The Knightly News. K of C Newsletter for Fr. Michael C. Kidd Council, Mitchellville, MD

Transcription

1 The Knightly News K of C Newsletter for Fr. Michael C. Kidd Council, Mitchellville, MD MAIL: P.O. Box 4051, Upper Marlboro, MD / HALL: Woodmore Rd, Mitchellville, MD Volume II, Number 2 Knights of Columbus Council #14455 August 2008 MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND KNIGHT The Father Michael C. Kidd Council is not the baby council any more two are younger! Only six months old, we have grown up and are expected to perform like older councils. Starting this fraternal year on July 1, we retained most charter officers. Our installation will be on August 17, after Noon Mass and followed by a reception in the hall. The Charter presentation was postponed in deference to the wake for Tammy Haynes, daughter of Lisa and Immediate Past State Deputy Edward Haynes. Along with our heavy work load, we are looking forward to the coming events: IPSD Edward Haynes Diner, McNamara Chapter Installation, other District 6 Installations and the Columbus Day activities for October. Our Council Chaplain, Father Joe, is also the Associate Chaplain for the McNamara Chapter of Grand Knights and the Friar for the Bishop Walsh Assembly. John McInerney is our new Program Director. Our Activities chairmen are working hard on upcoming programs. Jim Murry is doing a magnificent job with membership. It anticipates 100% growth! State Deputy, Richard Siejack stressed council growth at the Grand Knight s seminar in June. He wants every council member to recruit at least one member this year. He insists that every knight carry a Form 100 in their pocket. Every practicing Catholic man over 18 years of age should be a knight! The membership Blitz is coming up soon. I urged each council member to start the recruiting effort now. My prayer is that Jesus, our Savior, may shower the council with blessing and prosperity so that we will continue to be helpful to our Church and community. George H Johnson, GK CHAPLAIN S COUNSEL Dear Brothers, The summer is speeding by and before long the kids will be heading back to school and vacation time will be over. Our ranks will be at full strength and the numbers of Mass will inflate with the children attending religious education. Where did they go all summer? Now is the time to think about possible fundraisers like spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, and the like. These events are hard work but always a joy as they build up the good name of the knights and add flavor to the family life and friendships of our many parishioners. Are there any knights who would like to help with the adult religious formation efforts in the parish? This would make a great Church activity. Maybe you have a spouse or a friend who is not Catholic? If so, encourage them to take instructions and join us for the fall classes. I would even like to use some of the faith booklets released through Supreme. Remember, as I said last month, if you find a man with the makings of a good knight, but he is not Catholic; sponsor him in the parish RCIA. I will make him a Catholic and you can make him a knight (with the Holy Spirit cooperating, of course!). There is an application in this newsletter for anyone wishing to enroll in the FATHER MICHAEL J. McGIVENEY GUILD. I will pass out applications at a council meeting, as well. The Guild was established to promote our founder s cause for canonization. Your brother in Christ, Father Joe (Jenkins)

2 CHAPLAIN Fr. Joseph A. Jenkins ASSOCIATE CHAPLAIN Deacon Hank D. Dardy GRAND KNIGHT George H. Johnson, GK DEPUTY GRAND KNIGHT Terry Reinhart, DGK CHANCELLOR Dr. Ujuchris Okereh WARDEN Mark M. Manapul TREASURER Kevin Renze FINANCIAL SECRETARY Porfirio Concepcion INSURANCE AGENT John Canter Contributions, gifts, etc. to Fr. Kidd Council #14455 are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions. DISTRICT DEPUTY S REPORT Vernon Hawkins, PGK, FN, FDW (301) vhawkinsjr@aol.com To all council officers and members, I share with you my 10 Keys to Success for this new fraternal year. 1. Be Growth Oriented 365 Days a Year. Establish a quarterly goal for membership and work toward it. If you don t succeed, retool your ideas for the second quarter. 2. Establish Long-Term Growth Goals. Develop an overall long-term goal for your council. Where do you want the council to be in five years? 3. Create Team-Oriented Officers. Every elected and appointed officer should work for the goals outlined by the Grand Knight. 4. Maintain a Positive Attitude and Communicate It. Set the tone for the Knights of Columbus in your parish or community. 5. Focus on Youth and Youthful Leadership. You don t need to be young to be youthful and youth oriented. The future of our Order depends on us reaching out to the next generation of Knights. If we don t reach out to them now, we risk losing their interest to other groups or pursuits. 6. Conduct Leadership Training Programs. Attend State/District/Council-sponsored meetings and training sessions. Review key correspondence from the Supreme, State, and District with fellow officers. 7. Establish Accountability. Plan your membership and volunteer programs beforehand and afterwards review their success or shortcoming. Keep an eye on improvement. 8. Have and Communicate Clear Priorities. Make your membership and fraternal goals clear and communicate them clearly to your officers, to members at meetings and in your bulletin, or at other regular intervals. 9. Be Open to Change. Constantly assess your own performance and that of the council. If something is not working, correct it. 10. Make Effective Use of Your District Deputy/Warden. The District #6 staff consists of experienced Knights. These men, all Past Grand Knights and Past Faithful Navigators, are an invaluable resource for your council. Do not hesitate to call on us for assistance. Vivat Jesus! MCNAMARA CHAPTER We meet at 8:00 PM on the Third Wednesday of the month. The next meeting will be held at Patuxent Council 2203 in Laurel, Maryland, on Wed., Aug. 20. The topic is Membership/Retention. The Chapter Installation is scheduled for Sat., Sept. 13 at St. Raphael Church at 4:00 PM. All GKs, PGKs and Council Officers are urged to attend.

