminarians travel back home for holidays. “Thanks to your generosity, I am able to get back to my Diocese for Holy Week to serve and celebrate with our Diocese at our Mass,” said Seth Gogolin of Brainerd, Minn. Gregory Haman of Fargo, N.D., also used his grant money to make a welcome trip home for the holidays.

The grant will help Deacon Alex Carlson travel to Ares, France, where he will prepare for ordination on May 29, 2010.For others, grant monies made sure that some unexpected bills weren’t a burden. “I recently had to replace my glasses; the Msgr. Schuler Grant paid for this unexpected expense,” said Aaron Kalmon of Superior, Wis. “Thanks to your gift I’ll be able to pay my car insurance and for some gas,” said Sean Mulligan of Grand Forks, N.D.

Grant recipient Elliot Huss of Coon Rapids, Minn., testified not only to the importance of the grant he received, but also to his fellow seminarians. “I can personally attest to the quality of men in the seminary currently and want you to know your hard work could not have benefited a greater bunch of young men. Please also know your generosity is greatly appreciated,” said Huss.

Donations to the Schuler Charitable Trust can be made online at: www.catholicaid.org/links/schuler. Click on the blue “Donate Now” button.

Read more about the Schuler Charitable Trust.
Download the photos and names of the 2009 seminarian grant recipients.
Donate now to the Schuler Trust (via www.razoo.com)

.:: Catholic Aid Upcoming Events ::.

March 6 - Diocese of St. Cloud
All are invited to a Mini Retreat with Dr. Janet Smith, Chair of Life Ethics, Professor of Moral Theology. Dr. Smith is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later, Editor of Why Humanae Vitae was Right: A Reader co-authored Life Issues, Medical Choices, Questions and Answers for Catholics, and authored Right to Privacy. Over a million copies of her talk “Contraception: Why Not" have been distributed. The mini retreat will be held at St. Henry's Parish in Perham beginning with Mass at 7:30am, followed by continental breakfast, talk on " Contraception: Why Not", then Father Aaron Kuhn will speak on "The Sacrament of Reconciliation - A personal encounter with Jesus", then Adoration/Sacrament of Reconciliation, Lunch (included), with a final presentation on "The Right to Privacy" by Dr. Janet Smith.

The cost of the event is $20 in advance/$25 at the door. Tickets are available at St. Henry's Parish office at 218-346-4240. Questions please call Deb at 218-346-2467 or Joe at 218-346-5797.

This Mini-Retreat is co-sponsored by Catholic Aid Association and the Catholic Aid Association Foundation. Please attend this spiritually filled event.

March 6 & 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Mary Catholic Aid Council in St. Augusta, MN will host a Garage Sale from 9:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday and 9:00am to 11:00am on Sunday at St. Mary Help of Christians Parish Center. $1.00 a bag from 1:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday and from 9:00 to 11:00am on Sunday. For more information, please contact Field Representative Greg Gall at 320.229.0717.

March 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
SS Bernard & Elizabeth Catholic Aid Council in Melrose, MN will host their Communion Breakfast with Mass at 10:30 AM; Breakfast to follow at St. Mary’s Church. For more information contact Field Representative Dave Ehlert at 320.836.2617.

March 7 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Mary Catholic Aid Council in Upsala, MN will host their Matching Grant Breakfast serving from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church Basement. Menu consists of pancakes, with toppings, eggs, sausage and rolls. Adults are $6.00, Children 4 - 10 are $3.50 and children under 3 are FREE. For more information contact Field Representative Shawn Ehlert at 320.845.6612.

March 12 – SALUTE TO YOUTH DEADLINE
Honor an outstanding high school senior that you know with the Salute to Youth honor program. Nominations for this honor are due to our Fraternal department by today. Email hvargo@catholicaid.org for more details.

March 12 - Diocese of St. Cloud
The Catholic Aid members of Holy Family council in Perham, MN will host a Lenten Fish Fry at St. Henry’s from 5:00 PM to 7:30PM. Dinner includes delicious deep fried fish, coleslaw, baked potato, buns, beverages and desserts. Contact Kathy Hemmelgarn with questions at 218.346.5797.

March 14 – Diocese of New Ulm
St. Joseph Catholic Aid Council in New Ulm, MN will host their Communion Breakfast and 50 year Recognition at 8:00 AM at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. For more information contact Field Representative Bob Skillings at 507.354.7593.

March 14 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Joseph Catholic Aid Council in Wadena, MN will host their Annual Breakfast after the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Anne's Parish. For more information contact Field Representative Ryan Schmitz at 218.445.5296.

