District Master Clifford F. Wasmund And Lady Susan MICHIGAN DISTRICT #1 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN SERVICE TO ONE, IN SERVICE TO ALL Worthy Master s Report 3 rd Quarter 2014 INSID E THI S IS SU E: Worthy Master s Report 1 Chalice Donations 2 2014 Biennial Mtg 2 Biennial Meeting 2 Coats for Homeless Vets 2 Special Olympics 3 2014 Fall Exemp 4 2014 Fall Harvest Mtg 4 Military Chap. Fund 4 Living Rosary 5 Recognition 6 Lady s Corner 6 Calendar of Events 7 Master Staff List 8 Sir Knights and Ladies, Vivat Jesus! Seeing that this is my last newsletter as your Master, I would like to reflect on the last four years. I would only ask that you read the entire newsletter for articles that pertain to past and future activities within the District. One of my top objectives as Master was to improve communications within the District. As a result, this newsletter was implemented. I felt that a well informed 4 th Degree member would be good for both their Assembly and our District. New ideas could be shared and recognition given to those individuals and Assemblies who took the effort to make a difference for our Veterans, as well as our active Military personnel. There is no one more deserving of recognition than our Veterans for the sacrifices they have made to protect the freedoms we hold so dearly. I would like to thank my Marshals who devoted so much of their time to make our Color Corpsmen the best they can be. When our Color Corpsmen are part of a multi-district function, they can be picked out from the rest of the Color Corpsmen by the way they handle themselves, with professionalism and compliance to today s Color Corps manual. Thank you Marshals, Commander and Color Corpsmen for your effort and the pride you take in what you do. To the Degree Staff and to those individuals who stepped up to fill voids in the team when other members had to drop out due to personal commitments - your efforts are greatly appreciated. Thank you to FM Frank Pawelak and PFN Richard Fron for heading up the Chalice Committee and ensuring that the soon-to-be ordained Deacons needing a chalice received one. Thank you to the VAVS Committee members for representing the District at the various meetings held at the John Dingell VA Medical Center. PROVINCIAL WEBSITE www.hennepinprovince.org MICHIGAN DISTRICT #1 WEBSITE www.michigandistrict1.com To my District Friar Fr. Tom Sutherland who has supported me spiritually and for coming back a few days early from his vacation in Florida to attend my Spring Exemplification. Susan and I would like to thank all the Assembly Officers, membership and Ladies for their time and commitment to the Order and to each other. You have made us better individuals by having met you. I can honestly say that of all the positions I have held, being Master of District 1 has been the best! I look forward to seeing and working with all of you in the future in whatever capacity I serve in. Fraternally yours, Clifford F. Wasmund
Page 2 3 rd Quarter 2014 Pledge of Allegiance I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the Unites States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all. Chalice Donations On May 12 th, Msgr. Laginess celebrated Mass in the St. Joseph Chapel at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. After Mass, two chalices were presented to Msgr. Laginess for blessing and would be donated to two of the Deacons being ordained this year. Deacon Ryan Adams was present for the blessing and accepted his chalice with great appreciation for what the Knights have done for him, both monetarily and spiritually. He will be assigned to the Shrine of the Little Flower parish in Royal Oak. Deacon Scott Jablonski from Madison, Wisconsin will be returning to his Diocese and assigned to a local parish there. If your Assembly has chalices that you would like donated to a priest or missionary, please contact PFN Richard Fron. Richard is the so-called Clearing House for Assemblies to donate chalices to and to advise if you know of a Priest that would be going overseas and could hand deliver these chalices. Richard s contact information can be found on the last page of this newsletter. Biennial District Meeting Highlights The 2014 Biennial Meeting which was held on April 5 th at St. Jane Francis de Chantal Church in Sterling Heights was well attended. The number of candidates receiving their 4 th Degree was up from the previous fraternal year, from 138 to 171, however, 62% of the candidates were over 50 years of age. We need to focus on recruiting younger candidates. The Assemblies were reminded about filing their annual informational tax return (Form 990) with the Internal Revenue Service to keep their tax exempt organization under Section 501(c)(8). Nominations for your next Master were taken. John Hundiak, Larry Frontera and Paul Palka were nominated and have been submitted to the VSM for consideration. Appointment for the new Master will not be made until the day after the Supreme Convention. Coats for Homeless Veterans Program Update Even though it is summer and 80+ degrees out, your Assembly should start discussing if they would like to participate in the collection of gently used winter coats for both male and female homeless Veterans. Coat collections can be done at your local Churches, police and fire stations, or anywhere people gather. If your Assembly would like to make a monetary donation, which will be used to purchase blue jeans and tube socks, then please forward your check to me. I will make sure the check is directed to the AMVETS who have negotiated a significantly reduced price and will make the purchases. Please make your check payable to: AMVETS Dept. of Michigan District 2. On the memo line, please note: Homeless Veterans Project. Checks should be mailed to Master Clifford Wasmund.
