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July 2003
VOLUME XXVIII ISSUE 1
Contents . . .
Election of New Council Officers
During the council meeting of June 11, 2003, the annual election of new Council officers was held for the fraternal year beginning July 1, 2003 and ending June 30, 2004. The following brother knights were elected:
Grand Knight's Message
Good Brother Knights, I am extremely humbled by your show of confidence in re-electing me to a second term as your Grand Knight. The past year had a lot of interesting challenges and new initiatives. By the time you get this we will be entering the next year with plans and schedules firmly in place to follow-on to our year of "Rebirth". THIS IS THE YEAR OF RENEWAL...We have a lot of wonderful and experienced brother Knights in our council, I intend to draw on each of you to be a more active part of the council activities. If you don't hear from me, please do not hesitate to make suggestions and to get involved if you see something that should be happening. Innocent, and I will be meeting with the officers before I take off to Boy Scout Summer camp, and we'll have a schedule of events nailed down for the August newsletter. The Council officers installation will be at our Cottage and the Marion Chapel on the 27th of July, more to come in a special mailing.
Help myself and the officers of your council to help you; tell us what you'd like to see happen and we'll do it.
Vivat Jesus et Salve Regina,
Rick L. Allison
Chaplain's Message
by Fr. LaHood
This July 4th we have a lot to pray about for our country. We still have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in many other places around the world. No matter what others may say about motives, politics, oil, etc., the goal of our policies always moves toward bringing democracy and freedom. These are worthy goals if, indeed, very difficult ones to obtain.
A democratic country is almost always a peaceful country. History tells us that it is the ambition of dictators that usually starts wars. If the leadership of a country has its ambition for power within that country checked by a constitution, then its ambition for power outside that country is also checked. Democracies are also places of religious freedom. Our troops are, on the whole, fighting for worthy ends and should be supported by our prayers.
We should also remember and give thanks to God for the good things we have in our own country. We need also to rededicate ourselves to making our country a place where the Culture of Life prevails. This is a worthy end for our efforts. The Knights unambiguously support the culture of life. This support ties in with its patriotism. Love means wishing the best for the one loved. Love of country means wishing the best for the United States of America. What is best for our country is that it should be a place where all human life is respected and protected.
This fourth of July rededicate yourselves to patriotism and to the Culture of Life. Have a safe and joyful summer.
Membership Recruiting News
by Homer Chen
Let's welcome James Carr and Edward J. Cummings who joined our Council by taking the First Degree exemplification on June 16, 2003 at St. Peter's School.
As of June, we have 18 new members and we lost 4 members. We did not make the Star Council this year but we sure tried. We should be proud of the 25 consecutive years that we held the Star Council Award.
I want to thank all the Council officers, First Degree team and Brother Knights and their families for the new member recruitment endeavor.
Insurance News
by Rick Morin, FICF, LUTCF, Your K of C Agent 301-384-7627
Social Security is a wonderful thing, and you pay up to $4000 or more a year for it. Some folks pay to FICA than they do in income taxes. But, do you know the amount of benefits you will receive under the law? Or how this benefit can be lost?
For example, do you know:
Social Security benefits are intended to supply a floor of protection for a plan of family security and financial independence in old age. It is important to understand them and how they tie the rest of your financial assets together.
I would be happy to share my knowledge of this topic with you. Call me for an appointment.
For Sale
Those readers who may have missed this notice in May Newsletter the following is given. Available from a Brother Knight: Free Tuxedo, size 44 Regular, with trousers waist 37-38" with adjustable tabs X 29 1/2" inseam. Trouser hem can be lengthened 2 1/2 ". White Tux shirt, size 32-33" available also. Call Bill Gulban (301) 774-0424.
Membership
by William E. Ketter, PGK
The July 1, 2003 dues statements were mailed to 77 members during the week of June 16, 2003. Members in the Council not paying their dues, because they are experiencing some problem or have decided to leave the Order, causes the Council to expend postage each quarter to mail out the dues statements, funds which could better be used for charitable works. Members with a problem or members deciding to drop their membership should immediately contact the Financial Secretary. Also as soon as you receive your dues statement, please pay your dues as soon as possible.
There are primarily only two ways a Council member can terminate his membership in the Order, one is by being suspended for non-payment of dues and the other is to request a withdrawal card. A withdrawal card can be requested if the member has his dues paid up to the time the card is requested. Any member, who has not paid any dues by June 16th, will have a note included with his third quarter dues statement informing them that the process to suspend their membership may soon be instituted. If the suspension process is started the member will be contacted by the Council retention committee, a notice of change in status will be sent, the member will then be contacted by the Supreme Council, the State Retention Chairman, and the District Deputy prior to being suspended. If a Council member has any question concerning his dues or the suspension process, please call the Financial Secretary.