3 CHANCELLOR S REPORT Dr. Ujuchris Chris Okereh You are invited to join the Run for Vocations team at the Marine Corps Marathon, ½ Marathon and 10K on Sunday, October 26. All levels of runners and walkers are most welcome. This is a unique experience to get into the ebst shape of your life, accomplish an amazing goal, meet new people, and support our seminarians and work for vocations. For more information and to register, contact Carol Flannery or Mike Greaney at flanneryc@adw.org or call Please continue to pray for our brother knight and associate chaplain, Deacon Hank Dardy who is recuperating from bypass surgery. COUNCIL ACTIVITIES Geony J. Provido Second Softball Practice Eighty-nine passes without dropping the ball! A modest achievement by any standards, but for the knights who went to play softball Saturday morning of July 19, 2008, such is a good way to measure improvement in the level of team play. Slowly, but surely, the knights are working on improving individual skills and team cohesion. This is too early to say that the Council has finally have put together a team, but looking at the ways things are going, it is headed in that direction. Saturday s event at the baseball field at the back of St. Matthias Church in Lanham was the second practice session for the knights since softball was adopted as a sports activity for the knights of Fr. Michael Kidd Council. The very first practice was held last June 14, 2009 at the same baseball field and was attended by eight K of C members. The next practice is scheduled for Saturday, August 4. Sign up and be a part of this team that in the future is expected be in the Hall of Fame! Golf Clinic This is an avenue for members who are playing golf to bond together. A number of brothers are also interested in learning the game. We hope to schedule future games. We may even play teams as with father/son or daughter. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (Religious Edition) Rescheduled from an earlier date, the parish DRE asked the knights to handle both promotion and the food for this fun activity. We will be distributing advertising flyers and either selling tickets or food for the event. This event touches many areas of our operations. As a fundraiser it is a council activity, but we are also helping the church, the youth and our families! Mark your calendars for October 11. The event will follow the 5:30 PM Saturday Mass. The hall is reserved from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Charter Night has been rescheduled for September 15 (7:30 PM). Let us try to have all members, especially the charter members, present for this event. Things that need to be considered: Resuming the Potluck List The Program Charter Night might also be a well made venue for awards. We are considering giving out Knight of the Month and Family of the Month. Our Installation will be August 17 (after 12 Noon Mass) with a practice on Friday, August 15. We are expecting at least 80 people. Things that must be considered are as follows: Food Attendance & Punctuality Dress Code Practice (tentatively on August 15) Redskins Football Games This can become an important way for us to raise council income. Please sign up today! Kevin Renze (202) (renzek@ntsb.gov) has taken the lead in trying to recruit volunteers: 1. Game schedule (2 preseason and 8 home games) 2. Time commitment is 6-7 hours per game, with report time at least 3 hours prior to game time 3. Park at Landover Mall by former Hechts store and take the free shuttle bus to Fed Ex Field (indicate you're working concessions) 4. Uniform is black pants (with free hat and shirt provided early in the season) Review the schedule information below and indicate to Kevin via how many (and/or which) games you