3 rd Quarter 2014 Page 3 2014 Opening Ceremony for the Summer Special Olympics Opening ceremony for the Summer Special Olympics was held on May 29 th in Mt. Pleasant. Like past years, District 1 was invited to participate with District 4. Roughly 10 Color Corps made the journey to represent our District. It s such a great feeling to see the smiles and joy from approximately 2,400 special kids as they walk down the ramp and shake the hands of the Color Corpsmen. If you haven t experienced it, please consider next year.
Page 4 3 rd Quarter 2014 2014 Fall Exemplification The 4 th Degree Fall Exemplification will be held on September 20, 2014 at DeCarlo's Banquet and Convention Center located at 6015 East Ten Mile Road (E. of Mound Road), Warren 48091. The price for the candidate will remain at $70.00 and priests are free. There will be a Ladies Program which will remain free of charge for those ladies wishing to attend. The cost of the dinner for wives and/or friends will remain the same at $30.00 per person. Should the candidate choose to purchase a class photograph, which is optional, the cost is only $6.00. All Sir Knights are encouraged to ask a 3 rd Degree member from their Council to become a Sir Knight this coming Fall. Our Class Honoree will be Auxiliary Bishop Donald F. Hanchon. Since the new Master will not be appointed by Supreme until August and the Exemplification paperwork will be available at the Biennial Meeting and on the District website, we are requiring that the check be written to Sacred Heart Assembly instead of the Master. Sacred Heart Assembly will issue a check to the new Master prior to the Exemplification for all funds received prior to the Exemplification. 2014 Fall Harvest District Meeting The Fall Harvest District Meeting will be held on November 2 nd at 2:00 PM at DeCarlo s Banquet & Convention Center in Warren. Like the previous year s meetings, the new Master will most likely discuss the State of the District in regards to supporting Supreme, State and District Programs, and an open forum for questions and answers. The Assembly Awards will be presented at the dinner. The Faithful Navigator, Comptroller and Commander are expected to attend while other Assembly officers and members are also encouraged to participate. The dress attire will be sport coats (tie optional). Our District continues its partnership with Desert Angel and will be holding another Packing Party for the Ladies. DeCarlo s has offered a large room so there will be ample room for them to pack boxes. Watch for further details in the next newsletter. Military Chaplain Scholarship Program - Update Listed below are the donations received to date. We are at 76.6% of the District s five-year goal of $20,000. We have just completed our 3 rd fraternal year. I would ask those Assemblies who are less than 60% to go back to your membership and discuss the need to submit a donation and support for this program. Remember, your Assembly would be supporting both your active military personnel overseas and Seminarians. In the event that you do not agree with the data below, I would ask you to please contact me directly. As of July 1, 2014, Supreme has collected donations of $780,609.32 nationwide. Currently 36 Seminarians have signed up for the program. Your donations are making a difference to both today s Seminarian and the future active Military he will be serving. 100%: 0478, 0482, 0484, 0490, 0492, 1622, 2136, 2599, 2804, 3057, 80 99%: 0470, 0520 60 79%: 0515, 1963, 2521 40 59%: 0477, 1795, 3099 20 39%: 0480, 0483, 0488, 0521, 1536, 1839, 2032, 2149, 2696, 2942, 3082 1 19%: 0475 0%: 3392, 3408 Checks must be made payable to Knights of Columbus, and on the memo line write Military Scholarship. The checks are to be mailed to VSM Donald L. Hall, 301 Garden Drive, Wintersville, OH 43953-4113. I would ask that you notify me that you have mailed a check to the VSM so that I can enter your donation into my records.
