Maryland State Council Newsletter

Transcription

1 Maryland State Council Newsletter June Volume 2, Issue 1 2 State Deputy's Report Stephen M. Cohen State Deputy Maryland Knights of Columbus My Brothers All: Inside this issue: Chaplain's Message 2 Membership Report 3 Program Report 8 First Lady's Report 15 Around the State 16 Reflections 18 State Calendar 20 As I write my last article for the State newsletter, I look back over the last two years and ten months that I have spent as State Deputy. This has truly been what the Supreme Knight always says an experience of a lifetime. I would not ever wish that I had not had this opportunity or this part of my life. I am so glad that I had Vicki to walk with we me on this journey. This has been an honorable and an unforgettable part of my life. Meeting so many great people from across this State and this country, not to mention the world has been an absolute highlight. These are not only people from the Knights of Columbus but from many other organizations that I have had the opportunity to work with. Thank you all for your contributions and support of both Vicki and I, and I promise you will be remembered each and every day. Let s not forget, that we do have one last month in this Fraternal Year. We, as a State need to finish strong. Each council needs to finish strong. We have until June 30th at midnight to do this. Do not ever give up. Even if it just becoming membership active meaning bringing in that one new member that is finishing strong. Again, if each District brings in five new members in June we can make the Circle of Honor. This year we have talked about growth and Maryland has seen positive growth, overall we stand at about 60 members above what we started with. The need to back fill those members that have gone before us must stay in the forefront as we as councils move forward. Strive to attract younger men, strive to get them through all of their degrees. When we do this, we will have Knights for life. Continue to support your parishes and your own charitable concerns. Don t forget our Ultrasound, Scholarship and Charity Funds. An easy way to do this is to contribute to the Pennies from Heaven Campaign. Start thinking about and planning your council s participation in the Box of Joy Program for next year. Remember Charity is the first principle of our Order. Volunteers are still needed to assist us at the Supreme Convention this August in Baltimore. Please see Jack Giacolone. There are many opportunities to help in various ways. (continued on the next page)

2 Page 2 State Chaplain's Message Reverend Jason Worley should know it by heart. It is through this prayer that we are reminded to be men of honor, and it is through this prayer that we pray for our Blessed Mother s intercession that we may Be Men of Honor. Rev. Jason Worley State Chaplain Maryland Knights of Columbus My Last Report as your State Chaplain My Dear Brothers! Let me begin by giving thanks for the many words of support I received at the passing of my mother on April 27, I am deeply touched by the fraternity I felt. It truly made me proud to be a Knight of Columbus! Next, I would like to thank State Deputy Steven Cohen for allowing me to be your State Chaplain during his term. Some of you may not know, but Steve has known me longer than I have known him since he use to hang out with my older brothers. With that fact in place, it still boggles my mind that he asked me to be his State Chaplain. But, I am grateful for the chance, and I was honored to fulfill the position. Brothers, as we come to the end of another fraternal year, I would like to remind us all about the importance of being men of honor. When gathered, we often say that beautiful prayer which is only for those who can call themselves Knights of Columbus. Our Lady, Queen of the Knights, bless all the activities of our order I don t think there is a need for me to type the rest of that prayer. We know what it says, and we Be careful about what we say and do in public. Be careful about what we say or do in supposed privacy or secrecy. Remember, that as (The Blessed Mother s Knights), we are constantly observed, our faith judge, and our order appreciated Let me concluded by asking all of us to be mindful of how we conduct ourselves whether in public or in private. Remember: there are no secret sins; nothing that is hidden which will not come to light. One last thing to think about be careful of what we put out there on Facebook before you post think: is this what I want to be seen as? is this what I want to one remember for? May God continue to bless each of you and your families as He continues to bless our Family in the Knights of Columbus! God Bless! (State Deputy Report - con't) Remember back to Leadership in June. We said - It is not I, It is We and we have one goal and it is our goal, and that Goal is to make this Our Best Year Ever. Vivat Jesus, Steve

3 Page 3X State Membership Report Thom Partenope Growing Our Order Maryland Numbers as of 5/21 /201 8 Awards Progress MBR INS Quota Gain Month to Date Loss Net 43-3 Gain Year to Date Loss Net Total Membership 5/21 / ,51 0 We all hear the question: What do the Knights do? We all have answers to that question based on our personal and council experiences. If you stop to think about the programs and the effective efforts of the Knights of Columbus The answer to that question that is most effective is: The Knights of Columbus Save Lives and we Change Lives. Let s get the message out. Recruitment is always! In the grocery store, talking to the Uber driver, sitting in the lounge, at a break during the conference We should Live and Breathe Knights of Columbus because it is Who We Are. The Drives are still going on for May and June. It s not over it s not even close. Please continue to recruit and let me know of your achievements and attempts. Thank you. The State s Intake Gain is 849 which puts us at #52 in the Order. The Net Gain is 545: #47 in the Order. Talk to men and their families. Show them what we do and how much we get out of doing it. It s that simple. Share your love for the Order and ask them to share some time with your Council s good works. And don t forget E-Membership The Knights provide many training aids for you to perfect your recruiting techniques. The Membership Recruitment and Retention Manual (#1 0237) is an excellent source. Another source is the State Membership Team. All you have to do is ask!

