Date: September 28, 2018 To: Grand Knights District Deputies Faithful Navigators GALVESTON-HOUSTON CHAPTER KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PO BOX 1878 Houston, TX 77251 From: Re: John Hinojosa, Clergy Appreciation Night Chairman 2019 Clergy Appreciation Night The Galveston-Houston Chapter of the Knights of Columbus will host the Thirty-Fifth Annual Clergy Appreciation Night on Friday, February 1, 2019, at the Bayou City Event Center located at 9401 Knight Road, Houston, TX, 77045. We will be utilizing this venue for the second consecutive year. This large beautiful and centralized location was so well received by new and returning guests of 2018 Clergy Appreciation Night. Please check map and address and plan ahead (check-in time 5:30-6:30pm with program and dinner start at 7:00pm). Like last year, our venue will allow us to accommodate near 1,600 participants throughout the Archdiocese. We are planning and to make some wonderful changes such as additional bar locations, larger congregation area for clergy, and some other special niceties. Like last year, there will be a cash bar, so if you plan to drink, plan to pay. Once each year we Brother Knights welcome the opportunity to express our thanks, respect, and solidarity with our Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and Religious. Clergy Appreciation Night provides you and your Councils an opportunity to honor your clergy along with all the other Priests, Deacons, brothers, and nuns in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese. Please extend a special invitation to those Priests, Deacons, brothers and nuns closely associated with you personally and with your Council. While this is a Chapter sponsored event, we extend a personal invitation to all Councils and all Clergy in the Archdiocese. Councils do not have to be members of the Galveston-Houston Chapter to participate in this important event. We ask you to place this event on your Council s Calendar of Events and hope you plan to attend along with your spouse or guest(s). Ask your Clergy and Religious to put it on their calendars now before other events are scheduled. Where else can you enjoy cocktails, an excellent dinner and fellowship with Brother Knights, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, brothers and nuns of our Archdiocese in one evening? The following items are explained in this letter: Table Reservations; Table Sponsorships; Presentations for Outstanding Clergy; Silent Auction and Program Sponsorship. Though there are no costs to Priests and Deacons (including spouses) and nuns, Councils who make reservations for their Clergy are asked to pay a $20.00 non-refundable deposit per seat for clergy to: Galveston-Houston Chapter. This $20.00 per seat for clergy (and spouses if applicable) simply goes to offset the cost of the meal and is still below the overall meal price. We would also ask that Councils who are supporting a seminarian or more than one seminarian also pay the $20.00 deposit for their sponsored seminarian. Though all clergy are not covered by K of C Councils, the Clergy Night committee will seek out Council sponsorship for those clergy not currently affiliated with a Council.
TABLE RESERVATIONS Reservations are required. Seats are $35.00 per person (except as noted above for clergy). All reservations and payments must be received on or before January 9, 2019. Seats will not be sold the night of the event. 95% of our tables hold ten people. Once all 10 seat tables are reserved and sold, we will begin offering our 8 and 12 seat tables. We will inform everyone when this situation arises. Every Council must fill out a reservation/purchase form and a list of those attending (if unsure of who in particular is attending, list them as guest of Council #...). Based on the information on this form, table reservations and an appropriate number of seats will be assigned and designated. The form can be sent in by mail or e-mailed as an attachment. Any Council that does not pay for their tickets prior to January 9th will have their reservation voided. There will be a pre-distribution of Council envelopes with tickets and table designation at the Chapter Meetings on December 11 th and January 8 th. This new change will minimize long lines at the registration table on the evening of the event. It will be the councils and/or councils representative s responsibility to distribute their tickets to their respective attendees at a time that is appropriate for them. Please make the checks for the payment of reserved seats and Table Sponsorship payable to: Galveston-Houston Chapter. As participants enter the Bayou City Event Center, there will be registration tables for Clergy and all Council representatives that may have not received their Council envelope with their tickets and table designation. We will also have information available as to where councils are sitting. Please remember to list your Clergy that will be in attendance on the reservation/purchase form, and make sure you give them a ticket for your designated table, especially if you want them sitting with your Council members. All clergy in the Archdiocese will receive a separate invitation and many do not know what your Council name is, or what your Council number is. The use of this pre-issued ticket should minimize confusion for your Clergy. We will do our best to match Clergy to Council based on the records and information we have, but with new assignments of Clergy each year there is often some confusion on where to seat some of the Clergy. There will be a cash bar (not a hosted bar as before). Prices are: $5 for beer, $7 for wine, $9 for mixed drinks, and $3 for soda or waters. So, plan accordingly please and as always drink responsibly. Programs and table listings with council specific seating arrangements will be available at the registration tables. If there are special needs or dignitaries attending who require recognition please note on the registration form. Any council may designate replacements for people who are unable to attend that evening but have a paid up reservation. The number of attendees, however, may not exceed the original number of paid reservations. We must reiterate, WE ANTICIPATE A SELL OUT AND NO SEATS WILL BE SOLD ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT. TABLE SPONSORHIP Each year Table Sponsorships are requested for a donation of $100.00 per ten-person table. The proceeds of these donations will go to help fund our diocesan priests. Table Sponsorships do not have any effect on seat prices and are an additional cost. Those tables that are sponsored will be given priority placement and be closest to the head table. Four tables will be reserved for Outstanding Clergy recipients and members of their Council, all other tables can be sponsored. For example: If a Council has forty members and guests, and they all want to sit in the same immediate area, sponsorship of tables will facilitate that. If tables are not sponsored, seating will be prioritized by receipt of payment for seats. Essentially, we are asking Councils to continue sponsoring tables with the difference being that we will use the proceeds to help fund our own diocesan ministry to priests and thereby, true clergy appreciation. Checks for Table Sponsorship should be made out to: Galveston-Houston Chapter.
