` MARCH 2011 IN THIS ISSUE ACTS A common acronym for the four types of prayer is the word ACTS, Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication. The first form of prayer is adoration.. The primary and funda fundamental element in adoration is an interior act of mind and will:l: the mind perceiving that God's perfection is infinite, the will bidding us to extol and worship this perfection. Human nature demands physical utterance of some sort for its spiritual and emotional moods, and it is to this instinct for self selfexpression ssion that our whole apparatus of speech and gesture is due. To suppress this instinct in religion would be unreasonable. St Thomas teaches: "It is natural for us to pass from the physical signs to the spiritual basis upon which they rest" (Summa II-II:48:2). II:48:2). It is to be expected, then, that we agree upon certain conventional actions as expressing adoration doration of SEE ACTS page 2 Here we go again! Time to start planning your council s il s semi-annual church membership campaign. Gather up your resources, and start planning for a successful recruiting campaign.. Get those prospects rounded up and iniisee BLITZ page 2 Helping the Doubter Page 2 State Convention Information Page 3 2 State Deputy Patrick Doherty March comes in like a lion and goes out often like a lamb. Late ate March weather in Wyoming is not for the sheepish. It is not only the month which slams us with many of our big blizzards, but also it is a time of the anticipation of spring, and a time of preparing. Farmers armers are getting ready for planting. Ranchers are in the middle of calving and lambing seasons. The Catholic Church has given us Lent as a time to reflect and prepare for remembering the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. SEE STATE DEPUTY page 3 Free Throw Championship The 2011 Wyoming State Knights of Columbus Free Throw Competition: When: Saturday, March 19th Casper Where: St. Patrick s Church School Gym Registration: 10am -11am 400 Country Club Competition starts: 11 am Lunch served following the competition Contact: Brian Dever 307-267-7698 (cell) (Email Temporarily not Available) Mail: District Deputies please mail local freethrow winning registrations to Chairman Brian Dever, before the competition at the following address: 1754 S. Spruce Casper, WY 82601 nd rd & 3 Degrees Schedules Page 4 Insurance Page 5 th 4 Degree News Page 4 Wyoming Membership Today Page 5 IMPORTANT DATES March 8 Mardi Gras March 9 Ash Wednesday Lent Begins March 17 St. Patrick Day N.L.T. March23 Resolutions to State Advocate March 19 Free-Throw Championship at Casper March 29 Founders Day April 1 Last day to get ads in Convention booklet th N.L.T. April 14 Delegate Credentials to State Secretary A.S.A.P. Awards paperwork to State Awards Chairman
Cowboy Bulletin March 2011 Page 2 ACTS continued from page 1 the Supreme Being. Of these actions, one is pre-eminently and exclusively signified as adoration, and, that is sacrifice. Other acts have been widely used for the same purpose, but most of them sacrifice always excepted have not been exclusively reserved for Divine worship. They have also been employed to manifest friendship, or reverence for high personages. Abram "fell flat on his face" before the Lord (Genesis 17:3). This was clearly an act of adoration. David adored "falling on his face to the ground" before Jonathan, who had come to warn him of Saul's hatred. In like manner Gen xxxi; 3 narrates that Jacob, on meeting his brother Esau "bowed down with his face to the ground seven times". Early Christians adored God standing with outstretched arms and facing the east. Today we use many gestures for adoration to God including kneeling, bowing, raising or folding hands, sitting quietly, or with prayers of praising and proclaiming God s goodness. Over the next few months I will address the other forms of prayer. Peace and Joy. Fr. Tom Kadera, State Chaplain BLITZ (continue from page 1) tiated into your Council. A few simple steps to help you succeed with your Semi-annual membership drive: Get permission from your parish pastor to hold the Church Membership drive. Advertize your BLITZ your church bulletin. Select a good public speaking member to present your pulpit announcement. Have members ready at church to fill out prospect cards, and answer questions. Notify your District Deputy of the results of your membership drive. Schedule a first degree. Call on prospects soon after the BLITZ. Invite all your prospects, and their family to your council s information night. Complete from 100 & hold a 1 st Degree. Helping the Doubter Lately I have met a number of people who have left the Catholic faith because they say that Catholics are not friendly enough, and there is not enough people interaction at Mass. Those who I know personally were never active in any church groups. How could they experience any interaction? Perhaps what they really wanted was a church where everything is done on Sunday, and in the church, something similar to a concert or a show. I ve often asked them, What about the Eucharist? Mostly there is either no answer or My new church has communion. When asked about the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, their answer only confirms the reason they left the Church. They say, Their new church s communion is just a symbol, just like in the Catholic Church. They have failed to understand how the Holy Eucharist is central to what Catholicism is about. It is where we have a real connection with Jesus. Without the Eucharist there is no real Christianity. Doubters are nothing new. They existed before Christ s coming. They existed during His ministry on earth and they will exist until his second coming. Judas didn t believe that Jesus could give His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink and so left at the Last Supper when the Eucharist was instituted as we read in John 6:52 (New American Bible), The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat? In John 6:53, Jesus said to them, Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Those who doubt the power in the Eucharist doubt the words of Jesus just as Judas did. They leave the Body of Christ for the body of humanity, because it is easier to accept what they can t physically see and feel. All of us need those teaching moments in our lives. I recommend all 21 chapters of John as a wonderful review of what we learned when we first became Catholic Christians. Instructed by these eternal truths we are better armed to help those in doubt. Paul Puebla, State Advocate
