Official Newsletter of the Knights of Columbus of Missouri“Protecting, Saving Lives and Changing Lives” FEBRUARY, 2017

Knights of Columbus

Charity ~ Unity ~ Fraternity ~ Patriotism

Newsletter

GENERAL PROGRAMDIRECTOR

DOUG KISSINGER

VOLUME 3, NO 8

MEMBERSHIP DIR.MIKE GRUDZINSKI

If your Council has not sent ineither their form #1728, The AnnualSurvey of Fraternal Activity or their#4584 which is your Partnership Pro-file Report with Special Olympics,please do so as soon as possible. Thesereports are very important to yourCouncil’s success and to the Knights of

Columbus success order wide. Supreme will accept these reports latebut for them to make an impact they need to be turned in immediately.

All of the Councils in Missouri do amazing programs and projects.As we head in to the second half of this fraternal year I would likeeach Council to submit one of their outstanding programs for a Pro-gram Service Award. Applications are available on the State website,www.mokofc.org, and can be submitted in the following categories;Church, Community, Council, Family, Culture of Life, and Youth. It’seasiest to submit your application right after the program concludesso that the details are fresh in your mind.

So far only a couple of applications have been submitted. Theseawards are handed out at the convention banquet in April. It is impor-tant that your Council receives the recognition it deserves. Missourihas a tradition of great programs that have received numerous awardsand international recognition. Submit one of your Councils programstoday.

Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2017.February is a great month to be looking at the programs we have

already accomplished and what still lies ahead for completing our StarCouncil requirements. Plan now for your Councils March ChurchMembership Drive. It is an important step to finish your membershipand Insurance quotas.

Also look at what programs you need to complete in the secondhalf of the year to finish out your Columbian Award. This is an impor-tant part of your Star Council requirements. The new Columbian AwardApplication, SP-7, is available online at the Supreme website,www.kofc.org. The main change in the SP-7 is to add boxes to the leftof the four requirements in all six areas. You are to check these boxesfor qualifying Building the Domestic Church programs.

Membership is the engine that drives all of our programs andevery program is a membership recruitment opportunity.

The Month of Love – In Febru-ary, it is traditional to honor that spe-cial person in our lives on Valentine’sDay; as Knights we show our love forour Church and Community yearround through our works of Charity.Give men in your parish the opportu-nity to express their love for theirChurch and Community through mem-

bership in the Knights. You may want to host a Valentine’s party foryour council, and make sure to invite non-members and their spouseto attend. Show them that the Knights are a family oriented organi-zation.

Now is also when you should be finalizing everything for yourSpring Church Drive. Every council is asked to have a Church Drivein March, with the weekend of March 11-12 being suggested bySupreme. Planning, planning, and more planning – I can’t stressthat enough. Prepare the parish by having notices about the drive inyour bulletin for several weeks before it occurs; have a preparedpulpit announcement given by a dynamic Knight speaker (or evenbetter – a Knight and his wife); have Knights at each exit availableto talk to potential members; have plenty of recruitment brochures,prospect cards and Form 100s available; have an Open House plannedwhere potential members (and his wife and family) can meet coun-cil members in a relaxed atmosphere; have AT LEAST two Admis-sion Degrees scheduled to get in new members. Our Supreme con-sultant Dannie Harris will be doing a series of workshops in Febru-ary which will deal with Membership and Church Drives. Pleaseplan on attending the session held closest to you.Lastly, this is the time of year when dues are being paid, and oftentimes confusion arises on the status of Honorary Life members andthe 4th Degree. Just because a member may be an Honorary Lifemember of his council, he may or may not be an Honorary Lifemember of his assembly. You need to be 70 years old and have 25consecutive years membership in your council to be an HonoraryLife member in it, and be 70 years old and have 25 consecutiveyears of membership in your assembly to be an Honorary Life mem-ber of that. Just because you are an Honorary Life member in yourcouncil, does not automatically make you an Honorary Life mem-ber in your assembly.

