Aid Association for Lutherans "Spirit of Fraternalife"

Transcript (Download)

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works.

And glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The spirit of Luther is what founded the Lutheran Church.

His stand of conscience made possible for many a closer and more direct worship of God.

The Word of God is no sleepy wisdom.

It demonstrates its power in everyone who believes.

Lutheranism is a conviction that only in the true worship of God will people respond in grateful service to God and honest service to their fellow human beings.

Early Lutheran life in America was simple and rugged.

In the midst of daily concern for survival in a new land, there was little time for graceful amenities.

There was time for work and He folded his arms in rest and prayer.

There were good times, harvests and children to love, learning and growing.

And there were bad times too.

The constant threat of illness or disaster that would take one of the family away from the work that was ever present.

There was no social welfare, no government funds and no insurance available.

It was only to his neighbors that a man could turn in difficult times and often in church that the first collections were made to help a family in need.

Yet the sense of giving was rewarding in many ways.

First, when a church member saw human distress in any form, he was unable to turn away.

The Lutheran sense of compassion made him his brother's keeper.

Secondly, in good turn, he could expect help from his brothers when he needed a hand or many hands to smooth his life in emergencies.

Yet there remained a need for an organized plan of self -help and protection against disaster.

Each man hopes to walk in dignity, not to ask or beg help.

Insurance was the basic idea, but at that time insurance through old established companies was too expensive for most people.

To answer this need, many fraternal societies sprang up in the last half of the 19th century.

Members paid small amounts to provide funds for the families of fellow members who died prematurely.

But there was a problem for Lutherans.

These societies had certain rules and rituals which conflicted with Lutheran beliefs.

Why not provide low -cost family protection which did not conflict with the church? A way to let Lutheran people help themselves and help each other.

The idea first occurred to a printer in Appleton, Wisconsin.

His name was Albert Vakes.

The year was 1899.

Vakes took the idea to an influential man, Gottlieb D.

Ziegler, the county school superintendent.

Ziegler shared it with his friend, Bill Zilke, the assistant postmaster.

These three gave thirteen dollars apiece and persuaded six others to do the same.

It may not sound like much, but in 1899 a dollar was a dollar.

Even for these gentlemen thirteen dollars was half a month's pay.

They needed to find 500 others who were willing to chip in five dollars each.

Frugal German farmers proved tough customers.

Three years later they'd managed only 200 pledges to join.

One crucial element was yet to be added.

In 1902 John W.

Groupie, a dairyman from nearby Greenville, challenged the group with a new idea.

Instead of just insurance, why not a fraternal benefit society with a system of local branches to provide members with life insurance and social benefits.

Now that was something practical farmers could see.

Insurance that fit hand in glove for the church and the neighborly help in hard times the church had always been the center of.

Eight Association for Lutherans quickly got 300 more pledges and a charter November 24th, 1902, the day before Thanksgiving.

But only the most frugal management of funds would keep the going.

For the first few years the Vakes kitchen table was the office and Vakes had to pay three dollars of the annual twelve dollar phone bill because his fellow directors thought he would probably use the phone for personal business.

Vakes later remarked he thought this rather small since he charged nothing for the use of his lights in his home.

In 1905 the association moved to the second floor of the commercial bank.

The rent was eight dollars a month.

A year and a half later the office expanded to two rooms and the purse strings were opened up enough to have the name painted on the window.

There was a move in 1914 and another in 1923.

This time to a five -story office building owned by the association.

An adjacent building was added in 1952.

In 1964 a new structure rose on the site of the original five -story home office.

By the end of 1902, eight association for Lutherans numbered 607 members and 31 branches.

Communities had branches where members met to pay premiums and plan branch activities.

Over the years membership grew and so did AAL's impact on the communities it served.

Caring for the elderly and the young, for the disaster stricken and the lost and lonely, meeting some of the unmet human needs the world is so filled with.

This was and is AAL's purpose.

Today there are nearly 5 ,000 branches, more than a million members.

Insurance in force exceeds nine billion dollars.

Fraternal and benevolent expenditures top 10 million dollars.

Those dollars touched a lot of lives across the country.

For an organization that started out on the Vakes kitchen table, eight association for Lutherans has come a long, long way.

AAL's new home office is right where it began, Appleton, Wisconsin.

It is modern but close to the land.

A place for tomorrow with roots in the past.

A new statement of the pioneer spirit of neighborly help.

The chapel of the old building was dismantled, brought here piece by piece and reconstructed.

This chapel is important to us.

That's why we brought it with us.

It will continue to be a source of strength and inspiration.

In these days of rapid change we are constantly challenged by new situations.

As Christians we feel it is our duty to be good stewards of God's gifts and the members funds to serve God and our fellow human beings as best we can.

Part of that service is planning for the future.

To take care of our own needs and to be in position to help others.

That's what this new building is.

A plan for the future.

We've thought through our needs and we've tried to provide a setting in which eight association for Lutherans can do its work.

Its work of enabling Lutherans and their families to aid themselves and others.

Its work of living common concern for human work.

Eight association for Lutherans was conceived in a spirit of doing, of self -help and of helping others.

Founded on a compassionate concern for people.

Demonstrated in practical terms in acts of service that convey Christian love.

Ye are the light of the world.

A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel but on a candlestick and it giveth lights unto all that are in the house.

Identifier

F.2010-01-0105

Date Of Production

1977

Date Of Production

Abstract

Sponsored film made by Goldsholl Associates for the Aid Association for Lutherans, an insurance company that provides life, disability income, long-term care, and business insurance services. Through historical prints the film first discusses the early history of Lutherans in America, emphasizing the lack of social welfare and insurance throughout the country. The film then goes on to discuss the early insurance industry and its conflict with the Lutheran church. These conflicts lead to the creation of Aid Association for Lutherans in 1899 by a group of men in Appleton, Wisconsin. The remainder of the film discusses the expansion of the company from a kitchen table to a modern office building. Includes a brief appearance of then AAL President, Henry F. Scheig.

Abstract

Sponsored film made by Goldsholl Associates for the Aid Association for Lutherans, an insurance company that provides life, disability income, long-term care, and business insurance services. Through historical prints the film first discusses the early history of Lutherans in America, emphasizing the lack of social welfare and insurance throughout the country. The film then goes on to discuss the early insurance industry and its conflict with the Lutheran church. These conflicts lead to the creation of Aid Association for Lutherans in 1899 by a group of men in Appleton, Wisconsin. The remainder of the film discusses the expansion of the company from a kitchen table to a modern office building. Includes a brief appearance of then AAL President, Henry F. Scheig.

Run Time

0:13:50

Format

16mm

Extent

450 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Distribution Print

Genre

Sponsored
Industrial

;

Form

Short

;

Subject

Religions
History

;

Related Collections

SERIES I: Goldsholl Design & Film Associates Films

Related Places

North America ➜ United States

North America ➜ United States ➜ Wisconsin

; ;

Sponsor/client

Aid Association For Lutherans

;

Main Credits

Beall, DeWitt (is director)

Goldsholl, Morton (is executive producer)

Wolter, Richard (is producer)

;

Additional Credits

Beall, DeWitt (is writer)

Beall, DeWitt (is editor)

Kolias, Nick (is cinematographer)

Jessel, Paul (is animator)

Boyell, Dick (music)

Elliott, Peter (is lighting director)

Goldsholl, Harry (is contributor)

Langdon, William (is animator)

Valentine, Hugh (is contributor)

Weber, John (is contributor)

Card, Callista (is contributor)

;

Participants And Performers

Piven, Byrne (is narrator)

;

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