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We are always looking for new ideas and topics for the monthly newsletter. If you have an idea or would
be interested in writing an article, please let us know.
July 2010
(This page will have a highlighted version of our latest Council newsletter. We will update the
page each month.)
District Deputy Report
Our new District Warden,
David Russo, PGK, and I send our congratulations to the newly elected officers. We also wish to thank our new State Deputy,
Peter Davio for the opportunity to serve his administration in District 3. District 3 will consist of Sacred Heart, Fr. Peter
C. Boyle, Father Michael C. Kidd, and St. Mary’s of the Assumption councils. We
welcome St. Mary’s of the Assumption back in the district. We look forward
to having you present at district events, and I am confident you will be a great addition to District 3.
Over the next month, we will be formally installing the officers in all the District councils. I urge all Council Knights
to attend the installation of your council officers. These men were selected
by you, and they deserve your support throughout the council year. Each of you can be one who can make a difference in your
council.
As usual, membership is important
to our councils and the order. I encourage all of you to make an effort to recruit a new member.
The primary reason that many
Catholic gentlemen are not members of our order is that no one has asked them to join. We
can all do our part by asking an eligible man to join our council. I know that
if we all work together, all councils in District 3 can achieve Star Council this fraternal year.
Jim Seidleck,
PGK
seidleckjm@msn.com
Welcome to District 3!!!
St. Mary's is back to it's original District!!! We are now part of District 3...or State Warden Dale Trott's District!!!
Also, there is a District Yahoo site for information,etc. Click to the link below:
District 3 Link
Reflections.......The need for heroes
America
is rapidly moving away from its Judeo-Christian roots and becoming a society hostile to God.
There are continual attacks on Christianity under the guise of freedom of expression, artistic license, non-discrimination,
and separation of church and state. Nativity scenes are banned from public grounds. Public school children are not permitted to sing traditional Christmas carols or coaches
offer a general prayer with their teams. A crucifix placed in a jar of urine
is extolled as art. Military chaplains are directed to offer only non-denominational
prayers. A war memorial in the form of a cross erected on public desert land
is decried. Repeated attempts are made to remove “Under God” from
the pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” from the nation’s coinage. Catholic
social agencies are legally required to provide adoption services to homosexual couples, and college religious clubs are directed
to allow students who do not share the same denominational beliefs to serve as officers.
And the list goes on and on.
Catholics are too submissive under these
attacks. The alluring materialism of the age, coupled with weak formation in
the Faith, have made them apathetic toward religion and detached from Christian traditions.
Their attitudes, values, tastes, and behaviors are those of the population-at-large.
They no longer have the knowledge or conviction to stand up for their professed beliefs and challenge societal trends.
Large numbers of Catholics lead dual lives. They may adhere to Church teachings to fulfill their Sunday obligations, but for the
rest of the week they adapt to the irreligious ways of the secular world. They
have no desire to defend their Faith, and willingly accept the practices of abortion, divorce, contraception, gay marriage,
and co-habitation. Religion is treated as a strictly private matter, and as such
God rarely enters their thoughts.
Catholicism, however, is not only a dogma
to be believed, but a way of life in which we are called to stand before an unrelenting, religiously-hostile world and bear
witness to the truth. We are called to be modern-day evangelists, bringing the
teachings of the Gospel into the world through the way we live our lives. We
are called to confront the evils of the world, to involve ourselves in the public square, and to bring the tenets of our Faith
to bear on issues that impact on marriage, the family, and the dignity of the human person.
Many Catholics may agree that this is the
way they should act, but hesitate to do so because they feel alone, without confidence, and have no idea of what they can
achieve. In order to change the values and behaviors of the populace-at-large,
to alter the culture of the nation, we need leaders, role models, people of exceptional accomplishment to show the way. We need the example of people who have set themselves apart through selfless action
and extraordinary achievement in pursuit of an end that is valued by all. Such
individuals stimulate our imaginations and rouse our common, but dormant, convictions.
They cause us to examine our values and goals and realize that through service to others, even at a sacrifice to ourselves,
we can strive toward a higher purpose in life. In short, we need heroes.
In our contemporary world, materialism
focuses our attention on the “me,” rather than on the “we.”
The drive for power, prestige and wealth makes the self more important than the collective. Even when we are concerned about others, secularism in the community limits our freedom to serve. The rejection of God in society creates a conflict between Church teaching and ministration
to others, whether in health care, education, or social services.
A culture that is strong in religious values
has less need for heroes than one that is weak. The general ethos of the people,
their beliefs and behavior, provides a social framework for others, particularly the young, guiding how they should act, illustrating
what is appropriate and what is not acceptable. But in a culture in which God
is absent, when morals are relative, when virtually any behavior is tolerated, heroes are needed to serve as role models of
what it means to be Catholic in society.
