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Church
- HELP US BUILD UP THE CHURCH!!
Christopher Columbus,
that bold navigator who sailed through uncharted
waters to find this FREE land. This is the man whose
name we bear. It has been said and proven many times and
in many ways that the Knights of Columbus are the right
arm of the Church. NOW is the time to show our
communities that there is a NEED for the strength,
character and tradition of service of the Knights of
Columbus today, more than ever.
The Knights of Columbus is first and foremost a Catholic
men's organization. The devotion of any K of C council
to a local parish Church would be a matter of profound
satisfaction to any pastor of any parish church.
When a Knight advances through our exemplifications, in
each Degree he pledges: "To maintain unity, to practice
the virtues of charity and brotherly love; to exemplify
in all our relations with our fellow man the sublime
teaching of Holy Mother Church."
As Church Activities Director, I would suggest that the
Charge of every Council in the State of Kentucky should
be to become more visible in their local Churches.
·
Set up a meeting with your pastor. What do you expect
from our council? Leadership, special talent, financial
aid or maintenance of property? What would you like for
us to do for the Parish? This is what the Knights would
like for you to do for us!
·
Use your Church bulletin for Council activities
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Organize quarterly Communions. Receive communion as a
body. Fifth Sunday is a great day for a quarterly
communion. Fourth Degree Color Guard makes the Council
more visible at any event that takes place in Church.
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Participate in Pro-Life and Right to Life programs. At
the State convention an award is given to those Councils
that take an active part in the Pro-life programs. Every
council in the State should make it a must that they
receive this award.
·
Promote prayer and devotion to Holy Mother Mary. Have a
brother Knight lead the Rosary from the pulpit in your
Church 20 minutes prior to each weekend mass during the
months of May and October.
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Support and encourage vocations to Religious life. Take
part in State and Supreme financial aid programs for
seminarians and novices. In many Catholic churches
throughout the state of Kentucky, individual Knights are
established within their communities as church and civic
leaders. Having said that - we really need to promote
that organization which these men belong to, the Knights
of Columbus, as the Strong Right Army of the Catholic
Church.
Decency
in Media
One of the duties of the State Secretary is to serve as
the Decency in Media Chairman. The Bishops of Kentucky
has requested that the Knights of Columbus take a
leadership role in their behalf to combat the flood of
pornography that is ravaging our communities. It is
essential that concerned citizens and groups such as the
Knights of Columbus actively work to combat this attack
on our society.
I ask that each council do the following:
1. Select a person to head up this cause and forward his
name to me.
2. Encourage your council and members to join various
anti-pornography organizations.
3. Be on the alert that this poison is spreading and
notify your council and community about it.
4. Report violations to those responsible for enforcing
the law.
5. Report all activities of your council in this area to
me.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me.
Rick Arnold,
Past State Deputy
Kentucky
councils sponsor the Knights of Columbus International
Free Throw Championship for boys and girls between the
ages of 10 and 14. The competition starts at the local
level during January of every year. The regional level
is held during February, with the state championship
held in March.
The championship is set up to have the contestants
compete within their own gender and age group. All
competition starts at the local level. Winners move on
to the district, regional, and state or province levels.
From there, some make it to the international level for
championship competition in their group. To
sponsor a competition, all your council needs is the
Free Throw Championship Kit (#FT-KIT), a couple of
basketballs, a hoop and a bunch of kids. It is a great
way to get out into the public and introduce the Order
to your community while providing youths with a
rewarding activity that yields a chance for local, state
or provincial, and international recognition.
Golf Outings
2012 Tom Wiseman Memorial Open, State Golf Scramble-
Our Summer Golf Scramble,
Saturday, August 18, 2012 at Park Mammoth Resort,
Park City, KY
Check the calendar for details and registration
packet
Kentucky Association for
the Mentally Disabled, Inc.
