Resolution on Matthews & Swift Educational Trust Fund adopted Aug. 5, 2004, by the 122nd Supreme Council Meeting

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WHEREAS, the Matthews & Swift Educational Trust Fund was established by the Supreme Council at its meeting in 1944 in Toronto in the amount of $1,000,000 to provide scholarships in colleges under Catholic auspices for the children of members of our Order who died or became permanently and totally disabled under certain circumstances, while in or as a result of military service of World War II; and

WHEREAS, the rules of eligibility have been modified to include certain subsequent military conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Cyprus, and the Persian Gulf conflict; and

WHEREAS, the rules of eligibility have been further modified to extend benefits to the children of those members who died or became permanently and totally disabled as a result of criminal violence directed at them while in the line of duty as full-time law enforcement officers or full-time firefighters; and

WHEREAS, the rules of eligibility have been further extended to provide these benefits to the children of State Officers who suffer accidental death or total and permanent disability as a result of an accident while actively engaged during their incumbency in business of the Order; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate and equitable to modify the rules of eligibility in ways that provide equal treatment for the children of those members who, while in the military service, have died or become permanently and totally disabled in military conflicts since the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the rules of eligibility of the Matthews & Swift Educational Trust Fund shall be modified as follows:

1. That the children of members who died or became totally and permanently disabled while in the military service during the period of and in connection with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and Pakistan shall be entitled to the benefits of this Trust Fund subject to the benefit's rules of eligibility as further modified herein.

2. That the amount of annual benefits to be paid for a single child shall cover the reasonable and necessary expenses of tuition, room, and board only and that this policy shall be reviewed no less often than every ten years;

3. That the term "child" shall include natural and adopted children of the deceased or disabled member who were born within nine months after the member died or became disabled or in the case of adoption, were adopted by the member before he suffered the qualifying disability;

4. Except as modified here, the existing rules of eligibility shall govern; and

5. Where the rules are silent the provisions of the Charter, Constitution and Laws of the order shall be relied upon to determine eligibility.

FURTHER RESOLVED, that these modifications to the rules of eligibility and benefits shall take effect on September 1, 2004.