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February 2003
VOLUME XXVII ISSUE 8
Good Brother Knights: The Fr. Maher Council 6793 of the Knights of Columbus HAS MOVED!
ALL Executive, Normal Business, Social, and other working committee meetings will now be held at the Marians Facility on Georgia Avenue north of Olney.
The Scheduled Meeting Dates are Revised as Follows:
At the last meeting a motion was made to move the council’s business, social and executive meetings from the Mondays of each month to the Wednesdays of each month. The meetings would now be on the first Wednesday (for the executive) and the second and fourth Wednesdays (for the business and social general meetings). Please mark your calendars.
Degrees will be held either at St. Peter's or St. Patrick’s Parish halls as we can get scheduled.
Rick Allison, Grand Knight
Contents . . .
Insurance Article
by Rick Morin, FICF/LUTCF Your K of C Insurance Agent (301) 384-7627
It's that time of the year again! --a time to tell your Valentine just how much you really do love her. What are you going to get her this year? Flowers? Some candy and a card? Why don't you get her something that truly shows what she means to you! We are talking about life insurance. Give her the greatest gift of all--the financial security that she will need when you aren't here any more.
Sure, flowers are pretty and smell nice, but there is nothing left- when they die. Candy is wonderful too, but once Valentine's Day is over ... it too is gone. What is left, when you're gone?
Call me for an appointment, so we can make sure there is something left for her.
District Deputy Article
by Joe Feakes, District Deputy #1
It is all about life. Recently several events have reminded me how precious a human life really is. I participated in a pro-life project at Father Peter Paul Maher Council, attended the Pro-Life Rally at Father Rosensteel Council, and, in a small way, assisted at the funeral of Father Canice Treacy at St. Peters.
What do all these events have in common? They all demonstrate how much we rely on others as we go through our lives. From the very beginning to the very end we need someone to help us, to look out for us, to pray for us. We, as Knights of Columbus and protectors of life, are given a unique opportunity to play a part in the lives of so many people. As individuals we may feel helpless. However, as councils, chapters, assemblies, and states we can and do make a difference. The most important element in any of our programs is the part that improves or protects peoples’ lives.
I ask each of you as we go through the final months of this fraternal year to pay special attention to those parts of your council activities that touch peoples’ lives. I believe that if you look closely at all the committees and programs within your council you will find that each and every one of them have an impact on life. Certainly one of the most significant things you can do in another man’s life is to ASK him to join the Knights of Columbus. Offer him and his family the opportunity to make a difference. Membership is always at the top of our priorities. So far this year we have been doing pretty well. Keep up the good work.
I want to thank all the Grand Knights, their officers, committee chairmen, and all the members for a very fine effort for the first six months of this fraternal year. You have made significant progress towards your program, membership, and insurance goals. I would very much like to see each council achieve Star Council status. You still have time.
Finally, don’t forget about the raffle to support the restoration of the Basilica in Baltimore. This is an excellent chance to show your support for the State Program and to bring some funds into the council. The council keeps 40 cents of every dollar. Thank you for all your hard work. May God bless you and may God bless America.
Vivat Jesus
Pancake & Sausage Day 2003
MARK YOUR CALENDARS. On Saturday, February 15th, 2003, Father Peter Paul Maher Council along with the LIONS CLUB of Olney will again sponsor the 27th Annual Pancake and Sausage Day. The usual "ALL YOU CAN EAT" breakfast will provide the Council with the major source of funding for our annual College Scholarship Program. The full-page flyer elsewhere in the Newsletter gives the details.
Two important reminders: FIRST: Council Members will be needed to work the dining room from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. This will be done in the usual two shifts of 7:00 am to 11:00 am, which includes set up, and the 11:00 am to 3:00 pm shift which includes take down and clean up. Many hands will make for light work. Contact Bro. Rick Allison (301-260-7950) to volunteer. SECOND: A very important source for the success of the event is the Advertisements in the Program Booklet. Information is on the flyer. Contact Bros. Vince Pistolessi (301-871-3334) or Bill Zurek (301-774-4744) with your ad. Remember, two complimentary tickets are given with each Ad.