4 Page 4X State Membership Report Thom Partenope Recruitment Awards for Members and Councils One New Member Two New Members 500 VIP Points from Supreme Supreme VIP Points from Supreme 2500 VIP Points from 500 VIP Points from Maryland Maryland VIP Points from Maryland 2500 VIP Points from Silver Knight Lapel Pin and Certificate Top Monthly Recruiter K of C Neck Tie Five New Members Golden Knight Statue from Field Agent Top Quarterly Recruiter K of C Emblem Fleece Pullover K of C Emblem New Englander Rain Jacket Trip to World Meeting of Families in Ireland Drawing at Supreme Grand Knight of every council recruiting one or more members received a portrait of the Holy Family Star Council Award Incentives 20% over last year s Star Council Award Any of your councils on the Inactive List? That is the list that shows Zero Membership Growth for this fraternal year. Please contact me and we will, together, form a plan to get new blood into your Councils. We all know that being inactive in Membership is being inactive in Council Growth. The Knights provide many training aids for you to perfect your recruiting techniques. The Membership Recruitment and Retention Manual (#1 0237) is an excellent source. Another source is the State Membership Team. All you have to do is ask! I enjoyed seeing you all at the State Convention in Ocean City. I also enjoyed the chats we had regarding membership and retention. Keep the questions coming; We have the answers!! Pump it up and let s make it happen in June! Vivat Jesu!

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8 Page 8X State Program Report Mike Sallese Dear Brothers and Ladies, One fraternal year is ending and another is in the wings. While there are no state-sponsored activities this month, you can be doing something for Father s Day or the end of school or celebrating graduations. Flag Day is June 1 4. What are you doing to celebrate our veterans and our flag? Get going now! Today is the day to submit your SP7 form for the Columbian Award. List four activities in each of the six program areas. You don t need a detailed explanation of each activity, only one sentence, such as Gave rosaries and prayer books to 1 st Communicants. Or Built exterior ramp to door for wheelchairbound Brother Knight. Alongside each line is a box for you to check if that activity was intended as an In support of the Domestic Church program. Ask yourself did it bring families to a Church activity?, did your activity in someway strengthen the faith of those who attended it? Don t check the box if the activity was a council picnic, because that doesn t count as a Domestic Church activity. Get the form turned in to Supreme as soon as possible. Every year, Councils that qualify for Star Council fail to turn in their SP-7 and lose out. Don t hop on that band wagon, fill out the SP-7 now. The statewide tour of the Holy Family Icon for the month of June - occurs in Districts 01, 06, 1 2, and 20. Check with your District Deputy about availability of the Icon and make plans to host a prayer service in your parish or council. You can contact our Worthy PSD and Icon Chairman Ed Haynes with questions. At the Supreme Convention in August, new Marian icons will be distributed to the State Deputies for the new Fraternal Year. Our Supreme Council Membership and Program Consultant Eric Johnson, has been attending Chapter meetings in Maryland to discuss the changes made to the Surge with Service program. Supreme has revised the six program areas to four Faith, Community, Family, and Life. All incoming Grand Knights and incoming District Deputies should make plans to attend this year s Leadership Seminar to learn in greater detail what you need to do in the new year. The State Council Program Team is here to help you be successful, so ask questions. On behalf of the Program Team, thank you for your participation in the Statesponsored activities these past two years. We have enjoyed working for and with you and representing the. Good Activities attract new members, and new members have ideas for good activities. Good luck and God Bless. Vivat Jesus! Fraternally yours, Mike Mike Sallese, State Program Director for the State Program Team

