Grand Knight's Message
Brothers,
Six months ago, in my first
message to you as Grand Knight, I laid out
four primary areas of focus for our Council
this year: support for parishes and priests;
community involvement; charitable works;
and membership and Council. I think
it is time for a status update on those initiatives.
I asked all members six months
ago to volunteer your services to your pastor
as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, or ushers.
Have you done so? If not, please do
so now!
For our involvement with the
community, we are working with the American
Red Cross on a couple of areas: we had a
presentation at the end of February regarding
disaster preparedness; see the enclosed
brochure for information about putting together
a disaster prep kit for you and your family.
Also, on Good Friday, April 4, our council
is cosponsoring a Blood Drive at Our Lady
of Good Counsel church. We need some
volunteers to help with various activities,
primarily setup and cleanup of the canteen.
But more importantly, we need all able members
to donate blood, if able. We
will be calling all members who live in the
area to see if they would like to donate
a pint of their blood to help save someone
else's life.
Our Charitable committee is
working hard to identify local charities
deserving of our support; if you have
suggestions, please contact me or DGK Larry
Sherling. Due to the generosity of
St. Joseph's parishioners and their pastor,
Fr. James Serowik, the proceeds of the pancake
breakfast at St. Joseph's has been added
to our charitable fund,.
Our Council continues to hold
First and Second Degree Exemplifications
each quarter, but we have not had success
recruiting new members. During the
month of March we will participate in an
Order-wide Membership Blitz by speaking at
all the masses at each of the seven parishes
we support, if their pastors are willing
to let us. DD Jerry Staeuble has prepared
a speech which we are polishing and will
present to the pastors this week. We
need all the members from each parish to
assist with recruitment in that parish when
we schedule the presentation.
Saturday, March 24 our Council
will hold a Day of Recollection at Mt. St.
Francis Hermitage from 9 AM to 4 PM.
It has been several years since we've held
a retreat, so I encourage all of you to come
out and join your fellow Brother Knights
during this Lenten season!
Thursday, March 29 is Founder's
Day -- 125 years ago the Knights of Columbus
was begun! You should all be proud
of the fact that you are members of such
a strong organization of Catholic men, well
into its second century of existence and
good works. Keep involved in the Knights
of Columbus to help make the rest of this
second century as much as success as the
first one was!
The shirts are in, and they
look great! We have a few members who
have decided that they would like to order
(additional) shirts as well, so we will accept
orders for additional shirts until the end
of March; please contact me at (607) 785-5364
if you would like to order one.
Vivat Jesus!
Alan Kline
Grand Knight
PRAY FOR VOCATIONS!
3rd Degree News
Pancake Breakfasts
On Sunday, March 18, we will
hold a Pancake Breakfast in the basement
of Christ the King Church from 8:00 AM to
Noon. As in the past, scouts from Troop
284, which we sponsor, will assist us by
waiting on tables, allowing them to earn
necessary service hours.
On Sunday, April 15, we will
hold a Pancake Breakfast in the basement
of St. Anthony's Church from 8:00 AM to 11:30
AM. Scouts will be assisting at this
breakfast as well.
On Mother's Day, Sunday, May
13, we will hold a Pancake Breakfast in the
basement of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Bring your
spouse down to enjoy a delicious pancake
breakfast and support our Council and OLGC.
Because this event is being held on Mother's
Day, scout participation will be rather small;
however, we anticipate serving a lot of customers,
so we really need to get ALL our members
who live in the area to help out in any way
possible. Please make every effort
to assist with this breakfast!
We are still working on arrangements
for a pancake breakfast at Our Lady of Angels
in June; our next newsletter will have information
about it.
Please make every effort to
assist in the setup, cooking, and/or cleaning
for these breakfasts -- and especially come
down to have breakfast with your families,
enjoy some delicious food, and help our Council
support the various parishes we represent.
Right To Life Spaghetti Dinner
The annual Right To Life Spaghetti
Dinner was held on Sunday, January 26, with
approximately 25 people representing our
Council helping in whatever needed to be
done at the dinner. The participation
from our Council was OUTSTANDING! THANK
YOU! The dinner was a huge success,
with record meals being served and money
being raised for the Right To Life Committee
of Broome County.