March 14 – Diocese of St. Cloud
St. Paul Catholic Aid Council in Sauk Centre, MN will host their Communion Breakfast after the 8:30 AM Mass at Holy Family School - Cafeteria. For more information contact Field Representative Cindy Heveron at 320.554.7579.

Catholic Aid Youth and Young Adults Update

World Youth Day Scholarships:
Catholic Aid is offering scholarships for World Youth Day 2011! Attached is a flyer. Catholic Aid is offering 60 scholarships in the amount of $500 each. More information and applications are available online at www.catholicaid.org/links/wyd2011. Also, you can join the Catholic Aid group on Facebook by searching “WYD 2011: Catholic Aid Association.”

Post High School Tuition Scholarships:
Scholarship applications are due February 15, 2010. For more information on our Post High School Tuition Scholarships, check out www.catholicaid.org/links/scholarships.

Salute to Youth:
If you know a high school senior (including a student in your family) who has a balanced life, pays back the community, and keeps at least 2.75 grade point average, the student can be nominated for Salute to Youth, a national recognition program to honor high school seniors who give of their time, energy and talents to serve others and to improve themselves. This award is not monetary; students and their guests attend a dinner in Saint Paul on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 and receive a plaque and recognition at the banquet.

While Degree of Honor is the official host of Salute to Youth, Catholic Aid partners with them on this effort. Both Catholic Aid and Degree of Honor are fraternal benefit societies, societies that conduct fraternal programs, are not for profit, have a representative form of government, have a system of local lodges (Catholic Aid’s are called councils) and provide insurance, along with other member benefits.

Nomination forms should be submitted to Catholic Aid Association by March 12, 2010 at 3499 Lexington Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55126. Heather Vargo, the Youth Fraternal Liaison is available for questions or comments regarding this program. You can reach Heather by phone at 800.568.6670 ext 187 or by email, hvargo@catholicaid.org. The Nomination Form is attached to this email.

Youth Financial Workshop:
The financial literacy of high school students has fallen to its lowest level ever. About 75 percent of young American adults are likely to lack the skills needed to make beneficial financial decisions.**

Catholic Aid offers a financial workshop for teens. The workshop covers the basics of spending, saving and budgeting. Heather is happy to work with youth ministers to do a one-time workshop in your parish. Contact Heather for more information.

Theology On Tap:
Catholic Aid is sponsoring two series of Theology On Tap. Theology on Tap is a great opportunity for young Catholic adults to meet in a comfortable setting to explore faith and how it affects their lives. Upcoming dates for Theology on Tap:

Saint Paul Theology on Tap is on the corner of Lexington and Energy Parkway at Gabe’s Roadhouse. 991 North Lexington Parkway, Saint Paul, MN. The evenings begin at 7:00pm, with a speaker from 7:30-8:45pm and the rest of the evening for further discussion and fellowship.

January 13th - Prof. Faith Pawl
Will & Grace: Human Willpower and God’s Grace

January 20th - Fr. Thomas Wilson
Men in Black

January 27th - Fr. Joseph Johnson
Grill the Priest

February 3rd - John Crudele
Young Adult: From Young to Adult

February 10th - Bishop Lee Piche
Is God txt u? His mssg to u via SS- the Sacred Scripture

Robbinsdale Theology on Tap is at the Eagle’s Nest Lounge at 4106 Lakeland Ave., Robbinsdale. The evenings begin at 6:30pm with a speaker starting at 7:00pm.

January 18th - Jeremy Stanbary, Actor
Using the Media to Engage the Culture

January 25th - Dr. Arthur Hippler, Theology Chair Providence Academy
Engaging Atheism

February 1st - Drs. Catherine and David Deavel, University of St. Thomas
What is marriage? How to defend marriage with natural law!

February 8th - Dr. William Stevenson, Director of Theology Providence Academy
The Church , the Modern World, and the Whole of Reality.

February 16th - Grill the Priests– Q & A with Priests of Local parishes!
Have a question about the faith? Come get an answer?

Catholic Mavs Day at MSU Mankato:
Catholic organizations and religious orders will be at Minnesota State University (Mankato) on February 1 in the Student Union. Catholic Aid will be there and students will have an opportunity to get their picture with the Pope from 10:00am to 2:00pm!

**National Jump$tart Coalition Survey of High School and College Students

For more information contact Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison, Catholic Aid Association at hvargo@catholicaid.org or 651.765.6540.

CAA to Help Youth and Young Adults Attend WYD 2011

by Susan F. Detlefsen, Staff Writer and Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison

The phrase “the opportunity of a lifetime” might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché that applies when a young person takes part in World Youth Day. This international gathering attracts hundreds of thousands of young people every three years as they come together to express and experience their Catholic faith.

