|
Knights of Columbus |
| Father Maher Council 6793 | |
|
|
|
| Council 6793 Home | |
February 2004
VOLUME XXVIII ISSUE 8
Contents . . .
Grand Knight's Message
Christmas is past, the ordinary year is upon us...Green is our color for the next several weeks. In this brief time before lent we begin to live our lives as we see as normal. Many of us will begin to do the things we place as our personal priorities. The Christmas spirit becomes that special holiday feeling we had. THIS IS NOT THE WAY OF A KNIGHT. The spirit of charity is one of our special gifts as knights which we should practice all year round. This is the time to practice charity for ourselves.
The Council needs your help and support. We established that the council would not borrow to continue activities and events. This mandate is now in effect...and we cannot hold any further activities this year, unless funds are available and raised to support the activities. No expenditures can be made in support of any activity by the council.
The council needs your support and the charity of your time to develop and start to hold fun fundraising events. If we do not develop some family and community based fundraising events we cannot support any of the remaining events and activities of the council for this year, unless funds are raised to support them.
As of this newsletter, the following events are cancelled: Lenten soup kitchens, Irish Evening, scholarship dinner, Council Charter dinner, and the Stipends for the State Convention are not available.
Lent begins at the end of this month, lets us work together on a special Lenten sacrifice to reinvigorate the council and renew our dedication to the four tenets of the Order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism..
Rick Allison, GK
Chaplain's Message
Lent is somewhat late this year, Ash Wednesday being February 25th. Still we will have the sense of moving from the dead of Winter (Sin) to the new life of Spring (Resurrection). I strongly encourage all of you to take on some kind of Lenten fast. Give up something (candy, cigarettes, etc.). That's okay. But consider something more. If you are in good health, consider fasting for one day a week. Begin the fast with a special intention, someone who's sick or whose faith is in danger. Having the intention will help you to persevere. You will be helping the person for whom you fast and you will be helping yourself by letting the Holy Spirit master the inclinations of the flesh. If your fast is done as an act of charity (having an intention for someone else) then you can grow in peace and cheerfulness, even as your stomach is gnawing at you.
I hope all of you have a Blessed Lent. May your sacrifices and prayers bring many to Our Lord. May you be ready to rejoice with full voice on Easter Day.
God Bless,
Fr. Thomas LaHood
District Deputy Report
by Joe Feakes
Man, is it cold!!! Ah, the joys of winter; frozen pipes, broken heat pumps, icy streets, the flu, and the list continues. It won't be long before it's over. Shine the golf clubs. Gas up the lawn mower. Spring is coming.
This year Spring comes with a little more flourish. March 20 & 21 are the dates for our second State-Wide Membership Drive. It is not too soon to firm up your plans. There are several councils that, with a little extra effort, can achieve Star Council. Did I hear someone say "so what"? Membership is how our order grows and can manage and improve our programs and service to others. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Remember, everyone is a member of the recruitment team. We all know someone who would be interested in joining our ranks. All you have to do is ask. If you feel uncomfortable doing that, ask a brother knight to go with you. We have an obligation to make this offer.
Spring is the time of year when everyone comes out of hiding. There is a lot of work to be done around our schools, churches, rectories, and recreation facilities. Volunteer your council resources. This is a great way to become more visible, get people involved, and sign up new members.
I am writing this article on the 19th of January. It is three days before the Right-To-Life March. We have all heard and seen a lot of information this month on abortion and related issues. I ask that you and your families, indeed everyone you know, not allow this to become a one month campaign. Continue to be active and vocal in your support of the rights of the unborn, the sick, and the elderly. This is our faith. This is the one aspect of the Knights of Columbus that sets us apart from all the other fraternal organizations. Our roots lie in our Catholic faith, the gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of his church.
On behalf of our District Warden, Yen Le, and our wives Nu and Lynn, I extend to you our best wishes for an enjoyable Spring. May God bless you and yours.
Vivat Jesus
Father Canice Treacy Memorial College Scholarship Fund
For several years, Father Peter Paul Maher Council 6793, Knights of Columbus has offered scholarships to deserving graduating high school seniors who have been accepted as full time students to an accredited college or university following their senior year.
