january 2016 voice of the spirit
DESCRIPTION
Monthly Publication of the Ohio State Council of the Knights of ColumbusTRANSCRIPT
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KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS JANUARY 2016
www.kofcohio.org Monthly Publication of the Ohio State Council
A little about membership…
Here we go again and again Ohio!
Congratulations to the Cleveland
Diocese, State Membership Director
Nick Gresko, State New Council
Development Director John Brown,
Diocesan Membership Director Jerry
Nowesnick, Diocesan Coordinator
Chris Nagel, and District Deputy
#34 Kevin Cornelius for the
institution of St. Ladislas Council
#16373 and St. Bernadette Council
#16376 both in the City of
Westlake. With these additions we
are only one new council away of
completing Ohio’s Supreme Council
requirement.
The November membership
enthusiasm just seemed to carry
over into December. We continue to
do a fantastic job with membership
intake. We finished December with
an intake of 231 members for a
10.27% intake. We placed 1st for
the month in Division 1 edging out
Pennsylvania by 0.07% on New
Year’s Eve. This finish should earn
us roughly $1,150.00 in bonus
money in the Winter Sports
Supreme Council Membership
Contest. To date we stand at
50.18% of our Supreme Council
membership requirements. We rank
19th of the 74 K of C Jurisdictions
worldwide and we rank 2nd among
the Division 1 State Councils.
The great news is that we are
growing. I don’t like to get too far
ahead of myself but we are at +
184 and we are beginning to grow
Ohio. Thank you to everyone who
made this happen.
Grand Knights and Membership
Directors please keep membership
the foremost priority in every one of
your councils throughout this
great state of Ohio. We have
begun to show an increase in the
number of councils recruiting and
bringing in new members. To date
about 60% of the Council's
around the state are carrying the
load in new membership. If the
State of Ohio is to improve our
membership status and grow as a
jurisdiction we need the other 40%
or roughly 147 councils to step up
and begin recruiting. We are all on
the same team and all in the game
together. I need a firm commitment
from all involved to make this
happen.
We are again looking for some
opportunities again in January.
There are still a lot of prospective
members just waiting to be asked
or need to be contacted. Inspector
Membership has some incentives in
January for Councils and Brother
Knights that bring in new members.
Watch us on Facebook or get signed
up for our social media blitz for an
unpublished midmonth membership
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incentive.
The 40 days for men 40 years of
age and under is still open for
incentives through January 20th.
Recruit a member and be in the
running for some cash awards.
Supreme Council has announced the
requirements for earning VIP Bonus
Points for the second half of the
Fraternal Year. See your Grand
Knight, District Deputy, or State
Membership Director Nick Gresko for
details.
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson by a
unanimous vote of approval from
the State Deputies gathered in San
Antonio approved the Supreme Per
Capita Star Council Incentive Plan
for another year. Achieve Star
Council status at your council and
be exempt from Supreme Per Capita
payments for one year.
Growth in new membership brings
new Brother Knights, new ideas,
and new energy into your councils.
Please get on track with your
councils membership program and
sign up a new member today. If you
haven’t brought in a new member
this year please take a moment and
ask yourself why.
Congratulations to the November
Membership Contest winners and all
who brought in a new member that
month. Contest winners should be
listed in State Membership Director
Nick Gresko’s column.
Some thoughts on degree
work…and its working!
Please continue to schedule frequent
degrees. Our requirement is one
Admission (1st) Degree per District
per month, statewide. I see the
results of these frequent degrees
already paying off in our
membership numbers. Every District
Deputy is required to schedule and
conduct an Admissions (1st) Degree
in his district every month.
Please post all (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
degrees on the State Website. The
degree posting page should be
overflowing with scheduled degrees.
There should be a minimum of 80
1st Degrees per month posted on
the State Website. If you schedule
them they will come. If you post
them others can see them and they
will come too.
Please continue to remind your
candidates about the proper attire
when they come to take any of the
degrees. A candidate in t-shirts and
shorts is just not an acceptable
dress for a candidate making a
degree. They should be dressed at
the very minimum some type of
Dockers or dress pants and a polo
shirt or dress shirt.
Again more Squires
Congratulations...
Congratulations to our State Squire
Circle. They stand second in the
Order with a percentage net gain of
12.72%. They are 10th stateside
with a 55 member intake and a net
intake of 50 new members.
Culture of Life…
Congratulations to Tiffin Council
#608 and the Toledo Diocese for
purchasing two ultrasound
machines. One machine will be
placed at the Heartbeat/Hope
Medical in Fremont and the other at
the Heartbeat/Hope Medical in Tiffin.
Our Fall Fundraiser the Football
Frenzy Sweepstakes…
The returns of sweepstakes tickets
have been promising. Final sales
results will be available by the
District Deputy Midyear Meeting.
