Action Item:  Remember to report JOIN HANDS DAY activities by July 31 —·FOR CHAPTER LEADERS

Unused funds will be pulled August 3

The time period to hold JOIN HANDS DAY activities that qualify for funding from the chapter ended on June 30. We look forward to hearing about the projects that your chapter service teams conducted this year to help their communities.

Action Requested:  If you haven't already, now is the time to report those activities. Remember, the deadline for reporting your chapter's 2007 JOIN HANDS DAY activities is July 31. On Aug. 3, any funds not reported from the $1,000 of JOIN HANDS DAY seed money provided to your chapter earlier this year will be withdrawn from your chapter's checking account.

Here are some important reporting reminders to keep in mind:

• Don’t forget to review the Instructions for Reporting JOIN HANDS DAY Activities one-page step-by-step guide BEFORE reporting activities.
  
  This guide includes the six simple steps for correctly reporting the activities, as well as important reminders. Remember, the reporting steps are different, and easier, from past years. To access the form, click on the link above or go to www.thrivent.com > Members/Chapters > For Chapter Leaders > Join Hands Day and look under the "Tools to Plan, Promote and Conduct" category.
  
  
• An online report is available for your chapter to verify that the amount of JOIN HANDS DAY funds you reported are correctly recorded on our records. You can access this report, titled Join Hands Day, under the Reports/Listings category of the Chapter Leadership Administration Menu (www.thrivent.com > Members/Chapters > For Chapter Leaders > Chapter Leadership Administration Menu).
  
  
• If you aren’t sure how to report the activity, call the Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736 before July 31 and before entering information online.

Let us know about your activities
Don’t forget to complete and submit a Volunteers in Action form to let us know about excellent JOIN HANDS DAY activities held by your chapter members. This form is available at www.thrivent.com > Members/Chapters > Volunteer Resources > Forms.

Announcing your election event soon? —·FOR CHAPTER LEADERS

Tools are available to help you get the word out

The chapter election period (Sept. 1 to Nov. 30) is right around the corner. If you are holding elections in early September and are planning to get the word out soon, there are tools now available to help you promote the event:

• A 2-page election invitation template that has space for you to provide details about your election event is available beginning July 1 from the Chapter Mailing Service area on your Chapter Leadership Administration Menu online.
  
  It is mailed first-class to your chapter members and has space on the second page to include a "return form" or a ballot. (A preformatted ballot that you can copy and paste to page 2 is available in the Common Articles section of the Chapter Mailing Service.)
  
  Note: Before submitting the newsletter, be sure to preview it first to make sure all your content is showing. The bottom of the first page automatically includes a brief message reminding members to vote for the national board of directors election later this year.
  
  
• A news release template to announce your event. Click on the following link, fill in the information related to your event, and send to your newspaper:  Announce chapter election event news release   (Word, 32K)

• Election ballots and bulletin inserts are available from the Order Chapter Supplies page (under the "Chapter supplies - printable format" category) on your Chapter Leadership Administration Menu online. Remember to get permission from congregations before using the bulletin insert.

Action:   Watch next month's Chapter News for more details about these tools and for important information and reminders about chapter elections.

Questions?
If you have questions beforehand, see CHIP, your online reference guide, for complete details about planning, conducting and reporting local chapter leader elections; or contact the Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736 or fraternal@thrivent.com.

Not sure what to say when welcoming new members to your chapter? —·FOR CHAPTER LEADERS

Welcome letter template available

We've heard from many chapters that they like to personally welcome new members to their chapter, but aren't always sure what to say or how to say it. To help in these situations, we developed a "new member welcome letter template" that chapters can use and send to new members of their chapter.

The letter, which is available in Microsoft Word:

• Welcomes new members to the chapter
• Describes the opportunities available by being part of a chapter
• Has space for you to describe a recent activity conducted by chapter members
• Describes the function of the chapter and the chapter leadership board as a whole
• Has space to list the chapter leaders and their contact information
• Describes the congregational coordinator role
• Provides information about the opportunities to participate in educational and financial seminars
• Points new members to thrivent.com and the chapter Web site to learn more about the benefits of belonging to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
• Encourages new members to come to chapter activities and events

The letter is scheduled to be available on the Order Chapter Supplies page of your Chapter Leadership Administration section online by July 13. Or you can click on the following link to open the template:  New Member Welcome Letter Template (Word, 32K).

