The Outer Guard Knights of Columbus #1143 7132 Marine Road Edwardsville, IL 62025 618-656-4985 Meetings: Third Degree -- 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 p.m. Fourth Degree -- 1st Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Grand Knight Jim Jatcko Phone: 618-803-0570 www.kofc1143.org outerguard1143@gmail.com www.facebook.com/edwardsvillekofc www.instagram.com/kofc1143 JANUARY 2019 From the Grand Knight Brother Knights, Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a terrific Christmas, with quality time spent with family and friends. As we enter the new year, we again have an opportunity to ask ourselves what we can do to make this year better for ourselves and those around us. Fortunately as Knights, that s what we seek to do every day, all year round. I encourage each of us, myself included, to make one small improvement this year, either in our Faith, Family life, Community or the culture of Life. Just think of the impact that we as a council can have if we all make just one small positive difference. We will truly be shining examples of Faith in Action. The new year starts now and change starts with us. Will you join me in making a difference? Fraternally, Jim Jatcko, GK Family of the Month At our December council meeting, we recognized Ryan and Ann Marie Fitzpatrick as our Family of the Month. Together, they gathered donations from numerous local businesses for Hops for Heroes raffle items. Ryan also headed up planning for our council Christmas party. Thanks for all that you do for our council and community, Ryan and Ann Marie! Knight of the Month Congratulations to our Knight of the Month Scott Bayles. Scott s tireless efforts over the course of several months resulted in our most successful Hops for Heroes craft beer festival to date. Scott worked diligently to bring 25 breweries together for this event, which benefits Greater St. Louis Honor Flight. Largely because of his efforts, we ll be sponsoring two veterans and their travel companions with a trip to Washington, DC to visit all of the war memorials. The Hall at 7132 Marine Road In late 2017, our council entered into a Terms of Use Agreement with Fred Mills Club, Inc., the owner and operator of our council home for many decades. This agreement is required by the Knights of Columbus Supreme Office for all councils operating their own facility. The final step in completing our agreement was the official naming of the hall. At the December Fred Mills Club board meeting, the new name was approved at The Hall at 7132 Marine Road. Going forward, please make any reference to the building and lounge by this name in all correspondence or materials used for KofC Council 1143 activities taking place there. New outside signage identifying The Hall at 7132 Marine Road will be going up soon. Consecration to the Holy Family Event This month, our council will be hosting a Consecration to the Holy Family. Please plan to join your fellow Brother Knights and their families for Mass at St. Mary's on Tuesday, January 8 at 6:30pm. At the conclusion of Mass, Fr. Dan will lead us in the consecration prayer.
Shopping Spree Brings Christmas Cheer The Children in Need Shopping Spree took place for the 37th consecutive year on December 8 at Walmart. We purchased gifts for 12 families less fortunate that most KofC members. Fourteen KofC chaperones assisted the children with the shopping for their families. In total, we collected nearly $3,000, which covered the cost of all of the purchases. At the conclusion of shopping, we headed to the Hall for wrapping of gifts and a small Christmas party. We were met by 17 enthusiastic Father McGivney Catholic High School students, who helped with the wrapping. Special thanks to our chaperones, who made Christmas special for those in need this year. Also, thanks to those who financially supported this traditional Council 1143 event. This is truly a fine example of putting Christ back into Christmas! Don Brunworth, Chairman Our 37 th Annual Children in Need Christmas Shopping Spree was again a success. Thanks to all who came out to chaperone or to wrap gifts. Insurance Growth Remains a Focus for the Knights of Columbus As I am writing this, the Knights of Columbus is very close to achieving eighteen straight years of growth in our life insurance program. What other company can make this claim? So, as we start 2019 I wanted to share with you our Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson s statement about our life insurance program in his Annual Report at the Supreme Convention in August 2018. Once again, the growth or our life insurance program was impressive. When I was elected supreme knight, I said that we have a moral obligation to offer membership in the Knights of Columbus to every eligible Catholic man. And today, I tell you we have a similar obligation to offer our greatest fraternal benefit Knights of Columbus Insurance to every eligible Catholic man. Our assets under management are more than $24 billion. Our surplus is up by $188 million to more than $2.1 billion. We are ranked among the Fortune 1,000 list of America s largest companies. And just recently, Standard & Poor s listed the Knights of Columbus as one of the six strongest life insurance companies in North America putting us at the very top of the industry. Father McGivney knew from personal experience how uncertain a family s life can be. If we are to be faithful to the vision of Father McGivney, then we all have the responsibility to ensure that every brother Knight can secure the financial future of his family. Our mission is to help every brother Knight be a responsible steward, so if the unexpected happens, his home is secure, his wife is protected, and his children have a promising future. I m especially proud of our recognition by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World s Most Ethical Companies for 2018. The Knights of Columbus has received that distinction for five straight years, and is one of just three insurance companies so honored. Pope Francis has challenged Catholics to take up what he calls an ethics of fraternity. This is also the vision of Father McGivney. And this is what we have been doing for more than 135 years. We should remember that in Father McGivney s day there were already insurance companies in Connecticut. He could have referred his parishioners to one of these companies. But he did not. Father McGivney wanted something different. He wanted something new. He wanted something distinctly Catholic. Father McGivney wanted a new Catholic fraternity that would transform the practical men of his day into a committed brotherhood of men capable of helping each other. That is what he founded, and that is what we remain today. At the Knights of Columbus, we have developed a strong, successful business model based upon an ethics of fraternity. It is what we mean when we say insurance by brother Knights for brother Knights. Happy New Year! Michael M. Sullivan, FICF, LUTCF Office: (618) 692-0538
TOP LEFT: We received the Star Council Award for 2017-18 at our December council meeting. Thanks to (L-R) Program Director Ryan Fitzpatrick, Grand Knight Jim Jatcko, Membership Director Mike Sullivan and Program Director Steve Edwards - and all of our 400+ members - for their efforts in making our year a big success LEFT: Grand Knight Jim Jatcko is presented the award by District Deputy Joe Wetmore. RIGHT: Winners from our Keep Christ in Christmas Coloring Contest showcase their works of art. (L-R) Cora Potthast 5 th grade, Caden Bernaix 6 th grade, Maya Lueking 7 th grade and Ellie Antonini 8 th grade. Cora is the granddaughter of Brother Knight Doug Hastings.