Thank you to all who took the time
to either purchase a ticket or to sell
tickets at your council. Council
rebates will be made available later
this month. I will give State
Secretary Kevin Miller authorization
to issue those checks. I would like
to pass along a special “Thank You”
to Past State Deputy Gary Eckstein
for continuing to chair the event
year after year.
Look for some interesting proposals
from State Fund Raising Chairman
Gary Eckstein and myself for future
Football Frenzy Sweepstakes
programs. I may be Ohio’s sleeping
giant of a fund raiser.
Supreme Council Icon Program…
The Holy Family Icon Program Books
are printed and we have begun the
Icon Tour through Ohio. Hopefully
the four icons will circulate through
the State of Ohio as planned.
Look further to the State Website
for the schedule and when the icon
will come to your district. Please
take full advantage of this prayerful
opportunity within your council and
parishes.
State Council Financials…
State Secretary Brother Kevin Miller
has just issued all but the last week
of the Football Frenzy Sweepstakes
weekly winners checks. The State
Council usually gets our information
on Tuesday and the checks are
normally written and mailed out on
Wednesday.
State Advocate Brother Mark
Siracusa has finalized the 2015
Measure Up Campaign and the 2015
Matching Funds Campaign. Booklets
containing the results of these two
campaigns will be made available to
your council through your District
Deputy. On behalf of all the State
Officers I would like to thank
everyone for their efforts in the
Measure Up Campaign and Matching
Funds Campaigns. Due to your
efforts I believe we showed an
increase in donations this year.
A little about the Statewide
Retreat…
Please reserve the weekend of
February 5th and 6th, 2016 for the
Ohio State Council State Retreat. A
link to an electronic Reservation
Form will be listed in this issue and
hopefully on the State Website. The
event costs, rooming and rooming
availability should be available on
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(Continued on page 3)
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the electronic Reservation Form.
Please send your personal or council
check to State Warden Larry
Droesch at his home address for
payment to attend this activity.
Please make every effort attend this
24 hour day with your Brother
Knights in some fraternity,
meditation, and prayer.
District Deputy Midyear
Meeting…
We are headed
right for the
District Deputy
Midyear
Meeting the
weekend of
January 8, 9,
and 10, 2016
at the
Columbus
Hilton at
Easton. So that your District Deputy
may continue to be better qualified
to help guide your council Supreme
Council Membership and
Programming Consultant Joe
Ramirez will lead the day of training
on Saturday afternoon. A variety of
topics will be covered including
membership, retention, parish
drives, new council development,
degree work, insurance and
programming.
Every District Deputy is required to
attend this weekend conference.
Please ask your District Deputy to
share with you the information he
has received that weekend to better
your council.
Council Audits and Fraternal
Survey…
Form 1295,
Councils Audits,
for the 1st half of
the Fraternal
Year and Form
1728, Fraternal
Survey are due
to Supreme Council this month.
Please make every effort to
complete this task.
“Town Hall” Meetings…
The “Town Hall” meetings seem to
be working well. I have attended
meeting in all but the Steubenville
Diocese. Meetings have been very
well attended. There has been
excellent dialogue and debate
among myself, other State Officers,
State Directors and the Brother
Knights in attendance. These
meeting are a great place to learn
about the working of your State
Council, the State Website, State
General Program, Church Drives,
and membership recruiting. All
meetings start at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 12, Marietta
Council #478
Thursday, January 14, Mingo
Junction #4361
Tuesday, January 19, St. Mary’s
Chardon Council #15942
Council, District, Regional, and
State Free Throw Contests…
Please make yourself aware of the
dates for these events in your area.
All contest winners advance to the
next level of competition. State Free
Throw Final will be Saturday, March
19, in Columbus at Bishop Ready
High School.
Special Lapel Pin…
I have been working with Vice
Supreme Master Donald Hall to
produce a special lapel pin for any
4th Degree member who brings in a
new member and get him through
his first 3 degrees. Our 4th Degree
Sir Knights are always looking for
ways to increase not only their
membership but the State Councils
as well. The final details of the pin
have been finalized and are in
production. It is an attractive pin
that I believe any Brother Knight
would be proud to wear. Look for a
form here in the “Voice of the Spirit”
that will enable to you obtain this
pin provided the requirements have
been met.
WWW.KOFCOHIO.ORG
The State Website is up and running
for the first three General Program
grading periods. Yes we have had
some web issues but to my
knowledge they are minimal. All
problems to my knowledge have
been worked out with Webmaster
Brother Gilliland on a person to
person basis. Remember our
website is only 180 days old or so
and it’s just getting up on its feet.
