INSURANCE
WOMEN OF SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
January 2004
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
FROM
VIRGINIA H. ZEIGLER, AAM, AIT,
ACSR, CPIW
I really enjoyed hosting our Christmas Party and
being able to catch everybody up on their Christmas trivia.
Maybe I’ll save the “test” and give it again next year! However, by the
time you read this newsletter Christmas will be long gone and everybody
should be working on their New Year’s resolutions. Mine are
the usual--Jazzercise more and eat less. I’m hoping this will be
the year that I actually stick to it!
Deborah’s name is now listed at the Winner’s Circle
on the NAIW website although she’s shown in Region VI. That means
we are two members away from having 100% in the Winner’s Circle, and I
have hopes that they, too, will be on the list by our January meeting.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Bea and
Norman, and we all hope that Norman gets well soon.
DATES TO REMEMBER
January
1st
New Year’s Day
NAIW National Closed
2nd
NAIW National Closed
6th
Sherlock Holmes’ Birthday
7th
Full Moon
8th
Elvis Presley Born, 1935
15th
Monthly Business Meeting of the IW of SW MS
19th
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
27th
CISR Personal Residential, New Orleans, LA
29th
CISR Personal Residential, Baton Rouge, LA
30th
Deadline for Pinnacle Award Application
COMPANIES
IN THE NEWS
As arguments continue as to why premiums are rising
in many lines of insurance, a new study shows tort payments rose again
in 2002 at double digit rates, similar to increases in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
According to A.M. Best, tort payments average $809 a person.
As 2003 winds down, life insurance applications
again fell below prior year levels, with the full year figures down 4.5%
from 2002.
The land mark anti-spam bill President Bush signed
into law won’t inadvertently target insurance trade associations as once
feared, says the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America
With little fanfare, U.S. authorities have been
soliciting the help of two major insurance trade associations in Washington
D.C., seeking advice on the monumental task of building an insurance system
in war-torn Iraq from the ground up.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution?
If you are like most of the population, then the answer is yes. How
good are you at keeping your resolutions?
The tradition of making (and breaking) New Year’s
Resolutions began over four thousand years ago with the Babylonians.
They believed the New Year was a time for looking back to the past and
looking forward to the coming year. The Babylonians believed that
what a person did on the first day of the New Year will have an effect
throughout the entire year.
With that idea in mind, here are a few ideas that
will help you keep your New Year’s Resolutions.
Don’t try everything at once. Some
people make a list of everything they ever wanted to change for their resolutions.
This is a guaranteed way to fail. Start your resolutions with a couple
of things, you can always add more later. Take one thing at a time.
Word your resolution carefully.
Try not to have any negatives in your resolution, such as “I will not eat
any chocolate.” Instead, phrase your resolution as “I will try to
eat less chocolate.” This way your resolution sounds more like a
plan than a demand. You want your resolution to sound like something
you want to do, not something that you have to do.
Make a plan. Once you know what your
resolution is, try to break it down into steps. You don’t have to
accomplish it all at once. The plan doesn’t have to be overly complicated,
just give yourself some steps.
Write it down. Write down your plan
of resolution and your plan of action. Place it someplace where you
can see it on a daily basis, for example your refrigerator or bathroom
mirror. This way you will have a constant reminder of your resolution.
Feel free to change your wording of the resolution as your goal changes.
The most common New Year’s resolutions have to
do with diet, exercise, money, and smoking.
10 REASONS TO ATTEND REGIONAL
CONFERENCE
By Linda L. Wilson, AAI, CPIW
Region I Vice President
Plans are well under way for NAIW’s Regional Conferences
that will be held beginning March 2004. If you are thinking of attending
but haven’t quite made the commitment, just review the ten reasons listed
below and pick the one you like best.
1. Educational workshops with continuing education
credits.
2. Networking opportunities.
3. NAIW’s National Representative.
4. Communicate with Confidence Speak Off.
5. Keynote Speaker.
6. Regional Races: Cheer on your favorite
State Director who will represent the Region at National Convention in
Pittsburgh, P.A., June 2-5, 2004.