Cowboy Bulletin March 2011 Page 3 STATE DEPUTY (continued from page 1) On most years, Lent is all of March. This year it starts on the second Wednesday of March and ends in April. Feast days in March include St. Patrick (my favorite this month), St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and ending the month with Annunciation of our Lord. Spring is a time of new life. March is a spring month. So let s bring in new life in the form of new members into your council and, in doing so, prepare your council for the future. The Order provides an easy way to do this: Participate in the membership BLITZ. The March Blitz is when we should bring in several new members. By following the advice of State Membership Director, Raoul Laganière, the conducting of a Blitz should not only be productive, but be reasonably painless. However, YOU STILL HAVE TO ASK PEOPLE TO JOIN. The Membership Blitz is held in the month when we celebrate Founder s Day, and should be an important part of your council s overall recruitment plan. We must still recruit year round! Recruiting new members should be a perpetual part of every council s programs. While holding one project or another, we sometimes catch the eye of a potential candidate. Let him see your pride, your love of the Knights of Columbus. The rest is easy when you make recruiting an integral part of every council activity. Along with recruitment goes retention. Many councils will be sending out a third notice this month. I want to remind you to do due diligence in trying to retain members. Don t let any member become a faceless name on your roster. Every member joined for a reason. Most were simply asked to join. Go back to the proposer of this member and ask him to help you retain that member. He thought enough of this man to ask him to join us the first time. When the retention committee calls on him, be sure you are giving him value in return for the money you are requesting. Ask him if his wife understands what the value is to her. about daily Mass said for deceased How members and spouses? Are you willing to give up the Mass that is said for you every day? Most wives are not aware or don t understand the benefits of their husband staying a Knight. This month will be a busy one. March 5 th is Jackalope Jump in Gillette where I plan to jump. March 12 th will be a 2 nd and 3 rd degree in Powell. March 19 th is the state free-throw competition in Casper, and March 26 th will be a 2 nd and 3 rd degree in Green River. At your council meeting this month, remember to make preparations to attend the State Convention, vote on delegates to the convention, and submit your delegates credentials to State Secretary, Don Scott. Any resolutions being submitted by your council need to be sent by the month s end to the State Advocate, Paul Puebla. Between the feasting, fasting and the preparing, March is sure to go quickly. Until next month, keep the snow shovels handy. Continue your work of building up our order. In doing so, you build up the Church by helping a man and his family become a better Catholic. Invite him to join us in the Knights of Columbus. Happy Saint Patrick s Day! May God bless you and your family, Patrick Doherty, State Deputy Wyoming State Convention Off we go to Casper for the April 29 through May 1, State Convention. Events begin with a 1:00 p.m. Mass followed by the first open session. Council #1563 is sponsoring the event. Registration packets have been mailed. Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center is the convention site. Hotels: Ramkota 307-266-6000 Quality Innn 307-266-2400 Hampton Inn 307-235-6668 Marriott 307-473-2600 For further information contact: Bret Ladenburger 307-760-1006 (cell), or Norm Long, G.K. at 307-359-0409 or Don Stewart (advertizing) 307-253-8985 or Mike Cometto, (registration) 307-262-5028.
Cowboy Bulletin March 2011 Page 4 WYOMING DISTRICT 4 TH DEGREE Man proposes God disposes! It was a great plan, and everything seemed to be ready for the exemplification of new members into the 4 th degree. Then, here came one of Wyoming s winter snows, blanketing the southeastern part of the state, with threats of more to come. When I was notified that the Degree Team would not risk traveling to Casper, due to the weather, I had no choice but to cancel the exemplification. Immediate email notifications went out to all state officers, district deputies, Faithful Navigator, and Comptrollers. My sincere apologies go to Ed Miller, his two candidates, and guests. They did not received the cancellation notice in time and travelled from Sheridan to Casper, only to learn that the ceremony had been cancelled. Rest assured that this oversight was not intentional. This event may have a positive outcome. I m hoping that we may be able to form a 4 th degree team in the Casper area in the near future. Our next planned 4 th degree is scheduled for the Green River/Rock Springs area on April 16 th, 2011. I ve been assured that there is a 4 th degree team in that area, so availability of team members should not be a last minute issue there. Faithful Navigators and Comptrollers should be receiving schedule information in the next few weeks. In March of each year, the Order conducts one of its semiannual Church Membership BLITZ. Although we concentrate on getting new members at this time, that should not hinder us from asking a present 3 rd degree members to become 4 th degree members. During the Casper scheduled exemplification, we were only able to muster up twelve candidates. The more candidates we can bring to an exemplification, the greater the solemnity of the event. Together, we can make these degrees a success, and a meaningful experience for our future Sir Knights. Your recruiting efforts, support, and commitment can make this happen. Seven weeks remain until the next ceremony. We need your help to bring in new, young and vibrant Sir Knights into being. Won t you help us? Raoul Laganière, District Master Email: wyo4thdegree@gmail.com 1 ST, 2 ND, & 3 RD DEGREE NOTICE MARCH 12 th, POWELL St. Barbara s, 115 E/ 3 rd Street First Degree Morning if needed. 