The Knights of Columbus, Kentucky Association for the
Mentally Disabled is a non-profit corporation in the
State of Kentucky and is an IRS 501c3 tax-exempt
organization. The Association is run under the rules,
laws and guidelines of the State of Kentucky, IRS and
the Supreme Council.
The purposes for which this Association was formed are:
(a) to promote fraternal, charitable and educational
pursuits; (b) to render mutual aid and assistance to the
mentally disabled and their families and to help fund
programs and organization that benefit the mentally
disabled; (c) to support and cooperate with all
fraternal, charitable and civic enterprises aiding the
mentally handicapped. The membership of this
Association is composed solely of the active membership
in good standing of all local council and the Kentucky
State Council. The affairs of the
Association are managed by a Board of Directors, elected
from the membership of the Association in the manner
provided by the by-laws. The directors shall hold office
for a term of three years. State Officers serving as
director's ex-officio shall be directors during their
term of office. The by-laws of the
Association are the general rules under which the
Association operates. The Association by-laws are
subject to review and approval by the membership. They
can be modified only by an appropriate vote at the State
Convention of the delegates.
No member of the Order, state council or subordinate
council or affiliated organization, except those 501c3
corporation benefiting the mentally handicapped, shall
receive or accept compensation or other personal benefit
from the funds raised by the Association. All net
proceeds must be distributed to recognized entities
benefiting the mentally handicapped. Incomplete request
will not be approved.
Expenses of the Association are only those necessary,
reasonable and directly related expenses attributable to
managing the Association
The Association is financially healthy with annual
income of over $200,000 but if it is to remain so, we
must continue to count on you, the leaders of the local
councils. As you rely on us, we must rely on you to keep
the structure healthy by organizing your councils, by
setting your goals, by motivating your members and,
finally, by following through with dogged determination
until success is achieved. The Officers and Directors
are looking at new and exciting ways to increase the
total annual income of the Association. With your help
we can raise the annual income to $250,000, $300,00 or
even $500, 000+.
Respectfully submitted,
Gene Roberts,
Past State Deputy
Membership
As State Membership Director, I will work with the
Diocesan membership directors, District Deputes and any
brother Knight that has an idea how we can institute a
member drive to recruit the thousands of Catholic
gentlemen in our state that haven't as yet joined our
ranks. I would really appreciate any input to how we can
tap the 18-21 year old gentlemen. They are the future of
our organization.
I can be reached at 270-389-3607, or my e-mail is
buuf69@hotmail.com
I will be working up a plan with our Diocesan directors
and our State Deputy. As soon as we can implement this,
we will post it.
Gene Roberts, Past State Deputy
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NFL Sweepstakes
The Kentucky State Council Knights of Columbus
NFL Sweepstakes is administered by the Kentucky
Knights of Columbus as the sole means of
charitable fund raising for the Kentucky State
Council. The participating Councils and the
State Council share in the net proceeds.
For a $10.00 donation participants receive a
ticket which entitles them to 4 teams for 10
weeks of NFL games. Participants win based on
the cumulative high or low score of the 3 teams
each week. Total prize money is $7,000.
For more information, Contact State Warden
Joseph Bianca josephbianca@me.com
Natural
Disaster Funds Program
To
fulfill its responsibility of its founding
principles, the Kentucky State Council Knights
of Columbus has developed a
Natural Disaster Funds Program to
provide relief to members, families and councils
as a result of natural disasters.
A natural disaster is defined as an occurrence
such as a tornado, storm, flood, high water,
wind-driven water, earthquake, drought,
pestilence, famine, blizzard or other situation
that causes human suffering or creates human
needs that the victims will need mitigation and
assistance. When a natural disaster
strikes it creates a catastrophic situation in
which the day-to-day patterns of life of our
members, families and councils are suddenly
disrupted.
Those affected by disasters will probably
need immediate and/or long-term assistance.
The Kentucky State Council has
established a natural disaster funds assistance
program to do the following for its members,
families and councils immediately following a
disaster:
-
Provide victims with immediate financial
assistance.
