All of us on the FLMI Board of Directors look forward to having you join us for our Anniversary Dinner on Wednesday, November 14^th in the Regent Room of the Waterloo Motor Inn. We have two fabulous speakers, Don Hachborn will be looking at the past and Bill Pineau will be looking ahead. This will prove to be a very interesting evening.

I can tell you that I have had a very rewarding and enjoyable time working with the many professionals from all the different companies. Speaking with the other members of the Board of Directors for the FLMI Society of Waterloo, they feel the same way that I do. Like many, I had the concerns of time and energy. I found that this was not the enormous task that I had envisioned, but rather, a group of individuals sharing the responsibilities needed to get the job done. This is my opportunity to say thank you to all of the wonderful members on the Board and in the Society who have made this one of the most successful Societies in North America. We should all be proud of this achievement and look for ways to keep that image and progressing forward.

We would like to start a mentoring program within our Society. We are looking for volunteers to mentor a student at their own company. The mentor sets up the time commitment in the beginning with the student. Please contact me for any further information and see the ad in this  newsletter. We really need your help.

I have enjoyed being on your Board of Directors and have one last year as your Past President. The people that I have met and the experiences have been very rewarding. I thank all of you for the opportunity that you have provided to me by electing me onto the Board for the past several years. I have truly grown and appreciate this chance of being involved with the FLMI Society of Waterloo. I look forward to continuing to help out in many different ways.

While we are taking stock of our future, we should keep in mind the very true statement of Margaret Mead, a famous anthropologist, who once said, "Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world".

Happy 40^th Anniversary to all!

My introduction to the FLMI Society Board of Directors…

I became a member on the board of the FLMI Society in November 2000 as a representative from Lutheran Life Insurance.

The At-Large Board member is the entry level point for the board.

I had the opportunity to be in charge of the inspirational words before the luncheon in May.

Featuring our guest speakers,
Don Hachborn from Lutheran Life
 and
Bill Pineau of LOMA Canada

These speakers will be reflecting on the past 40 years of our industry and where we’re headed in the future. See the biography on each speaker for more information.

The Society Invites You To Join Us At:

Waterloo Motor Inn
475 King St N, Waterloo

Don was born in Kitchener and has lived in Waterloo Region all his life.

Following graduation from Lougheed Business College in 1955, he secured a position in the Group Department of Dominion Life. After eleven years in that department, he moved to a systems-related position at the time when all the punch card files were being readied for the ALIS computer system.

In 1972, Lutheran Life was being formed as a fraternal insurance society with its Head Office in Waterloo. He decided, after 17 years, to leave the only employer he had and take a chance with this new organization.

For the next 22 years, he was in charge of their policyholder service section. In 1994, he was one of several employees who qualified for early retirement and so decided to take it. He was asked to stay for awhile in a consulting role, and somehow one thing led to another and for the last seven years he has served in this role in many ways.

Don earned his FLMI deg. in Administrative Management in 1974 and followed that up with majors in Life and Health Claims and Selection of Risks. After being out of the exam writing thing for many years, he earned his ACS degree in 1993.

Don has lived in Maryhill since 1973. He has been married to Sandra since 1972 and they have a daughter Amy. He enjoys singing in his church choir (he used to be a frequent wedding soloist – now it’s very occasional) and he tries to keep fit by getting out on his bike as often as time permits. He is constantly trying to enhance his handyman skills but they still leave something to be desired.

Bill Pineau has over 30 years experience in the insurance industry, including group and individual, benefits and pensions, and all areas of human resources.

During this period, he was involved with acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and take-overs. He retired from Imperial Life Insurance Company four years ago and now works for LOMA as their Member Relations Rep in Canada.

Bill has a B.A. from Ottawa University and is one of 500 worldwide that has obtained his Master FLMI. Recently he has been working with some educational bodies to have the FLMI program introduced into both Canadian college and university curriculums.

Bill is married (30 years) and has 2 grown children (out of house).

After a delicious lasagna lunch, the current Secretary of the Society, John Clayton, introduced our featured speaker, Gary Fields, AVP of Education & Training Services of LOMA (headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia).

Before Gary spoke to us, he presented a Certificate on behalf of LOMA congratulating the FLMI Society of Waterloo on reaching this milestone, only the 2^nd Society in Canada to reach the age of 40. Nancy Longeway accepted this award on behalf of the Society Members.

Gary spoke to us on "What Makes an Organization Great?" focusing on three characteristics, (even though there are many others) – Character, Community, and Communication.

The character of those who are in control directly impacts the character of an organization, whether it’s a Church, Business Unit, Government Agency, or a FLMI Society. The truly great organizations make "character" an integral part of their philosophy and daily business practices.

A sense of "community" is also a contributing factor in the greatness of an organization. It’s important however, to do something because it is the right thing to do, which looks again at character, otherwise greatness cannot be achieved. An organization saying they will do something is not the same as an organization that is actually doing it. Following through with action combines Community and Character.

Gary was warmly thanked and presented with a gift by Board Member Jean Markovich.

The meeting was adjourned with a reminder for all to be generous to the Food Bank and to have a great and healthy summer.

-60's, 70's, 80's--roll back the clock--have several speakers on the same topic
-use of e-business--how it interacts in our dealings with customers
-increase in fraud
-Bruce Gordon at MLI and Paul Rooney at ILC V-P
-demographics and how this affects financial products--marketing, sales, etc. ie. aging population, baby boomers
-mergers
-importance of education
-Hubert Saint-Onge, or Barry Triller
-local politician

Our Society’s Vice-President and Treasurer attended the annual LOMA conference this year.

Here is a report submitted by our Treasurer, Kamala Chandran.

Seattle, home of the Mariners and Seahawks, was host to the annual LOMA conference held from September 9^th to the 11^th.

The venue was Seattle’s Sheraton Hotel where more than 1000 people attended, including Marianne Fletcher (Equitable Life) and myself.

A small portion of the participants were the various society’s and the LOMA executives, and many of the participants were new FLMIs, ACSs, AIAAs, AIAFs, AIRCs and ARAs, who were presented with certificates at the closing banquet.

The two and a half days were jam-packed with dynamic speakers, workshops, tours and even a boat cruise!

The speakers each had different lessons and skills to teach to the eager participants.

Dr. Jennifer James, a cultural anthropologist, lecturer, writer and commentator, talked about 'Thinking in the Future Tense'.

She incorporated eight thinking skills that leaders need to modernize and maximize their organization. The eight skills are as follows:

1. Perspective (seeing with new eyes)
2. Awareness of patterns (recognizing the future)
3. Critical thinking (understanding the social context)
4. Response time (the ability to change and help others change)
5. Context (understanding the past to know the future)
6. Effectiveness (doing more with less)
7. New forms of intelligence (using the rest of your brain)
8. Diversity I.Q. (profiting from diversity)

The final speaker, Bill Butterworth showed us how to take control of our schedules and priorities.

Dr. Catlett and Mr. Butterworth did an excellent job of continuing their presentations, even as the September 11th tragedy was unfolding minute by minute.

They were successful in catching the audience’s attention, and they helped us to stay calm and laugh despite the tough times.

Although September 11th brings up terrible memories, the trip to Seattle has left me as a stronger, more confident person. The knowledge and skills that I gained from the LOMA conference are going to be beneficial to me in performing the tasks as a member of the FLMI Society of Waterloo’s board of directors.

Clarica, 227 King Street South, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4C5

Equitable Life, 1 Westmount Road North, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4C7

Lutheran Life, 470 Weber Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4G4

Manulife Financial, 500 King Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2J 4C6