Refocusing

For me, the Christmas Holiday Season begins after Thanksgiving. This time of year, provides a special feeling of peace, love, tranquility and the start of Advent, as we prepare our souls for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is also a period for celebration not just for the Birth of Our Lord and Savior but a time to socialize with our families, friends, business associates and fellow co-workers. This time of year brings us together, providing a much needed reprieve from our hectic day-to-day responsibilities. It’s a time to reflect about “us as a people” in caring about each other, celebrating our triumphs together and providing support and a “shoulder to lean on” in troubled times that will ultimately make the world a better place to live in. When you reflect upon our work and careers, each and every profession and company support the needs of the human race.

GCU is most proud to be a financial services and community outreach organization (Fraternal Benefit Society) in providing life insurance and annuity products to its members that upholds a portion of our Mission of “Protecting Families.”

In addition to these financial services products offered, the GCU continues to foster the humanitarian vision of our founders by assisting our Byzantine Catholic Parishes, organizations and individuals in need of financial and volunteer support. Our Mission of “Promoting Faith and Fellowship and Strengthening Communities” has been a part of the GCU from its very beginning. This effort has been carried out on a national level and through the GCU’s lodge system, which was once a very vibrant structure numbering over two hundred lodges primarily based at Byzantine Catholic Parishes throughout the country.

Unfortunately, this structure is outdated with the majority of lodges having gone inactive due to any number of reasons. The GCU’s Board of Directors has recognized this problem for some time now. As I noted in my past articles, our community and church outreach programs can only be as strong as the GCU is financially. Through the grace of God and our Patron St. Nicholas of Myra, the GCU is currently in the strongest financial position in the history of our Society. Hence, the GCU is in a financial position to strengthen our fraternal structure and is undergoing a total transformation of its fraternal structure and community outreach programming. Effective January 1, 2023, the lodge structure as we have known for the last one hundred will no longer exist and will be transformed into “Community Constellations.”

The GCU is currently soliciting members for the positions of GCU Constellation Coordinators and Byzantine Parish Coordinators. I invite you to view the video that will provide additional information on this new program along with job descriptions and applications for these positions by visiting the GCU’s website - GCU Fraternal Metamorphosis.

Please contact me or our Fraternal Communication Department Director Basil Wahal – 724-495-3400 Ext: 3924 – bwahal@GCUusa.com - if you should have any questions. We are very excited about this New GCU Fraternal Metamorphosis Program that will not only expand the GCU presence amongst all our GCU Byzantine Catholic Parishes but throughout each community where our GCU members reside.

I traveled extensively in announcing our “New GCU Fraternal Metamorphosis Program” and extend a sincere thank you to the Officers of each of our lodges and districts for taking the time to attend the meetings held to announce this new structure. We thank you for your past involvement and know we can continue to count on you to volunteer in support of this new structure. During the course of my travels I was fortunate also to visit a few agents that market GCU products, Joe DeSimone of DeSimone Blue Chip Planning LLC, Tucson , AZ - , Randy and Daniel Ronberg of Nations First Financial, Mesa AZ and Elliot Crosby of Mesa AZ and Randy Packett of Chesapeake Capital Management, Abingdon MD. Thank you gentlemen for your time and hospitality! See Photos below.

Although the transformation to the “New GCU Fraternal Metamorphosis Program” officially “kicks off” January 1st, you may have already noticed the impact our new Corporate Community Events Coordinators Molly Kullen and Melissa Cohen have made as they have planned several volunteer and social events since they came on board! Also, for those members that are active on social media I am sure you have also noticed the GCU’s increased presence as our new Social Media Analyst Mitch Valvano has made an immediate impact marketing GCU events and providing various tidbits of information. They promise a larger array of activities in 2023 as we anticipate more of our members involvement with the launching of the “New GCU Fraternal Metamorphosis Program”! It is imperative for you to have an email address on file as this program will entirely be administered electronically for the marketing of events, reservations and payments. Please contact our Contact Center via phone 855-306-0607 or email info@GCUusa.com to add your address to our files. Thank you Molly, Melissa and Mitch!

Presented for your review in the December Magazine is the GCU’s third quarter financial statements presented on page 6. Our Chief Financial Officer Tim Demetres, presents a detailed commentary on our 2022 third quarter results. Again, our sincere thank you to our members and agents that enable the GCU to continue on a path of financial success. Despite the current challenges within the economy and the financial markets, we are expecting the GCU to once again attain sound and stable results for the 2022 fiscal year.

As was announced in the October 2022 issue of the GCU Magazine, Board Members Barbara Kushner and Dorothy Foran have retired effective October 1, 2022. The Board of Directors has the authority to fill Board vacancies per Paragraph 51 of the Bylaws:
Par. 51 The Directors shall have the authority to fill a vacancy of an elected Director for the unexpired term with a member who meets the qualifications of Paragraph 62.

The GCU Board of Directors are seeking candidates interested in being a member of the Board of Directors and meet the criteria and required qualifications presented on page 3 in the December Magazine. All candidates must submit their Declaration of Candidacy to the Nominating Committee by January 31, 2023. Link to Board Candidacy

Charlie Brown seems to come to the forefront during each Christmas Season. I came across this post of a statement Charlie Brown made to Linus:
“Maybe this Christmas we should not ask for everything we want Linus.”
“Maybe we should just be thankful for what we have”!

In closing, my congratulations and thank you to our Board of Directors, Executive Officers, Department Directors and our entire Support Staff that has allowed GCU to experience another successful year! May the Birth of Our Lord and Savior and the joy of this holiday season provide to you and your family Hope, Faith, Peace, Love, Good Tidings during this Christmas Season! My best wishes for a safe and Happy Holiday Season and all the best for a healthy and prosperous New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
CHRISTOS RAZDAJETSJA!
CHRIST IS BORN!

George N. Juba | President/CEO