A Message From Your President

Prospective new members do their homework and ask, “Why is the BR&CF the best choice in job income protection?  Why belong to the BR&CF?”

The short answer to both questions is that we are the least expensive and provide the most in overall membership benefits.  Their questions are easy to answer on that basis, but I welcome the opportunity to answer more than just the dollars and cents part of such inquiries.

Yes, we are the least expensive job income protection available and offer the most in benefits when you are disciplined by your carrier for eligible occurrences.  However, the Fund is much more than that.  The Fund is a not-for-profit organization that measures our success by what we return to our members.

When you become a member of the Fund, you are protecting yourself and, thus, your family.  Equally important, you are helping to protect other railroad workers and their families, too.  It is our collective effort that permits us to redistribute the dues received by the Fund to those members in immediate need.

Helping each other is a fundamental principle for us.  It is not just about the money.  That is why we continue to accept new members and support our brothers and sisters on high discipline railroads.  There is no financial gain to the Fund on these properties.  It is simply the right thing to do.  We are in this together and together we are financially strong.

Certainly the payment of “Held Out of Service” benefits is our highest priority.  We do that very well.  We quickly respond to member claims and usually provide the first “Held Out of Service” benefit check the very same day the official documents supporting an eligible claim arrive in the Principal Office.  Benefit eligibility is determined by our Constitution, which is our members’ written guarantee regarding their dues, claims for benefits and other rights and privileges.  We also provide a one-time, lump sum retirement benefit, an accidental death and dismemberment benefit, a scholarship program and relief of dues when off work for a complete calendar month.

The discipline assessed by the various railroad carriers seems to move in cycles.  It was not long ago that the highest amount of discipline assessed our members was issued by the Norfolk Southern.  Of late it has been the Kansas City Southern and CSX.  In the future it may be the UP or BNSF.

When co-workers ask you which job income protection is the best, I ask you to share your thoughts with them and encourage them to become BR&CF members.

We are more than just the best choice – we are the right choice.

J. M. Robb

International President

Table of Contents

A Message From Your President

2007 Luther G. Smith Scholarship Program

Luther G. Smith Scholarship Clip and Save Reference Guide

Register to View your Member Information

Martin Simane Wins Grand Prize...

Benefits Paid to BR&CF Members

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's Added to the Web Site

Quote of the Day

Coupon Booklets and Wall Calendars to be Mailed...

Dates to Remember

U.S. and Canadian

members may use VISA or MASTERCARD

to pay BR&CF Dues.  U.S. members may also pay by

AMERICAN EXPRESS or DISCOVER.

Save 25% when you pay annually or save 10% when you pay semi-annually.

ANNOUNCING

the 2007 Luther G. Smith Scholarship Program

On October 1, 2006, applications for the 2007 Luther G. Smith Scholarship Program will become available. 

If your child has just entered his/her senior year of high school or is 27 years of age or younger and already enrolled in college, you should encourage him/her to participate in this worthwhile Program. 

Luther G. Smith Scholarship winners may receive financial assistance through this Program until they achieve the degree level sought at the time of the initial scholarship award, not to exceed four years.  To continue to be eligible, the recipient must remain a full-time student in an accredited post-secondary school and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.  The sponsoring parent must be an active member of the BR&CF “In Good and Regular Standing.”

Applications may be obtained from the Principal Office.  The “Clip and Save” reference guide printed on this page will provide details on the Program; however, if you still have questions after you have reviewed it, you may feel free to contact the Principal Office.  We will be happy to assist you.

We emphasize that all parts of the application must be completed in entirety in order for your child to be considered for a scholarship award.  This is important, as applications are thoroughly evaluated by the Scholarship Committee and scholarships are awarded to the most deserving students based on their submissions.

The deadline for receipt of applications and all supporting documentation is March 1, 2007.  Please remind your child to submit his/her application so that it is received in the BR&CF office no later than March 1, 2007.  Applications received after the March 1, 2007 deadline will not be considered.