7. Scholarships and awards including recognition
on new CPIW/M’s and DAE’s.
8. Industry exhibitors.
9. Partners in Literacy Community Focus Project.
10. Food, friends, and fun.
Reprinted with permission from NAIW (International)
and Author Linda Wilson, Region I Vice President.
WINTER SAFETY TIPS
By: Mary Stogner, CPIW
Even though the holidays are past there is
still plenty of winter weather ahead. Following are some suggestions to
keep in mind as you prepare for coping with the cold and the safety hazards
it can present:
When using space heaters, keep a 3-5 foot space
between the heater and flammable objects.
Avoid using extension cords with heating devices.
If you must use one, be sure to use the correct size and never hide the
cord under a rug.
Make sure all smoke detectors are working properly.
Have a fire escape plan and make sure your
family and guests know what it is.
Test all smoke detectors to be sure they are
working properly.
Be careful with gas pilot lights. If the pilot
light goes out, call the local gas company to relight it.
If using a gas, propane, or kerosene heater,
make sure you have a working CO (carbon monoxide) detector.
Chimneys should be cleaned once a year.
Extinguish candles, heaters, and fireplaces
before leaving home.
Prepare an emergency supply kit with non-perishable
food, water, flashlights, a battery operated radio with extra batteries,
and blankets.
Wear many layers instead of just 2. The more
layers the better. For example, a t-shirt, a turtleneck, a sweater or sweatshirt,
a polar fleece coat, and then a parka. Wear 2 pairs of socks and 2 pairs
of gloves. Always put your little ones in one layer more than you are comfortable
wearing.
Don't drink hot drinks or alcohol to warm up
outside. It tricks your body into thinking you are warmer and you lose
too much heat too fast.
Keep a blanket, flashlight, and shovel in the
trunk of your car.
Make sure your gas tank is at least half full
to prevent freezing.
Run cold water at a constant trickle so your
pipes don't freeze.
Keep a loaded, charged cell phone in your car
(at all times, in all weather).
Although it's too late for this Christmas,
here are some great "Safety" gift ideas to keep in mind for next year.
Put together a gift basket containing one of
more of the following items:
Three smoke detectors and batteries
A quality fire extinguisher
A flashlight and batteries or light sticks.
A first-aid kit.
A carbon Monoxide detector.
mobile phone
A second floor escape ladder
"Emergency kit" - energy bars, water, battery
radio, flashlight/light sticks and a first-aid kit packed in a small travel
bag.
NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS
Nobody can say that the members of the Insurance
Women of Southwest Mississippi are not dedicated to education. Two
of our members have received new designations! Congratulations go
out to Deborah Ledford who just earned her CIC designation and Keri Morrell
who just earned her AIS designation! We are extremely proud of both
of you!
Speaking of dedication, 4 out of our 6 members
are members of the Winner’s Circle. Virginia, Deb, Keri, and Ruthie
have completed all their requirements. Bea Jones has just completed
her requirements for the Winner’s Circle and has mailed in her card to
National. Once Mary Stogner finishes working on her requirements,
then our association will have 100% of it’s members standing in the Winner’s
Circle! Region III has taken the lead in the Winner’s Circle with
21 members!
More hard work… Ruthie Phillips has applied
for her CPIW designation.
Virginia Zeigler has been busy shopping and
getting ready for Christmas. She is planning on spending Christmas
with her grandchildren to help Santa deliver presents.
Mary Stogner has been busy shopping, decorating,
and building her house. She just came back from a trip to Memphis
where she saw “The Lion King.”
Bea Jones has been spending too much time in
doctor’s offices lately. Bea’s husband, Norman, is having some medical
problems. All of the Insurance Women of SW MS are keeping Norman
and Bea in their thoughts and prayers.
Congratulations to Ruthie Phillips-- She has
had one of her sonnets published in the quarterly poetry magazine “Bell’s
Letter’s.”