FELLOW TALK
Newsletter of the FLMI Society of the Twin Cities
October 2001
Contents:
Charity Event for the November Meeting
Presentation at the November Meeting
Saints Tickets to Children's Hospital and Clinics
Honesty is the best policy, right? So, honestly, those of us on the Board are concerned (and a bit discouraged) about the drop in attendance that we've seen at recent meetings. What's up? What's keeping you from attending your Society meetings? What can we do to make your FLMI Society an EVEN BETTER organization? Let us know -- contact any Board Member if you have an idea for something we should change.
Meanwhile, we've been looking at several options. We are considering consolidating the customary September and November dinner meetings into one dinner meeting, probably to be held in October. There has been some belief that these two meetings take place too close together date-wise, and it may be hurting our attendance. So, look for that as a potential upcoming change.
We are also considering combining our efforts with other professional societies here in the Twin Cities. So far, we have meet with representatives from TCHOLUA (Twin Cities Home Office Life Underwriters' Association). We are also considering a discussion with TCPSA (Twin Cities Policyowners' Service Association). Don't worry "we're not losing our individual identity. But we are looking at having perhaps one combined meeting during the year. Combining may give us the opportunity to present better meetings with more exciting and well-known speakers. Nothing is finalized yet -- but stand by for further developments.
Regarding the dinner meeting format: As attendees at the September dinner meeting know, we had that evening's speaker (Bob Senkler) offer his presentation before dinner. And it worked great! In fact, attendees surveyed that evening indicated that they liked that format far better than the usual dinner first, speaker after. So, for meetings after November 2001, we'll be looking at utilizing that format.
If you have strong feelings (one way or the other) about the items I just mentioned, remember to contact a Board Member to state your opinion. If we don't hear from you, we won't know how you feel about these possible changes.
For November 2001, we have a great speaker, with a great topic, at a great location -- Jax Café. That evening, Mr. Grant Engelmann will help us learn to be master communicators, able to cultivate immediate rapport with customers of all types. It should be a fun and interactive session. Add to that the great food from Jax, plus an opportunity to network with your industry peers, and it will be an evening that you won't want to miss. And don't forget -- Associate Members are invited to attend for the Member registration fee.
The date for our February 2002 meeting hasn't been firmly set yet. But it should be either February 5 or February 12. Mark those on your calendar -- we'll let you know the final date soon.
Regards,
Julie Hanson, FLMI, ACS, AIAA, ChFC
President, FLMI Society of the Twin Cities
Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Jax Café
1928 University Avenue N.E., Minneapolis
612-789-7297
(I-94 to Broadway Ave. N.E., east on Broadway to University Ave. N.E., north on University to Jax)
Cost: Members & Associate Members - $32 Non-Members & Guests - $37
5:30 Registration and Social Hour
6:15 Dinner:
Roast Prime Rib of Beef au jus with baked Idaho potato OR
Broiled Filet of Walleyed Pike with New potatoes and chef's vegetable
Jax house salad, rolls and butter, carrot cake, coffee, tea, milk
7:00 Business Meeting and Presentation of the FLMI Society 2001 Scholarship
7:10 Guest Speaker: Grant Engelmann, C.P.T., Paradigm Development Seminars
-- Compelling Corporate Communications'
Charity Event for the November Meeting:
We'll be collecting donations of non-perishable food and/or cash. Those who donate will have their names placed in a drawing for a special gift.
Presentation at the November Meeting:
Mr. Grant Engelmann will present a fun and interactive workshop that will help us learn to be master communicators by developing skills that enable us to quickly identify four customer types based on the customer's body language and word choice. We will go on to learn how to develop and cultivate immediate rapport with customers (both internal and external) by speaking to these various types of personalities in a language that the customer understands.
Grant Engelmann's speaking career began in a rather unusual way. He had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome late in 1992. After more than a seven-year uphill battle and numerous tests, he was informed that there was nothing further that the medical community could do for him. He wondered if any relief could be found by changing his diet, and he plunged headlong into nutrition and fitness research.
He did manage to recover sufficiently enough to return to work in 1993, and then became the process of becoming certified as a personal trainer. Since then, he has trained and consulted athletes and non-athletes alike in regard to improving their health, performance, and productivity. It is his interest in increased productivity that caused him to broaden his speaking topics to include communication skills and stress reduction.
Grant is nationally certified in personal training with the American Council on Exercise. He has worked at LifeTime Fitness and Northwest Athletic Clubs as a personal trainer and teaches CPR at the corporate level for an affiliate of the American Heart Association. He also provides National Safety Council First Aid Training and OSHA Standard Blood Borne Pathogen Training. He is a member of the Minnesota Speakers' Association.
New Officers Elected for 2001:
The Election of Officers took place at our September 18 dinner meeting. Your new Board of Directors will begin their term on January 1, 2002.
President: Michael Orr, Hartford Life
Vice President: Mary Smythe, Hartford Life
Treasurer: Teresa Teske, Minnesota Life
Secretary: Lori Webb, Lutheran Brotherhood
Member at Large: Debra Harrison-Miller, Hartford Life
This year's Annual LOMA Conference was in Seattle on September 9-11. Michael Orr and Mary Smythe represented the Twin Cities Society Board. In contrast with Seattle's cloudy and rainy reputation, we enjoyed warm sunshine everyday!