Did You Know…In 2015-2016, Missouri Knights of Columbus• …gave $50,000 in grants to Catholic Schools and PSRs. These

were given in terms of $500 and $1,000 grants, involving over 84different entities.

• …hosted 3 religious pilgrimages across the state which wereopen to everyone to attend: Conception Abbey & Clyde in the north-west corner of the state, Mary, Mother of the Church Shrine inLaurie, and Old Ferdinand Shrine and Historic Site in St. Louis.

COMMUNITYACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

JOHN MAUTINO

Soon you will receive two ap-peal letters letter asking for dona-tions to two of our lesser known,but very important programs. Firstis Agape House /Prison ConcernMinistry. The Agape House pro-vides a place for families of pris-oners to stay while visiting theirloved ones. Criminal justice reformis a public policy priority for theMissouri Catholic Conference.One of the goals of this policy isto assist offenders in successfullyreentering society. Helping to en-sure meaningful contact with theirfamilies advances this goal. Pleasehelp by donating to this criticalprogram.

�An appeal letter for the Ameri-can Wheelchair Mission will alsobe arriving soon. The cost of awheelchair is only $150.Throughour support the last few years, thisProgram has been very successful.There remains a strong demand forwheelchairs, and we need contin-ued support in order to continue tomeet the demand for mobility thatour Programs helps provide. Pleaseconsider holding a WheelchairSunday drive. Like a Baby Bottledrive, there is a pulpit appeal andparishioners are asked for dona-tions. There is a brochure on theState Council’s website that ex-plains how to conduct a Wheel-chair Sunday drive. The bulletin isvery informative and easy to fol-low. Life Services Chairman MattGray can help your Council ar-range a Wheelchair Sunday drivesthis spring. Please talk this overwith your Council and contact Mattif you would also like to do aWheelchair Sunday drive.�

If your Council has not yet sentin the Partnership with SpecialOlympics Form (From 4584] toSupreme, please do so as soon aspossible. This form is available onthe Supreme Council’s webpage,and it can be filled out, and deliv-ered, electronically. How easy isthat? �Keep in mind that the Formcovers more than just financialsupport, it covers volunteer hours,and events attended. It is importantto let everyone know how strongour support is for Special Olym-pics. So please send in the Form,even if your Council did not sup-port Special Olympics last year.

State IncentivesCouncils:January & February – Super Bowl Challenge:

• Field Goal – If a council takes in 3 new members fromJanuary 1 – February 28 they will receive $50.00

• Touchdown – If a council takes in 7 new members fromJanuary 1 – February 28, they will receive $150; If the council isable to get 7 new members from January 1 – January 31, theywill receive $200.

Individuals:• Each Quarter the top proposer in each Diocese will receive

$200 and a Knights Polo Shirt; 2nd place = $100; 3rd place =$50.(A MINIMUM of 5 new members (per Quarter) is required)

• Yearlong: The top proposer for the period of July 1, 2016 –March 31, 2017 will be named a delegate representing Missouriat the 2017 Supreme Convention in St. Louis.

Additional incentives will be announced throughout the year.Plus the Supreme Council has their own incentives as well.

If you ever have membership questions, please contact yourDD, Regional Membership Chairman or any Membership Teammember. We are here to help!

• Sunday 2/19 Springfield 1:00 PM [St. Anne’s Council 698 – KCHall, 2340 W. Grand, Springfield 65807] – Southwest Region (DonMihalevich / Tom Nelson)

• Sunday 2/19 Webb City 6:00 PM [Don Roderique Council 7307– Sacred Heart Church, 909 N. Madison, Webb City 64870] – South-west Region (Les Erwin)

• Monday 2/20 Perryville 7:00 PM [Wm. J. Barnwell - PerryvilleCouncil 1263 – 31 Church St. Perryville 63775] – Mineral Area Re-gion (Vic Bender)

• Tuesday 2/21 St. Charles 7:00 PM [Elizabeth Ann Seton Council11382 - # 2 Seton Court, St. Charles 63303] – St. Louis North Region(Clancey Duttlinger & District #32)