As we search for exemplars of heroism in today’s world, who better can we choose than
military chaplains? These are men who serve both Caesar and God, who strive in
the militaristic world of the here and now to bring salvation to their fellow man. In
coming alternative months, we will explore the lives of a number of Catholic chaplains, ordinary men who performed extraordinary
deeds, who were cited by the nation for their valor, who lived their faith to the fullest, who risked and often gave their
lives for others.
Through the examples of these heroes, we
can all be inspired to be heroic at least in small ways. Archbishop Charles Chaput,
in an article earlier this year in First Things, gives us a prescription for how
we can prepare ourselves for this role: “By talking to God, humbly and honestly, in prayer. By getting to know Christ better through reading and praying over the gospels. By opening yourself up to the graces he gives us in the sacraments.
It’s not about choosing what you want to do with your life. It’s
about discovering how God wants you to use your life to spread the good news of his love and his kingdom.”
We can all be heroes by obeying God in
small ways as well as large, keeping his commandments, sacrificing for our families, assuming responsibility for our actions,
and making our way through life without complaint. We can be examples of what
it means to be Catholic by what we say, what we do, and what we do not do. We
can show that God does indeed matter. May we be inspired to stand before our
secular world and live our lives by heeding the familiar prayer, “Thy will be done.”
By Lawrence
P. Grayson
BINGO HELP NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brothers and Ladies, families and friends! We are in DESPARATE NEED of assistance over the next few weeks with
BIngo!! Due to circumstances, we have no one to assist with the Pull Tabs on May 20th and 27th. This is CRUCIAL
to the games, and, as you know, Bingo is a LARGE part of our budget as well as the School and Parish. Please, please
come out and assist us so we can keep Bingo going strong and prosperous for the Parish and School.
The
Fatherhood Initiative
June
14, 2010
You may have heard of various fatherhood programs from several years ago. They were often government efforts to more fully involve fathers in the lives of their
children, particularly when the father was neither married to the mother nor living in the residence of the children and their
mother. The intent of the programs may have primarily been financial (that is,
getting better compliance with court-ordered child support) and secondarily emotional and social (that is, developing a positive
and strong emotional bond between father and children while at the same time improving the relationship with the mother, perhaps
(and even hopefully) to the extent that a healthy and lasting marriage would result from diligent application of the lessons
learned.
I found a 2006 article written by Carey Roberts for the Equal Justice Foundation,
“Playing Politics With The Federal Fatherhood Initiative by Carey Roberts [http://www. ejfi.org/family/family-65.htm]. Mr. Roberts was a reporter for the New Media Alliance, which appears to be a bloggers website at http://thenma.org. After reviewing the initiative begun by President Clinton in 1995 and looking
at the actions taken at the federal level through about 2005, he concluded that the addition of the word “responsible”
to the federal program led to its neutering (my term). “Responsible”
meant you had to be paying child support, even if didn’t have sufficient income or a job. Although the recommendations for setting up and running fatherhood groups appeared logical and even expressed
cultural sensitivity based on which ethnic groups were involved with the program in a particular area, the “responsible”
word apparently served to exclude those men most in need of the benefits possible from participating in such a program. Males who have not had a positive adult male role model can presumably learn responsible
behaviors in the program which will benefit not just themselves, but also those for whom they should be responsible by both
law and culture. NOTE: Presumably
there were screening protocols to exclude objectively verified (as opposed to lawyer accused) spouse and/or child abusers.
The fatherhood initiative title is intended to recognize that men need to work
to earn the title of “father,” both in the sense of having a job (sometimes being the parent who stays at home
to raise the child(ren)) and in the sense that being a father and a husband require sustained effort over a lifetime (initiative,
if you will). The specific responsibilities associated with the title of “father”
change over time as we and the children grow older; our love should ideally remain constant even as we face challenges and
disappointment regarding our children and ourselves.
As we can read in the Bible (Old and New Testaments), there are many examples
of fatherhood, some to be exemplified and others to be avoided. St. Joseph
provides perhaps the best earthly (human) example of fatherhood. On Father’s
Day, our clerical fathers will likely offer congratulations and perhaps some recommendations on how to be a better father
and to honor our own fathers for their efforts to help us become the men that we are.
Let us pray for the initiative and skills we need to be good fathers for our families, for the humility to recognize
that we will need His help (more often than we might think or like), and for the courage to ask for what we need (even if
it isn’t always what we think we want) in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
SK Gary Sabel
Pro-Life Chairman
APOSTLESHIP of the Sea Report
The Apostleship of
the Sea is in the final stages of the expansion. We will soon have a chaple, added computer space and a
handcap restroom, in addition to the extra space for meetings and lounging for the seafarers. Thank you
to all who have been generous with their monetary and clothing donations. Without your help we could not survive.
God
bless all of the Knights that have made a difference.
Tom
Davidson
State
Chairman
Apostleship
of the Sea
tdavidson8033@verizon.net
Fraternal Benefits Team looking for a few good men!!!