License Plate Frame Project
by Ben Santaiti, Pro-Life Committee, 301-774-6636
As I age, a thought that frequently passes through my mind is my pending Big ONE on ONE meeting with Jesus. I feel sure He is going to ask me (and all people) "What have you done for Me?" (in the Gospels, Jesus says, "What you have done for the least of My children, you have done for Me").
Many of my brother Knights in Council 6793 and in Councils throughout the United States now have an opportunity to answer His question with: "I helped save some of Your babies; I helped reverse the 'Culture of Death' to a culture of LIFE in the United States."
So far our CHOOSE LIFE! tag frame project has been published in two monthly Council newsletters and to date I have NOT received one phone call asking for "CHOOSE LIFE" tag frames. All it takes is a few minutes and you will then proudly show you are both Pro-Life and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Do something now! Be ready to answer His question!
Italian Dinner Dance
The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring “An Evening of Italian Romance” Dinner Dance on Saturday, February 8th at St. Peter’s Church Hall. Along with your dinner, the evening will include Italian music, dancers and a dinner serenade from live musicians. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Knights of Columbus Non-Denominational College Fund, which is awarded to several local high school students each year. Please consider joining us in a celebration of Italian culture and Romance.
For more information call Carmine Amatucci 301/253-9161, Bob Mazonkey 301/253-6274 or Rick Allison 301/260-7950.
Financial Secretary's Comments
by William E. Ketter, Financial Secretary
Council dues statements were mailed out to the members after December 15, 1998. As of January 26, 1999, of the 383 (365) dues statements mailed out, 163 (155) members have responded by paying either a full year's dues or a partial payment. Also there are 24 members that are honorary life members (excused from paying dues) and 8 other members that the Council has determined do not have to pay dues. This would result in approximately 188 (177) members having to be mailed a second notice for their first quarter dues if the notice was mailed on 1-26-99. Members receiving a second notice should pay their dues as quickly as possible to save the postage necessary to mail out dues statements for the second and succeeding quarters. When a member receives his dues statement, he should make every effort to submit his payment before the second notices are mailed. The funds that are now being used for additional postage could then be used for other administrative costs or for our charitable work. Dues statements this year will be sent out on the following schedule:
1st Qtr-12-15-98 and 2-1-99
2nd Qtr-3-15-99 and 5-1-99
3rd Qtr-6-15-99 and 8-1-99
4th Qtr-9-15-99 and 11-1-99
The Council wishes to express its thanks to all the members that have paid their dues in a timely manner. If a member is having financial problems or is considering dropping his membership in the Order, he is encouraged to contact the Financial Secretary at 301-570-8959. At that time some type of payment schedule can be worked out or the Financial Secretary can elaborate on the various procedures available to leave the Order. Just not paying your dues does not end your membership in the Order; contact the Grand Knight or Financial Secretary!
Health For K of C Membership Longetivity
by Bill Gulban
Live a longer, healthier life. This month I want to talk on answers to common questions about what might increase your life span—and what probably won’t. The quest for eternal youth has motivated human behavior since at least the time of fourth century B.C. and fed the medieval alchemists’ desire to create gold, then considered a powerful anti-aging substance. Today, the quest continues unabated: Former baseball star Ted Williams’ corpse was frozen in hopes of a future when death itself can be reversed. Bookshelves overflow with titles as "Stopping the Clock" and "Grow Younger, Live Longer: 10 Steps to Reverse Aging."
Unfortunately, those titles promise more than they can deliver. No currently marketed intervention has been proved to slow, stop, or reverse human aging, and some so-called anti-aging techniques can be dangerous, according to a declaration by 51 leading international aging experts in a recent issue of Scientific American. Yet, while it’s unlikely that scientists will soon develop a practical way to halt the aging process itself or defeat death, modern medicine has had great success in extending life expectancy by combating certain deadly or debilitating diseases. And still, simple lifestyle changes—such as exercising regularly or giving up smoking—are also effective for preventing premature death.
