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Director of Development 1761 East Woodcrest Avenue La Habra, California 90631-3260 Tel . 562-691-4227; Fax 562-691-5327 |
Director of Major Gifts 1733 Sixteenth St., Washington, DC 20009–3103 Tel. 202-232-3579, Ext. 143, Fax 202-387-1843 Or call 800-486-3331, Ext. 143 council@srmason-sj.org |
One of the great aspects of assisting
the Brethren through the Development Office of the Supreme Council,
33°, is hearing back from the Brothers and their family members
we have helped. We were particularly pleased to hear, for instance,
from Dr. Martin J. Fischer, 32°, K.C.C.H., member of the Valley
of Asheville, North Carolina, and his wife, Mary Jean (photo right).
They were interested in the free comprehensive estate and financial
review our Development Office can supply upon request (see below),
and they gave us permission to share their comments with the readers
of the Scottish Rite Journal. Here is what Brother Fischer and
his wife had to say.
I'd like to write what a pleasant and informative experience the comprehensive estate and financial review was for my wife and me. Toward the end of last year, my wife and I were stewing about our future work plans, contemplating when we should retire. I am a solo surgeon in a small town, and my wife is my nurse and office manager. We have enjoyed our work, but medical practice today is plagued by too much government interference and paperwork. So when, in answer to our inquiry, Brother Earl Ihle, 33°, called from the Supreme Council offering a comprehensive financial review and estate plan, we were more than happy to accept the offer.
The review was done by Kirk Plunkett, 32°, of the Valley of Roanoke and First Union Securities. There were several steps necessary to accomplish the review. First there was a telephone call. Brother Plunkett contacted us to set up an appointment at our home at a mutually convenient time. Next he mailed us several items of explanatory materials. Included in these materials was a comprehensive booklet explaining how the review would be conducted, including the methods of reaching the final product and how it would meet our objectives. Information about a variety of instruments for charitable giving was also provided. A list of all the information that we would need to give him was there, too. We were given ample time to retrieve and organize the data. Certainly, going through our part of the review was helpful and would not be difficult for anyone, even if this were the first time they had done this type of project.
The next step was his initial visit to our home. This turned out to be a very pleasant experience. Brother Kirk is a delightful person and a very knowledgeable professional. He took his time reviewing the data and spent extra time with us to get a feel for our goals and plans. My wife and I are still working, though we indicated we were looking forward to retiring in the near future. We discussed our retirement dreams and our anticipated financial resources needed to meet them. He quickly put us at ease in discussing these sensitive issues.
After that afternoon, there were a couple brief calls to answer questions and provide more complete information about a few items. After a while, another appointment was made for Brother Kirk to come to our home to review the finished report. We had a pleasant afternoon going over the completed review. A few years previously, we had had a financial review done by others. In contrast to that review, Brother Kirk's review far exceeded the previous one in both scope and depth. My wife and I were most impressed with the time and effort that was obviously expended on our behalf. The review was comprehensive and the conclusions and the recommendations were clear and concise. Brother Kirk also offered helpful information and constructive advice on most of our investments. Ultimately, the review we developed became a positive and helpful factor for our retirement decision. The good news was that we could retire sooner than we had planned, and we would also be able to make a significant contribution to the Scottish Rite through a charitable remainder trust. By adding an irrevocable life insurance trust, the size of our estate will be increased to the benefit of our family and heirs.
Having recently visited some Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Clinics and seeing the fine work being done there, it gave us a very positive feeling about our gift. And the tax deduction we'll receive will give us another good feeling! We found the Comprehensive Estate and Financial Review to be extremely helpful. It truly lived up to its name. We would like to emphasize what a good deal this is. It is free and educational. You can learn a lot about charitable giving in the review process. My wife and I wholeheartedly recommend the review to you. It costs nothing, and it might provide you with some pleasant surprises. Check it out!
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Ill. Thomas M. Boles, 33°, G.C. (left in photo) has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. For more information on planned giving, call Bro. Tom at 562–691–4227 (Fax 562–691–5327) or the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., at 202–232–3579, ext. 143. Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is our development team's Director of Major Gifts. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 25 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, No. 111, Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a member of Boumi Shrine Temple in Baltimore, the York Rite, and a dual member of the Scottish Rite Valleys of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. You can reach Bro. Ihle toll free at 1–800–486–3331, ext. 143. |