T-shirts
The K of C logoed T-shirts are
in; if you ordered one and did not receive
it yet, please contact GK Alan Kline at 785-5364
to arrange for delivery of your shirt.
Costs are payable to the GK, and remember
that if you worked at our Pancake Breakfasts,
the Council will be paying $10 of the cost
of your shirt. Final cost ended at
$17.50 per shirt (except size 3XL).
June Lottery Tickets
Our Council is holding a lottery-based
fundraiser again this year, based on the
afternoon Numbers drawing for the month of
June. We will be mailing two tickets
out to each member, and ask that you make
every effort to sell them for $5.00 each.
We will also work with the Giant Markets
to sell tickets, as well as selling them
at our upcoming pancake breakfasts and each
Friday during Lent at the fish dinners at
Christ the King Church. If you would
be willing to help with these extra efforts
to raise funds for our Council, please contact
PGK Bob Taluba at 748-2925 or GK Alan Kline
at 785-5364.
Third Degree Exemplification
Binghamton Council 206 will
host a third Degree Exemplification on Sunday,
March 25. Candidates should contact
FS Jerry Staeuble if you want to attend.
Candidates should arrive at the Binghamton
Council hall at Noon; the degree will start
promptly at 1:00 PM. If you plan to
attend and stay after for a chicken BBQ meal,
please let GK Alan Kline know as soon as
possible at 785-5364.
Insurance Night
Our Council will host an Insurance
Night on Monday, March 26. The General
Agent covering our area will hopefully be
in attendance to talk about current products
and answer your questions, and may have time
for some one-on-one discussions. We
are inviting all the Councils in the area
to join us for this meeting.
4th Degree News
Sir Knights,
Exemplification of
the Fourth Degree will be conducted
in
Binghamton on Saturday, April 28, 2007.
All 3rd Degree Knights in good standing who
have not taken the Fourth Degree should submit
an application as soon as possible.
Please contact myself at (607) 785-3019 or
Chuck Curry at (607) 785-7183 for an application.
Raffle tickets to help defray the
costs for this exemplification are available.
The prize is a 24-inch color TV with DVD
& VCR player. The drawing
will be held on April 28th. Chuck
Curry has tickets. Please support this effort
The Binghamton Assembly needs
financial support in assuring the success
of this event. Please consider placing an
ad in the Commemorative Program. Contact
Chuck Curry for details. I recommend
that all Knights should at least consider
taking out a $5 Patron Ad.
As I have previously mentioned,
I hope that all Sir Knights will make a concerted
effort to attend all future activities,
It would be nice to bring your wives and
attend the festivities and thereby
support the candidates who will be taking
the Fourth Degree. Yours in Christ,
Gerald J. DeMorat
Faithful Navigator
Support our Priests!
What Does the Knights of Columbus Mean to
YOU?
(Notes from our members)
In 2000 I moved my family to
Rochester for a new job. I am currently
employed as a program director for ITT Space
Systems Division. The new job is very
demanding of my time and I have not been
able to participate in local Council activities.
I am now 61 and my oldest daughter recently
presented us with a beautiful baby granddaughter
for Christmas. I am trying to build
up a retirement nest egg so I can enjoy life
with my wife of 40 years, Terry.
The Knights have had a very
positive effect on my life, and brought me
closer to God and the Church. Jerry
Staeuble recruited me at St. Casimir's and
I was Faithful Scribe, 3rd Degree Membership
chair and ran Bingo for a while. Please
tell my Brothers in Endicott that I miss
them very much!
Vince Smoral
Pittsford, NY
My father, Harry D. Stoke, died
of bile duct cancer 10/10/05.
The illness was brief during his 36th year
at IBM. He was 58. This has left
me as the primary support for my mother.
On March 9.2006, my daughter
Zoe was born. This was our second child
along with Bennett (3 years old).
I am the 2006-2007 president
of the Owego Kiwanis Club. Children's
needs have been great since the flood.