• Wednesday 2/22 St Louis 7:00 PM [Fr. Griffin Council 3586 - 7Holy Founder Parish Center, 6741 Rock Hill Road, Afton 63123] –St. Louis Region (Dick Kobylski & District 39)

• Thursday 2/23 Moberly 7:00 PM [Msgr. John Mahoney Council#995 – 798 C.R. 2275, Moberly 65270] – Northeast Region (RichardDubbert)

• Friday 2/24 Jefferson City 7:00 PM [Jeff City Council 1054 -1822 Tanner Bridge Rd, Jeff City 65101] - Central West Region (PatKennedy)

• Saturday 2/25 Kansas City 10:00 AM [St. Thomas More Council14270 – More Hall, 11822 Holmes Road, Kansas City 64131 – En-trance is on the lower level facing Holmes] – Kansas City Region (PatCarr / Chuck Paquette / Mike Hartig)

Dannie Harris “Spring Church Drive /Membership” Workshops Revised Schedule

Article contines on page 2

Page 2 – Volume 3, No. 7 – “Protecting, Saving Lives, Changing Lives” – January 2017

COUNCIL ACTIVITIES DIR.MIKE TESMER

Inspiring, Honoring & Uniting

RESPECT LIFEACTIVITIES DIR.JERRY HERBERT

R. I. B. DIRECTORMIKE AUCHLY

One of the duties as Council Ac-tivities Director that really intrigued mewas the Missouri Knights of Columbusmuseum. It is truly an honor be respon-sible for the legacy of the Missouri StateCouncil as well as some items represent-ing the beginning of the Knights of Co-

lumbus and how we have touched the lives of so many throughout theyears.

The museum is located in the hall of Council 1054 in Jefferson City.The museum over the years had collected a lot of very interesting itemsbut a few years ago received a huge donation from the estate of PastState Deputy, Past Supreme Director and Past Supreme Master HilarySchmittzehe. Going through and categorizing these items has been adaunting task for the past officers and directors and State Historian DavidKiesling. Display cabinets had been purchased and items are currentlyon display but many boxes of items were still left to go through. Irecently spent time with David Kiesling as we re-evaluated the spaceand items to put together a plan to display many of the additional items.Our goal is to provide a prominent space and display that you will beproud of as a Knight of Columbus. Once the next phase is complete,we would like to put together a ‘Virtual” tour of the museum online andhave pictures and descriptions of many of the items. The State Councilis very blessed and thankful to Council 1054 for providing us the spacefor the museum.

On my visit to the museum and going through some of the boxes, wefound a Columbia magazine from 1906, membership records from aCouncil from that same year along with many items dating back to1901. We found an assessment of dues from 1923 for the amount of$3.50 stuck in and envelope and many other very interesting items toonumerous to mention.

A couple of items in particular caught my attention and that was aColumbia magazine from 1956 which was shortly after I was born anda Mariner article from February 1975 that highlighted the 75 years ofKnighthood in Missouri. The Columbia magazine was way differentthen what we get today and featured many ads. The inside front coverfeatured where to buy amazing mysteriously scented 100 year old gypsyfish bait and the next page featuring a Westinghouse cooker/fryer for$8.95 on sale from the regular price of $39.95. I guess the advertisersreally knew what Knights were interested in in 1956, fishing and cook-ing! The Mariner article from 1975 was extremely interesting as itincluded a history of the Knights in Missouri put together by PSD GeorgeSweeney who served from 1972 to 1974 and I would like to includeexerts of that in future newsletters and on our website. Here is the textof the first paragraph: “The founding of the Order in Missouri was oc-casioned by a man by the name of Michael Gleason, the Chancellor ofChicago IL Council 182 and a national organizer of the Order, whocrossed the Mississippi river in the summer of 1899. His efforts metwith success on the 8th day of October, 1899, when St. Louis Council453 was instituted at Druids Hall, 9th & Market Sts., in St. Louis”. Thehistory article goes on throughout the years on the many programs andworks that the State has started and continues to this day of amazingaccomplishments.

