FABMEKS' MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANIES' UNION. 351 



While our Madison County company possibly may not be a model 

 insurance company in every sense of the word, our reports, which we 

 make twice a year, are, we think, what would become a model insurance 

 company to send out to its members. 



It shows forth in as compact a form as possible all losses and ex- 

 penses that have occurred during the six months previous to its being sent 

 out, itemizing each article separately. It shows amount of insurance in 

 force, number of members holding insurance, and the last one sent out for 

 the year tells time and place of the annual meeting, gives a cordial invi- 

 tation to all its members to be present, and most important of all, it 

 informs each member individually of the rate of assessment, the amount 

 of his indebtedness to the company. Tells him when and where to pay 

 the same, and also apprises him of the consequence of allowing his assess- 

 ments to go unpaid beyond a certain length of time. And I feel it is 

 every member's duty to try to make the company with whicli he is con- 

 nected "a model insurance company." 



Mr. Clark: The paper just read touches on a very important sub- 

 ject. As far as it went it met the exigencies of the case very well. 

 Having written about eighteen annual reports myself, and having to 

 address about five thousand members a year — with 'over seven million 

 dollars insurance — I have found out there are questions coming up every 

 year that are considered paramount. Some of our members become un- 

 easy and uncertain as to the position the company ought to occupy. We 

 have made it a prominent part of our report to deal with these questions. 

 We tell them where every dollar of the money comes from and where 

 every dollar of it goes. The men who read the report every year will be 

 as well posted as to the workings of the company as if they were in the 

 office. In such reports the objections of the old line companies ought to 

 be met and dealt with. Farmers are very busy men, and they can not 

 give as much time to the study of this kind of insurance as the secretaries 

 are compelled to give if they meet the questions that come up every day. 

 Your reports should be so written that tliey will strengthen your members. 

 We have members that have been with us Jhirty-three years. Our mem- 

 bers leave us Avhen they die, but as a rule they stay with us while they 

 live. 



President Jones: The managers of every company should aim to 

 provide such reasonable information as will convince every member that 

 the affairs of the company are all riglit. 



Adjournment. 



The third session of the meeting was called to order at 9:30 a. m., 

 Friday, January 6th, President Jones in the chair. 



