1st        Marilyn Monroe’s Birthday

4th        ACSR Mod # 4 E & O, Flowood, MS

10th       NAIW Leadership Enhancement Seminar, Nashville, TN

11-14th   NAIW National Convention, Nashville, TN

15th         Father’s Day

18th         National Splurge Day

               PIA Risk Management, Flowood, MS

20th        Monthly Meeting of the IW of SW MS (Installation of Officers)

                PIA Personal Auto, Flowood, MS

24th        CISR Agency Operations, Flowood, MS

25-27th    CIC Agency Management, Flowood, MS

27th        NAIW Now! Mailed to Members

A. M. Best Company views positively the settlement by Aetna Inc. of the national class-action lawsuits with over 700,000 physicians, state and other medical societies pending in the federal court for the Southern District of Florida, as well as the multiple state court actions filed against the company.

Seeking to focus on its more profitable life insurance and investment products, Prudential Financial Inc. has reached agreements to sell off its P/C businesses to three insurers for a total of $815 million, the company said.

A. M. Best Company has placed the financial strength rating of “A-“ of the Prudential Property and Casualty Company New Jersey Group under review with negative implications.
 

 With the start of summer comes the beginning of hurricane season.  The annual hurricane season runs June through November.

AIR Worldwide Corp., a catastrophe–modeling and weather risk management company, recently composed a list of the top ten worst places for an extreme hurricane to strike.  Number one on that list was Miami.  Houston came in at number four.  New Orleans followed at number five.  Number six was Mobile with Biloxi following closely at number eight.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has indicated that there is a 55% probability of an above normal hurricane season.  NOAA is predicting that there will be 11-15 tropical storms, with 6-9 becoming hurricanes, and 2-4 becoming major hurricanes.  This increase in activity is four more hurricanes that occurred in 2002.

The overall activity during 2003 is expected to depend primarily on the state of the Pacific Ocean and La Nina weather patterns.  Forecasters expect La Nina conditions to develop in August.  If the La Nina weather pattern does not develop as predicted, then the hurricane season should be a “normal” season.

With hurricanes, there is an increased chance of other types of severe weather.  Hurricanes bring high gusts of wind, and once they reach land, tornadoes often follow.  Even if they don’t reach hurricane status, the high winds and driving rain can cause major property damage.

It is important to recognize that it is currently not possible to confidently predict the number or intensity of land falling hurricanes, or whether a particular locality will be impacted by a hurricane this season.
Residents of coastal and near coastal regions should always maintain hurricane preparedness efforts regardless of the over all seasonal outlook.

By: Ruth Phillips, CISR

Below are some skills that can help you build better teams.

Start with pre-meeting politicking.  Find out why your team members have joined.

Map out a team mission.  As the team leader, and as its main unifying force, you should have a very clear idea of the team’s mission before your first meeting.

Define roles.  Power struggles occur when members do not know and understand their roles.

Create a group identity.  Give your team a formal name.

Draw up a game plan.  You should know how the team members interrelate.  The team will run smoothly if everyone knows who is doing what.

Use liberal doses of “our” and “we.”  This language lets everyone know they have a stake in the outcome.

Don’t be a fact hog.  Be generous with information.

Encourage networking.  Team members have to stay in contact.

Encourage playtime.  Social events can create psychological bonds that help members interact well.

Reinforce the team concept.  When the team does well, praise the whole team, not an individual.

Use humor.  Jokes can break tension and make the group more cohesive.

Develop an open atmosphere.  The team members have to feel that they can come to their leader.
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Keri Morrell is getting the camp setup for our annual installation and fish fry.  The fishing poles are being readied for a competitive fishing rodeo with prizes this year.

Virginia, Deb, Ruthie and Keri will be attending National Convention in Nashville, TN on June 11-14th.

Ruth Phillips has completed her agent’s licensing school and has passed the exam.  She will be taking on new responsibilities as an agent.  She has also completed her first CPSR course and test on the way to a new designation.

Virginia Zeigler has additional time on her hands now for yard work and internet surfing as her grandson has completed his season as a star buddy-ball player.

Deborah Ledford just completed the Commercial Property CIC Institute.  She is looking forward to having a great time in Nashville for the National Convention.

Mary Jones and Tim Stogner were married in a small ceremony on May 24, 2003 at Tim’s sister’s house in Clinton, MS.  The staff of Mixon-Burt gave them a pre-wedding party complete with gifts and cake.  We wish the newlyweds a happy honeymoon in Colorado.

Bea Jones will be attending her granddaughter, Deidra’s, dance recital to see her perform a solo on June 6.

For some reason team breaking occurs just as much in groups as team building does.  Below are some common reasons why teams break.

Break down in probing.  Complete and accurate information is crucial for credible problem solving.  Since complete and accurate information is rarely presented spontaneously, it has to be uncovered.  That takes skillful probing.

Promotional leadership.  A promotional leader takes her ideas to subordinates before they have had a chance to state theirs.  Once people know what the leader thinks, they will not want to share their ideas.

Intra-team conflict.  Once the team members start pushing their own agendas, the team disappears.

Insufficient alternatives.  Teams need to take the time to brainstorm to come up with all available options.

Lack of candor.  Candor means full and accurate disclosure.  Fear and not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings may make a team member withhold information.

Pointless meetings.  Plan your team’s meetings and avoid unnecessary ones.

Lack of self-critique.  Team members should always look for areas of improvement and not take teamwork for granted.

Failure to cycle downward.  A decision that is made on one level needs to filter down to other levels.

Here is a checklist of things to do in case a Hurricane Warning is issued for your area:

1. Stay tuned to local radio and television for official bulletins.
2. Stay home if the home is sturdy and on high ground.
3. Board up garage and porch doors.
4. Move valuables to upper floors.
5. Bring in the pets.
6. Fill containers (like the bathtub) with several days supply of drinking water.
7. Turn up the refrigerator to maximum cold and don’t open unless necessary.
8. Use phone only for emergencies.
9. Stay indoors on the downwind side of the house and stay away from windows.
10. Beware of the eye of the hurricane.
11. Leave mobile homes.
12. Leave areas that might be affected by storm tide or stream flooding.
13. Leave early and in the daylight if possible.
14. Shut off water and electricity at main stations.
15. Take small valuables and papers but travel light.
16. Leave food and water for pets, the shelters will not take pets.
17. Lock up the house.
18. Drive carefully to the nearest designated shelter using the recommended evacuation routes.