With this said and confident in the
working of the Website thus far
Brother Gilliland has given District
Deputies the ability to view all of
their respective councils
programming. Brother Gilliland is
also working on the State Chaplain’s
Page, the State Deputy’s Page, links
to video productions on the
Supreme Website, State Council
Website tutorials, and better
information to our Membership
Inquiry Page.
Please be patient with us. If you
have any issues please address
them to me and I'll get with you and
Brother Bob to get them resolved.
Super Cash Bonanza…
The 2016 Super Cash Bonanza
Campaign will kick off as usual
during two weekends in February.
Along with the presentation of the
Super Cash Bonanza I will be
introducing a special membership
program to carry Ohio over the top
in membership recruitment. It just
may be a good idea to have your
Council Membership Director with
you that day. Road Show locations
should be found later in this issue or
on the State Website.
State Convention 2016…
Grand Knights and State personnel
be on the lookout for the 1st call to
convention. I will try my best to get
it out a little early and by March 15th
at the latest. The 117th State
Convention will take place the
weekend of May 20, 21 and 22 a
week prior to Memorial Day
weekend at the Kalahari Resort and
Convention Center in Sandusky,
Ohio.
In closing…
May God continue to Bless you
during this Christmas Season as you
continue to the work you do in Jesus
name. Dedicate everything you do
for Him to the honor and glory of
God and see what changes it will
make in your life. Have a Blessed
Merry Christmas and the Happiest of
New Years from all of us at the Ohio
State Council.
Bob Collins
State Deputy
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Reflections from State Chaplain Father Edward Janoch,
State Chaplain
There is a saying that is associated
with brides for their wedding. It
goes something like this:
“Something old, something new,
something borrowed something
blue.” This may seem strange, but
part of this saying I always think
about when a New Year begins. It
is the first part: “Something old,
something new . . . .” For
something old has passed on, that
is, the Year of the Lord Two
Thousand Fifteen [2015]. We
reflect on what had taken place
during that year in our personal
lives, in the event of the world and
in our Universal Church. We see
where we achieve success in the
personal, financial, and spiritual
events of our lives and where we
may have also fallen short or failed
in these areas. We may have a
sense of pride at the
accomplishments and a sense of
regret at where we failed. Both the
successes and failures of the past
year should be used as a guide to
see where we will advance in the
New Year. And yet something new
has now begun; the Year of the Lord
Two Thousand Sixteen [2016]. We
can grow and mature for successes
and failures help us to advance in
our endeavors in life. Both are
ways that we can measure how we
have done, especially in the spiritual
life.
In the Year of the Lord Two
Thousand Sixteen, we will have
opportunities to make our spiritual
lives grow. The major event this
year is the Extraordinary Jubilee of
Mercy: “Be Merciful as the Father.”
Events locally and world-wide will be
taking place to remind us of the
loving mercy that God the Father
has for us, just for the asking and
taking. For us, as members of the
Knights of Columbus, we have
endless opportunities to receive and
to show mercy to others. Our whole
founding by the Ven. Fr. Michael J.
McGivney is based on the Corporal
and Spiritual Works of Mercy. He
made sure that the widows and
orphans of brother Knights would be
taken care of. He professed the
faith and taught those who were
uneducated in the Faith, to receive
instruction in the Faith. He
administered the Sacraments of the
Church to help those he met to
receive God’s merciful love. Our
Supreme Council, Ohio State Council
and our local councils have
numerous opportunities to “be
merciful as the Father” in our
programs and initiatives. Our
Supreme Chaplain, Archbishop
William E. Lori said on December 1,
2015 that,
The Holy Doors of St. Peter Basilica
are now opened for us to travel
through to obtain graces to be a
people to receive Mercy and to grant
Mercy to others that are in need of
God’s loving Mercy. If we are not
able to go to Vatican City, we can
also go through the Holy Doors of
our diocesan cathedral, and obtain
the same graces that one would
receive if they were able to pass
through the Holy Doors at St.
Peter’s. Also, there is always the
Sacrament of Penance to directly
receive God’s Mercy. How merciful
is God to us to be able to give us
the opportunities to receive His
Mercy.
As I write this reflection, Pope
Francis has approved a miracle so
that Blessed Teresa of Calcutta will
be canonized a Saint during this
Extraordinary Jubilee Year. Mother
Teresa was [and still is] a woman
who showed great love, compassion
and mercy to those who she took
care of, whether they were her own
religious sisters, the poor and dying,
and even the total stranger. She
was a woman who lived and acted
on the Corporal and Spiritual Works
of Mercy. Her life is an example for
us to do the same. Mother Teresa is
quoted many times. One of her
quotes can help us to act, even if it
is seen as being small. She said:
“Not all of us can do great things.
