Helping Your Council Make its Mark
By Thomas P. Smith Jr.
Executive V.P. – Agencies and Marketing
The 2008-09 fraternal year is upon us.
On behalf of our hardworking field force of professional general and
field agents, I offer my congratulations to all newly elected and
appointed council leaders. I am sure you have a list of things that you
want to accomplish during the coming year. Your agent is eager to help
you attain these goals.
One of these goals should be the
attainment of the Star Council award. It is the most prestigious award
the Order offers at the council level and should be sought by every
council that wants to make its mark. My suggestion for you this year is
to involve your agent in your planning sessions. Give him a seat at the
table when you discuss your council’s goals and objectives, and plans
for achieving them. His first priority is to help grow the Order’s
top-rated life insurance program, but he will be glad to help on the
membership side as well. What would be helpful to all of us would be an
early start on those goals, rather than waiting until May or June.
I also strongly recommend a commitment to
the Order’s insurance program by you and your fellow council officers —
a clear signal to the membership that Knights of Columbus insurance is
quality coverage that every member should have. We have recently
attained the highest possible rating for financial strength (A++) from
the A.M. Best Company for the 32nd consecutive year. We are one of only
five life insurance companies in North America to have the highest
possible ratings from both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s (AAA), along
with certification by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association,
which attests to our ethical sales and marketing practices. You can be
confident in entrusting your family’s life insurance needs to your Order
and in recommending that your brother Knights do the same.
In those cases where a council has no
assigned field agent, speak directly with the general agent. He will be
glad to help you or he will assign another agent to visit with you, your
officers and your council members. And remember, the ideal field agent
might just be right under your nose. If a member of your council is
dissatisfied in his current career, encourage him to consider a career
with the Order. Visit the “Career Opportunities” section of
www.kofc.org to learn more.
God Bless,
