• December 2011 Newsletter
• ANNUAL SURVEY OF FRATERNAL ACTIVITY INDIVIDUAL MEMBER WORKSHEET 2011
• All Pages

ST. THERESA’S COUNCIL # 14615

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

450 Radio Road

Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087

December 14, 2011

Council Meeting:

Date:                     Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Time:                     7:00 PM.

Location:              Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church.

Dress:                   Business Casual

Officers’ Meeting:

Date:                     Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Time:                     7:00 PM.

Location:              Faith Formation Center, St. Theresa’s Church

Dress:                   Business Casual

Chaplain’s Message:

My Dear Brothers on Christ,

Advent is upon as we anticipate the blessed coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we prepare for this wonderful festival of Christmas joy, peace and love in our lives, we also prepare to celebrate the Holy Season with our family and friends with ancient customs and family rituals.

Seeing the Knights of Columbus signs encouraging folks to “Keep Christ in Christmas” or “Jesus is the reason for the Season” in so many front yards or windows as I drive around the parish has brought a great deal of joy to me during this Holy Season. I truly believe that more and more people are stepping up and wanting people to know that they are Christians.

However, there is a haunting question which emerges in my observance of so many signs. Yes, we want people to know we are Christians, specifically Catholic Christians, but do people only know that because we have placed a sign in our yard or window? Would someone know we were Christians, specifically Catholic Christians if they saw us in our everyday activities?

I think we need to ask ourselves “what do these slogans and signs really mean about me?”  Are these signs and slogans trendy or convenient things to say that imply we are real disciples of Jesus or are they true extensions of what we live every day?

If we truly reflect upon these signs and slogans perhaps we can begin to see that it is easy to put a sign in our yard or window, wear a slogan button or a pin, have an angel or cross on our lapel or around our neck. But it is much harder to live as the disciples these items exemplify.

In this Holy Season of Advent and Christmas, perhaps we make a commitment to live our faith as the real disciples of Jesus in a new and more powerful way. Perhaps we call upon the Christ Child, born anew in our hearts, to give us the strength He gave to the shepherds and Magi who radically changed their lives and direction at the sight of His birth.  Perhaps we call upon Joseph to intercede for us to receive the courage and strength to protect and foster our faith as he protected Jesus and Mary His mother. Perhaps we call upon the intercession of Mary to wrap her mantle around us, warming us in the glow of the Son of God when we encounter the coldness of this world. Perhaps we let the song of the Angels stir our heart to “Give Glory to God in the Highest” in all that we do so that we become living signs of keeping Christ Christmas but in every way every day of our lives.

On behalf of the Parish Priests, Deacons, and Staff I wish you all a blessed Advent Season and Holy and Happy Christmas.

Fr. Mick

Illness:

Brother Deacon Hank Palan is recovering from heart surgery.

Brother Deacon Bob Kratchman is being treated for a gall bladder condition.

Past Grand Knight Tom Hartley is recovering following a pacemaker implant.

Brother Mike Santo is currently in rehab following knee surgery.

Brother Art Jablonski is undergoing treatment for a bowel condition.

Brother Franklin Clayton is ill.

Brother John Taaffe’s wife is ill.

Brother Peter Defeo is going through dialysis and is suffering from a blood condition.

Brother Vince Konchan has lymphatic cancer and is undergoing radiation treatment.

If you know of a Brother Knight or a member of the family, sick or in distress, or relocating please let Jay Werling know. My contact information is at the bottom of this Knight Letter.

Identification:

We have a need to put a more public face on our Council.  This will help us with identification and Council growth.  Whenever you are participating in any parish activity - attending a meeting of any of the parish ministries, assisting at any parish function - if possible please wear Knights of Columbus identification (either a Council shirt or Council name tag).  This will help put a public face on the Council and allow parishioners to know who we are and what we do.

Disability Membership:

The Supreme Council has arranged for disabled members, whether permanent or temporary, to be exempt from Council dues and per capita charges for the duration of the disability.  If you are currently collecting either temporary or permanent total disability payments from the Veterans’ Administration, Social Security or Workmen’s Compensation, please notify the Financial Secretary, Jay Werling.  He will tell you what documentation you need to provide so our Council can file this claim on your behalf.

Annual Dues Notices:

Our Council collects dues for the Fraternal Year (July through June).  Therefore, annual dues notices were mailed in June.  Please remit payment to the Financial Secretary, using the envelope provided with the dues notice.  You may also bring your dues payment to the Council Meeting.  Your Membership Card is only good for a three month grace period following the date shown.  After this grace period, your Membership Card is no longer valid and you will not be admitted to a Council meeting until your dues are current.

The Financial Secretary has sent out Second Notices as a reminder for those members who have not remitted their dues.

