Knights of Columbus. Patriots for God and Country. Volume 1, Issue 6 May Continued on page 3

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1 Knights of Columbus Patriots for God and Country Volume 1, Issue 6 May 2013 Next Meeting Saturday, July 20th, 2013 District II Family Picnic Location TBD Inside Masters Rpt 1 Friars Rpt 2 Ladies Corner 2 Membership 5 Souvenir Book 5 Color Corps 6 Degree Schedule 8 Pilgrimage 12 Contacts 14 Newsletter Editor: SK Ken Watterson aarrdy@sbcglobal.net Worthy Sir Knights and lovely Ladies of Michigan District II Vivat Jesus! Congratulations to the 119 Sir Knights and Ladies of the Michigan District II 65 th Exemplification Class. It is a true honor to welcome you to our District and the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus. You are a part of a great class that includes 8 Priests, 2 Deacons, and one Active Duty Member of our Armed Forces. I pray each of you will accept the challenge of becoming an active member of your Assembly and live each day as a true Patriot for God and Country A wonderful opportunity to come together as Patriots will take place on Saturday May 11, 2013, on the front lawn of our State Capitol to pray the Rosary of the Queen of the Knights, Mary, in her month and on the eve of Mother s Day that our Religious Freedoms may be preserved, and all the unborn children, created by God s own hand in his image, that they may live the life God intended. As spring becomes summer we will have many opportunities to stand publicly and proclaim loudly we are Catholic American Citizens as we partake in local parades, Memorial Day activities, right up to the celebration of our Nation s birthday on July 4 th. Each day we find our principles and Catholic values challenged, whether that challenge is manifested through a verbal or written assault against our freedoms and Catholic beliefs by some reporter or politician, or some homemade bomb that explodes in a protest of who we are as Catholic American Citizens. Make no mistake we are being challenged to defend our beliefs. The only question is will we stand like an eagle and scream defiance at our enemies, talons ready to defend what we hold dear, or will we be like a clam, closing our shell and hoping this storm will pass by. My Brothers I pray that we have all benefited from the lessons exemplified in the Fourth Degree and thus we will stand tall in the fight to defend our God given rights, our freedoms, and our Holy Mother Church. Summer also is a time for celebration and fun. This year our annual District II picnic will take place on Saturday July 20 th and will bring us together in celebration as we begin a new Fraternal Year, we will celebrate our new Assembly Officers, and our families as this will be a true family event with children and grandchildren invited. Our picnic committee is working on putting fun games together for children of all ages to play. The District will provide meat and non-alcoholic beverages and families will be asked to bring a dish to pass. Stay tuned as the details are worked out. A new fraternal Year on the horizon also means one is coming to a conclusion. That means we must get our paperwork done. Each Assembly is required to submit a Sir Knight of the Year application and Newsletter of the Year along with three months of newsletters. The requirements and forms are available on line at Along with these are the Civic Award and the To be a Patriot Award applications. As we look into the new Fraternal Year every Assembly must hold elections this month (May) and report the results of those elections on a Form 186. All the afore mentioned forms are due to the Master on or before June 1, As a final note I would like to thank once again all those who made our Michigan District II 65 th Exemplification a success, the New Sir Knights and their Continued on page 3