LUTHER G. SMITH SCHOLARSHIP FUND

"CLIP AND SAVE" REFERENCE GUIDE

• Children, including adopted and step-children, of BR&CF members (excluding Officers and Directors) who are “In Good and Regular Standing,” as defined by the  BR&CF Constitution, are eligible to apply for a scholarship award.

• Applicants must be 27 years of age or younger.

• Applicants may be current high school seniors who have applied for admission as full-time students to accredited post-secondary schools OR may be attending or enrolled as full-time students in accredited post-secondary schools.  Full-time is defined as 12 or more credit hours per semester.

• Use the space provided on the Change of Address/Scholarship Application Request Form printed on the back of this newsletter, or

• Call, write or e-mail the BR&CF office to request an application form.  The form will be sent to you by first class mail.

• All parts of the application must be completed in full (this is very important, as information provided is used by the Scholarship Committee to make their selections).

• The applicant's transcript of grades for the last marking period or semester completed must accompany all applications.  High school seniors may also submit a copy of their current SAT or ACT scores.

• Applications must be received in the Principal Office no later than March 1, 2007. Applications received after March 1, 2007 will not be considered.

• Applications received by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.

• Names of scholarship winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Members on April 21, 2007 and will be printed in the Summer 2007 issue of the BR&CF newsletter, "The Highball," which will be sent to all active members. 

• Checks will be issued, payable to the student, in late summer of 2007.

Register to View Your Membership Information at www.brcf.org. 

It’s easy -- Click Here and follow the instructions in the Members portion of the website. 

If you have questions, please call.  We’re here to assist you.

Martin Simane Wins Grand Prize

In BR&CF Photo Contest!

Congratulations and cash prizes recently went out to the 2006 Photo Contest Winners.  Martin Simane, of Hammond, Indiana, collected the grand prize of $300 cash for his snapshot of a Norfolk Southern coal train over Lawson Hollow, near Coeburn, Virginia.  The remaining winners, whose names are listed below with Brother Simane’s, each received $150 for their winning entries. Winning photographs will be reproduced in the calendar complete with photo credits. 

We are grateful to all members who participated in this event.  It is because of your support and participation that the BR&CF will be able to provide our traditional wall calendar to all active members again this year.

BENEFITS PAID TO BR&CF MEMBERS

The chart below reflects the amount of money disbursed solely to pay claims of BR&CF members -- $5.5 million in the first three quarters of Fiscal Year 2006.  Only the major carriers have been listed and none of these figures include administrative costs incurred by the Organization.  These actual dollar amounts went to our members in benefit payments.

Frequently asked Questions?

Q:  May I correspond with the BR&CF via e-mail? 

A:  We welcome your general e-mail messages and make an attempt to respond to all of them.  However, we cannot ensure that your e-mail will be received by the BR&CF officer or employee intended, due to the high level of SPAM e-mail that requires filtering.  The filtering process is automatically performed by our software. 

Our practice is to acknowledge receipt of all member correspondence.  If you choose to correspond with us via e-mail, you should note that it is not a guaranteed method of communication.  If you don’t receive a response from us, please follow up with a telephone call or letter.

When sending us an e-mail, it is important that you include your full name and member number (located above your name on the address label of most mailings).

“FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS” ADDED TO THE BR&CF WEBSITE

When positioned on our home page, scroll down and click on FAQs on the left side of the page.  This will take you to a listing of Frequently Asked Questions.  You may have seen them in previous issues of the “Highball,” but we thought it might be helpful if you could view them all in one location. 

Coupon Booklets and Wall Calendars to be Mailed in November

Coupon booklets are scheduled to be mailed to monthly payers in November.  If you are a monthly payer and you do not receive your booklet by the end of November, please give us a call.

Also in November, a copy of the BR&CF wall calendar is slated to be mailed to each active member.

Please be sure to send us a change of address if you are moving or have recently moved! 

Dates to Remember

October 1, 2006

• Luther G. Smith Scholarship Applications Become Available

October 16, 2006

• Board of Directors Meeting

November 2006

• BR&CF Calendars Mailed to All Active Members

January 15, 2007

• Board of Directors Meeting

January 22, 2007

• Petitions for Candidacy for Office Due in BR&CF Principal Office on or Before January 22, 2007

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