Membership Cards:

Two comments are necessary about Membership cards.

First, the Supreme Council has determined that some former members are misusing the Honorary Life Membership cards issued to them.  Therefore, the Supreme Council has directed that all Councils issue annual Membership cards to all Honorary Life Members on the Council Membership rolls.

Second, Membership cards for all members, Honorary Life, Disabled and those current in dues, will be available at the November Council Meeting.  Please see the Financial Secretary for your Membership Card.

You may also pay your dues to the Financial Secretary after any meeting.

Web Site:

The Council Web Site – www.kofc14615.org – is back online and available to review.

Food Pantry:

The Little Egg Harbor Food Pantry is making great progress and is run by one of our Brother Knights. Brother Leo Rossetti runs this food pantry and some of our Brother Knights volunteer on a daily basis. This food pantry receives and distributes to the needy in excess of 2,000 pounds of food a month and our Brothers approximately donate at least one hundred hours a month.  Great Job Brother Knights!! That being said, they are in need of volunteers this Friday and Saturday December 16-17 from 9:00AM – 12:00 Noon.

Fund Raisers:

Currently, four fund raisers are under way:

46” FLAT SCREEN LCD TV RAFFLE TICKET SALE:

We are currently raffling tickets for a Sony Bravia 46” Flat Screen LCD TV. This is a great deal and the drawing will be January 30 just before the Super Bowl. The proceeds of this ticket sale will help fund our Council Scholarship and Charity fund. We will be selling tickets after all Masses every weekend until the drawing in January 2012. Please contact our Chairman, Andy Kacvinski at 609-294-3866 and schedule yourself to sell tickets.  If you are unable to sell the tickets that Andy has issued you please return them to the Council so we can resell them.

BUS TRIP TO ATLANTIC CITY:

Brothers Francis Murphy and Bill Murphy have scheduled a bus trip to the Resorts Casino Details are:

DATE:  Monday, January 16, 2011. (Martin Luther King Day)

TIME:  9:00 AM

PRICE:  $25.00 per person. (We receive a $10.00 Coupon for food and $25.00 for Slot Play.) Contact Brother Francis Murphy at 609-294-8244 for more information and tickets.

NAME BADGES:

The name badges have been ordered; the price is $11.00 for regular members and $12.00 for Fourth Degree members.  See Jay Werling at the meeting for your badge.

SHIRTS:

Brother Earl Lind is selling Council T-Shirts.  The price is $10.00 a shirt.

Additionally our Council is considering other fund raisers throughout the upcoming Fraternal Year.  These include a Spaghetti and/or Corned Beef dinners and additional bus trips to Atlantic City.  For any and all of these fund raisers to be successful, we will need assistance from you, our Brother Members.  For further information, attend our Council Meetings, read these monthly Knight Letters and watch the weekly Parish Bulletin.

Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity:

Each year, our Council must submit its Annual Survey of Fraternity Activity by January 31 for the prior year.  This is one of six documents which we must submit on time to be eligible for the Star Council Award.  This document summarizes and consolidates the community and fraternal service our Council and its members performed during the year 2011; however, only for the period during 2011 that you have been a member of the Knights.  These service areas include visits to the Sick and Bereaved; Blood Donations; service for Sick and Disabled Members and their Families; hours of Community Service for Church Activities (including the Parish Picnic and Duck and Decoy Show), Youth Activities, Habitat for Humanity, Community Activities (including the Food Collection, Sort, Transportation and Distribution), and Other Miscellaneous Activities.  Attached is a copy of an Individual Worksheet for you to complete and return to the Council, either via email, snail mail (my address is below) or at the December or January Council meeting.

INSURANCE MESSAGE:

Your Knights of Columbus Insurance Update

New products now available

Disability Insurance

10 Year Pay Whole Life

Contact Bob Dodds for details (number below).

Long Term Care

Remember – Shared care available to member and wife if qualified.

MEMBERS OR WIVES, PLEASE CALL ME ASAP FOR DETAILS OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

FIELD AGENT BOB DODDS 609-978-6396

Emails:

If you want to contact me via email, please use ‘Knights of Columbus’ in the Subject Line and use my email address at the end of this letter.

If you receive this monthly letter via the United States Post Office, it costs your Council $5.28 per year to mail it to you.  We want to continue to reduce our monthly mailing expense so we email this letter to those members who provide us with an email address.  If you want to receive this via email, please see the Council Guards at the meeting and provide them with your email address, or send Jay an email using his email address below.

Newsletter:

Articles for inclusion in this newsletter should be forwarded to Jay Werling, at the email address below, by the 10^th of each month.  Anticipated distribution date is not later than the 15^th of each month.

God Bless and Merry Christmas!

Jay Werling

226 Lake Champlain Drive

Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087

( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )

609-709-9236