9 ~ UI Ill @ :c- @) Ill Ill ~ Ill :::, @s ::I ~ ~ .. -I (Q~ ~ ~ 1, 0 ~ u-= y~ • Ill :::, @ ~~ ~ @ B p - ~ @ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ © ~ ~ ~ © ~ ~ ~ @:, © ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ COVER: An abundance of Christmas spirit prevails in the Jack Egan house­ kold... Our photographer caught Judy and J ack, with the enthusiastic; assistance of their daughters, Shaflln, nearly four,· and Erin, nearly th, tee, engrossed in one of their many annual projects, creating their oum Christmas cards. Jack cl aims th at he is the "idea man, " while Judy is the family artist. Creating their oum Christmas greetings has been traditional wi th Jack and Judy since their marriage in 1960. Obviously, Shaum and Erin, too, n ow play d vital part in the undertaking. Lucky are the recipients of th is v ery sp e­ ci al part of the Egans·' Yuletide spirit! NEWS OF THE BLUES Printed Monthly for the Employees their famili es and friends of BLUE CROSS OF FLORIDA, INC. BLUE SHIELD OF FLORIDA, INC. ~ 532 Riverside A v enue {nl 'i1JJacksonville, Flo'.1 ,fo 32201 . Y ,v.onne Godbee .. Subscr i ber s Service Cheryl Mero .. ..... .......... Cashie r s Gary Bowden .... ...... .. .... Print Shop Marilyn Brooker ............. Transcribing Shirley Ann Crum .. .. Medical • Surg,cal Claims Do lores Greene .. .... Bank and F edero I Departments Ruth Kicklighter ................. Records Jennie Kremp ...Telephone Information , Executive Offices and Accounting Louro McKinlay ...... ... ........ Transfers ◄ Mar ilou Alexander ..... Hospital Claims Frances Potrinely ......... Enrollment Louise Perk in son ...... Automot i c Dato Process ing Jock J. Egon .............. Non -Group, Hos- pital ond Physician Relations, -and Medi core Julio White ........................ Services Marilyn Ayres . ................... EDITOR Dove Mone ini ond Ernest Gibson .................. CONSUL TING EDITORS John L. Bentley ............... PRINTING Mnnber - _ ~ Southern Council oj wtr1() y Indu strial Edi tors · r; and ' lntemational Council of Industrial Editors Bringing In Martin Luth er, lead er of the Pro te st an t Re­ volt in German y in the 16t h Century, i s The s aid to be the fir st person to bring a lighted tree into the Yule Tree home at Christmas. He and his family are The first person to bring an ever­ seen in this old print green tree indoors and decorate i t as they gathered a­ with lights for Christmas was bout the t r e e on Martin Luthe r. Wa lking home one Chri s tmas Ev e at their home in Wi t­ night shortly before Christmas , tenberg. the Reformation leader felt a strong tie between the starry night and the love of God. At home , he placed candles on a little ever­ ple scenery. One of the most nation's Yuletide customs, was green tree to help his children popular presentations was the first lighted in America by a experience the same wonder of story of Adam and Eve and the handful of homesick enemy sol­ God's heavens. The custom grew forbidden fruit and for this, a fir diers. and spread through Northern tree with apples tied to its bran­ Europe. ches was placed on the stage. There is a record of a German professor at Harvard who set up In early Christian times, there After Martin Luther brought the a Christmas tree in 1832, and were many beautiful legends asso­ tree indoors and decorated it for another story of a pastor in Cleve­ ciated with the tree. One of the the Christmas season, Queen land, Ohio, in 1851, who tried to most popular of these was first Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, trim a tree but ran into opposition transcribed in a religious manu­ is thought to have brought the from some people who considered script many centuries ago by an tradition to England from his it a pagan practice. In the 1850's, unknown monk in the kingdom of native Germany. Franklin Pierce became the first Sicily. It tells how, on the night president to decorate a tree in the the Christ Child was born, all On Christmas Eve in 1776, a White House and another presi­ living creatures journeyed to the group of homesick Hessian sol­ dent, Theodore Roosevelt, ordered stable to pay homage to the new­ diers huddled around their camp­ a halt to the custom because he born king. site on the icy banks of the felt it was contrary to his policy Delaware River at Trenton, New of conserving our natural resour­ Even the trees joined in the pil­ Jersey. Two days later these men ces. However, his sons smuggled grimage. The olive gave its fruit would be taken captive in a bold in a tree, and when confronted and the palm its dates. But the maneuver by