The announcement of the first meeting of the North Suburban Division of the Chicago CPCU Chapter, which later became the Chicago-Northwest Suburban CPCU Chapter, is found on page 4 of the Chicago CPCU Monthly Bulletin 04-09-73 in the article titled "The First Is On The First!". Thanks to Bill Ross for providing the document along with "A Brief History of Our Beginnings" below. Bill is an original member of the chapter, serving as a Director when it started in 1976, and as President (the chapter's 3rd) in the 1978/1979 fiscal year.
A Brief History of Our Beginnings
Contributed by William C. Ross, CPCU
A notice announcing the first meeting of the North Suburban Division of the Chicago CPCU Chapter appeared in the April 19, 1973 issue of the Chicago chapter’s monthly bulletin. The meeting was held at the Brass Rail Restaurant, now called The Wellington of Arlington, in Arlington Heights on May 1, 1973. The guest speaker that evening was Joe Cappo, Marketing Columnist for the Chicago Daily News.
Over the next two years, plans were formulated and organizational meetings were held, culminating in a petition signed by forty-seven Charter Member CPCUs and sent to the National Society requesting Chapter status. The Charter was granted, and the Suburban Chicago Chapter (our original name) came into being. The Charter was presented at a meeting on May 21, 1976 at Old Orchard Country Club in Mt. Prospect.
First Slate of Officers and Directors, February 10, 1976:
Raymond Normann, President
Mike Augustine, Vice President
William Smith Secretary
Joe Fraser, Treasurer
Frank Cooke, Director
John Haight, Director
William Ross, Director
Charter Members, February 10, 1976:
| Richard A. Adams | John A. Haight | Robert E. Pearson |
| Mike G. Augustine | C. Robert Hall | Roger T. Reardon |
| Emil W. Batke | William J. Hansen | William C. Ross |
| Wayne K. Beckwith | Walter A. Huff | Robert C.Scheibel |
| Tom J. Brandt | James R. Jorgensen | Delmar R. Schrumpf |
| Frank H. Cooke | Dale C. Fry | Larry A. Sharp |
| John L. Crandall | Eldred M. Koenig | William B. Smith |
| Gary K. Cubbison | Norman E. Lents | Michael A. Sobel |
| Dorothy A. Duck | Carl E. Lundstrom | Gerald A. Spore |
| Fred J. Dugle | Dan D. McLean | John L. Stoeterau |
| Ken E. Erickson | Robert D. Meger | S. Ward Vanderbeck |
| Richard E. Farrer | George L. Messenger | Charles M. Westerling |
| Edward S. Frank | Fred H. Morrison | John W. Whorton |
| Leonard H. Franks | Walter F. Mulvihill | Charles R. Wilcher |
| Joseph C. Fraser | Orrin F. Nash | Dave J. Williams |
| Mark A. Gluckman | Raymond M. Normann |
The first chapter newsletter, No. 1976-1, dated May 14, 1976 indicated that one of the first official acts of our Board of Directors was to approve the undertaking of a community project. It stated, “A proposal for an insurance course titled ‘A Buyers Guide to Insurance’ will be presented to Township H.S. District 211 (Palatine-Schaumburg) for their adult education program. The 16-hour course (2 hour class, once a week for 8 weeks) to begin in September, 1976.”
Chapter conferment ceremonies were held jointly with the Chicago Chapter until October 11, 1983, when our first suburban conferment was held at Allgauer’s Restaurant in Wheeling. The guest speaker was, once again, Joe Cappo.
The April/May 1978 Chaptergram announced, “A special dinner-theater package at Marriott-Lincolnshire Resort is scheduled for June 16 to see Eve Arden in the comedy ‘The Most Marvelous News’. Cost $15 per person.”
The 1978/1979 meeting programs were as follows:
September: Joint meeting with the Insurance Women of Suburban Chicago. The scheduled speaker, State Senator Lane was called back to Springfield, but a substitute was sent to us.
October: Author William Rodda spoke about “Ambiguities Cost Money”.
The 1978 CPCU Annual Meeting and Seminars in Detroit was the second largest in the CPCU Society’s history at that time. Former President Gerald R. Ford headed the impressive list of speakers.
November: The regional conferment luncheon and seminar, co-sponsored by the Chicago and Suburban Chicago Chapter, was held at the Bismark Hotel in Chicago on November 16, 1978. Attendance was over 400 persons.
December: Presentation of the “NAIC Early Warning System” by James Schacht of the Illinois Department of Insurance.
January: “White Collar Crime” presentation by an agent of the Chicago office of the FBI, and “Tax Tips and Changes in the 1978 Tax Laws” by chapter member Dr. Albert Poll, CPCU.
February: The “Eliminator of Traditional Auto Insurance Classifications, Rating Standards and Their Alternatives” presented by Robert Bailey of NAIC.
March: "Risk Management – “The Gould Concept!” by James Mascarella of Gould.
April: “Privacy – What Is It? Who Should Decide It?” presented by Gene Sandor of Equifax.
April: The chapter co-sponsored a one-day seminar with the national CPCU Society titled “Business Risk Management” presented by Dr. E. J. Leverett, CPCU, CLU.
By the end of the 1978/1979 fiscal year, the chapter had grown to 130 members, up from 47 members when the chapter began in 1976.
On November 1, 1984, the chapter co-sponsored an all-day seminar with the Insurance School of Chicago on “Computer Fraud”. It was held at the Rolling Meadows Holiday Inn. There were 68 paid registrants, and the chapter’s share of the profits was more than $1500.
On September 19, 1985 the Long Range Planning Committee discussed the need to explore formation of a Chicago- West Suburban or Southwest Suburban chapter.
On April 10, 1986 the chapter meeting at Kemper’s headquarters in Long Grove recognized our chapter’s 10th anniversary. The principal speaker was Kemper CEO Joe Leucke. His subject was, “Is Tort Reform Really What The Industry Needs?”
December 2, 1986 was “CPCU Night” at WTTW Channel 11. CPCUs answered phones for the station’s pledge drive that evening.
In mid-1987, the name change to Chicago Northwest Suburban Chapter and a number of by-law changes were presented to the chapter membership. A vote of 72% in favor affirmed the changes.
November 1987 saw the first combined three-chapter newsletter. It announced the formation of the Combined Chapters Speakers Bureau, and that our chapter name was now officially Chicago- Northwest Suburban Chapter.
About 45 members of the Chicago area chapters attended the 1988 CPCU Annual Meeting and Seminars in Cincinnati, OH.
On November 17, 1988, our chapter and the Insurance School of Chicago co-sponsored a seminar on “Business Interruption”.
The May, 1989 newsletter reported the 2nd WTTW Channel 11 night attended by CPCUs and guests.
June 17, 1997 was the first All-Stars and Hall-of-Famers meeting. It was held at Old Orchard Country Club in Mt. Prospect. An All-Star is a past chapter president, and a Hall-of-Famer is someone who has been a CPCU for at least 25 years.