ZajednicÌŒar = Fraternalist. [volume] (Allegheny, Pa.) 1894-current, 1955-11-16
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1866
Licensed Agents


THE record shows that the 69th Annual
Meeting of the National Fraternal Con-
gress Of America (NFC), with which the
Croatian Fraternal Union has been affili-
ated for years, was held September 26-28
1855, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The same record shows that the Meet
ing adopted the Uniform Code for Organ
ization and Supervision of Fraternal Benefit
Societies. as approved by the National AS
sociation of Insurance Commissioners dur
ing their June 2, 1865, business session in
Los Angeles, California.
The record also shows that the Meeting
adopted the Uniform Code over the vehe-
ment protests of Delegates representing
the smaller. societies at that gathering,
protests aimed specifically at Section 29
of the Code - which calls for the licensing
of agents if and when the Code becomes
the law in this or that State
But the record does not show that
these Delegates walked out on the Meet
ing when it became obvious that para-
mentarian maneuvering would result in
Code over every legitimate protest.
Rather than be a party to something
which has no place in their fraternal ranks
- licensed agents - these Delegates took
a powder" before the Uniform Code as a
whole was put to official vote.
X X X
We need not look beyond the Croatian
Fraternal Union itself to condemn licensed
agents as proposed threat, pure and sim
pie, to its future progress.
The Croatian Fraternal Union has for
decades looked to it's conscientious mon
commissioned, unlicensed" Field Workers
for Membership Campaign support and
through them has become one of the twen-
ty-five most powerful fraternal orders on
the North American Continent
Now, If and when adopted by any
State wherein the Society is licensed to
do business, Section 20 of the Uniform
Code would force a Croatian Fraternal
Union Field Worker to become licensed
agent, for a fee, if in any one year he
signed more than 25 new members, in
Guiding prospects i'm his own family cir
Gle, or wrote insurance in excess of $780,
10000.
Pray, how many Membership Campaign
Field Workers would the Society have if
they were forced to become licensed
agents? A mere handful - and no more!
Couldn't the 69th Annual Meeting of
the National Fraternal Congress see
through this threat to the smaller societies?
Or didn't the majority at that gather
ing care in view of the fact that some of
the more powerful fraternals have had paid
agents on their payrolls for years?
X
The Croatian Fraternal Union should
spearhead the necessary attack against
Section 20 and other oppressive clauses of
the Uniform Code during the 44th Annual
Convention of the Pennsylvania Fraternal
Congress, which will adjourn today, No
vember 16, in Scranton.
1t should be heard through the Home
Office Delegates who are representing it
at the Congress. And their arguments
should be weighed with great care, for the
Croatian Fraternal Union happens to be the
largest such society chartered in the Com
monwealth of Pennsylvania and is not to
be taken lightly under any circumstances.
Make no mistake about it. Section 20
of the Uniform Code would in time sever
the very lifeline of the Croatian Frater-
nal Union by killing off all rank and file
interest in it's Membership Campaigns.
And no lifeline, no future.
Now is the time to speak out, to fight
against this big Business" attack against
the welfare of the smaller societies. Tomor-
row may be too late to do So