In 2008, Catholic Aid helped young adults attend World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, by providing nearly $34,000 in grants to 70 young members. The pilgrims returned from the experience with an energized zeal for their spirituality.

Alisha Hafner of Mahtomedi, Minn., said of the pilgrimage, “Words cannot describe how I felt from the enthusiasm of all the pilgrims around me. It was such a moving experience to see so many young people gathered together for the same reason.”

Matt Kuettel of St. Paul, Minn., said seeing the Pope at World Youth Day was “an experience that will not be forgotten.” Kuettel said his favorite moment of World Youth Day “was praying in front of Christ in the Eucharist at our Catechesis site. There was a real peace and beauty in the church and prayer was easy.”

The most valuable lesson of the trip for Andrew Vandal of Sykeston, N.D., was “no matter what race you are from, or the color of your skin, all the pilgrims in Sydney believed in the same risen Christ. I could see it in every pilgrim’s face that they were ready to meet St. Peter’s successor and proclaim their faith with him.”

All three of these young members received grants from Catholic Aid. “I am very grateful to Catholic Aid for all they did to help me go to Australia. Their financial support helped me acquire the funds necessary to make the lengthy trip and I am a better person because of it; thank you Catholic Aid,” Kuettel said.

While the event is a little less than two years away, groups are making plans and gathering funds to attend World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, on August, 15-21, 2011. Catholic Aid will again offer young adults $500 scholarships to aid in their travel expenses.

“The interest from our members for World Youth Day 2008 grants was extremely enthusiastic,” said Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison. More personal reflection from WYD 2008 pilgrims can be found on Heather’s blog: catholicaidyouth.blogspot.com. “We’re excited to offer these grants to our young members again and assist them in attending such a faith-building and eye-opening experience.”

Potential pilgrims can apply for one of 60 grants that will be given out in 2011. Vargo expects to receive more applications than grants, so the recipients will be determined by lottery.

Click here for more information about the World Youth Day 2011 Scholarships.

This article is republished from the November-December 2009 issue of Catholic Aid Journey Magazine. Content and photos are not to be reproduced in print or online without the written permission of Catholic Aid Association.

Fraternal Advisory Meeting Highlights

The Fraternal Advisory Committee met on Oct. 15, 2009 for its last meeting of 2009. These topics were discussed:

**Deborah Gephart, Assistant Sr. Vice-President, reviewed the 2009 Convention and asked committee members for feedback. She gave an overview of the 2010 Convention schedule.

**Steve Wendorf, Marketing Director, gave an update on the Membership Drive and the School Raffle. The group also watched a video on the proposed name update for Catholic Aid and provided feedback.

**The committee discussed the area membership meetings for members and non-members to be held in 2010. The committee made suggestions about locations, timing, content and publicity for the meetings.

**Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison, updated the group on current youth initiatives, such as the “Youth Financial Workshop,” the start of a Young Adult Advisory Team and the results from the NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) Member Benefit for high school-aged members.

CAA Management and the Fraternal Department thanked committee members Geraldine Poppler from Waconia, Leonard Seidl from Sleepy Eye and Boni Westberg from Mahtomedi as they completed a three-year term on the committee.

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Creating Wealth Beyond Money

Catholic Aid sponsors a radio show on Saturday mornings on the Relevant Radio Network called “Creating Wealth Beyond Money.” Hosted by John Tetzloff, Advanced Case Specialist at Catholic Aid, this is a call-in radio program that discusses financial matters from the Catholic Aid perspective. Tune in at 9 a.m. on Saturdays to listen live.

Also, podcasts of the program will be posted on the CAA website: www.catholicaid.org/links/podcast. The Oct. 31st program is available to listen to right now, and more of the programs will be posted this week. The files are in MP3 format and can be played in Windows Media Player, iTunes or on MP3 players.

Please pass on this link to people you know. John gives solid advice of use to people from every walk of life.

Catholic schools and supporters win big through Catholic Aid Association’s 2009 Raffle

Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit

Congratulations are in order for our Catholic schools! Students and educators at 18 Catholic schools in Minnesota and South Dakota pounded the pavement and rang doorbells for over a month to sell raffle tickets. Together with raffle sponsor Catholic Aid Association (CAA), these hard workers raised more than $128,575. Every penny of the money raised goes directly into school accounts thanks to CAA providing the promotion, printing and prizes involved in the raffle.