2 2 Knights and Ladies of Michigan District II Vivat Jesus! Recent events like the mounting tensions with North Korea and the terror attacks during the Boston Marathon both serve as urgent reminders to us - the world and our country so badly need us to be Patriots. These are strange times in which we live, the future is uncertain, the path forward not clear to us, but the mysteries of Holy Week and Easter and the coming descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost remind us of the gentle words of Jesus, spoken on stormy seas: "It is I, do not be afraid." I ask for your prayers for our servicemen and women who so regularly and selflessly place themselves in harm's way to defend us. We pray also for the victims and families affected by the April 15 bombings in Boston and the bloody aftermath that followed. In our Catholic faith and our nation's flag, we find something worth living for once we discover something worth dying for. The recent Medal of Honor recipient Fr Emil Kapaun certainly understood that, and we echo the words of one of his comrades present for the April 11th ceremony where this brave priest and Army chaplain was so honored, "it's about time." Blessings to you all, Fr. Tim MacDonaldFaithful Friar Faithful Friar Well they say this is spring but I am waiting for nature to be notified. So maybe by May we will have spring. Our spring exemplification went very well and I received many accolades from the ladies of our district. I would like to thank our staff for all the work and time they put in to make this exemplification a great experience for all the new knights and their ladies. The ladies of our district brought many items for the Veterans at the Ann Arbor hospital and I would like to thank all you ladies for your donations. This is one program that I would like to continue during our tenure. At our September 14 th district meeting, I am asking that the donations for the Veterans at Battle Creek are brought at this meeting. The items needed are men s boxers, men s tee shirts, crossword puzzles, word search books, slightly read books and magazines (not very old additions), car models, crafts, checkers and checker boards and gift cards. We are now in the process of planning our fall exemplification in Kalamazoo and hopefully the Ladies program will be one that everyone will enjoy. I am planning on something very interesting and different but it is in the planning stage and once all details are finalized, I will let all you ladies know of the details, so stand by. We are planning our July 20 th district picnic and we would like this to be a family affair and have fun things for children. In my next column I will have more details. Hope to see all you ladies there. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please call me (517) God Bless

3 3 Continued from Page 1 Ladies, the Lansing area Assemblies who worked long hours in planning and execution, the Michigan District II Master s Staff who each played such an important role in the weekend, the dignitaries especially Bishop Mengeling, Father Klein, our District Friar Father Tim, our State Deputy and Treasurer, our Former Vice Supreme Master, my fellow serving Master, and our Former Masters who gave of their time to make the weekend special for the new Sir Knights and Ladies, and last but in no way least the finest Degree Team in the land. Thank you all so very much. And may our Great God in Heaven bless each of you and our Great Nation today and always. Your Brother in Christ George George Walrath, Master, Michigan District II Faithful Navigators and Faithful Navigators elect The Master of Michigan District II will host two meetings to discuss your responsibilities as a Faithful Navigator in mid-june. One Meeting will take place in the center of the Lansing Diocese, and the second will take place in Kalamazoo. At these meetings we will establish a schedule to install the Officers of the Assemblies, discuss the Fraternal Year, and what is required from a Supreme, Province, State, and District Level. I will the current Faithful Navigators as to details once the final arrangements are available. God Bless George George Walrath Master, Michigan District II

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5 5 What is our Target? Officers, Sir Knights and Ladies of the 4 th degree: Vivat Jesus! Well, a job well done to all that worked so hard on the 65 th Exemplification of Michigan District 2 in Lansing. As promised, we had a great time and the new Sir Knights and Ladies let us know about it. Now we are on to the beautiful city of Kalamazoo! What a great time to celebrate with new Sir Knights and Ladies amidst the glorious hues of red and gold in a city filled with the culture of a great university on the weekend before Halloween. To hit our target goal and fill our bulls-eye with a fine grouping of candidates, we must do as we have done in the past, only better. Prepare Organize Manage Monitor Deliver Membership Membership directors, and outbound Faithful Navigators, your job is not complete. You have a responsibility to your successors to help them carry on your success and surpass it with even more ascendancy than you had. For those continuing, all I have to say is: The hardest thing about being a success is you have to continue being a success! (Irving Berlin) Good Luck and as you suspected, you will be hearing more from me! Gaylend Meeks Membership Director Michigan District 2 Exemption Souvenir Book Ads Congratulations and Thank You! A huge THANK YOU to all Sir Knights that supported the Souvenir Book by selling ads. Through your efforts and the support of the Assemblies of our District, the 2013 Spring Exemplification Souvenir Book was a success and wonderful tribute to our Class Honorees Monsignor George Michalek, Former Master Dennis Henderson and Lady Maxine; and our new Sir Knights. On a personal note, I d like to thank Senior District Marshal Bill Currie for teaching me how to put a souvenir book together and his archival and editorial assistance (as well as his unintentional Red Wing support). Also, thank you to District Communications Director Ken Watterson for his creative assistance with the front cover and ad development. Congratulations to Sir Knight Charles Jonckheere, Lansing Assembly #3334, the winner of the 2013 Spring Exemplification Souvenir Books ad sales challenge. Sir Knight Jonckheere won 4 box seat to the Lansing Lugnuts - MSU Spartans Crosstown Showdown baseball game by selling and submitting payment for the most ads by the March 16th District Meeting. If you haven t already done so, please take the time to nurture your contacts for our next book by thanking your advertisers and showing them their ad in the Spring book. If you did not get a copy of the book and need tear outs to send to your advertisers, please contact me. As with any project, there are lessons learned and opportunities for improvement. We are already planning for the Fall Exemplification in Kalamazoo, so If you have corrections, ideas, and/or suggestions for improvements for the souvenir book, please let either Master George Walwath or myself know. Again, thank you for all your hard work and support! Please share your comments, corrections, ideas, and suggestions for improvement with me at dabuick45@gmail.com or SK Dave Buick Souvenir Book Chairman