It is also a Council member's responsibility to keep the Council informed of his current address and telephone number so the Council can maintain contact with its members. If your address or telephone number has changed or soon will change, please contact the Financial Secretary immediately so the records can be kept current. The Council also needs this information from the widows so the Council can maintain contact with them.
Council Bills
by William E. Ketter
July is the start of a new Council year and it is a good time to remind Council members and Program Directors that they should submit bills prior to the start of the meetings. Individuals should call the Financial Secretary the day of the meeting or the day before to provide him the information concerning the bill(s). Receipts can be given to Financial Secretary at the meeting. If a bill contains items for two or more budget items, the bill should show what was spent for each budget item. If bills are presented after the meeting, the Individual presenting the bill will have to obtain the approval of all the Trustees, present at the meeting, to pay his bill at that time. Bills presented after the meeting has started, may not get prepared so action can be taken at that meeting.
Health for K of C Membership Longevity
by Bill Gulban
Health and Nutrition News Bites. Whole Grains-Heart Disease Link. Speaking of heart health, lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease may be as simple as making a sandwich on wholegrain bread. That's what scientists at four research institutions found when they surveyed a group of nearly 3,600 elderly men and women on how much fiber they consumed from breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables, and then tracked their incidence of cardiovascular disease for more than 8 years.
People who consumed 4.6 grams (gms) fiber a day from breads and cereals-equivalent to two slices of whole-grain bread-had a 14 % reduction in risk for cardiovascular disease compared to people who ate the least amount of fiber from those foods. People who consumed more than 6.3 gms of fiber a day from grains lowered their risk by 21 %.
Whole grains always have much more fiber than refined. Other whole-grain options, besides breads and cereals, include brown rice and barley
Whole-grain Breakfast Cereals Linked to Longer Life. Which type of breakfast cereal you eat appears to be associated with how long you live. When Harvard University investigators looked over the dietary records of some 86,000 participants in the long-running Physicians' Health Study, they found that those who breakfasted on whole-grain cereal every day had a 17 % lower risk of dying over the next several years from any cause - and a 20 % lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease specifically-than those who "rarely or never" ate whole-grain cereals. Refined cereal, on the other hand, had no such protective link.
The difference is believed to have something to do with the fact that whole grains are higher in fiber than refined grains, as well as in a number of vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals. Refined grains are stripped of many healthful substances in the manufacturing process. Some whole-grain cereals include Cheerios, Kellogg's Mini-Wheats, and Quaker Toasted Oatmeal Squares.
More Evidence That Vitamin K Is Good For Bones. Adding to the growing body of evidence that vitamin K plays an essential role in bone health, Tufts researchers have found that high intakes of the nutrient-most prevalent in leafy green vegetable-are associated with high bone mineral density. Based dietary records of more than 2,500 people, scientists at Tuft's Vitamin K Lab discovered that women who consumed the most vitamin K-an average of 309 micrograms (mcgms) a day-had significantly higher bone mineral density than women who consumed the least -70 mcgms a day, on average. (A half cup of cooked spinach contains 360 mcgms of K; Brussels sprouts, 235 mcgms; and broccoli, 113 mcgms.) It's thought that vitamin K promotes bone strength by allowing a particular protein to take its place in the skeletal structure.
These articles are supported by Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letters.
District Deputy Report
by Joe Feakes
I went back and looked at my report from last year. In it I stressed that I wanted to focus on quality membership, service, and family participation. Nothing has changed. I believe that our membership is strong, but we can always use new candidates. From all the reports I read and all the activities I saw or heard about we certainly provided many services to our churches, communities, councils, families, and youth. Most importantly we supported our priests and bishops. Without a doubt, each council had many quality programs for each member of the family. Where do we go from here? Up!!!
We are blessed with so much talent and energy that there is no reason that we, as Knights of Columbus, cannot make our presence even more visible. Membership is always job 1. Just look around your neighborhood, your workplace, your church, and your family. I know there are men who would welcome the opportunity to join our councils. The Knights offer a unique chance to "be one of the guys" and a "Catholic gentleman" at the same time. Remind all those to whom you speak that we are not trying to take a man away from his family. On the contrary, we attempt to bring the family closer together through our Catholic faith.
If membership is the lifeblood of our order, then service is the heart. The services we provide through our programs keep our councils and our order strong. I encourage every knight to be aware of any opportunity to offer our support. This is what we are all about. Nobody joins an organization just to pay dues. People join because they want to do something, to make a difference. Jesus gave us the example. It was always his turn to serve. He didn't wait for someone else to fulfill a need. There is much work to be done. Don't be hesitant to step up to help. Remember, first charity!
With the summer season in full swing, this is a great family time. Please take the time to be with those special people in your life. They won't be around forever and neither will you. We have a lot of work to do this year, but nothing is more important than those closest to us.
As always, on behalf of our District Warden, Yen Le, and our wives Lynn and Nu, I wish you all a great summer and may God bless you and your loved ones.
God Bless America!
Vivat Jesus,
Joe Feakes DD #1