F I R S T W O R D

Catch the Spirit

When asked why her company participated in NAMIC events, Donna Brekke, secretary/treasurer, Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Plentywood, Mont., and secretary/treasurer, Montana Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, said, “The value of NAMIC is beyond measure. It’s in things we don’t see, as well as what we realize, use and pass on.”

I couldn’t have said it better. That kind of feedback from a NAMIC member makes everything clear. And her thoughts came when I’d just returned from NAMIC’s Management Conference and was on a post-conference “high” after spending a few days side by side with NAMIC member company representatives. It’s a privilege to spend time with NAMIC member company representatives because, after all, by itself, NAMIC is just a five letter acronym. But the reality is that, behind those five letters, there are dynamic people who make everything happen – those who represent NAMIC member companies – people who breathe life and vitality into the organization and exemplify the very “spirit” of NAMIC.

The dictionary defines spirit as “the vital principle or animating force within living beings.” And spirit is at the core of what makes NAMIC different from any other organization. It’s hard to define or quantify, but the spirit of NAMIC sets it apart. I look forward to attending NAMIC events so I can see people – people with whom my path would never cross were it not for this association. People who, after a few years of working for NAMIC, have become friends as well as colleagues.

If you haven’t attended a NAMIC event and haven’t witnessed this spirit, you’re really missing out on one of the best benefits of NAMIC membership. Take advantage of what you’re buying when you pay your NAMIC dues. Think about it this way … you don’t buy a coat; you buy warmth. You don’t buy an insurance policy; you buy peace of mind. When you pay your NAMIC dues, you don’t buy membership, you buy the spirit of the organization. You become one of a larger group of like-minded professionals who work together to accomplish goals on behalf of the insurance industry – goals you could never accomplish on your own.

We work for a great industry. It’s easy sometimes to lose sight of that when the popular media focuses on a few rotten apples and forgets to acknowledge all the good work done by the vast majority. By people like you.

You belong to a great trade association. Take advantage of all it offers. Catch the spirit!

Laura Biddle-Bruckman
Editor-In-Chief

Posted: Friday, August 19, 2005 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Friday, August 19, 2005 4:04:32 PM.

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We are 1,400 property/casualty insurance companies serving more than 135 million auto, home and business policyholders, with more than $196 billion in premiums accounting for 50 percent of the automobile/homeowners market and 31 percent of the business insurance market. We are the largest and most diverse property/casualty trade association in the country, with regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America joining many of the country’s largest national insurers who also call NAMIC their home. More than 200,000 people are employed by NAMIC members.