But we can do small things with
great love.” So many people think
that if they are not doing so great or
grandiose thing, then they are
failing in their efforts to do the
Corporal and Spiritual Works of
Mercy. However, it is the smallest or
simplest things that we do that can
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“our works of charity are meant to
convey the mercy of God, which is
at the heart of the Gospel.
Prospective members and their
families are most attracted to the
Knights of Columbus when they
see the Order engaged ‘in service
to one, in service to all.’ More
importantly, it is often through the
practice of charity that we lead
others to Christ and his Church.
For the Order to take full
advantage of this special Holy Year
of Mercy, the first step is for each
Knight to open himself personally
to the God who is “rich in mercy.”
Jesus is looking at us with the eyes
of mercy, asking us to believe in
him and trust him. He isn’t merely
asking us to assent to a series of
abstract truths, but instead to
entrust our lives to him, confident
that he will forgive our sins and
open for us the door of mercy in
the house of his heavenly Father.”
5
move a person, help a person, heal
a person. Many times Mother
Teresa would say that a smile can
do much for a person who does not
know love. She said: "Every time
you smile at someone, it is an
action of love, a gift to that person,
a beautiful thing." Smiling is
something so simple that all of us
can do and yet it can help someone
to be lifted up for the whole day.
We may be the only person that day
that loved them by simply smiling.
Let us remember to be “Merciful as
the Father” during this new Year of
the Lord Two Thousand Sixteen.
Vivat Jesus!
Saint of the
Month St. Angela Merici, January
27 When she was 56, Angela Merici said
"No" to the Pope. She was aware
that Clement VII was offering her a
great honor and a great opportunity
to serve when he asked her to take
charge of a religious order of nurs-
ing sisters. But Angela knew that
nursing was not what God had called
her to do with her life.
She had just returned from a trip to
the Holy Land. On the way there she
had fallen ill and become blind. Nev-
ertheless, she insisted on continuing
her pilgrimage and toured the holy
sites with the devotion of her heart
rather than her eyes. On the way
back she had recovered her sight.
But this must have been a reminder
to her not to shut her eyes to the
needs she saw around her, not to
shut her heart to God's call.
All around her hometown she saw
poor girls with no education and no
hope. In the fifteenth and sixteenth
century that Angela lived in, educa-
tion for women was for the rich or
for nuns. Angela herself had learned
everything on her own. Her parents
had died when she was ten and she
had gone to live with an uncle. She
was deeply disturbed when her sis-
ter died without receiving the sacra-
ments. A vision reassured her that
her sister was safe in God's care --
and also prompted her to dedicate
her life to God.
When her uncle died, she returned
to her hometown and began to no-
tice how little education the girls
had. But who would teach them?
Times were much different then.
Women weren't allowed to be teach-
ers and unmarried women were not
supposed to go out by themselves --
even to serve others. Nuns were the
best educated women but they
weren't allowed to leave their clois-
ters. There were no teaching orders
of sisters like we have today.
But in the meantime, these girls
grew up without education in reli-
gion or anything at all.
These girls weren't being helped by
the old ways, so Angela invented a
new way. She brought together a
group of unmarried women, fellow
Franciscan tertiaries and other
friends, who went out into the
streets to gather up the girls they
saw and teach them. These women
had little money and no power, but
were bound together by their dedi-
cation to education and commitment
to Christ. Living in their own homes,
they met for prayer and classes
where Angela reminded them,
"Reflect that in reality you have a
greater need to serve [the poor]
than they have of your service."
They were so successful in their ser-
vice that Angela was asked to bring
her innovative approach to educa-
(Continued on page 6)
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tion to other cities, and impressed
many people, including the pope.
Though she turned him down, per-
haps the pope's request gave her
the inspiration or the push to make
her little group more formal. Alt-
hough it was never a religious order
in her lifetime, Angela's Company of
Saint Ursula, or the Ursulines, was
the first group of women religious to
work outside the cloister and the
first teaching order of women.
It took many years of frustration
before Angela's radical ideas of edu-
cation for all and unmarried women
in service were accepted. They are
commonplace to us now because
people like Angela wanted to help
others no matter what the cost. An-
gela reminds us of her approach to
change: "Beware of trying to ac-
complish anything by force, for God
has given every single person free
will and desires to constrain none;
he merely shows them the way, in-
vites them and counsels them."
Saint Angela Merici reassured her
Sisters who were afraid to lose her
in death: "I shall continue to be
more alive than I was in this life,
and I shall see you better and shall
love more the good deeds which I
shall see you doing continually, and
I shall be able to help you more."
She died in 1540, at about seventy
years old.
In Her Footsteps:
Take a look around you. Instead of
just driving or walking without pay-
ing attention today, open your eyes
to the needs you see along the way.
What people do you notice who
need help but who are not being
helped? What are their true needs?
Make a commitment to help them in
some way.