6 6 Color Corps The 65 th Michigan District II Exemplification is behind us and the Honor Guard represented the district well at the exemplification, the wreath laying ceremony, at Mass and posting the Colors at the banquet. Thank you for a job well done. I want to thank my fellow marshals along with SK Jerry Truitt and SK Lee Austermann for their fine sales skills. The Marshals Raffle would not have been nearly as successful without their efforts. Next time we will have more tickets to keep the ticket sales flowing. Nice weather has been taking its time getting here. Hopefully the Color Corps will have the opportunity to breathe some fresh air and to drill outdoors. Take advantage of the good weather and recognize Memorial Day (May 27) with a ceremony for our deceased veterans, or Flag Day (June 14) with a flag retirement ceremony. Does the Color Corps have the opportunity to participate in an Independence Day (July 4) parade? Look to get the Color Corps out in public as the visible arm of the Order, representing not only your assembly but the entire Knights of Columbus. With stomach in, chest out and shoulders back, Bill Currie Senior Marshal Hats, Sweat s, Golf Shirts, Jacket s, etc.. "we also sell women's blouses" SK Paul and Lady Sharon Dorland dorland.paul@gmail.com We sell several styles and colors of golf shirts plus the light blue cotton shirts.. In addition we carry sweaters in various colors. They all have the double emblem on the front. We sell them at various functions and the proceeds go to District 2. Sweatshirts in many sizes and colors.. Gibson s Traditional Tuxedo & Accessories See us for a Tuxedo, Shirts, Bow Tie, Links & Studs, Cummerbunds, Suspenders, White Gloves and White Dinner Jackets. Perfect gifts for Birthday, Anniversary or Christmas! SK Dave Gibson & Lady Cheryl 4431 Cedar Lane Muskegon, Mi cell wdgibson2@comcast.net

