What's in a name?

Quite a lot actually. The Board of Directors resolved in the winter of 2008 to begin the process of updating our name. We want your input on this process. Please email caa@catholicaid.org to submit your name suggestions, comments and questions.
We're Ready! Aug. 1, 2010 -- Watch this new video explaining our need for a name update.
A Word from Our President April 1, 2010
I shop at the Red Owl. I have always shopped at the Red Owl. I probably always will shop at the Red Owl. I think they called it The County Market for a while; today it is called Rainbow Foods, or maybe itís Cub Foods. Itís still Petrickaís Red Owl to me. The aisles are bigger now and there are many more options than there used to be, but it is my favorite grocery store because it meets my needs and they provide good service. Their name has been updated more than once, they have moved several times, yet their function and variety of products has only improved as they have grown and expanded throughout the years.   In 1878, ten councils met in the social hall of Assumption Church in downtown St. Paul, Minn., to organize our now-great Association. The name they selected was "Die Gegenseitige Lebensversicherungs ñ Gesellschaft der Deutshen Roemisch-Katholischen Unterstuetzungsvereine des Staates Minnesota." In English: The Mutual Life Insurance Association of the German Roman Catholic Benevolent Societies of Minnesota. The only words left from our original name are "Catholic" and "Association."   As a matter of record, in 1924 Archbishop Austin J. Dowling of St. Paul addressed the delegates of our golden jubilee convention in Wabasha, Minn., and said about our then newly updated name, "The Catholic Aid Association of Minnesota. I cannot conceive of a society calling itself Catholic that does not speak the language of the Church, think the thoughts of the Church and help to do the work of the Church." What a perfect definition of who we were then and who we are now.   As I am sure you are all aware by now, we are once again in the process of updating our name. The purpose is not to redefine who we are, rather to better describe what we do. As our nomenclature in the past instantly conveyed a sense of our identity, so today we want the Catholic community to see at a glance our function and purpose. There have been several name updates over our 132-year history, and as in the past this update will not alter our mission or vision, but will help describe our services and our allegiance to our Church. As such, of course "Catholic" must remain. Archbishop Dowling was right on this in his description of what the word "Catholic" means to us.   Our current name also uses the descriptive "Aid." This was a bold move at the time we took this moniker. In the 20s and 30s in America, it meant "mutual aid" and most fraternals were called mutual aid societies. At that time in American history, there was no Social Security or welfare and most of the safety net programs were originated by charities, fraternals and churches. In fact until recently the largest Lutheran fraternal in the USA was Aid Association for Lutherans. They changed their name several years ago to AAL and then, when they combined with Lutheran Brotherhood the new merged name became Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.   How did we get to the point we are at today? We have actually gone through quite an extensive process, which is summarized in more detail on pages 6 and 7 of this issue. But I can tell you, as an Association, we have been looking at a name update for almost 25 years. The process has been ongoing in earnest for the last two years now and culminated, finally, on March 11, 2010, at our Board of Directors meeting. Your board members unanimously selected a name to submit to the Constitution Committee for consideration.   The next day, Friday, March 12, the Constitution Committee met and unanimously selected the updated name to be presented to our members at our Annual Convention August 7, 2010: "Catholic United Financial." In our constitution, we will still be referred to as "The Association," as a reminder of our fraternal status.   So, I will still shop at the Red Owl and all the young people in my community will buy their groceries at Cub Foods. I will know where I am and they, standing right next to me, will know where they are. The most important things, the service, the boundless selection and the customer experience, will keep us all coming back for more. The only difference will be what we call it.   May the Lord bless you in every way.   Michael McGovern President, Chairman of the Board
		In the last 2009 issue of CA Journey magazine, we asked for your ideas. The Board of Directors has decided to update the name of our Association, and you are helping us do it!
We received 97 name ideas from 32 contributors. The list will be narrowed down by vetting names for availability, and comparing them to our criteria for our updated identity (some points listed below, full criteria available online.) After the list has been narrowed, members and non-members will be surveyed to give the Board direction in selecting a final candidate.

The Board has followed your guidance and decided that an updated name is vital to the future growth of our company. Our new identity will have to meet the following requirements. It will eliminate name confusion with similar organizations (Catholic Charities); will better reflect and describe who we are and what we do; will be distinctive and original; and will reflect our Catholic tradition and our vision for the future. Updating our identity is something we’ve done before, but we need your support for such an effort to be successful. We’re doing everything we can to keep you informed and involve you in the decision.
		Catholic American Financial Family Tithes Catholic Financial Catholic Financial Services Catholic Modern Life Catholic Virtues Finance Catholic Financial Life Catholic Financial Partners Catholic Fraternal Life & Financial Catholic Family Financial Catholic United Financial Catholic Family Life Kingdom Life for Catholics All Saints Catholic Life Insurance
Once again, we’re asking for you to talk to us. Visit www.catholicaid.org/links/nameupdate to register your feedback, let us know your favorite new option, and keep tabs on our progress. Thank you for your submissions!

What's In A Name? Video Presentation We've put together a video presentation that explains Catholic Aid's rationale for proposing an update to our name, and overall image, of our company. Click on a link below to view the video. What's In A Name? Part 1 What's In A Name? Part 2 What's In A Name? Part 3