If you have questions about the letter, please contact the Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736 or fraternal@thrivent.com

Get 'hands-on' training for using online pages —·FOR CHAPTER LEADERS

Two tutorials enhanced to include practice simulations

Recently, the following two online tutorials were updated and enhanced with better interactive features and new practice simulations to provide chapter leaders—espeically new leaders—with "hands-on training" for using the online system to perform their roles:

• Chapter Leadership Administration Overview — Learn how to access and navigate through the Chapter Leadership Administration Menu. A short "Practice Assignment" is included to help leaders become familiar with the Administration area.
  
  
• Requesting Funds and Reporting Activity Results — Learn how to request and report Care Abounds in Communities® activities using the Chapter Leadership Administration Menu. Practice requesting and reporting a fund-raiser and a hands-on service activity.

These and other tutorials, including the interactive tutorial for managing chapter operating funds, are available from the Tutorials/Quick References page online. To access, follow the steps below or click on the Tutorials/Quick References link in step 4:

1. Visit www.thrivent.com
2. Click Members/Chapters
3. Click For Chapter Leaders
4. Click Tutorials/Quick References

The Tutorials/Quick References page also includes the list of quick-reference guides available about various chapter-related topics, roles and tasks.

If you have questions, please contact the Fraternal Service Center at 800-236-3736 or fraternal@thrivent.com.

To fund or not to fund? Involvement with medical-related activities —·FOR CHAPTER LEADERS AND CONGREGATIONAL COORDINATORS

Answers to your questions; and tips for participating

A question chapter leaders, congregational coordinators and members ask occasionally about the Care Abounds in Communities® program is: "What are the guidelines for hosting or cohosting a hands-on service activity that involves the performance of medical testing or medical procedures (e.g., health fairs, blood drives, flu shot clinics)?"

Here are the guidelines and some tips for how service teams can be involved in these important activities:

Can chapters 'host' medical-related activities?
Because Thrivent Financial for Lutherans does not carry professional liability insurance or medical liability insurance coverage for its chapters, a chapter should not:

• Host an activity such as a health fair, flu shot clinic, blood drive or other type of activity that includes any medical procedures, including (but not limited to) blood drawing, blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol screening, mammograms and massages.
  
• Provide Care Abounds in Communities program funding for the activity as a hands-on service activity.
  

Is it OK for chapters to 'participate' in medical-related activities?
Chapters may participate in this type of activity if:

• The activity is sponsored by a licensed health-care provider, and
• If the chapter is approached by the licensed health-care provider to assist with an event.

If the above situation occurs, follow these guidelines:

1. A chapter service team members’ involvement should be limited to performing non-medical related services only.
   
2. No member of the chapter service team should be involved in performing any of the medical procedures/testing.
   
3. No member of the chapter service team should provide medical advice at the event.
   
4. The chapter must obtain a certificate of insurance from the sponsoring health-care provider evidencing that the professionals performing the procedures are insured for this activity under a professional liability or medical liability insurance policy. This can be done on behalf of the chapter by the service team working on the activity.
   
   • If no proof of insurance is available, the chapter should refrain from being involved in the activity.
   • The proof of insurance should be provided to the chapter leadership board before the activity and kept with the chapter records for the activity.

Are there any situations when a chapter can use Care Abounds in Communities funding for these types of activities?
If a service team asks a chapter for Care Abounds in Communities funding to support this type of activity, the leadership board may want to consider the following:

• Ask the service team to conduct a fund-raiser to raise money to help fund the activity. The chapter then can provide Care Abounds in Communities dollars to supplement the amount raised.
• Ask the service team to conduct a hands-on service activity at the event, unrelated to the medical procedures being performed (e.g., provide the lunch or snacks). In this case, Care Abounds in Communities dollars can be used to help pay for the food, and the service team provides the volunteers to prepare and serve the lunch or snacks.

Questions?
If you have questions about chapter involvement in an activity or about the required professional liability insurance that must be maintained by the health care professional, contact the Fraternal Service Center BEFORE the event at 800-236-3736 or fraternal@thrivent.com.