9 Page 9X State Program Report Mike Sallese Culture of Life The State Culture of Life team would like to thank you for your support during this fraternal year but reminds you that the fraternal year is not over yet. Has your council taken action? To date, the has donated 20 ultrasound machines to pregnancy care centers throughout the state. In addition, the Supreme Council has approved 2 more ultrasound machines, that when matched by the State Council, will leave a small balance in the Ultrasound Machine Program Fund. For each machine, the State Council contributes about $25,000 that is matched by funds from Supreme. Can your council help with a fund raiser before June 30th? For more information or to make a donation, contact PSD Richard Siejack at RVSiejack@aol.com. Do you need a Culture of Life activity? Consider the Cemetery of the Innocents. So far this fraternal year there have been 9 cemeteries installed for a total of 322 since As of May 201 8, there is only 1 cemetery standing. That means cemeteries are available for installation. For more information, contact Chairman Jim McFillin at jimmcfillin@cs.com. Vivat Jesus! Mike Furst, State Director Culture of Life Programs Supreme Convention The Supreme Convention will be held in Baltimore Md. August 6 9, We are beginning to recruit volunteers to assist with the various duties that will be undertaken to make the convention a success. The success of the organization of the convention and convention itself relies on the participation of Brother Knights and their families to help with pre-convention activities, hosting duties and support opportunities throughout the convention. Please take a few minutes to review, complete and submit the Volunteer Information Sheet attached. In addition, the Volunteer Sheet can be submitted electronically and is available on line via this link /Volunteer_Information_Sheet_201 8_BaltimoreConvention.pdf or at and see the homepage slide show Supreme Convention is in Baltimore and select Click Here to Volunteer as Part of the Team. We will communicate all plans and schedules, via e mail, with our volunteers as we get closer to the convention. If you have any questions or need additional information please let me know, or jgiacal@verizon.net. Thank you in advance for your participation and support. Jack Giacalone Volunteer Coordinator (ed note: volunteer form can be found on page 1 6)

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15 Page 1 5 First Lady's Message First Lady s Message Vicki Cohen This is my final message as First Lady of the. The cliché time flies rings true. I can still remember the day when Steve became State Deputy----it truly is hard to believe that he is now in his final weeks! What a tremendous experience it has been for both of us! We have had the great fortune to have met many wonderful people from not only all over Maryland, but also from all over the world, when we have attended Supreme meetings and Supreme Conventions. It has been a real honor and very gratifying to work closely with our Supreme Chaplain, Archbishop William Lori, in spreading Christ s mission of love as His advocates. Charity is the first principle of the Knights of Columbus, and it truly is in giving that we receive. The knights and ladies of the are extremely generous and dedicated to helping God s people. It is heartwarming to witness and be a part of this. I want to thank my Ladies Activities Committee--Sandra Jones, Kathy Salvemini, Pat Stevenson, Mary Weber, Phyllis Giacalone and Brenda Murtha for all of their planning, dedication and work in providing activities for all of you lovely ladies over the past nearly 3 years. I sincerely hope that you found the activities enjoyable and educational and have made new friendships that will last for years to come. And I hope that you will continue to participate in the Ladies Activities in the coming years, as I will. I know Linda Trott and her ladies are busy planning enjoyable events and excursions for us. Don t forget, we are also only 2 months away from the Supreme Convention being held in downtown Baltimore! In order to be successful, we need you to help in whatever capacity you are able. All volunteers are welcome. A Supreme Convention is definitely a unique experience and something every knight and lady should attend at least once. I promise, you will not be disappointed. You can find more information on the website 8.org. If you have not already done so, please consider volunteering whatever time you have available. There will be a meeting for all Supreme Convention volunteers on July 1 0th at 7pm at Columbus Gardens. Hope to see you there! We still need ladies to be table hostesses at the Ladies Luncheon which is being held on Wednesday, August 8th from 11 :30am to 2pm at the downtown Hilton. Come to the meeting on July 1 0th to learn more about this. I promise you will love this event. Steve and I want to extend our deepest and heartfelt gratitude to all of you for all of your kindnesses, encouragement, support and friendship shown to us over the past several years. It has been an honor and privilege for us to serve the as State Deputy and First Lady. It has definitely been an experience of a lifetime. We will always treasure the memories we have made and the people we have met. We are extremely blessed. We pray that God may greatly bless all of the Knights of Columbus and their ladies throughout the world. Thought for the month: Let us not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9) Visit our page and Like us on Facebook---The Ladies of the Maryland Knights of Columbus