PRESENTATIONS TO OUTSTANDING CLERGY At each year s event a number of Priests and Deacons will be presented with an award for Outstanding Clergy of the Year. There are many deserving Priests and Deacons that have been outstanding in the performance of their ministries, who should be nominated for the Clergy Awards. A Committee is formed to review these nominations. We need your support in submitting nominations in writing, by January 8, 2019 (Chapter Meeting Night). Enclosed is the nomination form for your use. SILENT AUCTION Each year we have a Silent Auction at this event. We are asking each Council to donate an item valued at $50.00 or more to be used for the Silent Auction. These prizes can be dinners at a local restaurant, gift certificates, free admission to movies, donations from merchants, health club memberships, golf games, etc. Even a cash donation can be made. Silent Auction items should be delivered to Galveston Houston Chapter by January 8, 2019, the night of the January Chapter meeting. Proceeds from the Silent Auction will be used to offset the cost of the venue for Clergy Night, insurance, security, cleanup, beverages, and table settings. We look forward to another successful and memorable event where we can continue to honor our Clergy. If you plan to bring the Auction item the night of the event, you should notify John Hinojosa, as a prize list will be generated. If you have any questions in regards to any of the information listed in this letter, please feel free to contact John Hinojosa at teamhinojosa@aol.com, phone# 713-412-6477 ALL RESERVATION/PURCHASE FORMS, OUTSTANDING CLERGY NOMINATION FORMS AND TABLE SPONSORHIP CHECKS MAY BE MAILED TO: GALVESTON-HOUSTON CHAPTER KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS c/o Clergy Appreciation Night PO BOX 1878 Houston, TX 77251
GALVESTON-HOUSTON CHAPTER OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 35th ANNUAL CLERGY APPRECIATION NIGHT FRIDAY, February 1, 2019 RESERVATION/PURCHASE FORM Council Name: Council #: SEAT RESERVATIONS: Please note: There will be no will-call for seats. The majority of our tables hold ten people. Based on the information on this form, seats will be assigned to the Council or individual. Please fill in info below: GK/FS/ or other Council Designee: Council #: Home phone #: Cell#: E-mail: No. of paying attendees (seats): @ $35.00 each TOTAL: $.00 No. of Clergy resv. (List below): @ $20.00 each TOTAL: $.00 GRAND TOTAL: $.00 Please make the checks for the payment of seats payable to: Galveston-Houston Chapter. CLERGY RESERVATIONS (include spouse if applicable) Name Parish/Council Is spouse going to attend? TABLE SPONSORSHIP Will your Council be sponsoring a table? Yes No If so, how many? @ $100.00 per table Total amount:. Please make the check for the payment of Table Sponsorship payable to: Galveston-Houston Chapter. All reservation/purchase forms may be submitted via e-mail to teamhinojosa@aol.com or by mail to: PO BOX 1878, Houston, TX 77251 TABLE PLACEMENT The decision as to the location of where your Council will be seated is as follows: a) Seat placement is based on when your reservation and payment is received; first-come, first served basis. b) All table reservation/purchase forms that are received either by mail or e-mail will be considered received by the date and time stamp of the e-mail or 5:00 pm of the postage date on the envelope. c) Any forms received that do not include payment will be given 14 calendar days to remit payment. If payment is not received by the end of the 14 th day (including the date postage is cancelled) the form will be considered received once the payment arrives. d) Any Council that does not pay for tickets prior to January 09 th will have their reservation voided and will be placed only when their payment is received.
2019 CLERGY APPRECIATION NIGHT OUTSTANDING CLERGY OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINATION FORM (Due by 01/09/19 at Chapter Mtg.) Name Council No. Parish Date of Birth Place of Birth Membership No. Education History: (List name, dates, and location) Elementary School High School College Seminary Date & Location of Ordination: Assignments: (List Parishes, Schools, Advanced Degrees, etc. Include dates, names, & location) Knights of Columbus History: First Degree Date & Location: 2 nd & 3 rd Degree Date/Location: Fourth Degree Date & Location: Assembly No. Council Chaplain/Assembly Friar: (List Council/Assembly names, dates, and locations) Other Awards, Recognitions, and/or Assignments: Hobbies, Habits, or Additional Information: Submitted by: (Include Name, address, phone number, and e-mail) (Please expand beyond list above paying particular Attention to involvement with the Knights) Nomination Forms must be postmarked by January 4, 2019 to: Galveston Houston Chapter Clergy Appreciation Night PO BOX 1878, Houston, TX 77251