The Knight’s Herald

From the Desk of the Grand Knight

Greetings Brothers Knights! I would like to start this installment off by first of all thanking Brother Paul Patak for his selfless performance as Grand Knight. The effort he put into his duties shows in each achievement of our council during his tour of office. Thanks, Paul, for a job very well done. I would also like to thank each of you, my Brother Knights, for the confidence you have shown by electing me as your Grand Knight. I will strive always to be worthy of that confidence. I would also like to thank and congratulate all the other officers and committee chairmen. Their dedication to our order and our council will ensure that we continue to be a prosperous and vital council.

For those who may have been out of the loop during the summer the new officers and committee chairmen are as follows:

Grand Knight Mike Mitchell Trustee 3 Year Paul Patak

Deputy Grand Knight Mark Shows Trustee 2 Year Duane Andrews

Chancellor Joe Tull Trustee 1 Year James Reid

Financial Secretary Joe Supple Program Director Mark Shows

Treasure Eddie Metrejean Membership Director Bob Hudson

Warden Walt Turnbull Church Committee Chairman Jacob Eftink

Advocate Jacob Eftink Community Committee Chairman David DiCarlo

Inside Guard Tom Taylor Council Committee Chairman Jeff Hooper

Outside Guard Scott Shows Family Committee Chairman Bill Reynolds

Recorder Jeff Hooper Youth Committee Chairman Jeff Hallam

Lecturer Ron Rychlak Newsletter Committee Chairman Bob Hudson

I ask you to share your advice, assistance and encouragement whenever possible with these men as they are the guides and shapers of the future of our council.

In the next few weeks we will also be revising the committee assignments and call lists. If there is a particular committee assignment you would prefer, please make this known to one of the men above as soon as possible.

We have many wonderful programs planned for Autumn already but I will leave those details to the worthy Program Director. I also remind all of my Brother Knights that the business meeting is on the second Thursday of each month, the Rosary is prayed at 7:15 PM and the business meeting begins at 7:30 PM. I hope to see you all there.

Vivat Jesus

Mike Mitchell

For the Month of August:

Family of the Month — The Minor Family

Knight of the Month — Dennis Ott

From Your Membership Director

Congratulations are in order for our Brother Knight Tom Taylor. Tom became a Second and Third Degree Knight on Sunday, August 25^th, in Tupelo. Please congratulate Tom at your first opportunity.

Our Fraternal Year ended on June 30^th and, as you should recall from a previous newsletter, our membership goal was eight new Brother Knights. Since July 2001, the beginning of that year, we recruited seven new Knights and suspended three for non-payment of dues, which gave us a net, new Knights, of plus four. That’s the good news. But the bad news is — we also, unfortunately, lost an additional fourteen Knights due to suspensions, transfers and withdrawals. These negative numbers dropped our Council membership from over one-hundred Brother Knights to only ninety-two members. That is unfortunate but, Knights must pay their dues. Knights will relocate and transfer and some will withdraw — that’s a given.

So where does all of that leave us for now and our membership goals for our 2002 — 2003 Fraternal year. Well, here is how it lays out — our membership goals are seven new members between July 1 of 2002 and June 30 of 2003. Hopefully, our Council will not loose any additional Brother Knights to suspensions or relocations this year.

Needless to say, we have our membership recruitment challenge ahead of us, but together we can make it happen. Remember, none of us is as strong as all of us. Let’s all pull together and make 2002 — 2003 a great membership year for our Council. The Membership Committee needs your help.

As always, the Membership Committee has scheduled a First Degree Exemplification for Thursday, September 12^th, at 7:00 pm., at our next regularly scheduled Council meeting. Please do your best to contact any potential new members as soon as possible.

Remember, "Ask another man to become a Knight of Columbus"

Vivat Jesus,

Bob Hudson,

Membership Director

Church Committee Report- Jacob Eftink

      The Parish Fair is on Saturday, September 28th.  This is usually a fun event and a good way to socialize with members of the Parish and the community.  I hope to see many Knights and their families there. 

      The Knights will help set up and tear down the booths for the Parish Fair.  On Sunday, September 22nd we will set up the booths and on Sunday, September 29th we will tear down the booths.  Both of the events will take place after the 11:00 AM Mass.  We need as many bodies and tools as possible, so I ask my Brother Knights to come to this event if you can.

      We as a country are approaching the one-year anniversary of one the worst tragedies in American history- the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  I encourage that we as Knights each pray a Rosary for the victims of this event, the rescue workers, and the families of those who were lost because of these events.

From the Desk of Fr. Joe

During the last week of August I attended the Pan African Roman Catholic Clergy Conference in Techny, Illinois. There were black priests and bishops (3) from the USA; black priests from Africa; and a black bishop and three priests from Brazil. The overall theme of the meeting was "Building Bridges." There was lots of lively discussion and next year’s meeting will include professionals who will teach bridge-building skills. Most of the priests from the USA were from large parishes in Northern dioceses and at least half of them were bi-lingual (Spanish) or becoming so. The African priests all spoke at least two languages.

Some things I learned:

-There are over 40 million black Catholics in Brazil.

-There are about 250 African American priests in active ministry in the USA; there are more than 800 African priests in active ministry in the USA.

-The Church in the USA is more and more relying on foreign born priests with large numbers coming not only from Africa but from Poland, India, South and Central America. This situation has not existed in the USA since the turn of the 20^th century.

I don’t know where the Spirit is leading the Church in the USA. I am glad to be a part of it and I find what I can see in our predicted future very exciting.

From your State Warden:

Over the past few months, our Parish had the opportunity to celebrate two special occasions: Walt and Jo Turnbull’s fiftieth wedding anniversary and Deacon Ted’s twentieth anniversary of his ordination. Both are reasons to celebrate. However, I think that both provide something more than an excuse for a party. Each clearly demonstrates commitment. If we look around our society these days, there are, unfortunately, all too few examples of people being committed to something worthwhile: marriage, education, religion, … I can see it often in my students and in myself. Why spend time on this pursuit or that subject? It’s too hard. It takes too much time. It’s not "fun" all the time. I can be content, for a little while at least, doing something else.

A successful Council, a successful State jurisdiction, also requires commitment, not just on the part of the officers, but on the part of all the members. This past August, Mississippi was singled out at the national Knights of Columbus convention in California as being part of a select group, the Circle of Excellence. This was the first time in many years that Mississippi was so honored. The award is based on membership, programs and reporting. It was the result of effort and commitment not only by the State Deputy, Tom Chady, but also by the District Deputies, Grand Knights and the 6,000 members of the Knights of Mississippi. Congratulations.