November 2001

I am happy to report that some of our council members were winners at the Octoberfest Sweepstakes drawings. They participated in the Historic Heritage Preservation Corporation’s drawing which benefits the "Yellow Fever Martyrs" Historic Church Museum at Ashland. The winners of $25 gift certificates are John Vanderloo, and Tony Grant. Sharon Andrews won $50!

We had good participation in the Columbus Picture Contest. Winners for the young group were 2^nd place: Cameron Maynard and 1^st place: Adelina Tellez. The older division was won by 2^nd place: Suzanna Rychlak and 1^st place: Chelsea Herbert.

The hayride at Camp Hopewell was a great success! We had about 30 kids show up with their parents and everyone seemed to have a great time. The weather was cool, but tolerable (unlike last year). The night started with a hot dog and chili dinner. Bill and Jan Reynolds along with Mark Shows did a super job with the preparation and cooking. Later the campfire was started and everyone tried their hand at the fine art of roasting marshmallows on a stick. Some had better results than others, but they all tasted good. Next was the hayride. Everyone piled into the trailer for a ride in the hay. Lastly, everyone gathered around the fire for a few stories to end the night. All in all the night was a great success. We look forward to hosting this event again next year!

Thanks to Geoffrey, Walt and Greg for serving hot dogs at the Halloween Carnival.

The council decided at the October business meeting to donate $100 to the "Knights of Columbus Heroes Fund" to be given to the families of all police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other emergency rescue workers killed as a result of the terrorist attacks.

Our ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ card sales are underway. The cards were available after weekend Masses last month. If you missed the opportunity, contact Mark Shows to help sell or to buy a box for yourself.

The time for our council’s main fundraiser is upon us. Thanks to those of you that helped on Nov 3^rd. We have 2 more home football games to park cars. Please join us at the church on Nov 17^th and Dec 1^st.

For their involvement in planning the Parish Hayride

Bill and Jan Reynolds, Family of the Month

For continuing to donate his time to Knights activities

Mark Shows, Knight of the Month

Half of all abortions are performed on women who chose to use abortion as their only means of birth control.

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.

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…

Commit $8.8 million to the U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life educational campaign since 1990, and budgeted an additional $1 million for the production of pro-life materials, to overturn the pro-abortion mentality and defend the right to life

Won’t you consider being a part of this program?

Our fall membership drive is alive, but not so well. As of late October, we have had no new membership applications (Form 100) submitted.

We must continue to invite our fellow parishioners to join the Knights of Columbus. You probably get tired of hearing me say "Ask another man to become a Knight of Columbus," but someone has to remind the brothers in our council about this very important thought and that’s part of my job as the Membership Director.

As usual, a First Degree is planned for our November monthly meeting on the 8^th. Please contact me or Paul Patak if you have a candidate. Come and join your brother Knights at our council meeting.

Last month I recapped the monies received to help our brother Knights in Holly Springs in their fundraising efforts for the "Yellow Fever Martyrs Church and Museum." The final total number of Knights from our council who purchased or sold chances was only thirty-three. For those of you who helped this important effort — thank you.

In the August newsletter I noted that "attendance at council meetings was the best way to stay in tune with the ongoing activities and program needs of the council." Attendance at these monthly meetings is generally about ten to fifteen men and usually the same Knights.

I know that all of our schedules are busy but our council meets on the second Thursday of each month, only twelve times a year. I would hope that each of our brother Knights could make, at least, five or six meetings a year — don’t you agree? When is the last time you attended a monthly meeting?

Some Knights attend regularly while some attend occasionally, and others — never. Several Knights have not attended a meeting since the day they became a Knight. Where do you fall in my examples noted above? Think about it and get more involved — your council needs your participation.

Since our Fraternal Year began on July 1^st, we have exemplified only two new Knights. Remember, our goal for this year is set at eight new members. Therefore we must continue to reach out to those men who would make new Knights — but someone must ask them to consider becoming a member.

As I said in an earlier newsletter — "Those men at St. John’s deserve the opportunity to become members of the Knights of Columbus," so — "Ask a man to become a Knight of Columbus."

Vivat Jesus, Bob Hudson

A little over half a century ago, 1950, I became a Third Degree Knight of Columbus. Yes, I remember it well - it was a dreary, cold day in Ann Arbor, Michigan at St. John’s Church where the ceremony was held. It was not the weather that made it a memorable day, but the ceremony that was very meaningful, very thought provoking, and made one very appreciative of our Catholic faith. The ceremony for the three degrees has changed several times during the past fifty years, but its significance remains.

At the time I became a Knight, I was in my second year of Law School, was married and had two children, and was working. Unfortunately, I did not participate in Knight activities. While I was helped financially by the GI Bill following WWII, another student and I worked a night job at a hospital - each working half a month from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. That job, together with two janitor jobs, allowed us to pay our bills, but left no time for the Knights.

After finishing school, and somehow passing the Michigan and Texas Bars, we located in Dallas, Texas. I became somewhat active in Knight activities. Perhaps some of you have enjoyed the Council in Dallas that has a large club house, swimming pool, game rooms, bar, etc. This Council became the Country Club for many Knight families.

Some years later, while living in Corpus Christi, Texas, I became a member of our team handling the ceremony for new recruits to Knighthood. Following our enjoyable days in Corpus Christi, we relocated to Bloomington,, Illinois, in the legal department of State Farm Insurance Co. Some many years later, we retired to Albuquerque, New Mexico. For the past four years we have been in Oxford, where one of our four children resides.

Because of my membership in the Knights, I have had the good fortune of meeting, and truly knowing, a multitude of fine and outstanding Catholic men like you.