The conference opened Monday with a keynote address -- Thinking in the Future Tense' by Dr. Jennifer James. She spoke about the importance of being aware of how different people think and operate and then to be able to shape this information to use it to your advantage.
David Meinz then spoke about 10 Steps to Peak Performance. He gave us the "rules of the game" for how much fat, sodium, and fiber we should eat to perform well and stay fit. It's much better to follow the "rules" and disregard the fad diets.
Tuesday morning (September 11) our world had suddenly changed. Everyone was stunned and overwhelmed with the tragic events that took place back East, but LOMA decided to continue with the conference. Two very good speakers gave informative presentations even though they knew we all had a lot on their minds that morning.
Dr. Lowell Catlett, a professor and futurist, spoke about how generations differ, and how we need to
understand these differences and change the way we do business with each generation to fit their style and needs.
Due to the events of the day, Bill Butterworth decided to speak about change and different fears that people have. He said change is often positive, as it can produce confidence which then improves character. The way we decide to deal with a crisis is important, with proactive change being easier than reactive change.
Tuesday night, we concluded with a dinner to recognize individuals who recently earned their FLMI or associate designations. Although most people were concerned about how they would get home, the banquet was very enjoyable.
Separate officer training meetings were also attended by board members from many of the FLMI Societies around North America. It was a great opportunity to discuss important society-related issues. From other societies, we learned some new ideas for activities that we may try here.
Editor's Note: Mike and Mary did indeed get "stuck" in Seattle, unable to return until late Friday. So, they were away from their family and friends for several days longer than anticipated. Be sure to thank them the next time you see them!
Saints Tickets to Children's Hospital and Clinics:
We had several dozen unsold tickets left over for the St. Paul Saints baseball game scheduled for June 10. At Lori Webb's suggestion, we donated them to the Children's Hospitals. The response we received:
Thanks so much for your generous donation of Saints tickets for the June 10 game. What an honor it was to have the tickets to give to our volunteers as a thank you!
One of our volunteers, who just started with us that week, is a high school student who had never been to a Saints game. He was very excited at being offered the tickets and was able to bring a friend with him. Another volunteer who is now a junior in high school, and has been with us since she turned13, was able to attend and invited her sister to the game. She, too, had never been to a game. She is an amazing young woman.
We even had a ball drop into the hands of one of our adults, and it was kindly given to the five-year-old son of a staff member who adores the Saints and lives to go to the game! The little boy was so excited to receive the ball and went to have it autographed after the game. His father said he fell asleep in the car after the game and never woke up until the next morning! But he had the ball with him the entire time.
Many thanks again for your kind donation. We were able to use every ticket and provide a special opportunity to people who otherwise would not have been able to go. The tickets were greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Sandy Bergeron
Here are Job Lines, web sites, and some specific current job openings:
Allianz/LifeuSA, www.allianzlife.com
American Express, www.americanexpress.com/careers
Catholic Aid Association, www.catholicaid.com
Fortis, www.fortiscareers.com, 651-738-4141
Fortis Health, 763-577-5050
Hartford Life, 612-417-7887
HealthCare Compensation Strategies
Health Partners, www.healthpartners.com
ING/ReliaStar, 612-342-3594
Lutheran Brotherhood, www.luthbro.com
Minnesota Life, www.minnesotamutual.com, 651-665-7934
MSI -- www.msi-insurance.com -- 651-639-5550
Prudential, 763-557-4245
For more information, call the Job Posting Warehouse committee chair, Bob Coleman (Allianz 763-765-2818). If your company has personnel needs, please encourage your Human Resource Manager to contact us about publishing openings in our newsletter. It works! We also encourage any comments or ideas about how we can improve this service.
President
Julie Hanson, FLMI, ACS, AIAA, ChFC, Lutheran Brotherhood
Vice President/Treasurer
Michael L. Orr, FLMI/M, CLU, ChFC, FALU, FLHC, ARA, ACS, AIAA, AIRC, Hartford Life
Secretary
Mary Smythe, FLMI, FALU, ACS, AIAA, Hartford Life
Society Committee Representative
Luanne Maxfield, FLMI, ACS, Hartford Life
Past President
Barb Prinz, FLMI, ACS, Lutheran Brotherhood
President Emeritus
Paul Lindemann, FLMI, ACS, Catholic Aid Association
Education Chair
Lori Fitzpatrick, FLMI, American Express Financial Advisors
Program Co-Chair
Carole Hanson-Grue, FLMI, ACS, Catholic Aid Association
Program Co-Chair
Krishna Wells-Roger, FLMI, Minnesota Life
Member At Large
Terry Teske, FLMI/M, ACS, AIAA, ARP, Minnesota Life
Newsletter Editor/PR Chair
Lori Webb, FLMI, ACS, Lutheran Brotherhood
Job Posting Warehouse Chair
Bob Coleman, FLMI, ACS, AIAA, AIRC, Allianz Life