4 would like to work. Our council goal is to supply 5 people or more per game. Washington Redskins Pre-Season Schedule Aug. 9 Buffalo Bills 7 PM Aug. 28 Jacksonville Jaguars 7 PM Washington Redskins Regular Season Schedule Sep. 14 New Orleans 1:00 PM Sep. 21 Arizona 1:00 PM Oct. 12 St. Louis 1:00 PM Oct. 19 Cleveland 4:15 PM Nov. 03 Pittsburgh 8:30 PM Nov. 16 Dallas 8:15 PM Nov. 30 N.Y. Giants 1:00 PM Dec. 21 Philadelphia 1:00 PM CHURCH ACTIVITIES Vincent K. Hubbard We will be participating this year in the KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS campaign. The new State Deputy has placed a special emphasis upon the Divine Mercy devotion and so that will be a part of this year s projects. We did a rosary for life a few months ago but plan on doing a Living Rosary as well. Decisions will have to be made soon about the Vocations program. Along with the chaplain, we are stressing the rosary and how we should keep it in our pockets and offer it daily. Father Jenkins is also asking all our members to join the Father McGivney Guild but more about this next month. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Andres Padilla Despite its short existence, council members have already volunteered a total of 50 hours and donated food towards community programs established to alleviate human suffering in the greater Washington DC area. On June 21 st, DGK Terry Reinhart, Brothers Arnel Anog, and James Moore joined me and other Holy Family parishioners to help with food distribution at SHARE Food warehouse in Hyattsville. In these times of soaring food prices, it was a very gratifying experience knowing that we could help make food affordable for many mostly poor folks in our community. July 1 st brought us a new fraternal year and the opportunity to make our council s presence be felt throughout the community at large. The Community Activities Program is taking shape slowly but surely. I m happy to inform that Brothers James Moore and Mervyn Byer have graciously agreed to serve with me in planning and implementation of community activities. I m also looking forward to working with our new Program Director, John McInerney, in planning and scheduling future community activities. The Community Activities Program is very broad and encompasses the following services areas: Volunteerism, Civic Involvement, Pro-Life, Environment, Public Safety, Health Services, Decency, Honor Columbus (our Order s patron), and Human Needs. Among the activities/events being considered for the fraternal year are: Tootsie Roll Campaign to benefit mentally handicapped support organizations; Community Recognition Program to honor Catholic Teacher, Citizen, Policeman, Fireman, and EMT personnel; Honor the Flag Patriotism activities; Leukemia and Lymphoma program; Senior Citizens activities; and Social Concern programs including support of Holy Family Shelter Meal Ministry efforts to feed the hungry at So Others Might Eat (SOME). Details about these activities will be posted to the Community section of the council s website and will appear in the council s official calendar. FAMILY ACTIVITIES Dr. F. Daniels & Tim Adams Holy Family Youth Ministry is planning to hold a fall festival in mid-september. There will be games,

5 activities and food. We have been invited to participate by hosting our own table(s). For more information, please contact Pam at or by at Our Family of the Month program will be starting in July. This is a program where we say thank you to at least one family each month. There are no criteria that a family needs to meet to receive this award. The family of the month need not be a knight. Specific criteria must be met for a family to be eligible for Family of the Year. The Family of the Year must be a Knight in good standing in your council. The entries are to be submitted to the State Council chairman. The nomination form for Family of the Year will be mailed out in December and must be returned by February 1 each year. Winner of the state family of the year will be recognized at Founder s Day. Our MD State Picnic this year is set for Sunday, August 31 from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Patapsco State Park (Pickall area Shelter 702). The park is located off Johnnycake Rd in Woodlawn. A mixed menu of sausage, hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken, salads, desserts, and drinks will be available. Cost is $5 per family member. Children under six (6) are free. Admission fee to the park is $2 per person. Children in a car seat and adults 62 and older are exempt to the entry fee. Please reserve a spot by August 18. Please share your ideas for family projects! YOUTH ACTIVITIES Ramon G. Evasco The Maryland Soccer Shoot-is a Maryland State program. This is a soccer skills program in which all youth, boys and girls, ages 8 to 18 can participate. Participants in MD will compete in ball throw in for distance and accuracy, kicking for distance and accuracy, and goal shots for accuracy. Those who would like to help, note that the Soccer competition kit can be downloaded from the state website: Each contestant will be allowed 3 throw ins, 3 distance kicks and 5 goal kicks. We will schedule the event for September. As a reminder, those intending to assist with youth programs must not only attend a Child Protective Services workshop, but also fill out a parish volunteer application and get fingerprinted at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center so that a police report can be requested. The State of Maryland and F.B.I. assess a charge of $33.25 per volunteer for processing completed Criminal History Record Checks. Checks or money orders must be made payable to the Archdiocese of Washington (cash will not be accepted). Signed authorization form and photo I.D. required. Fingerprinting is by appointment only; to request an appointment, call (301) (Mon. Fri. 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The web link is: The location is the Archdiocese of Washington Pastoral Center, 5001 Eastern Avenue Hyattsville, MD (one block from the District Line) Times are: Tuesday through Friday: 9:00 AM 9:00 PM and Saturday: 8:00 AM 6:00 PM. PRO-LIFE REPORT Paul A. Batson The Maryland Catholic Conference website is a great resource. It can be found at The site states the following: In his1995 encyclical letter, The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II states: It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop. The Catholic Church gives guidance as to how the problems caused by the abortion industry can be solved. We must protect women and girls from the pain of abortion, and protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. We must love both the unborn child and the child s mother. A woman faced with an unplanned pregnancy is frightened and vulnerable. Rather than convince her to end the life within her, causing longterm emotional and physical harm, we must instead lovingly help her see how it is possible to give life to her baby. We must provide financial support, health care, emotional and spiritual support, promote adoption as a viable option, and tell her all the risks to her health if she chooses abortion. Both as Americans and as followers of Christ, American Catholics must be committed to the defense of life in all its stages and in every condition. Pope John Paul II, Oct. 5, 1995.