“From the beginning, we wanted every penny raised by this raffle to pay for the needs of our Catholic schools,” said Michael McGovern, president and board chairman of Catholic Aid, a fraternal life insurance and benefits company. “It is our hope that we can repeat this program every year. It fits into our mission of supporting the Catholic faith through our local schools.”

Students, parents and educators sold more than 25,000 tickets from Sept. 14 to Oct. 28. The official drawing ceremony for the CAA School Raffle was held on Oct. 30, 2009 at 11 a.m. Official winners of the raffle drawing will be announced as soon as they are verified and the winners are contacted. A complete list of all raffle winners will be available on CAA’s website, www.catholicaid.org/links/raffle.

However, CAA is happy to announce that the winning didn’t end on Oct. 30.

“The real rock stars of this program were the students, the parents and the teachers who tackled the work involved in this raffle. They did an excellent job,” said Steve Wendorf, Marketing Director for Catholic Aid. “We’re hoping for even more energy and participation from them next year because we’re going to add more schools, and there will be more competition.”

Catholic Aid’s Field Representative will be presenting prizes to the top student ticket sellers and pizza parties for top-performing classrooms at each participating school in the coming weeks.

Catholic Aid Association has been a proud supporter of Catholic schools and religious education for over 50 years.

Photo Information. Photos of the Oct. 30 Raffle Drawing Ceremony are available by calling Susan Detlefsen, 651-490-0170 ext. 169 or email ads@catholicaid.org.

About The Catholic Aid Association. The Catholic Aid Association helps every generation of the Catholic community thrive and grow. By striving to be the provider of choice for life insurance and retirement preparation for its 73,000 members and by giving back to the local communities through its 160 local councils, Catholic Aid has built a relationship with its members stretching back 131 years. Programs that provide matching grants to schools and churches, assistance to members in need, and education scholarships for young members have given millions of dollars to communities throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota. Based in St. Paul, Minn., Catholic Aid is a professional friend, helping its members to plan for the future, for every step of every journey, for life.For more information about The Catholic Aid Association or its Foundation or Credit Union, call 651-490-0170, 1-800-568-6670 or visit online at www.catholicaid.org.

Marketing Contact: Rebecca Redlin
Oct. 30, 2009
651-765-4137 or 1-800-568-6670
Catholic Aid Association
rredlin@catholicaid.org

Catholic Aid & the National Catholic Youth Conference

Catholic Aid offered scholarships for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). NCYC is the single largest event organized by the Catholic Church in the US. Sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), this bi-annual conference will bring together over 20,000 Catholic teenagers from throughout the United States to a wonderful venue in Kansas City November 19-21, 2009.

Catholic Aid is pleased to announce that the following young people have received scholarships to NCYC 2009 (listed according to council):

Holy Family Catholic Aid Council #017, Mankato
Taylor Clements, Blake Matuska, Brooke Matuska, Rachel Wendlandt

St. Leo Catholic Aid Council #099, St. Leo
Ben Bossuyt, David Bursack, Rachel Kollar, Shawn Polman

St. Theresa Catholic Aid Council #146, Johnsburg
Jordyn Bissen

St. Willibrord Catholic Aid Council #275, Gibbon
Brady Forst, Heather Horning, Ryan Horning

St. Philip Catholic Aid Council #312, Litchfield
Kate Carlson, Jon Carlson

Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Aid Council #337, Spicer
Leah Salisbury, Shannon Salisbury

Visitation Catholic Aid Council #371, Stacyville
Andrea Mayer, Tyler Thome

What's In a Name? :: Catholic Aid Association

What’s in a name? For many established members, the Catholic Aid Association stands for tradition and strong Catholic values.

This is the story of our company taking the next step forward to update its image and name to remain relevant for the next 100 years. But in order to move forward with strength and conviction, we must look to our fraternal history to guide our decisions for the next generation.

As Catholic Aid Association embarks on taking the next step forward, we first talked with F.L. “Flip” Spanier, retired past president and CEO of Catholic Aid, to give us an historical perspective on how the organization started and how it evolved.

“When you go back to the 1850s to 1914, that span of time saw the largest influx of European immigrants ever, and they were recently arrived foreigners in this country. They tried to then buy insurance from the commercial companies in this country and they were not able to because they couldn’t speak the language. And so they got the notion that, gee, let’s start our own organization. Then what they did is they formed in 1878…the German Catholic Aid Association of Minnesota...that then evolved into what later on became our organization ever since.”

Is it time to take the next step forward and update our name? It’s clear we have been down this road before and each time we’ve responded. We asked people from presidents and CEOs, to average Catholics on the street, what they thought of Catholic Aid’s name and the possibility of a name update. The message is clear. Together we have an opportunity to ensure the growth and vitality of our organization for the next generation of members.

