Supplement to the John Hancock Declaration Trust Prospectus dated
May 1, 1998 for John Hancock V.A. Sovereign Investors Fund
The trustees of John Hancock V.A. Sovereign Investors Fund approved the
termination of the fund's subadviser, John Hancock Sovereign Asset Management
Corporation as of December 31, 1998.
This termination will not change the fund's present portfolio management team
lead by John F. Snyder III and Barry H. Evans, CFA. Mr. Snyder and Mr. Evans are
presently officers of John Hancock Advisers, Inc. (the "Adviser") and the rest
of the team will become employees of the Adviser on January 1, 1999.
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