3 rd Quarter 2014 Page 5 Our Lady of Guadalupe icon being processed from St. Mary s Cathedral to the steps of the State Capital Building in Lansing prior to the Living Rosary. Living Rosary being held in from of the State Capital Building on May 30 th
Page 6 3 rd Quarter 2014 Governor Snyder Awards Certificates of Volunteer Recognition Bill Kuypers and Don Morris, Knights of Columbus 4 th Degree members of St. Paul on the Lake Assembly #2696, were awarded Certificates of Volunteer Recognition from Governor Rick Snyder for their service to Michigan Veterans and their families. Bill and Don donated 400 hours of volunteer service and in addition procured 79 wheelchairs for Veterans Hospital in Detroit. Remember our hospitalized Veterans by donating and placing your coins in the container Coins for Veterans in back of the church. Ladies Corner Like Cliff, I find it hard to believe that our 4 years on this journey is nearly over. The Assemblies and the ladies have been so involved these past four years and have helped so many. Partnering with Desert Angel and packing 150+ boxes each November for our troops. The donations have been overwhelming and are greatly appreciated by the men and women protecting our country, as evidenced by the notes we receive back from them showing their gratitude. Coats for the Homeless Vets. A program that we thought would be a one-time district wide project and has become an annual event. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think that we could collect 1400+ from the generous men and women in our District. Distribution of these coats was an eye-opening yet rewarding experience and we hope that others will come forward next year to help. Wreaths Across America, originally started by our home Assembly (Sacred Heart Assembly) has now been adopted by others within the District. On the 2 nd Saturday of December each year those lonely graves of deceased Veterans in cemeteries around the Detroit area no longer go unnoticed and are decorated with a wreath. A huge thank you to the ladies who have attended our Exemplifications. So many of you have attended each and every one of my Ladies Programs. God bless you, ladies! Never can you say you knew what was coming as I tried to keep it both informational but entertaining. I will see many of you at your Installation of Officers as the majority have been scheduled prior to September 1 st, the day that Cliff leaves the position of Master. I hope that your new First Lady of the District will enjoy the experience and friendships I have these past four years. I will treasure them always. Although Cliff will no longer be Master and I First Lady we will be remaining active in the Knights of Columbus as he has accepted a State Director position and we look forward to seeing you in the future. God Bless, Lady Susan
3 rd Quarter 2014 Page 7 CALENDAR OF EVENTS July 1, 2014 Report of Officers Chosen (Form 186) July 4, 2014 Independence Day August 1, 2014 Annual Assembly Audit (Form 1315) August 1, 2014 Provincial Newsletter Submission August 1, 2014 Provincial Sir Knight Submission August 12, 2014 160 th Anniversary of the birth of Father McGivney August 16, 2014 Knights of Columbus Tiger Game at Comerica Park, 7:05 PM September 6, 2014 State Leadership Installation, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids September 20, 2014 4 th Degree Fall Exemplification, DeCarlo s Banquet and Convention Center September 