So on that note, it is always good to look back on what we haveaccomplished in the past and there is many to name and celebrate. But,what will you and your Council do to continue in the legacy? We needmany more members to help us reach our goals to affect change in ourpart of the state! I know that by looking at our past, it challenges me togreatness and hope it does you as well. Be sure to send me your Inspiring events for the Knights in Actionpage that we started last year. Please email me atcouncildirecter@mokofc.org a picture and short explanation of the eventwhatever it might be. I try to put an article out each month if I getenough sent to me. Vivat Jesus!

Just recently a colleague ofmine was expecting her secondchild. Everything was going alongjust perfectly. Then the week ofChristmas she started having pre-mature contractions. It requiredher to be hospitalized on total bedrest. The doctor’s game plan wasto try and keep her baby in thewomb until at least 32 weeks. Herdue date was late March. But astime progressed it was apparentthat her baby was not going to waitany longer. So at 27 weeks shedelivered thru an emergency C-section a 2lb 5oz baby boy. He wasbreathing on own, and they imme-diately tested his heart. I am happyto report that he is doing very well.He is off the heart monitor, and sheshould be able to take him home

in about another 8 weeks.How can anyone say that this is nota human being! Why do somepeople think it is just fine to aborta baby at this same 27 – 28 weeks?I am totally baffled how someonecannot see how wrong this is todestroy a life at this age! This isexactly why we as Knights of Co-lumbus continue to fight for theseinnocent children. These tiny be-ings that cannot defend them-selves. A creation from God!Now the City of St Louis has analderman who is trying to make theCity an abortion sanctuary! Theyare proposing Board Bill 203. Thebill would amend the city’s anti-discrimination law and add preg-nancy and reproductive health de-cisions as protected class. The billdoes not provide an exemption forchurches, religious organizations,or individuals who have a consci-entious objection. Please pray thatthis Bill does not pass. We arecounting on the Knights andCatholics who live in the City ofSt Louis to notify their Aldermanof opposition to this Bill.

This war still rages! The Mis-souri Knights of Columbus willcontinue to fight this battle withour “Meet Life Program”. Just be-cause we surpassed the 2 Milliondollar goal, does not automatically

end abortion or those who try tothrow up road blocks to our cause.This is why it is extremely impor-tant that we continue to pour ourresources into this program. Weask each Council, Auxiliary, andAssembly to continue to find waysto raise funds to help us supportgroups who are fighting to endabortion.

We will be contacting thosewho have not contributed to MeetLife, and encourage them to sup-port our program. As mentionedbefore in previous articles in thisnewsletter and the Mariner. We arecurrently in the process of build-ing an endowment that will sup-port Meet Life on its own. But thatis going to take a few years to puttogether. In the mean time we needeveryone to support Meet Life.Baby Bottle campaigns will con-tinue. We encourage Councils tokeep going with their fund raisersto help us cover our commitmentsto Vitae Foundation, the PregnancyResource Centers, and Dioceses inthe State.

Please pray with us that we canend abortions. Remember whenJesus walked this earth, he did notdestroy lives, he saved lives, heal-ing and raising from the dead. Theonly life he destroyed was his ownto save all of us!

It’s always amazing how fast thefirst month of the year seems tofly by. Time moves fast and thingsto seem to slip up on us fast oncewe get past January. Even thoughthe start of Lent is so late this year,it will quickly be here along withmany other deadlines and otherevents and activities. One of thesedeadlines happens to be the Circleof Honor Society which is March31, 2017. All Councils achievingat least 100% of their R.I.B. quotaby March 31st will be inductedinto the Circle of Honor Societyfor this fraternal year. All Coun-cils achieving this status will re-