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18 Page 1 8 Reflections Lawrence P. Grayson Induced Death and the Right to Life Life is being devalued in Western society and induced death becoming acceptable. The unborn, physically handicapped, seriously ill, elderly, and those incapable of leading economically-productive lives are at particular risk. While the abortion industry eliminates the burdens of unplanned pregnancies, there now is a movement to halt the continuing afflictions of old age and of persistent illness through euthanasia and assisted suicide. A recent case of purposeful death that gained worldwide attention was that of Alfie Evans, a young child in England, who had a rare neurodegenerative disorder that put him in a continuing coma. The doctors could not treat it, but refused to allow him to be moved to Italy for therapy, despite a plea from the Pope. The hospital, claiming it was in the child s best interest for him to die, removed his lifesupport on April 23, 201 8, and he passed away five days later. The case of Alfie Evans is not unique. A year earlier, infant Charlie Gard was diagnosed in a London hospital with a terminal, neurological condition. His parents wanted him moved to New York for a new, experimental procedure, but the hospital refused. After six months of litigation, Charlie died on July 28, In each of these cases, the courts overruled the parents and allowed the hospitals to decide what was in the best interest of the children. As a result of a car accident ten years ago, Vincent Lambert is in a French hospital, a severely injured quadriplegic, but not in a coma or with a terminal illness. In April 201 8, a doctor decided that because of unreasonable obstinacy in his persistent survival, Lambert should have his feeding tubes removed, which would starve him to death. A court has appointed a panel of medical experts to examine Lambert s heath and, based on its report, will either confirm or void the hospital s decision. Euthanasia currently may be more prevalent in Europe, but is increasing in the United States. In 1 976, the New Jersey Supreme Court sided with the parents of Karen Quinlan, who was in a longterm coma, to have her life-sustaining equipment removed; although done, she remained alive for almost another decade. Then, in 2005, a Florida court ruled in favor of her husband s request that Terri Schiavo, who also was in a lengthy coma, have her feeding tubes disconnected; it was done and she starved to death over a two-week period. Stephanie Packer, a California mother of four young children, was diagnosed in with an autoimmune disease and given three years to live. In June 201 6, one week after the state legalized physician-assisted suicide, her health insurance company reversed its earlier decision and denied her doctor-recommended treatments. It would allow her, however, to obtain a lethal dose of suicide pills for a co-pay of $1.20. After media attention, the insurance company relented and covered her treatments. On May 1 5, 201 8, after testifying at a legislative hearing against physician assisted suicide, she posted a message on Facebook that she is feeling fantastic. Today, seven U.S. states and the District of Columbia permit physicians to assist persons in committing suicide; attempts have been made to legalize it in many other states. This movement toward physician-sanctioned death has ominous implications. The medical community cannot predict

19 Page 1 9 with assurance or accuracy how soon a patient might die. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21 and given 2-3 years to live; although completely crippled, he lived until the age of 76, and when he died recently he was renowned as a theoretical physicist and cosmologist. There are many cases in which patients declared terminally ill have lived well beyond a physician s projected life span. Some have even recovered from years-long comas. While conditions established for physician-assisted suicide may appear to be compassionate, experience shows that reasons for sanctioning procured death expand over time. In the Netherlands, where euthanasia has been legal since 2002, many of the reasons given for choosing to be euthanized are depression, dementia, old age, and loneliness, none of which qualify as a terminal illness, and there are movements to allow any person over 70, regardless of health, and terminally-ill children to request it. Is a life not worth living if the individual is in a coma, significantly handicapped, has Alzheimer s, severe autism, Down syndrome, cannot live without constant pain, or needs significant assistance for daily living? Stephanie Parker answered the question, when she recently wrote, Though it is a struggle, so much joy and beauty is right in front of you if you are willing to open yourself up and see the possibilities. The position of the Catholic Church is clear: Life begins at conception and continues until natural death. Humans have spiritual souls as well as physical bodies, and their souls are created in the image and likeness of God. As such, they have inherent worth and dignity and an unalienable right to life, even if their quality of life is not up to some social norm. When the quality of life is considered more important than life itself, when cost containment becomes a criterion for medical decisions, when euthanasia becomes a therapeutic option, life is no longer treated as a right endowed by the Creator. No person or government has the right to usurp a gift of God, no individual the right to throw it away. Pope Francis has reminded us that: All life has inestimable value even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are the masterpieces of God s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect. Vivat Jesus! ***** June 201 8

20 Page 20 What's coming up in the State June June State Tour - Alaska Land and Sea Cruise June Admission Degree Week June Father's Day June 30 - July 1 - Grand Knight Leadership Seminar, Solomons, MD July July 7 - State Council Installation of Officers, St. Mary's of the Assumption Church, Upper Marlboro, MD KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS STATE BULLETIN Official Publication of the Published Monthly 906 Washington Road Westminster, MD MAILING address P.O. Box 1 65, Westminster MD State Council Phone #: State Deputy...Stephen M. Cohen cohensmc42@aol.com State Secretary...Dale W. Trott dnltrott@verizon.net State Treasurer...Vince Grauso vgrauso@yahoo.com State Advocate...Christopher L. Powers CPowersR2@MD.metrocast.net State Warden... Anthony Salvemini a.ns@comcast.net Executive Secretary...Romeo Gauthier kofc-md@hotmail.com; STATE BULLETIN Editor...Bruce Rickter brickter@hotmail.com Facebook: Knights of Columbus Maryland Councils United Instagram: Knights of Columbus - Md State koc_md_unitedhttps:// m/koc_md_united/ Maryland State Yahoo Group: MDstatecouncil/info?yguid=