As a result, the overall message about getting older in America today is encouraging. According to Thomas Perls, M.D., a Boston University researcher, people are living longer, they’re living healthier, and there’s good reason to think there’s still room for improvement. Since 1994 he has gathered health information about nearly 1,000 people who’ve lived 100 years. The science –and hype—behind two common anti-aging strategies, supplemental hormones and antioxidants, is described in the following.
Scientists have identified only one technique that possibly slows aging itself: severe caloric restriction. Animals fed extremely low-calorie diets live 30 to 40 percent longer than normal. Scientists don’t yet know if the approach works in humans. And only an age-obsessed individual would likely even try to stick permanently with such a Spartan diet.
Scientists believe that caloric restriction may slow aging in two possible ways. First, it reduces the amount of energy the body metabolizes; and metabolism involves oxidation, a destructive process that appears to underlie much of the body’s ongoing cellular decline. Second, caloric restriction may slow the age-related decline in hormones that help keep the body young. Ongoing research on oxidation and hormones may eventually yield practical therapies that extend life. But nothing has panned out yet. This article is supported by Consumer Reports on Health.
Communion Breakfast is Successful
by Bill Gulban, Church Activities Director
On a cold but sunny Sunday, January 19, our Communion Breakfast at St. Patrick’s Church Center was filled with a hundred family people including mostly parishioners of St. Patrick’s Church, guests, and members of our Council. After Fr. John Clark said Grace, lines formed to get the catered hot breakfast.
Before the main program was underway, the children in the audience were gathered in a classroom to be entertained by Jenny Henry. Jenny performs professionally as a clown, and I promise you’ll see her again in future council events. We thank her for offering her entertainment for the children with animal forms and hats of balloons.
Included in some of my remarks was mention of our council has initiated a ‘mustard seed’ project whose purpose is to help reverse America’s "Culture of Death". As reminder to the public an auto license tag frame has been created imprinted with "Choose Life", sponsored by Knight’s of Columbus decal and USA flag.
We honored two of our widows of council members, Dimmie Wilks, and Elsie Bergamini. They were chosen in the diocese and honored by our Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and presented a medal of the Order of Merit.
The speaker for our event was Paul Mulligan, Brother Knight from Annapolis, who gave a dynamic presentation on the Gabriel Project. He is actively involved in work promoting the rights and dignity of women and the unborn since early 1980’s. After graduating from US Naval Academy, he resigned his commission in 1999 to purse full-time pro-life work. After earning his Master’s in Theological studies from the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C. last year, he is serving as Executive Director of the Gabriel Project, a grass-roots, faithful based, non-profit organization which offers practical, emotional and spiritual support to women and families facing crisis pregnancies by entering into relationships with them in the spirit of Christian solidarity.
Our breakfast event concluded with raffling 10 door prizes.
I am grateful to all our helpers, including Chuck Cozad, Tim Boland, Ben Santaiti, Steve Goldhammer, Innocent d’Almeida, John Devine, Bill Hammond, and Sumi Arima who stood in between Mass times in the bitter cold for two Sundays.
My thanks go to the priests at St. Patrick’s for announcing that the Knights were selling tickets outside of the Church. Thank you all who helped me setting up including Bob and Barbara Mazonkey, Jim Bonanno, Sumi Arima, Innocent d’Almeida, and Scout Troop #457 members Jim and Justin Messimore. And my thanks go to members at the entrance table, Donna d’Almeida, Jim Bonnano, Chuck Cozad, and Joe and Lyn Feakes. For setting up and monitoring coffee, great thanks go to Paul McFarlane and setting up and monitoring juice, milk, and cake sweets go to Jim and son Justin Messimore of Scout Troop #457. Thanks to Bill Ketter who monitored the table to sell Entertainment Books and had KC recruitment materials available. For servers, my gratefulness goes to Bob and Barbara Mazonkey and Bill and Roberta Homick. And finally, thanks to all who helped with the take down and cleaning after the event.
Please mark your calendars on April 27th for our next Communion Breakfast at St. Peter’s Hall.