-
Provide emergency financial aid-in-kind in
the form of clothing, food, shelter and
supplies.
-
Provide long-term financial assistance when
necessary.
-
Assist the victims in attaining referrals
from support agencies, such as the American
Red Cross, St. Vincent de Paul Society, etc.
-
Provide advice regarding how to recover from
a disaster.
-
Mobilize a fundraising campaign among the
state's many councils to help when disasters
are of a large magnitude.
The
manner and structure of providing assistance is
determined by the unique characteristics of each
disaster event.Confidentiality
is maintained regarding the specific amount of
assistance provided and those assisted.
Reporting at the state level will be in a
general or summary format.
When you are aware of a natural disaster
in your area that has affected Knights of
Columbus members, families and councils that may
need assistance, it is imperative that you
contact the Natural Disaster Funds Chairman.
Simply call the telephone number listed
below.
The program will immediately be mobilized.
Carl Biery, PSD and FM Natural Disaster Funds
Program Chairman
Pro-Life
The
Kentucky Knights of Columbus has long been among
the top jurisdictions in the order in the effort
to promote a respect for all human life.
The trademarks of the Kentucky State Council
Pro-Life Committee have been and continue to be
Prayer,
Education and
Involvement.
On both
the local council and State Council level, the
Kentucky Knights are strong in their support of
human life. Some of the
activities on the State Council level include:
- The annual Archdiocese
of Louisville Pro-Life Mass
- March for Life in
Washington,
D.C.
- Diocese of
Covington Pro-Life
Essay Contest
- Diocese of
Owensboro
Garden of
Hope
Monument
- Diocese of
Lexington Virtue
Media Campaign
- The Catholic Youth
Conference
Ignite Your Torch.
-
Golden
ArrowCenter
for Mothers & Children
- Sponsorship of
Pam Stenzel “ Sex has a Price Tag on TV
throughout
Kentucky,
- Establishment of a
Family-Life Chair Couples in each Council in
Kentucky
- Sponsorship of a
state wide Pro-Life Radio network
- Training Symposiums for
Pro-Life chair-couples
- State wide speech
contests
- Tombs of the unborn
throughout
Kentucky
-
Sponsorship of
numerous TV programs including
What
ever happened to the Human Race Mother
Teresa a message of Love .Abortion exposing
the Myths
-
Presentation of an annual Pro-Life Award to
an individual who has shown outstanding
effort in promoting a respect for all human
life.
The
State Pro-Life Committee operates entirely
on pledges from individual councils and
receives no monies from the State Council
budget.
RSVP
Through
the Knights of Columbus Refund Support Vocations
Program (RSVP), councils, assemblies and Squires
circles "adopt" one or more seminarians or
postulates and provide them with financial
assistance and morale support.
RSVP money is used by
seminarians and those in religious formation for
tuition and books, emergency expenditures, and
other living expenses. Knights provide more than
financial support, though. Members write letters
to students, sponsor dinners for them, invite
them to join the Order and, most importantly,
pray for vocations.
Special
Olympics Kentucky
Special
Olympics is an international program of
year-round sports training and athletic
competition for more than than one million
children and adults with intellectual
disabilities. The program was founded on the
belief that people with intellectual
disabilities can, with proper instruction and
encouragement, learn, enjoy and benefit from
participation in individual and team sports,
adapted as necessary to meet the needs of those
special mental and physical limitations.he
benefits
of participation in
Special Olympics for people with intellectual
disabilities include improved physical fitness
and motor skills, greater self-confidence, a
more positive self-image, friendships, and
increased family support. Special Olympics
athletes carry these benefits with them into
their daily lives at home, in the classroom, on
the job, and in the community. Families who
participate become stronger as they learn a
greater appreciation of their athlete's talents.
Community volunteers find out what good friends
the athletes can be. And everyone learns more
about the capabilities of people with
intellectual disabilities.