Prayer:
Saint Angela, you were not afraid of
change. You did not let stereotypes
keep you from serving. Help us to
overcome our fear of change in or-
der to follow God's call and allow
others to follow theirs. Amen
Copyright (c) 1996-2000 by Terry
Matz. All Rights Reserved.
(Continued from page 5)
Holy Family
Icon Larry Droesch, State Warden
Brother Knights, I am excited to
announce that the Holy Family Traveling
Icon Prayer Program is officially starting
December 12, 2015. It will run through
May 19, 2017. The 2 year Prayer
Program will start in Districts 57, 61, 39,
and 71.
It involves creating, planning, and
holding a K of C sponsored Prayer
Service honoring the Holy Family and
using the Icon, Prayer Books, and Cards.
All District Deputies will have the Icons
for 20 up
-to 30
days to
move
around
within
their
Districts
and then
send or
deliver
the Icon,
Prayer
Books
and
cards to
the next
DD on
the traveling
schedule.
Sorry to say
we got the
prayer books
about 3
months late,
so we had to
readjust the
schedule.
I ask that
every council
and district
please follow
the enclosed/
attached
Traveling
schedule to
prepare for
when your
area will
receive it.
This also
includes the
guidelines
that must be
followed so
every District
in Ohio has the opportunity to have the
Icon within the 2 year period.
Thanks for your patience with getting
this Prayer Program started and running.
Feel free to call, text, or email me with
questions"
ASSIGNED DATE ICON 1 ICON 2 ICON 3 ICON 4
DD # DD # DD # DD # ON OR BEFORE
12-Dec 2015 57 61 39 71
10-Jan 2016 58 59 42 28
1-Feb 65 60 46 27
1-Mar 64 67 37 26
1-Apr 3 62 72 75
1-May 1 66 73 29
1-Jun 2 68 32 74
1-Jul 5 63 30 79
1-Aug 4 69 31 82
29-Aug 6 70 18 78
16-Sep 7 48 21 81
9-Oct 8 49 36 80
31-Oct 17 50 19 77
21-Nov 13 45 25 76
16-Dec 9 47 24 51
20-Jan 2017 11 44 23 52
17-Feb 10 43 22 53
10-Mar 12 41 34 54
7-Apr 15 38 20 55
1-May ** 14 40 33 56
7
Membership Nick Gresko, State Membership Director
COMMIT TO MEMBERSHIP
Some people and some councils are interested in reaching their
membership goals and others are committed to reaching their membership goals. The key to membership success is going from being interested to being committed. Once you are
committed your council and its members will produce results. At the point of commitment, you mentally burn all bridges and
you do whatever it takes to make membership happen. THAT’S when your members and your council become unstoppable with
membership! I hope all of our members and all of our councils are just as committed to membership in 2016 as you were to the first half of this fraternal year. As your State Membership
Director I’m COMMITTED! Are you and your councils COMMITTED? If so Circle of Honor here we come!!!
4 MORES
MORE Knights bring MORE hands & hearts, to raise MORE funds and to evangelize,
doing GOD’S good works helping MORE
people in need!
Membership in Ohio
For five straight months we
have been positive with membership recruitment. Brother Knights what do you
have planned for the next two months to keep this trend up?
Inspector Membership is expecting huge numbers the next few months!!! Inspector
also wants to thank all of the Brother Knights and Councils
for their hard work when it comes to membership for the first five months!!!
Form 450 & 450C is like
GOLD!!! District Deputies please make
sure within 3-7 days of holding a degree in your District the Form 450 is turned
in. Grand Knights and Financial Secretaries the Form
450C should be sent in within 3-7 days of doing a degree. This is extremely important
because this allows us to track if Supreme actually processed
your Form 100’s! If you took the time to bring in a new member the State
Membership Team wants to make sure you get credit for
your hard work and effort.
Form 100’s
Within 3-10 days of a degree
any Form 100’s should be emailed to the Supreme Council at
[email protected] or to [email protected]
Supreme is able to process the Form 100 much quicker this way and you have a
receipt that they were sent in your sent mail. Plus this
saves your council the cost of a stamp every time new members are brought in.
8
Membership Mission #7 New Year, New Mission WOW! The way you all responded to
the missions has been outstanding.
Ohio continues to go in the right
direction and it is all because of you.
A New Year allows us to clean the
slate and start fresh. There are still
plenty of Catholic men and families
that we can recruit for our Order.
Where else can you combine
fellowship, faith growing, family
togetherness - the Knights truly are
the "Experience of a Lifetime."
Challenges are out there and the
Inspector has a new arch enemy -
Dr. Arceo! His sole mission is to
stop good Catholic men from joining
our Order. He has vowed to stop at
nothing and is pulling out tricks
from every corner to stop us. Are
we going to allow this???