The flood also impacted my job as Deputy
Director of Economic Development for Tioga
County. Many businesses have just started
to run at full steam. I was the county's
project manager for Tioga Downs Racetrack,
Lockheed Martin US101 (won) and Lockheed
Martin CSAR-X (lost).
I look forward to helping the
Knights where I can: C&B ticket sales,
golf tournament, other fundraisers and special
events. I hope my schedule will allow
me to be more active with the Knights in
the future. I read every Knight e-mail
and can be contacted easily in this manner.
My wife's family explains the
St. James (JC) connection. I grew up
at St. Margaret Mary's in Apalachin.
Ben attends OLS preschool. And my K of C
is Endicott. The multiple locations
is an ongoing family discussion.
To me the Knights of Columbus
is hope. Hope for the future. And knowledge
that whenever called upon by a parish, a
group of dedicated men will show up and perform
whatever task necessary -- no questions asked.
Because it is the right thing to do.
Jeffrey Stoke
Apalachin
If you would like to tell your Brother Knights
what being a member of the Knights of Columbus
means to you, please send your input to the
Newsletter Editor as documented on the next
page. E-mail and US Postal Service
are fine!
From the Editor's Desk
The due date for the May/June
2007 newsletter is April 23.
If you have something you would like me to
put in our newsletter, you may contact
me by U. S. Mail, E-mail, or telephone:
Alan E. Kline
2640 Mill Glen
Endwell, NY 13760-9481
(607) 785-5364
Internet:
akline1@stny.rr.com
Calendar of Events
Date Event
Time
Location
-------- ------------------------------------
------------ -------------------------
Mar 11 Confirmation at
Our Lady of Sorrows 2:00
PM Our
Lady of Sorrows,
Vestal
Mar 12 1st Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Mar 14 K of C - Masons
Dinner
6:00 PM
Johnson City Council
Mar 17 Binghamton Council
St. Patrick's Party 6:00 PM-?
Binghamton Council Hall
Mar 18 Pancake Breakfast
8 AM - Noon Christ the
King Church
Mar 19 4th Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Mar 24 K of C Day of Recollection
9 AM - 4 PM Mt. St. Francis
Hermitage
Mar 25 Third Degree Exemplification
1:00 PM
Binghamton Council
Mar 26 1st Degree INSURANCE
NIGHT
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Mar 28 Grand Knights' meeting
7:30 PM
Vestal Council
Apr 6 Red Cross Blood
Drive
1 - 6 PM Our
Lady of Good Counsel
Apr 8
HAPPY EASTER!
Apr 9 1st Degree
meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Apr 15 Pancake Breakfast
8 - 11:30 AM St. Anthony's Church
Apr 15 Chapter meeting
Apr 16 4th Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Apr 23 1st Degree social
dinner
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Apr 24 Prayer Rally
Albany
Apr 28 Fourth Degree Exemplification
St. Mary's Church,
Binghamton
May 3-5 NYS Knights of Columbus
Convention
Ellenville
May 14 1st Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
May 15 HAPPY
MOTHERS' DAY!
May 15 Pancake Breakfast
8 AM - 1 PM Our Lady of Good
Counsel
May 18 Bishop's Burse dinner
Syracuse
May 21 4th Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
May 28 1st Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Jun 10 K of C Family Picnic
Pavilion 7, Highland Park
Jun 11 1st Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Jun 17 HAPPY
FATHERS' DAY
Jun 18 4th Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Jun 25 1st Degree meeting
7:30 PM
OLGC - Council 1839 Room
Useful Phone Numbers
3rd Degree: Grand Knight
Alan Kline
785-5364 Internet: akline1@stny.rr.com
Deputy GK
Larry Sherling 748-5376
Financial Sec'y Jerry Staeuble
748-4631 Internet: Jerrysta@stny.rr.com
Home Assoc: President
Jerry Staeuble 748-4631
Internet: Jerrysta@stny.rr.com
4th Degree: F. Navigator
Gerald G. DeMorat 785-3019
F. Comptroller Charles Curry Jr. 785-7183
Color Corps Cdr Paul S. Gursky
785-8756 Internet: PGURSKY@stny.rr.com