For those who refer to me a new FBA, I will pay you money!!! It's that simple. Please read below for details. I will
be sending this same email to your Grand Knights later this month, so this give you a "head start" to earn some cash!!! In
fact, you can earn up to $20,000!!!
Who are we looking for? Someone who is professional, speaks well, is currently
employed OR just laid off, looking for a career change, willing to take direction, be self motivated, etc. Ask yourself a
couple of questions....Would you invite this man over to your house for dinner? With training, Would you buy life insurance,
annuities, or long term care insurance from this man?
Have a great Fraternal Year and thank you in advance for your
Fraternal Benefits Advisor leads. This is the hardest part of my job and the best new agent recruits come from existing FBA's
and Fraternal Leaders!!! I do need a couple of new agents in your areas, so I want to staff it ASAP!!!
New Agent Hiring Bonuses:
Someone you recommend to work for our Agency, and he is hired,
you get $1,250. If that agent meets the HO Prostart Training production goals, you get $1,250.
If he meets
6 month submitted production goals (50 life apps and $15,000 life equalizer), you get $1,250. when he meets 9 month submitted
production goals (75 life apps and $22,500 life
equalizer), you get $1,250.
When they meet 12 month submitted
production goals (100 life apps and $30,000 life equalizer), you get $1,250.
A total of $6,250 for your help
and encouragement of the new agent you help recruit into the Agency.
Not enough???
When the new
agent makes the HO incentive trip in either his 1st year OR 1st full year, you earn $3,750.
That's $10,000
for helping to recruit and encourage a successful agent into the Agency!
Not enough???
When the
new agent qualifies for MDRT by the end of his 3rd year, you get an additional $10,000.
Incentives to you? It's
to see someone you recruited into the Agency succeed!
Now who can you recommend to me?
Fraternally,
Harry Canter
General Agent
click here to download file
New Supreme Website: Supreme Council has launched a new web site to inform its members and the
Catholic faithful of information of "the news of the day" from a Catholic perspective. It also has a state by state
issue section which can inform you of issues facing us on the local level.
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Calling all Volunteers!!!!!
We have a LOT of events coming up, and we can use all the help we can get!! Especially for the Italian Dinner,
Pancake Supper, Feed the Homeless, Catholic School's Week Breakfast, and the Pro-Life Cross Memorial set-up. Please
check the Calendar, and come out and participate!
MD State Charity Fund
The purpose of our CHARITY FUND is “TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
TO INDIVIDUALS IN TEMPORARY URGENT NEED” in the name of the KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF
MARYLAND. The Fund is intended to be a “Bridge” to financial recovery and does not take on long-term cases. It is not designed to take the place of the Council charity
fund, but to supplement it.
Your contributions have allowed the CHARITY FUND Board of Directors to award over $795,540 for needy causes
since July 6, 1984.
Brothers, this CHARITY FUND has worked because of your generosity over those years. We have paid for medical,
hospital, taxes, utilities, mortgages, rents, insurances, car payments, equipment for the handicapped, and have furnished
respectable burials for Brother Knights.
All donations received are available for distribution to those in urgent financial need. Minor administrative
expenses are borne by earnings on investments. REMEMBER, our FUND grows only by donations that are TAX DEDUCTIBLE from Individuals, Councils, Districts, Memorial Funds, etc. The FUND
must have a sufficient financial base to allow us to continue helping those in distress.
Every Brother Knight in the State of Maryland should receive a pre-addressed donation envelope and letter attached
to his Council Newsletter or by mail requesting their individual contributions.
The Board of Directors of the Maryland State Council Charity Fund, Inc., has been able to list our FUND in the
following “CHARITY CAMPAIGNS”
-UNITED WAY (throughout the State).
-COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA, #7341.
-COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN OF CENTRAL MARYLAND, #3710.
-MARYLAND CHARITY CAMPAIGN FOR STATE EMPLOYEES & RETIREES, #5834.
-UNITED WAY OF CHARLES COUNTY, INC.
NOTE: If you or a member of your family contribute thru any of the above
Campaigns whether listed with number or not, make sure you have the FUND’S name and below address on your pledge voucher
in the “DONOR OPTION” section:
MARYLAND KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITY FUND, INC.
9606-M Haven Farm Road, Perry Hall, MD., 21128
(If possible, indicate release of name and address and note council number. We will know who contributed, not
how much. The Privacy Act covers this.)
Applications can be found at:
http://www.kofc-md.org/state/committees/charity_fund.htm
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Celebrate 125 Years of 'Faith in Action'
 The 125th anniversary of the realization of Father McGivney’s dream is a cause for celebration. Councils throughout
the Order are urged to observe this event — among their own members and with the community at large — as a reminder
of what the Knights of Columbus have accomplished in the past 125 years, the ideals of the Order, and their own local achievements.
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