Below is your mission for January- if
you so choose to accept. Inspector
Membership will be watching and
making sure that we all do the best
to ring in the New Year and defeat
Dr. Arceo before he has a chance to
begin his reign of misdirection and
confusion!
Bonus Membership Mission In Search of the 40s
Inspector Membership
here....reminding you about
the special incentive
available in January. Are
you up for another special
mission? Chief Collins (aka
State Deputy Robert
Collins) has given Inspector
Membership instructions
this month. There is something that has been
missing in the Great State of Ohio and no
one...we mean no one...has had a lot of
success tracking down this mysterious person.
Who could be so slick that not even the Great
Inspector Membership with all of his Deputies
across Ohio cannot track down? Where can he
be hiding? They are the 40 Years and Under
Mob. Yes, this mob has been seen but only for
an instant at sporting events, church services,
picnics, work and in the grocery store around
town. But, they never sit still long enough for
the Inspector to get to them and always seem
to not have enough time. It is like there is
something..or someone...keeping them from
joining our Great Order.
We, the
Membership
Deputies from
the State of
Ohio will
search high
and low to
locate this mob and put an end to the grasp
that holds on them and get them to join us for
Charity, Unity and Fraternity! Let us get in our
Membership Mobiles and go out there and find
these men 40 years of age or younger so they
can help us defeat Inspector Membership's
arch enemy.
Click to
Watch
the V
ideo
!
9
General
Programs Bob Walsh, General
Program Director
Welcome to the New Year.
As we begin this New Year
we start to think of a new
beginning and starting fresh
in our lives. We can also
start fresh and reinvigorate
with the State General
Program. With only about
half of the Councils in the
State reporting at least one
program, now would be the
time to take stock in your
Council programs that help
your Brother Knights, their
Families, Community, and
Church. I know that many
Councils are doing great work
in these activity areas, but for
some reason do not like to
report on their activities. Some
of these activities have been
recognized by Supreme and
implemented into their
programs. What a fantastic
way to know that your program
helps other Brother Knights
and their Families. Please
consider reporting your
activities in this New Year.
With three and a half months
left in the program year many
councils are reaching the
maximum number of points of
1085. The point total includes
Administration forms,
Membership, and General
Programs. Now would be a
great time to review your point
totals.
Some upcoming dates to
remember:
January 31st, Annual Survey
of Fraternal Activity.
February 15th, Form #1295
Semi-annual Council Audit.
Super Cash Bonanza kick
off look for further details.
February 29th, end of the
fourth reporting period.
April 1st, Nominations due
for Honoree of the Year,
due to the appropriate
Director, also part of the
General Program.
April 15th, end of the final
reporting period, due by the
20th.
June 30th, SP 7 form to
Supreme, For Columbian
Award.
As you can see time is flying by
fast, remember to keep track
of all deadlines because they
are important this time of year.
Are you also writing down your
activities for the Columbian
Award on form SP 7 Form,
checking on your membership,
and Insurance quotas, these
are also important to receive
Supremes top honor STAR
Council.
Thank you for the work you
have been doing for the
“Through Him, With Him, In
Him” program year.
Community Tom Forsthoefel As we start the New Year for 2016
there is still plenty of time for your
council to complete the programs
under the State Communities
Program. Your council should have
ample opportunities to perform and
to help those in your community that
could use your assistance. There are
people in your parish or local
communities that need your
assistance on a daily basis whether it
is your local food pantry, blood
center, VA Center or VFW Post. You
could volunteer to help someone to
their upcoming doctor’s visit. The
sky is the limit of what, when and
how you can help your fellow man
within your community.
Now that you have done the activity
under the State Community Program
the next step should be easy to
complete the project. The community
director within your council or
someone that has participated in the
activity needs to submit the activity
to the state web site. If someone
has taken pictures of your activity
you can have them uploaded to the
site as well. If you are having any
problems inputting or uploading the
data please contact the state website
director Bob Gilliland. Bob would be
more than happy to help you with
any issues you may be having.
Contact Bob @ 330-259-1246.
Vivat Jesus,
Thomas Forsthoefel
State Community Director
937-623-1844
Subscribe to the Voice!
Get up-to-date information about your Ohio State
Council through the Voice of the Spirit. You will
also receive special membership missions and
updates from Inspector Membership and the other
programs. Simply click HERE or use the QC code.
10
Culture of Life Gary Anderson As we flip the calendar to 2016, our
focus turns to several important,
upcoming Culture of Life activities
and events:
March for
Life: The
44th March
for Life in
Washington,
D.C. is just a
couple of
weeks away
on Friday,
January 22. The day kicks off with
the noon Rally while the March
itself steps off at 1:00 p.m. Those
arriving a day early can make plans
to attend the March for Life
Conference on Thursday from 9:00
a.m. to 12:00 noon at the
Renaissance Washington Hotel.