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The Kentucky Knights of Columbus supports
Special Olympics of Kentucky.
The SOKY is divided into nine service
areas.
The state council is working with SOKY to spread
the word of areas in Kentucky where additional
help is needed.
The greatest need is for volunteers.
Projects in a given area may require the
assistance of multiple K of C Councils.
We will spread the word to all councils
in an area on the type of help needed and when
and where it will be needed as well and the SOKY
contacts.
Details will be sent to area councils AND
be posted on this website regularly.
A listing of all events is
found here.
Track & Field
(Area Games)
Track & Field is the largest sport for Special
Olympics Kentucky!
There are currently over 1,300 athletes
that participate in this sport statewide and the
number continues to grow.
The SOKY Track & Field Season runs
February - June with Area Track & Field events
held in the month of April (with the exception
of Area 4 which is held in May).
There are 9 Area Track & Field
competitions and these events serve as
qualifying events.
An athlete must participate in an
Area-level competition in order to qualify for
the State Games held the first weekend of June
each year in
Richmond at EKU.
These Area Track & Field competitions are very
important because for many of the athletes it is
their only Special Olympics competitive
experience as not all athletes can make the
State Games trip.
For others, it is the competition that
qualifies them for the next level.
Therefore, it is important that these
events are organized and well run.
In order to provide a quality experience
for the athletes, many volunteers are needed!
Volunteers are needed in many capacities;
timers on the track, awards presenters, softball
throw station managers, staging officials, etc.
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 Columbian
Squires
The
Columbian Squires is a Leadership Development
Program for young Catholic men ages 10-18 years
old. There are over 25,000 Catholic young men in
over 1,100 local units, called Circles,
throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico the
Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
the Bahamas, and Guam.
The Squires program is designed to develop young
men as Leaders who understand their Catholic
religion, who have a strong commitment to the
Church, and who are ready, willing, and capable
of patterning their lives after the Youth
Christ. A Squires Circle must be sponsored
by a Knights of Columbus council or Assembly,
but is run by and for young men, under the
guidance of several Knights, who serve as
Counselors. Squires are to be leaders, thus, to
the degree they are able, they are given the
opportunity to lead, by running their own
meetings, investing (initiating) their own
members, setting their circle's agenda, and
implementing their program of activities. With
all the negative distractions our young men face
each day on television, print media, internet
and peer groups, developing a Squires Circle
could provide an alternative approach. This
allows Dads and other concerned men of the
Council to spend the quality time needed during
these formative years. This small investment of
time reaps great benefits not only for the
community, but the Church and council as well.
Squires have fun. They meet new friends, they
travel, play sports, and socialize. Squires are
serious-minded as well. Squires are involved in
promoting Catholic education, promoting
vocations, marching in defense of unborn life,
feeding the hungry, clothing the poor,
supporting Special Olympics, and countless other
activities; similar to the Knights of Columbus.
Thus, the Squires Circle is an athletic team, a
youth group, a social club, a spiritual
development program, a cultural & civil
improvement association, a management training
course, and a civil rights organization all
rolled into one. To
sponsor a circle, a council needs to provide a
meeting place, a Chief Counselor, Assistant
Counselors, a Father Prior (provided by the
Parish), and ten young men between the ages of
10 and 18 in good standing with the Church.
A new program will allow individual Squires
advancement to higher levels of training,
involvement and advancement in leadership. There
are five new levels of achievement in the
Squires Advancement Program (in order, from
least to most challenging): Page, Shield Bearer,
Swordsman, Lancer, and Squire of the Body of
Christ.
If you and your council or Assembly is
interested in sponsoring a circle or just wish
to know more about the program, please contact
me by phone at 270-559-9095 or by e-mail at
kysquires1055@yahoo.com
and let me assist you in any way possible to
achieve the goals you have set for the young men
in your area. ESTO DIGNUS - BE WORTHY
Robby
Higdon, Director Columbian Squires Program
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