American troops with their "crime," they were fir tree had no gift to offer and under General Washington. The defended by one of the nation's stood humbly in the rear. An Hessian brigade was far from foremost foresters who convinced angel noted its plight and asked home and they sadly missed the the president that the cutting of the stars to descend and rest in good cheer - the tradition a 1 young evergreens could actually the limbs of the tree. At so beau­ Gemuetlichkeit - shared by family be helpful in forest conservation. tiful a sight , the Christ Child and friends at this blessed sea­ smiled and ble ssed the humble son of the year. Tree decorations in the early days fir, and, says the legend, to this were homemade and quite simply day the fir tree remains ever But gradually, as fir trees were fashioned with paper ornaments green the year round. chopped down and brought inside and the things common to our to be decorated with makeshift a g r i c u 1 t u r a 1 past - a pp 1es , The Christmas tree as we know it ornaments and 1 i g ht e d with oranges, nuts, popcorn balls and - today evolved from two medieval candles in the tradition of their strings of cranberries. Today in religious symbols, the paradise forefathers, memories of happier America alone, more than forty tree and the Christmas light. In holidays began to warm the wood­ million trees each year decorate an age before books, teachers en huts. Thus it was, by a curious homes and offices, public squares dramatized the story of the Bible, twist of fate, that the Christmas and tiny village chapels. using a makeshift stage and sim- · tree, most revered of all the (Continued on page 3) 1 DICK WILSON JOINS TALLAHASSEE ENROLL­ MENT STAFF Lee's welcome Richard A. Wilson , who has joined Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Florida as an Enrollment Representative in the Tallahassee area. Dick recently completed his training in the Jacksonville of­ Shown abo v e with H. P. Adams, O ffi c e r Manage r, during a two -day visit in the J acksonville offic e of Blue Cross-Blue Shield, are four representatives of fice , and is now involved in Tripl e S 1--/ealth In su rance of Santurce, P uerto Rico. From left to right a re servicing 138 groups in his area, Dr. R afael Cuevas Zamora, Vice-President of Triple-S; Dr. Jose A. Alverez 25 of which employ more than 50 de Choudens, President; Mr. Adams; Dr. Ju an F. J imenez, Medical Adviso r; people. His larges t groups in­ and Mr. P edro J. Orti z A pont e, Chairman, A dminis trative Committee. clude Joe Wedeles, Inc.; the Florida Cigar Co.; and the- W. T . Edwards Hospital. Dick also reports that he has two 11 real PUE RTO RICAN TRIPLE S hoc" prospects, and he hopes to enroll chem in the near future. REPRESENTATIVES CONFER Dick is a native of Liberty, New York, and a 1960 graduate of WITH FLA. PLAN OFFICIALS Sidney Central High, New York. He attended Broome Technical Four officials of Triple- S health · In October, 1964, Triple-S, or Community College , Binghamton, insurance plan of Puerto Rico Seguros de Servicio de Salud de New York , and then entered arriv~d in Jacksonville on Novem­ Puerto Rico, Inc., was approved ,, Florida State University co study ber 16 for two days of discussions by National Blue Shield, and is ins urance and real estate. He with department managers and now a certified Blue Shield Plan. graduated with a B.S. degree in directors of Blue Cross-Blue 1964. Shield of Florida. The four, pic­ Triple-S was organized in 1959, tured above, made the trip at the to meet the growing need in It was during his days as a stu­ suggestion 9.f Mr. Hal Adams, Pue rto Rico for nonprofit, service­ dent at F.S.U. that Dick me t his Office Managh, during his two­ type health insurance. It was • wife, Patricia, also a s tudent, and week visit to the Triple-S head­ created under the auspices of : tbe two we re married in Aygust, quarters, Santurce, Puerto Rico, the Medical Profession of Pue rto • 1964 in Ft. Lauderdale.Dick's ex- in October of this year. The Rico to provide a higher s tandard • penence includes summer em­ purpose of Mr. Adams' October of medical and hospitalization ployment with the Bendix trip was to follow up and review care for the people, and to make Corporation. He is a member of systems which he had recom­ available voluntary prepaid hos­ the Alumni Chapter of Alpha mended in June, 1962 after a pital, medical and surgical Kappa Psi Professional Business month's on-the-scene study of the insurance to a broader segment of fraternity, and a member of the Triple-S organization. the population. Sports Car Enthusiast Club.