August 2001

After Corporate Communion on the 29th, we did serve the parishioners breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and orange juice. We were proud to honor our altar servers with certificates. Our church staff members (Fr. Joe, Sr. Mary, Deacon Ted, Debbie Shows, Marie Adams) were each presented with a Wal-Mart gift certificate. Donations were made to Fr. Joe and Sr. Mary for $150 and $100 respectively for their retirement funds. Actually Sr. Mary was out of town, but we will present hers upon her return. Thanks to all of you who made this a success.

The K of C Polo shirts we ordered have been received. If you ordered one, contact Mike Mitchell to arrange pickup.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes will have their service and picnic in the Grove on August 12th beginning at 5:00. St. Johns and one other church were asked to furnish drinks for this event of approximately 1000 people. The Knights have been asked to make this happen for St. Johns. If you can help prepare/setup our drinks for approximately 500 people, call Geoffrey Yoste.

We also need volunteer hamburger cooks to kick off Total Youth Ministry - Family Night on August 15th.

We will have a social meeting on August 16th, with a meat dish provided by the Council. We will have an interesting program consisting of a Scott Center video, information on MS wills, and information on K of C insurance. The organizer of this program will advise you of what dish you can bring.

Dennis Louis will host our first District Meeting at Corinth on August 18th. It is primarily for GK, DGK, FS, and chairmen, but everyone is welcome. Don’t forget that the Parish Center Renovation Project still needs your help.

Paul

For his effort to continually maintain St. Johns buildings and grounds, and especially the Parish Center restoration, and for his service as altar server, we recognize Jack Wollaston, Family of the Month

For his participation in Corporate Communion, Pancake breakfast, and hours of Parish Center labor, we recognize Jeff Hallam, Knight of the Month.

The average abortion procedure takes 5 to 10 minutes. The average wait to adopt a child is 2 to 10 years. Please pray that the abortion-minded women of our area will find this ministry to get complete information, and hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We spend a lot of time talking about our good works and millions and billions of dollars. Please remember that the primary goal of the Knights of Columbus remains:

"To render financial aid to its members and beneficiaries of its members."

This is as true today as it was in 1882 when it was written in our charter. The Knights of Columbus Insurance organization is ranked in the top 4% when comparing all life insurance companies in North America.

The Knights of Columbus insurance organization is financially strong and is rated in the top 2% (ranking net operational gain) of the insurance industry.

I’ll see you on the 16^th, Pick

Insurance Fact

The K of C Insurance program is a non-profit organization and doesn’t pay dividends to shareholders, but does provide proceeds to allow the Knights of Columbus to……

Create "The Knights of Columbus Vicarious Christi" fund currently funded at 20 million dollars. The earnings each year are conveyed to the Holy Father for his personal charitable purpose.

As of July 1^st we began a new Fraternal Year. With the beginning of this new year the membership goals for our council, between now and June 30, 2002, starts all over.

Recently, the officers of your council attended the School of Columbianism in Grenada. This meeting focused on the coming Fraternal Year and a recap of the year just completed. Membership was discussed and reviewed and goals were set for the year ahead. It was noted that our council’s membership goals for the Fraternal Year are a net of eight new members to qualify for the "Top Gun" Award. Remember, last year our suspensions and relocations outnumbered our new members thus a net loss not a net gain.

Our fall membership drive will soon be upon us so now is the time to begin contacting any new candidates for membership in the Knights of Columbus.

While new membership is very important, retention of our existing members is a critical part of the success of every council. Lack of retention undoes the recruitment efforts of any council. Each Knight in our council is a member of one of our working committees and each Knight has a responsibility, taken at the time he became a Knight, to participate with the council and his brother Knights to help meet the goals of the council each year. Membership development is one of those goals.

Attendance at council meetings is the best way to stay in tune with the ongoing activities and program needs of the council. The council newsletter also recaps the activities of the council each month and the committee chairman should also be in touch with their committee members on a regular basis. Additionally our phone contact list is also activated any time there is a need to reach all our brother Knights about meetings, corporate communions, "pot luck" suppers, special activities, etc. Please do your part to stay involved with your council for membership and just helping to make things happen around your church and community.

Our council has a First Degree planned for each monthly meeting of the council. This makes it easy for all Knights to recruit new members and be able to tell that candidate about our "next First Degree" – on Thursday, August 9^th.

Our council will also be the host council for a Second and Third Degree exemplification in Oxford on Saturday, September 29^th. All First Degree Knights should plan on attending on that date.

Think membership!! Remember, "Ask a man to become a Knight of Columbus."

Bob Hudson

When I was initially approached to join the Knights of Columbus, my first thought was why? I enjoyed all of the rewards without the work. Plus this was a group of men from another Catholic Church in Silver City. That wanted to start a new council at St. Francis Catholic Church. Well they convinced enough of the men in our parish to form, a new Knights council.

Most of the time at was spent trying to get enough men to start our council. Well I quickly tired of all of the salesmanship that was involved so I stopped going. It seemed as if we never spent anytime building on the idea of helping the parish. The reason most of us joined the Knights in the first place.

When Debbie and I moved to Oxford last year I was asked by several people to join the Knights at St. John's. I still had the taste of hustle of bringing in new members, and being hounded about buying insurance as our sole task. But here the men seemed to take a true interest in each other's well being, and helping the church. So I paid my back dues and transferred my membership here to Oxford.

Get Involved!!! Mark Shows

8/9 - Aug Business Meeting

8/16 - Insurance night

9/4 - Sept Planning Meeting

9/9 - 2^nd & 3^rd Degree @ Vicksburg

9/13 - Sept Business Meeting

9/15 - Car parking – Vanderbilt

9/16 - Booth Set-up

9/22 - OKTOBERFEST

9/23 - Booth take down

9/29 - 2^nd & 3^rd Degree @ Oxford

1/5/02 – Mid Winter Meeting @ Oxford

2/2/02 – 4^th Degree @ Vicksburg