7 Sir Knight of the Year 7 Every Assembly has those special Brother Sir Knights that just always seem to do that little bit extra. They make the meetings, serve and often head several committees, show up at the Assembly activities, are members quite often of the Color Corps and as such fall out for numerous events. To put this quite simply they are the ones who will go the extra mile to make you Assembly and our Order stronger and better. They are the first ones, as a leader, you call because you know they will say YES. The Sir Knight of the Year program is designed to recognize and say thank you to one such Brother Sir Knight each year at the Assembly District and Province levels. And since EVERY Assembly has such Brothers, then EVERY Assembly should submit to the Master before June 1 st each year a nomination packet recommending your Brother to be the District Sir Knight of the Year, and then the Master will submit the selected nomination packet to the Vice Supreme Master with his recommendation to have your Brother Sir Knight selected as the Provincial Sir Knight of the Year awarded each year at the Provincial Meeting. All Michigan District II Faithful Navigators are challenged to make the Master s job hard by submitting your outstanding Brother Sir Knights, selected by your Assemblies so he will have to choose the District Sir Knight of the Year from 21 well written convincing nominations. The Annual Civic Award EVERY Assembly should submit this award application each year. The only requirement is that you accomplish just Four (4) Patriotic Activities each year. And if, in fact, you participate in all the District Programs and March as a unit in one Parade on the 4 th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran s Day or alike or host a dinner for Veterans, or welcome home a serving member of our Military or some other Patriotic activity you do qualify. District Activities that count: Operation Patriotism The Ladies collection of items for Veterans The Wreath Laying Ceremony at our Exemplifications Number four is up to the Assemblies. Your Civic Award applications are due to the Master before June 1 st each year. The form may be found on the District II website at The To Be a Patriot Award Has your Assembly done something special for our Active Duty Military or our Veterans who at some have given our Country a commitment to serve and defend our Country and her principles? Or have you provided Patriotic support to your local schools or community through such things as a special recognition of our nation s flag, or run a voter program. If so then your Assembly is qualified to submit a TBP-1 form, and apply for the To be a Patriot Award given by Supreme. (The form may be found on the district website at The application forms (TBP-1) MUST be submitted to the Master before June 1 st each year, so the applications may make it up the chain of command to Supreme before June 30 th.

8 Date Start Time Start Time Location Council Host DD Host DD Host GK Host GK Degree Conferring Of Degree Of First Degree Of Second Degree of Degree Number Phone No. Phone No. Team Officer Det#2 Shelt Al Broome 5/4/2013 9:00AM 10:30AM Taylor 4872 Dale Miller Gary Mallia G. Jenuwine Robert N J. D'Ambrosio Chuck Kincaid Dan Taylor Terry Bersano F. Sylvester Det#5 Jakobiak Det#2 Jakobiak GR#1 Shelt Det#5 Wilhelm GR#1 Murawski Det#2 Murawski Sag#1 Hartman GR#1 Jakobiak 5/5/ :00AM 11:00AM Farmington 4401 W. McKeever 5/18/2013 8:30AM 9:30AM Armada 7561 P. McClelland 5/18/2013 9:00AM 10:30AM Benton Harbor Adam Kohler Sterling Heights Lawrence Frontera 6/8/2013 9:00AM 10:00AM 6/8/2013 9:00AM 10:30AM Battle Creek 575 Gus Groat 6/29/ :30AM 11:30AM Ann Arbor R. Dieter 6/30/2013 9:00AM 10:00AM Pinconning 2986 Ray Gehlmann 9/8/2013 None 1:00PM Sand Lake 8425 Joe Jernigan /21/2013 9:00AM 4Th Degree Exem Warren Dist GR#1 Murawski Master Cliff Wasmund S. Goodman 10/20/ :00AM 12:30PM Portland 2168 L. Adams Master George Walrath 10/26/2013 4Th Degree Exem Dist 2 8

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14 Michigan District II 7045 Country View Jackson, Mi Knights of Columbus Hennepin Province This Newsletter is published to our Website at by the 1st week of every odd Month. Please contact SK Ken Watterson at if you have any problems. Contact Information Membership: Souvenir Books: VAVS Program : Color Corps: Newsletter & Website: Sir Knight Gayland Meeks at or meeksgm@acd.net Sir Knight David Buick at or dabuick45@gmail.com Sir Knight Gus Groat at or jngroat@gmail.com Sir Knight Bill Currie at or curriewmm@aol.com Sir Knight Ken Watterson at aarrdy@sbcglobal.net For all other questions: > after addressing them with your Faithful Navigator < Master, Sir Knight George Walrath or george.walrath@saint-gobain.com (Please remember the Chain of Command and check with your Assembly contacts first.) Our NEXT District Meeting will be on July 20th District II Family Picnic