ceive a Commemorative Certifi-cate of Recognition and theCouncil’s name will be posted ona display at the State Convention.Grand Knight’s whose Councilhas attained 125% of their quotawill be honored with the R.I.B.Apostolate Cross pin. Ladies willreceive a pin as well but of a dif-ferent design. As well, DistrictDeputies whose districts achieve100% of their cumulative goal willalso receive a pin.The Fall Appeal letter has gener-ated a strong initial response buthas now been tapering off. Pleaseremind your members of the im-portance in donating to the crownjewel of the Missouri jurisdiction.The R.I.B.’s sole financial supportcomes from the donations ofCouncil and Auxiliary members.Don’t forget that this is a tax de-ductible contribution! The dona-tions we seek via the appeal let-ters are supplemental to those thatare obtained through Councils aspart of their dues. The appeal let-ter gives every Knight and Lady

who wants to give more to theR.I.B. then just the respective$7.50 or $3.75 the opportunity todo so.Don’t forget to remind your Coun-cil to take advantage of the R.I.BDisplay Board credit. How doyou do this you ask? Set up a dis-play of pamphlets (which areavailable free of charge at Catho-lic Home Study) during a Parishor Knights function. This can bea wooden frame, cardboard tri-fold, metal, tabletop, self-standingor any other design that works foryour Council. After the event,simply fill out the R.I.B. DisplayBoard Credit Application that islocated on page P14 of the pro-gram directory or available onlineon the state website. By taking aquick 2 minutes to complete thisapplication and submit it to Sec-retary/Treasurer Eric Bruns yourcouncil will obtain a $50 one timeannual credit towards yourcouncil’s goal. How easy it is! Asalways, Remember to CelebrateEverything!

February Degree SchedulePatriot Degree Exemplification

Feb. 25 – St. Louis Airport Hilton. Class HonoreeState Chaplain Fr. Rick Jones.

Formation and Knighthood DegreesFeb. 18 – St. Peter’s Council #13988, Kansas City

Feb. 19 – St. Martins Council #7194, Jefferson CityFeb. 26 – Kearney Council #8915, Kearney

Admission Degrees:Feb 6 – Chillicothe Council #1084, Chillicothe

Feb. 8 – Mathausek-Union Council #1576, UnionFeb. 9 – Holy Family Council #14266, Kansas City

Feb. 11 – Fr. Donald Powers Council #13786, HermitageFeb. 13 – Fr. Wm. Pezold Council #7198, CottlevilleFeb. 14 – Pope John XXXIII Council #6018, Arnold

Feb. 14 – Lee’s Summit Council #6819, Lee’s SummitFeb. 15 – Holy Infant Council #10794, BallwinFeb. 16 – St. Peter’s Council #4388, Stanberry

Feb. 19 – St. Martins Council #7194, Jefferson CityFeb. 19 – Jubilee Council #12631, Warrensburg

Feb. 20 – Archbishop O’Hara Council #4387, Kansas CityFeb. 21 – Fr. Wenceslaus Klaric Council #11656, New Melle

Feb. 26 – Kearney Council #8915, KearneyFeb. 27 – St. Agnes Cathedral Council #13682, Springfield

Feb. 28 - Jubilee Council #12631, Warrensburg

PleasePray 3

Hail MarysFor The EndOf Abortion

This is important because theSupreme Council reimburses theState Council based upon thenumber of submissions. Workingthrough the form also helps youthink through the different waysyour Council can support and as-sist Special Olympics and SpecialOlympics athletes.�

Final Reports for the Drive forPersons with Developmental Dis-abilities keep rolling in…and thatis great! Sure, the deadline has

passed, but the adage “better latethan never” is certainly true here.If your Council has not yet sub-mitted its Final Report, please doso. I get excited every time I seeone in the mail. Really, I do. Hereis why: every Report that comesin gets us that much closer to help-ing us make sure that the funds weraise get to those who need oursupport, and that is most impor-tant. After that, my concern is get-ting every Council to send in a

RIB Director John Mautino continued from page 1Report. Even if you didn’t have aDrive this year, please let send ina Report. It helps us track progressand improve how we handle theDrive. �If you want to discuss anyconcerns, comments, or recom-mendations, give me a call, or con-tact our awesome Drive Chair-man: Dave Bramman (East), andRoland Cretel, Jr. (West). Thankyou so much for your help in send-ing in all of the Final Reports.�

For more informationwww.fathermcgivney.org

orFrancis Strope at 573-694-6575

FR. MICHAEL J.MCGIVNEY GUILD

FAMILY LIFE DIRECTORPETER NICASTRO

LADIES AUXILIARYCHAIRCOUPLE

CHRIS AND LINDA TEEL

Page 3 – Volume 3, No. 7 – “Protecting, Saving Lives, Changing Lives” – January 2017

CHURCH ACTIVITIES DIR.ROCKY GAMBON

Amazing! We are now wellpast the halfway point of this Fra-ternal year. Where has the timegone? Please note that February isthe last call for submitting grantapplications to the Msgr. MancusoCatholic Education Grant Program.The deadline for online (preferred)and mailed in applications is March1th to be considered for this frater-nal year. Be sure to alert your areaCatholic schools or Parish Schoolsof Religion of this opportunity toreceive either a $500 or a $1,000grant. Remember to be specific inthe request and textbooks are nowallowed.

See your program guide or thewww.mokofc.org website for moreinformation and the grant criteria.Remember that the best way tosubmit your application is throughthe forms page on the Missouriwebsite!

February is the Month of Love!Valentine’s Day cards and candywill be bought as we remember ourloved ones. Also, be sure to in-clude in this Month of Love, someappreciation for your Priests, Semi-narians and Religious. When youget those cards and candy, be sureto get an extra one for them.

Earlier in the year, I challengedDistrict Deputies throughout thestate to help area councils to holdReligious Appreciation dinners andto especially invite area priests,sisters, and other religious includ-ing their diocesan Bishop. I am

proud to say some DD’s have an-swered the call.

Please note that a Religious Ap-preciation dinner is an excellentopportunity to raise funds for theMissouri Religious Vocation Fundor MRVF. What better way than tohold a 50/50 drawing, a silent auc-tion or simple ‘pass the hat’ at suchan event with the money going tovocations. If you haven’t planneda dinner for your religious, you stillhave time. Make sure you remem-ber to plan this on your calendar.

Just a reminder again that ap-peal letters are being sent out foryou to consider a donation to theMissouri Religious Vocations fund(MRVF). It is critical that we pro-vide financial help to our Dioceseto promote future vocations. Thesuggested guideline is $.50 permember but I really encourage youto consider $1.00 per member asseminarian numbers are reallygrowing. This would be a greatplace to send the $100 you receivefrom Supreme when you sponsor aseminarian with the RSVP.

Now is the time to start thinkingabout what outstanding Church Ac-tivity you have done or are plan-ning to do over this fraternal yearto submit to the State Program Di-rector to be recognized at the AprilState Convention. I know you areall doing outstanding work in yourChurch, so please take the time tosubmit your program activity. Thelink to the State Program Awardsis on the forms link on the MissouriState website.

Finally, on a personal note, Iwould like to thank everyone whoextended their sympathies, prayers,and well wishes to my family and Ion the death of my father, JohnGambon Sr. My father encour-aged me to join the Knights so longago and I will always appreciatehim for that. Thanks to all of youand May God Bless you all.

Hello Brother Knights and Lady Aux-iliary Members, Linda and I hope all hada wonderful January and were able to at-tend your District Deputy’s area meetings.We are sure they were able to providesome very informational material gath-ered at the Mid-Year meeting held in Branson by our Worthy StateDeputy Joe Rosenthal, the State Directors and State Chairmen.District Deputies, Grand Knights, Faithful Navigators and AuxiliaryPresidents we would like to Thank each of you for your great supportfor each other. During this short time as State Chairpersons we hear ofthe strong support from everyone that is thoughtfully given to do thesewonderful services. These could not be accomplished without you allworking together and knowing there is a greater purpose for us all.Please continue to do these awe-inspiring acts of Charity.