6 Pro-Life license plates are available through Maryland Right to Life and Choose Life of Maryland. If you are interested in obtaining the specialty plates you would join their organization and obtain them as a member of that organization. The organization handles the paperwork with the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). If you are interested in the Maryland Right to Life plate, mdrtl@mdrtl.org with license plates in the subject line. Give them your name and mailing address and they will mail the required MVA paperwork and further information to you. You may also call them at (410) There is also a plate available through Choose Life of Maryland, Inc., the state affiliate of Choose Life, Inc. Send a check for $40 payable to Choose Life of Maryland, Inc., Attn: Anne Marie Johnson, 1 Church View Road, Millersville, MD with your name, address, phone number and address. Once the check is received Choose Life of Maryland will mail you an application form to be completed and returned. For further information call (410) or them at chooselifemd@aol.com. MEMBERSHIP Our council currently has 53 members. A half dozen or so candidates are still outstanding for first degrees. Here is the schedule: First Degree Dates Aug. 21 Fletcher Council Sept. 16 Mother Seton Council 5381 Sept. 18 Fletcher Council Sept. 28 Sacred Heart Council 2577 FOURTH DEGREE The Bishop James E. Walsh Assembly #1548 meets on the second Monday of each month at 8:00 PM in the Bert Parise Room at St. Pius X Council #4076 (Sarto Hall), 3611 Stewart Road, Forestville, MD FRATERNAL BENEFITS Roger L. Doucette Are you in good? Protect the IF in life. We all see the advertisements for these insurance companies, large, popular, well recognized by everyone. These ads cost money, funds for which come the premiums paid by policy holders. Our insurance company KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS INSURANCE advertises in more quiet ways. Columbia Magazine and occasional articles/ advertisements in Catholic diocesan publications constitute our promotional efforts. Yet, our story is very compelling: A++ rating from A.M. Best, AAA from Standard and Poor, Certification from the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association. We reach these coveted rankings year after year, a long record of achievement in marketing, service and solid performance. What this means is that you as a Member have access to quality products to protect your family today and in the future. You owe it to yourself and your family to review your current coverage. Remember the final act of love for your family is the check delivered to your widow. You need to ensure that this check will enable her and your children to continue to live the life you have worked all these years to provide. You alone shoulder this responsibility. Call me at for a free review of your current policies from any company. This review may lead to greater peace of mind a great benefit of your membership in our Order. NEWS FROM SUPREME Supreme Knight Says Church Needs Young People Who Are Committed The Church needs young people who are committed and who will not compromise their ideals Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said in Sydney while participating at the Under the Southern Cross panel discussion at the Love and Life Site, hosted by Sister Mary Gabriel, the vocation director of the Sisters for Life. The Church is young, and the Church needs commitment, the Supreme Knight told the young pilgrims. It needs people who will not compromise. It needs people who have ideals and are willing to act on their ideals. The Church needs your witness.

7 Be who you are, and strive to be what God is calling you to be. He s calling you to greatness. STATE COUNCIL REPORT Edgar D. Haynes, KCHS Our mission statement is We Are Called To Serve. With that charge in mind, I do offer my support of the state Officers, directors and Chairmen to assist you in any way we can. Each member and their family are very important team members in the State Family. With the blessings and grace of Almighty God we will succeed in our mission and Answer His Call To Serve. SCHEDULE FOR JULY August Supreme Convention Quebec City, Canada 02 Softball Practice at St Matthias at 9 AM 04 Council Meeting 7:30 PM 11 Bishop Walsh Assembly Meeting at 8:00 PM at SPX Council 13 Membership & Program Seminar at Holy Trinity Council 17 Installation of Council Officers 18 Council Meeting 7:30 PM 20 Bishop McNamara Chapter Mtg at Patuxent Council at 8:00 PM 21 Membership & Program Seminar at Maurice J. McDonough Co. 23 Testimonial for IPSD Edgar D. Haynes at Cardinal Gibbons Co. 28 Membership & Program Seminar at Regina Coeli Council 31 Holy Family Mass & Reception 1:30 PM 31 State Picnic at Patapsco State Park (Pickall Area) 1 6 PM Vivat Jesus! Here are pictures of our KNIGHTS IN ACTION, courtesy of our Community Activity Director: Join the Knights of Columbus and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!