Insurance society just keeps on giving.

• Position: NEWS

Byline: Ellie Oleson

COLUMN: TELEGRAM & GAZETTE SANTA

Like a bear hibernating under the snow, the 55-year-old Worcester Insurance Society lays dormant, waiting for a change in the economic climate to bring it back to life.

Meanwhile, the Worcester County Independent Insurance Agents group, approximately 50 members, meets regularly to discuss insurance issues, some of which have been highlighted in the news lately.

Stephen H. Burr, treasurer of both insurance groups, has been in the industry for 32 years, and owns Burr Insurance Agency Inc. at 421 Main St., Worcester.

He said the agents' group "gives us a collective voice about insurance, to help educate agents and to have a common voice. For instance, we believe people in the insurance business know the business better than government knows the business."

Both the society and the Independent Insurance Agents donated to the Telegram & Gazette Santa Fund this year.

"A lot of people in the insurance business are able to reach out and help others. The Gazette Santa is a good group to give to. We've supported Santa for at least 10 years," Mr. Burr said.

He said the Worcester Insurance Society donation comes from "money left over."

"The society is 55 years old. After the 50th anniversary, it became dormant, but did not die. We exist; we just don't meet anymore," Mr. Burr said.

He said that he believes a time will come when others will see the benefits he sees in the society, and it will be reinvigorated.

"The Insurance Society was one of the few societies with agents and company people - marketing representatives and underwriters - who met once a month for lunch. We agents got a different perspective and so did they. We got to hear what they were thinking and they got to hear us. I miss that," Mr. Burr said.

In the past two years, the society has not met at all, and he, as treasurer, has written only two checks from the society's coffers. Both were donations to the T&G Santa.

"It's one of those things. The society's legacy lives on through our donations to Santa," he said.

In its 69th year, the T&G Santa Fund collects thousands of donations from generous readers and area residents to help buy toys for children in need in Central Massachusetts.

Children 12 and younger who would otherwise not receive any holiday gifts are eligible to receive two toys each. When signing up at an area agency, parents or guardians should bring personal identification for each family member and proof of address and...