26-28, 2014 Provincial Meeting at Kalahai Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio October 10-12, 2014 Fall MI Drive October 25, 2014 (Tentative) Prep Bowl at Ford Field November 2, 2014 Daylight Savings Time Ends November 2, 2014 Fall Harvest District Meeting DeCarlo s Banquet and Convention Center November 9, 2014 State Memorial Mass at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit November 11, 2014 Veteran s Day November 27, 2014 Thanksgiving Day December 13, 2014 Wreaths Across America January 10, 2015 74 th Annual State Bowling Tournament Begins January 22, 2015 March for Life in Washington DC January 31, 2015 Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity (Form 1728C) February 18, 2015 Ash Wednesday February 28, 2015 State Chaplain Tribute Dinner DeCarlo s Banquet Center, 4:00 PM Mass March/April, 2015 Spring District Meeting Location TBD March 7, 2015 4 th Degree Spring Exemplification, DeCarlo s Banquet and Convention Center March 8, 2015 Daylight Savings Time Begins March 9, 2015 (Tentative) St. Patrick s Day Parade in Detroit March 25, 2015 K of C Day of the Unborn March 29, 2015 Founders Day April 1, 2015 To Be A Patriot Award Entry Form to Master (Form TBP-1) April 5, 2015 Easter April 9, 2015 (Tentative) 36 th Annual Right to Life Dinner, Burton Manor, Livonia May 2015 Elections of Assembly Officers May 10, 2015 Mother s Day May 21-23, 2015 State Convention on Mackinac Island May 25, 2015 Memorial Day June 1, 2015 Red, White & Blue Award Application due to Master June 14, 2015 Flag Day June 21, 2015 Father s Day June 30, 2015 RSVP and Plaque Application (Form 2863A) June 30, 2015 Civic Award Application (Form 2321) Blue = District Wide Event Red = Form(s) due
Page 8 3 rd Quarter 2014 MASTER S STAFF Worthy Master Clifford F. Wasmund (586) 781-4729 (H) spwasmund@aol.com (734) 634-7989 (C) District Friar Rev. Thomas Sutherland (586) 247-5428 District Secretary John Hundiak (248) 652-3433 (H) jhundiak@gmail.com (248) 420-0135 (C) Finance Director George Stump (586) 786-0938 thestumper@att.net Guest House Director Larry Grabowski (586) 232-4633 (H) l.grabowski@mikofc.org (313) 268-5011 (C) VAVS Committee Chairman Richard Tschirhart (248) 544-1805(H) trapper582001@hotmail.com (248) 245-4805 (C) Frank Pawelak (734) 459-4384 fpmasterkc@aol.com Bill Kuypers (313) 886-4149 wtkmak714@comcast.net Donald Morris (313) 886-3621 Michael Flaker (586) 292-9410 (C) mflaker@crickettinsurance.com Membership Director Leo Backes (586) 268-5487 (H) l.g.b@thebackesfamily.com (586) 291-0994 (C) Chalice Program Richard Fron (313) 565-4289 (H) rfron@sbcglobal.net (313) 408-4686 (C) Sr. Marshal Herb Stacer (248) 852-2119 srmarshalldist1@att.net Marshal Thomas Schmidt (586) 949-8148 tmschmidt2@yahoo.com Marshal Albert Holton (734) 934-4542 basic@wyan.org Marshal George Roumaya (734) 522-3089 (H) george3345@comcast.net (734) 306-0269 (C) Trustees: Don Brezovsky (586) 598-5611 donbrezovsky@sbcglobal.net Larry Grabowski (586) 232-4633 l.grabowski@ mikofc.org Charles McCuen (586) 944-0031 c.mccuen@mikofc.org 4 th Degree Team: John Cassidy kartoonjc@yahoo.com Tim Gonyeau (586) 786-5532 gonyeautimothy@gmail.com William Gorny (313) 724-9969 wgorny@comcast.net Daniel Jakobiak (248) 879-1112 tismedj2u@yahoo.com Paul Janiszewski (810) 388-5227 pdjaniszewski@gmail.com Tony Nardozzi (586) 524-0904 Bill Para (586) 786-7267 bpara1@att.net Matthew Stapels (810) 793-1849 m_stapels@yahoo.com