Download a PDF of the March for
Life Trip Planner which is laden with
helpful information such as:
Planning Checklist to make sure
your trip runs smoothly.
Hotel, Conference, event info.
Helpful tips from marchers.
Metro travel information.
Human Dignity tour
suggestions.
Information about the March for
Life app, mobile updates, and
social media.
And much more!
To download the March for Life Trip
Planner, CLICK HERE. For more
info, see March for Life, Culture of
Life Activity #48 on pages 65-66 of
the General Program Book. This is a
Supreme Council Featured
Program.
Celebrate World Marriage Day-
Observed on February 14 this year
across the U.S. and around the
globe. World Marriage Day honors
husband and wife as the foundation
of the family, the basic unit of
society. For more info, see
Celebrate World Marriage Day,
Culture of Life Activity #51 on page
67 of the General Program Book.
40 Days for Life-The 2016 Spring/
Lenten campaign runs from
February 10 through March 20. It
consists of vigils of prayer and
fasting at abortion clinics for an end
to abortion. Over 11,165 babies
have been directly saved since
2007. For more info, see 40 Days
for Life, Culture of Life Activity #47
on pages 64-65 of the General
Program Book.
K of C Day of the Unborn Child-
Celebrating the value and respect
due the unborn on or around March
25, the Feast of the Annunciation.
However, with Easter this year
falling on March 27, the
observance of the Annunciation has
been moved to Monday, April 4. For
more info, see K of C Day of the
Unborn Child, Culture of Life
Activity #49 on page 66 of the
General Program Book.
Promote Teen Chastity-Provides
Catholic schools and parishes with
Theology of the Body for Teens, a
12-segment program that uses St.
John Paul II's vision for love and life
to answer the tough questions kids
are asking about God, sex, and the
meaning of life. For more info, see
Promote Teen Chastity, Culture of
Life Activity #52 on pages 67-68 of
the General Program Book.
Ultrasound Initiative-Arguably
the most critically important
program offered by the Order,
literally saving babies every day.
Through the program, free
ultrasound machines are provided
to qualified pregnancy care centers.
Over 600 in the U.S. and over 30 in
Ohio have been delivered since
2010. For more info, see
Ultrasound Initiative, Culture of Life
Activity #45 on pages 62-64 of the
General Program Book. This is a
Supreme Council Featured
Program.
State Website Bob Gilliland
Updated Dashboard for 2016! There is a new updated Dashboard (see below) that now includes Council Forms Status representing whether or not Supreme Council has received the Administrative forms (Form 185 – Council Officers, 365 – Service Personnel, 1728 – Fraternal Survey, 1295-1 – Audit 1, 1295-2 - Audit 2, and SP-7 – Columbian Award). This will help Councils better track their Form Submission to Supreme Council. This data is pulled from Supreme Council. In addition, the Membership and Insurance Thermometers have been updated to include the Net, Total and percentage
attained for the YTD totals. The green checkmark under Forms means that Supreme Council has received the appropriate form and the red checkmark means that they have not received the appropriate form. In addition, the Star Council requirements (Membership, Insurance, Form 365, Form 1728, and Form 1728 are highlighted in Green. As your Council plans the 2
nd half of the
fraternal year, you can use this
information to help achieve your Council goals towards Star Council. If you have any problems, or need any help, please feel free to email me at [email protected]. Robert Gilliland State Website Director
11
Plant the Seed to Grow CASH
for Charity 2016 Super Cash Bonanza
Charity Campaign
Super Cash Bonanza Charity Raffle
Tickets and posters will be
distributed during the Ticket
Distribution Meetings throughout
Ohio the weekends of February 19,
20, or 26, 27, 28 (2016). Please
check for the exact date, time, and
location in your council area.
Please make sure that all who are
in charge of the 2016 Super Cash
Bonanza Charity Campaign have
read the materials provided to the
council, especially, the information
booklet.
Significant income for charity can
be earned by your council (far
surpassing the basic rebate of
$2.40 per ticket), but you must
adhere to the “rules” as presented
in the information booklet. Some
rebates require meeting
attendance, while others require
meeting First Phase and Final
Phase quotas. Here are some of
the key points:
A minimum of two members from
your council must attend the
Diocesan Ticket Distribution
Meeting. The two-member
requirement does not include the
District Deputy, State Directors
and Chairs, or a State Officer to
qualify for these rebates.
The sold tickets and one check
from your council must be sent to
the State Treasurer by the
published deadlines. The two turn-
in dates are Friday, April 15 (2016)
and Friday, May 13 (2016). Your
council must meet these deadlines
with the required number of sold
tickets per member in order to
qualify for the different rebates.