2 nd Degree 1:00 p.m. 3 rd Degree follows 2 nd degree. Teams: 2 nd Cody; 3 rd Green River Contacts: Jack Rodgers 307.527.7726 Anthony Aguirre - 307.275.5399 MARCH 26 th, GREEN RIVER Hitching Post & Shoshoni Ave. First Degree 10:00 a.m. 2 nd Degree 1:00 p.m. 3 rd Degree follow 2 nd degree. Teams: 2 nd Green River; 3 rd Cody (Tentative) Contacts: Jim Borzea 307.350.7472 Mike Dahl 307.875.7831 LENTEN REGULATIONS Days of penance to be observed are Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. Abstinence from meat is observed on all Fridays, and fast is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Abstinence means no meat consumption. Fast means only one full meal during the day. If you re 14 years of age you are bound by the law of abstinence. If you re age 18 through 59 you are to observe the law of fasting. Parents encourage the young to do penance and practice self discipline, use the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and attend Mass more frequently. Priests and Deacons may grant dispensations to individuals, families, or groups for their parish and those visiting their parishes. Those dispensed or exempt by age should adopt other forms of penance.. Month Published COWBOY BULLETIN SCHEDULES FOR REMAINDER OF 2010/2011 FRATERNAL YEAR Submit Articles by Bulletin Published On April March 28 th April 4 th May April 26 th May 4 th June May 26 th June 3 rd Note: A call for articles, schedules, etc. will continue to be emailed at approximately one week prior to the submission date for next month s Cowboy Bulletin. Submit to: wyokcnews@gmail.com.
Cowboy Bulletin March 2011 Page 5 The Gift of Life Insurance The general trend in the North American consumer base is to make purchases based on three key elements: price, information and usefulness. The initial reaction for many people when you mention life insurance as a gift is a quick step back and a questioning stare. How morbid, they may think quietly or aloud. While it may seem that way when you first mention it, life insurance is a really thoughtful gift that can be a saving grace in tough times. Many think of life insurance only in cases where someone dies. Life insurance should, in fact, be thought of as a precautionary protective measure for a family unit. The purchase of this product can mean saving your home, sending your children to college and preserving your spouse s quality of life in the event of your death. One of the times you may want to purchase is when a family has a new baby. It s a great, low-cost way to set money aside for the future. Of greater importance, it ensures these children will have insurance as adults, in case an illness later in life makes him or her uninsurable. Another group are newlyweds. As they join their lives and financial responsibilities, young couples need to make sure that their early investments are fully protected. If something were to happen to one of them, the other may be faced with serious financial hardship. A life insurance policy is an ideal way to ensure their future and protect their assets. As nontraditional as it may be, life insurance is a wise and caring gift to purchase for many people. While they hope they will never have to use it, their loved ones will appreciate this present, if ever needed. Why not consider life insurance? It is affordable, provides peace of mind and security, and there are a number of policies that meet each individual s situation. Thomas P. Smith Jr. Executive V.P., Agencies & Marketing Your Wyoming Insurance Field Agents serving you are: For Council 801 (Cheyenne Only) Ernest Cienfuengos Tel.: (970) 310-4670 Email: Ernest.cienfuegos-baca@kofc.org For Councils: 2578, 3043, 3237, 3551, 4031, 5447, 7453, 9431, and 9756 Cory Cummings Tel.: (307) 240-1265 Email: cory.communigs@kofc.org. All other Wyoming Councils not covered above Jerome Jerry Hoefler Tels.: (800) 799-3169 or (307) 401-0399 Email: j1051hoef@yahoo.com WYOMING MEMBERSHIP TODAY FOUR MONTHS and this fraternal year is history. This chart shows our standing, by District, as recorded by the Supreme Council as of March 2, 2011. Y.T.D. Membership District # & goal Gain Lost Net Gain 1-35 21-3 18 2-13 7-2 5 3-19 10 0 10 4-18 6 0 6 5-15 11-4 7 6-33 18-9 9 7-10 1 0 1 8-9 4-3 1 Wyoming 78 19 59 Some of you are very close to achieving your membership goals. For some others, a little more recruiting is needed. Please don t let time escape you without taking the opportunity presented by the March Church Membership BLITZ. You ve heard that recruiting is 365/24/7 effort. If you ve missed out on latching on to that prospect, give it another try. Don t know how to conduct a successful BLITZ? Check out the information on Supreme s website: www.kofc.org. There s a complete guide available for your use. Don t have or dislike a computer? Contact your District Deputy. He s there to help you. When these next months are history, I hope that we will have done everything possible to make membership in our Order available to every Catholic man and his family in Wyoming. Raoul Laganière, Membership Director