2 Month Planner & Events:• State Youth Activities: Coats for Kids Program: Supreme offers

a case of coats (12 coats) for $220. See P40 in Program Manual. Schol-arships Awarded by the Missouri State Council due by February 13,2017. See P43 in Program Manual.

Free Throw Championship, Month of February (District/Regional).See P44 in Program Manual.

• Family Activities: Family of the Month, submit applications bythe 15th of each month. See P34 in Program Manual.

• Church Activities: Msgr. Joseph Mancuso Catholic EducationGrant Program, submit applications before March 1, 2017. See P18 inProgram Manual.

• Council Activities: Mariner Articles due by March 5, 2017. SeeP23 in Program Manual.

• Auxiliary Reports: End of Year Ladies Auxiliary Report, DueMarch 15, 2017, Newsletter Award submittal, Due March 15, 2017,Lady of the Year submittal, Due March 31, 2017

We would like to highlight an award especially for the KofC Coun-cils, Ladies Auxiliaries here in Missouri. This would be the Outstand-ing Ladies Auxiliary Award, fraternal year 2016. Please see below theaward guidelines for the Lady Auxiliaries.

Missouri State Council Ladies Auxiliaries“Helping Knights, Help Others”

• Hot Pink Sheet mailed/postmark by June 1, 2016• RSVP and attend a Ladies Auxiliary Area Meeting• Participate in the Missouri Religious Information Bureau (R.I.B.)

State Program (Minimum $35 donation)• Participate in two Pro-Life Activities• Participate in the Drive for Developmentally Disabled• Participate in the Missouri Religious Vocations Fund (MRVF),

(100% participation, $0.50 per member )• Plus, two activities in each of the following five categories:• Church• Community• Auxiliary• Family• YouthThese activities are to be submitted on the End-of-the-Year Re-

port due to the State Auxiliary Chairpersons by March 15, 2017. La-dies there are no additional submittals needed for the Ladies Auxil-iary of the Year Award once the End-of-the-Year Report has been sub-mitted.

Remember Knights and Ladies, we are here for you ALL, GodBless.

Saturday, January 28, was thelatest family involvement event, anda group of 133 Knights, family andguests first enjoyed a festive tailgateand then the hockey game, wherethe�Missouri Mavericks�faced offagainst the Cincinatti Cyclones.�I’ve always liked minor leaguesports because the seats are cheaperbut better, the beer is cheaper butthe same, and the level of play isnot discernably different.� The win-ter tailgate raised the game to an allnew level of fun, for which I owe aspecial thank you to Chairman DaveDillon and to Chuck Paquette.� Ifyou’re thinking, “How could I havemissed this event?,” it will surelyreturn next year.

While you’re thinking of sport-ing events, mark your calendars forthe upcoming�Royals baseballgame,�Sunday, June 4, 1:15 pm firstpitch, against the Cleveland Indians,at Kaufmann Stadium in KansasCity.� The details of the pre-game

YOUTH DIRECTORLUCAS VOLKMAN

I hope that your year is goingwell. As we begin the key stretchof the fraternal year it is criticalthat we get everything in line tofinish strong.

Now is the time to get yourscholarship applications in tochairman Mike Deamos — thedeadline is February 20th. Withinthe state council forms section onthe state website are the applica-tions and in the program manualis a description of the scholarships.With the cost of college ever ris-ing, this is an excellent programto use to get either a young Knightor the father of an applicant in-volved in your council.

By now your council shouldhave completed its free throwcompetition. Be sure that you fillout the Knights of Columbus FreeThrow Participation Report formand turn that into Supreme. In ad-dition, be sure that you haveturned your council winner formsto your DD. At all levels of com-petition be sure that the forms arefully filled out and submitted tothe coordinator of the next com-petition in a timely manner priorto the competition. Also be sureto keep a copy of the forms foryourself.

As to the regionals, KansasCity, districts 1-10, 55-56, willshoot on February 26th, startingat noon, at the St. Thomas MoreSchool Gym, 11822 Holmes Rd.,

event and pricing are still beingworked, but I look forward to a greatcrowd of Knights families, greatfun, and a win for the Royals.