Joe Schirmers, past Board Member, St. Augusta Council, St. Cloud, Minn.
“Young people are now online with doing different things so it’s hard to get the young people to get involved…There’s a gap there. You’ve always got to change to invite the young people to come in. You’re not going to be there forever. They’ll have to take over.”

Michael McGovern, President and Chairman of CAA
“We aren’t necessarily looking at a total name change. We’re looking at an update, really. The issue becomes that we need to be more descriptive not for our members but for people who would want to join Catholic Aid...Many of the fraternals today are shrinking in membership size. We’re not growing, but we’re not shrinking either. We’re staying about the same size all the time.”

Joseph Annotti, President and CEO, National Fraternal Congress of America
“That’s really up to the individual fraternals whether they are going to be relevant or not. I think there might be 90 total fraternal benefits societies in the United States. The other 25 that are not members of NFCA are extremely small, on their last legs as far as I can tell... The fraternal system could stick around for another 50 years on its own. If it’s going to stick around for another 100 years, we’ve got to figure out ways to grow... We’ve got to be out there in those arenas or we’re going to miss attracting the next generation of members. And if you don’t get the next generation in, you can write the end of the closing chapters of that book.”

Dr. Diane Hinds, professional researcher, Employers Association, Inc. speaks on a study of 2,400 non-member Catholics in Minnesota who were asked what they thought of CAA’s name.
“They told us some interesting things. They mentioned that Catholic Aid Association was a word or phrase that they had heard, but only about 10 percent of the entire group were able to accurately describe what it was. More than 50 percent thought that is was a charitable organization.

“What this says is that a large percentage of people that you would be marketing to when they first hear the term Catholic Aid are going to assume that you are a charitable organization and are not going to understand that you have insurance products....you’re going to have to educate them. You’re going to have to take an additional step to educate them as to what the organization is all about.”

Peter Ryan, FIC, Catholic Aid Field Representative for seven years
“If [our purpose] is part of our name, it’s a lot less to explain, a lot less to go over. From my perspective people would see it in our name and go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know Catholic Aid did that.’ My opinion would be that we need to have something added or changed in our name to make it crystal clear.”

Kathleen Moriarty, Director of Fraternal, CAA
“I think Catholic Aid like any business organization has to change and adapt to reflect the different audiences and the lifestyles of our members...We’re very conscious that young people today have access to many, many different activities beyond Catholic Aid. In order for Catholic Aid to be something that makes it onto their list, it has to be something that will include their friends, and fit well into their schedule and be meaningful to them.”

How about you? What do you think of a name update? This is your time, your company and your future. Please let us know your opinion on the name update process. Call 651-765-6555 or email news@catholicaid.org.

Scholarship Program Open!

Post-High School Tuition Scholarship

Catholic Aid Association is now accepting applications for our scholarship program. Since 1955, Catholic Aid has given more than $2 million to our members in scholarships for higher education and job training. The scholarship program is open to any member (minimum two years membership) who is starting a degree or certification program from an accredited college, university, vocational or training institution.

Eligibility

* Applicant must be a member of Catholic Aid for at least 2 years (prior to application deadline and at the time the award is given).

* Applicant must be entering first or second year of post-high school education, as part of a degree or certificate program.

* If you have received our scholarship in the past, please do not apply again. In order to extend this fraternal benefit to as many CAA members as possible, we do not consider previous Catholic Aid scholarship recipients.

* The applicant must submit a completed scholarship application form, either the online version or the paper form. Deadline Paper applications must be received by our office (or post-marked) before Feb. 15, 2010. There are no exceptions.

Application Elements

* CAA Council: If you do not know which Catholic Aid council you are assigned to, leave blank. This information is verified before processing.

* Certificate/Annuity: The applicant must have a Catholic Aid life insurance certificate or annuity, and therefore a membership, to qualify. Certificate or annuity numbers of parents, grand-parents or guardians are not accepted. This information is verified before processing.

* Post-Secondary School Info: If you have not made a final decision, put your first choice. This information will be verified after recipients are notified, and can be changed.

* GPA: Enter your GPA for the last year of school you attended in either high school, college or trade school.

Submission
Online applications will be accepted up to 11:59 p.m., Feb.15, 2010.

Please return the completed paper application by February 15, 2010 to:
Catholic Aid Association – Scholarship Program
3499 Lexington Ave.
N St. Paul, MN 55126

Questions
If you have questions, please call the Fraternal Department at (651) 490-0170, or (800) 568-6670; Ext. 133 or email fraternal@catholicaid.org.

Application
www.catholicaid.org/links/scholarship