The new death benefit and health benefit plans

Title

Creator

Araniego, Benjamin T.

Language

English

Source

The Cabletow XXXVIII (1) July 1962

Year

1962

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Blue Lodges can do a great deal to help by writing individually to their Congressmen urging support for the Educational Stabilization Fund Bill. I'liis practice is something which is seldom, if ever, tried here but is consistently and successfully done by tax-paying citizens in the United States whenever they want their in fluence felt in important public is sues. The Committee also feels that much can be done by individual Masons acting through their Blue Lodges if they will establish good relations with their respective Pa tent-Teacher Associations as well as with Barrio Councils for the same purpose. In short, this Committee is a Guiding Committee which will at tempt to bring Masons, their Blue Lodges, and Masonry into more in timate identification with the com munity life of the nation. It is hoped that every Lodge will give a great deal of time to a discussion of the Grand Master’s Circular on this subject and that the results of their efforts will be reported to the Com mittee which will undertake to trans mit to the other Lodges information which will be helpful to them in ilicit respective projects. A A A There are but two ways which lead to great aims and achievements — energy and perseverance. Energy is a rare gift, — it provokes opposi tion, hatred, and reaction. But per severance lies within the affordings of everyone, its power increases with its progress, and it tardy misses its aim. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The New Death Benefit And Health Benefit Plans By W. B. Benjamin T. Araniego Having at heart the welfare of the brethren in this Grand Jurisdiction, our Grand Master, Most Worshipful Brother William H. Quasha, Chair man of the Board of 'Trustees of the Acacia Mutual z\id Society, has placed in the hands of die brethren a challenge to accept a bold new plan, which is called the Group Death Benefit Plan. This will give to a member’s beneficiary a protec tion coverage of 1*1,000.00 for a yearly contribution of only Pl2.00. To be entitled to this protection (overage it is necessary that 90% ol the members of a Blue Lodge apply for this plan. No medical examin ation is required. Every brother is qualified for coverage under this plan irrespective of whether he is young or old and whether he is sickly or in good health. 'This plan will start on October 1, 1962. This P12.00 that will be col lected from each brother will be kept in trust by the Lodge Secreta ries until they have a 90% partici pation when the total collections will be turned over to the Acacia Mutual Aid Society, provided that they must turn in the list of mem bers and the collections to Acacia before October 1, 1962. If death occurs prior to October 1, 1962, only the amount of 1*12.00 paid by the brother will be return ed to the beneficiary. If death oc curs during the first year of mein(Continued <»i page 21) 11 have met all the officers of the Grand l.odge of the District of Col umbia and the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Coun cil, A. & A. S. R. PGM MIKE GOLDENBERG Anxious brethren will be relieved to know that PGM Michael Golden berg who had to undergo a major operation several weeks ago and sub sequently suffered a paralytic stroke, has returned home well on the way io complete recovery. A A A New Benefits . . . bership, P500.00 will be payable to the beneficiary; if in the second year, the amount will be P750.00; and af ter the second year the full face va lue of Pl,000.00 will be payable to the beneficiary. This is the cheapest protection any brother can obtain. So cheap that even if a brother lives a long time and continues to pay for 50 years, the payments of the member will not aggregate what the Acacia Mutual will actually pay to the be neficiary. With this plan the Lodge will not be embarrassed for its inability to raise the amount needed for the burial of a deceased member and at the same time their widows and or phans will not undergo the very hu miliating experience of being com pelled to make an approach to the Lodges by reason of the unexpected demise of the head of their family. Every Master is, therefore, urged io meet the challenge to have the 90% of their l.odge members join this Group Death Benefit Plan. If and when this is accomplished every body — the member, their families and the brethren — can have peace of mind. In computing the 90%, those brethren who are residing out side of our jurisdiction will not be counted. However, Worshipful Mas ters arc urged to get all their mem bers to join by writing them a let ter. Attention is invited to the Grand L.odge circtdar on this sub ject. The other great concern of the Grand Master is the protection of the health of the brethren. For this project die Acacia Mutual has created a Health Committee, the chairman of which is Brother Damaceno J. Ago. This committee has been meeting almost every week to finalize the plans. It is the intention of the Health Committee to make available to the brethren for a small monthly contri bution hospitalization benefits which will include surgery, the hospitaliza tion and other special services that a sick brother may require. This plan will start on November 1, 1962. A medical clinic is now available on the ground floor of the Plaridel Masonic Temple. A list of partici pating physicians will be posted at the Clinic. A physician or two will be detailed for consultation at the clinic daily. For every consultation a brother will be requested to do nate a peso so that the participating doctors may receive an honorarium for their transportation. Details of the medical health plan will be announced in the immediate future. 22 THE CABLE TOW July, 1962

pages

11, 22

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