February of course includesValentine’s Day (have you madeyour plans yet?!), which is a greatopportunity to ask your Council andpastor to hold an�Affirmation ofWedding Vows�on one of the adja-cent Sundays.� Addressing somepastors’ concerns about renewingvows illicit in the Church, the�newprogram option, #30003, includes aprayer to the Holy Family and ablessing by the presider, but novows.� Take this opportunity to rec-ognize married couples in your con-gregations for their faithfulness,longevity, and their example toyoung couples and young families.�

The Affirmation counts asa�Building the DomesticChurch�activity on yourC o u c i l ’ s �C o l u m b i a nAward�application.

Your Council can still obtain itsfirst 300 copies of�new edition ofthe�Family Fully Alive�from theSupreme Supply Department.� Con-sistent with the opportunity for theAffirmation, the theme for Januaryis�the Sacrament of Marriage.�There’s a great, brief meditationabout marriage and Unity from�St.John Chrysostom, a lesson from St.Pope John Paul II’s�FamiliarisConsortio, a reading from�Psalm128, and a suggested project whereevery family member talks about

that for which they are grateful intheir marriage, including any chil-dren, a re-affirmation of the family’slove for one another.� Don’t miss it!Do you have a family in your Coun-cil that deserves a shot at a beauti-ful Holy Family gift, along with apersonal letter of congratulationsfrom Supreme Knight Carl Ander-son?� Take a moment to completethe Supreme�Family of theMonth�nomination form.� All thatis required is to know the member’sroster information and theirspouse’s and children’s names, andwrite a very short paragraph aboutwhy they were selected.� Nominatedfamilies, which are chosen at ran-dom, have a great chance to win,40% last year.� Give a family in yourCouncil a chance by February 15.Finally, Lent starts Wednesday,March 1, and many Councils havea�40 Cans for Lent�or some otherfood drive during this Holy Season.�If your Council is among these – orif it isn’t, you can plan to be – planto complete the�Food forFamilies�Refund Application�andsubmit it to Supreme for 40 Cansfor Lent or whenever your Councilhas a food drive, in whateveramount you collect, work, or do-nate.� Supreme�offers a $100refund�for every $500 or 1,000pounds of food donated to a foodcharity, up to $500 refunded per fra-ternal year, on a rolling basis, sosubmit the applications as timely aspossible.

Kansas City. Craig Borgmeyer isoverseeing that regional.

He reached at 816-943-0156 orCBorgmeyer@kc.rr.com andforms mailed to him at 415 West130 Terrace Dr., Kansas City, MO64145. In Springfield, state churchdirector Rocky Gambon will over-see districts 11, 13-17, 50 and 53at Springfield Catholic HighSchool on February 18th startingat 11am. In Columbia, Mike Fulcawill host districts 12, 18-23, 27,49 and 52 at Fr. Tolton CatholicHigh School. Mike can be reachedby phone at 573-239-5785 orpgk1529mike@columbiaknights.organd forms mailed to him at 513Terra Linda Ave. Ashland, MO65010. In Edina, DD 29 LarryHayes will host districts 26, 28-

30 at Knox County High Schoolin Edina on February 26th. Thedoors will open at noon and theshoot will begin at 1pm. In St.Charles districts 24, 31-34, 36-38and 54 will shoot at DuchesneHigh School on February 19th atnoon. Bill Elmendorf, who is incharged, can be reached by phoneat 314-304-2355 orwilliam32@charter.net. Formscan be mailed to him at 2701 Cy-press Dr. St. Charles, MO 63301.In southeast Missouri, state ath-letics chairman Ennis Hinkebeinwill direct districts 43, 45-48 at theImmaculate Conception Gym inJackson. The St. Louis regionalwill be published later. Onceagain, thanks for all that you dofor the youth.

See you at theOne Hundred Sixteenth Annual

State Convention onApril 21, 22, 23, 2017 in Jefferson City