What Does The Catenian Benevolent Fund Do?

On becoming a Catenian each member gives an assurance that he is financially sound and thus, implicitly, he can maintain any dependents and has made reasonable provision for the future through savings, insurance, pension arrangements or other means. Notwithstanding the steps he has taken to provide a stable financial future, he and/or his dependents may suffer material misfortune, and it was to provide for such a contingency that the Association established the General Benevolent Fund and the Children’s Fund which were amalgamated in 1991 into the present Benevolent and Children’s Fund.

The Trustees’ task is always to set out to give effective aid to every beneficiary in his or her present predicament and not, except where it has a direct bearing on the ongoing position, to question how that position was reached. This may involve, for example, advice to a Brother to seek professional advice on whether or not insolvency is the best route to relief, or on the negotiation of debt settlements, with agreement by the Trustees to pay the fees for such advice and to back the negotiations with a commitment to pay debt settlements.

The Managing Trustees meet every two months to consider all current applications. Each new case, whether a completely new application or a re-application, is discussed in detail by the Trustees, who have the full papers about a week before the meeting to enable a careful perusal in anticipation of the meeting. Unless the Trustees feel that they do not have enough information from the CBB, a decision is made whether the case is within the Scheme and can be considered, which is almost always the position, and what award is appropriate. The Clerk then informs the CBB of the award made or offered, including any terms attached, and the applicant is informed. On the acceptance, the award is put into place. Decisions reached are immediately passed back to the CBB. Grants are available immediately after their approval. Loans can take a little longer to process, though temporary help can be made available pending a Loan being processed. The Managing Trustees can, in urgent cases, consider applications before a formal meeting. In such circumstances a small number of Managing Trustees meet (via email/Zoom/phone) to discuss such cases when they are submitted, and this body has authority to immediately approve applications up to specific amounts.