Most methods of shipping are
acceptable. UPS, FedEx or the US
Postal System all have good record
of timely delivery of small
packages. Please do not send your
package by a method requiring my
signature. These often go back to
the delivery agent’s warehouse and
await pickup. Please use durable-
strength envelopes or cartons to
avoid damage during shipment.
Please make every effort to have
all of your council’s tickets
submitted by the second turn-in
deadline. Tickets brought to and
delivered at the convention might
create a processing problem. With
the drawing taking place that
weekend, there is very little time
for late arrivals. We cannot
guarantee your rebates on tickets
received more than a few days
after the final turn-in date of May
15, 2016.
Extra materials and tickets can be
obtained from your District Deputy
or Diocesan Officer. Any questions
concerning the 2016 Super Cash
Bonanza Campaign should be
directed to me, Robert Byers,
State Treasurer and Chair, by
email at
[email protected] or by
calling me at 740-706-0044 cell or
740-373-7154 home.
Plan early, promote, and partner!
We are here to help you work
toward the success of the 2016
Super Cash Bonanza charity
campaign at your local council.
Thank you to all my brother
knights for helping me “Plant the
Seed and Grow CASH for Charity.”
Additional information is also
available on the Ohio State Council
state website at www.kofcohio.org.
Fraternally,
Farmer Bob Bob Byers, State Treasurer
Super Cash Bonanza Road Show 2016 Ticket Distribution Meetings The Super Cash Bonanza Road Show
Team is making plans now to meet
with each and every Council
throughout the State of Ohio to kick
off the 2016 Super Cash Bonanza
Charity Raffle. We have selected
nine locations around the state to
make every effort possible for each
and every one of you to attend one
of the meetings. The team will share
with you some thoughts about what
is expected to conduct and
accomplish a successful charity raffle
at your Council. We look forward to
meeting with you. The meeting sites,
dates, and times are listed below.
Thursday, February 18 @ 7:00 PM Marietta Council #478
312 Franklin Street Marietta, OH 45750
Friday, February 19 @ 7:00 PM Msgr. Dooley Council #4361
Legion Drive Mingo Junction, OH 43938
Saturday, February 20 @ 10:00 AM Randolph Council #2039
2697 Waterloo Road
Randolph, OH 44265
Saturday, February 20 @ 1:00 PM Garfield Council #4130 10806 Grainger Road
Garfield Heights, OH 44125
Friday, February 26 @ 7:00 PM Tiffin Council #608 49 E. Perry Street Tiffin, OH 44883
Saturday, February 27 @ 9:30 AM Msgr. Lang Council #1039
111 Elliot Road Defiance, OH 43512
Saturday, February 27 @ 3:00 PM
Fr. Aufderheide Council #12912 (St. Christopher Church)
435 E. National Road
Vandalia, OH 45377
Saturday, February 27 @ 7:00 PM St. Michael’s Council #3382
(St. Michael’s Church) 11144 Spinner Ave.
Sharonville, OH 45241
Sunday, February 28 @ 2:00 PM St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council #11187
600 Hill Road Pickerington, OH 43147
12
State Retreat February 5-6, 2016
Brother Knights, you are invited to spend some time with the Lord in reflection and great fellowship with our
Worthy Former State Chaplain, Father Ron Williams at the 2016 Knights of Columbus State Retreat starting
on Friday, February 5 through Saturday, February 6, 2016.
The retreat will be held at:
Saints Peter and Paul Retreat Center
2734 Seminary Road
Newark, OH 43056.
Doors will open at 3PM. Dinner will be served at 6:00 PM. Breakfast and lunch will be served on
Saturday. Closing Mass at 4:00 PM. Dismissal after Mass. If interested, please complete the online
registration form by clicking the link below or send the form below to:
Larry Droesch, State Warden
1758 Prairie Road
Wilmington, OH 45177
Registration will close on Wednesday, January 20, 2016.
CLICK HERE FOR THE ONLINE RETREAT REGISTRATION FORM
CUT HERE
13
14
Sir Knight Recruiters Calling all Sir Knights of the Great State of Ohio Our Worthy State Deputy working with the Vice Supreme
Master, Don Hall, have developed a special program to help mentor new members in our Order. The “SK Recruiter” is a
special pin that illustrates the togetherness that the Councils and Assemblies. It provides a program that allows a Sir Knight
to walk a new member from his First Degree through his Third Degree. This is not to take the place of the responsibility of the
new members sponsor, but is to provide an experienced and committed Sir Knight to assist and help develop our fellow
brothers.
What do you need to do to get this pin? 1. Be a Fourth Degree Sir Knight in good standing.
2. Recruit a new Member. 3. Take the new member to his First, Second and Third
Degree. 4. Complete the form below or click HERE.
CUT HERE