We are pleased to announce that our Council, under its "Father Canice Treacy Memorial College Scholarship Fund" will do the same for calendar year 2004.
Any graduating high school senior (Catholic or Non-Catholic) is eligible to apply for a grant under this fund, provided that they reside within the geographic limits of the Parishes of Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Norbeck, Maryland and Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church in Olney, Maryland. Students shall also be eligible if they are the child or grandchild of a member in good standing of Council #6793 or the child or grandchild of a deceased member of the Council who was in good standing at the time of his death, regardless of residence.
This year, the Council hopes to make awards up to $1,000 each, to several students. Applications and eligibility requirements may be obtained by calling William Gulban, Scholarship Chairman at 301-774-0424. The deadline for scholarship applications is Friday, May 7, 2004. Scholarships will be awarded in June of this year.
Are You Pro-Life . . . . Everyday?
Announcements from the Chancellor
Prayer remembrance. The list of names in this newsletter issue were offered and prayed for by Brother Knights present at the Council general meeting on January 14. Any person related to our Council whether family member or friends may call me requesting prayers for family members, relatives of friends who are ill or deceased and their name will be offered in prayer for by the readers of the newsletter.
Name tag list being developed for second order is slowing down, therefore, the ordering form is described below. All new members including those who received their first degree in years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 are requested to complete the form, cut it out, and send it to me at 17005 Freedom Way, Rockville, MD 20853. Your preferred name whether nick name, abbreviated name, or formal name can be inscribed on the name tag. The prepaid charge is $5.00. Members can order a nametag for their wife to wear at KC functions or social events. The cost is $3.00. Widows of the Council are no charge. Please order your nametags by sending the completed form to me or by calling me at (301) 774-0424.
---------------------------------------------------------- MEMBER NAME TAG ORDER FORM Preferred name ____________________________ $5.00 Wife's name ____________________________ $3.00 (print exact spelling how you want it to appear on tag) ----------------------------------------------------------
Health for K of C Membership Longetivity
by Bill Gulban
Recognizing Prediabetes. Among physicians it's known as impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose, but to make these terms more consumer-friendly, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has begun calling it prediabetes. As the name implies, this condition precedes diabetes: Someone with prediabetes has higher than normal blood sugar (glucose) levels, but is not yet considered diabetic. Prediabetes might sound unnecessarily alarmist, early lifestyle interventions, such as changes in diet and physical activity, can prevent type 2 diabetes or delay its onset. When prediabetes was first defined in 2002, it meant having a fasting glucose level of 110nto 125 mg/dl (126 mg/dl or above signals diabetes). But in 2003, the cutoff point was lowered to 100 mg/dl. Currently, an estimated 16 million Americans meet the criteria for prediabetes (and most don't know it), while some 18 million have type 2 diabetes. Studies suggest that most people with prediabetes will likely develop type 2 Diabetes within 10 years, unless they take action to reverse this fate.
There are significant health risks associated with diabetes. Compared to people with normal blood sugar, those with prediabetes up their chances of heart attack and stroke by about 50%, while diabetics have double to quadruple the cardiovascular risk. And for reasons that are still unclear, having prediabetes appears to increase the likelihood of dying from cancer and is also linked with memory loss in middle-aged and older adults. Prediabetes often doesn't have any symptoms, so screening is the only way to learn if your blood sugar is elevated. If you're overweight and are age 45 or older, your physician should screen you for prediabetes every three years. Younger people who are significantly overweight and also have a family history of diabetes, or have high blood pressure or triglycerides, should also be regularly screened.
Advice for treating prediabetes. While there's a strong genetic component to diabetes, other key factors are being overweight, being inactive, and eating an unhealthy diet. You can manage prediabetes by adjusting your lifestyle and often without medication.
Exercise is key. Physical activity improves the action of insulin and makes this hormone more effective at moving glucose out of the blood and into cells for use as energy. Recommended is walking briskly, swimming, or cycling for at least 30 minutes, 5 times a week.
Lose weight. In a study presented in New England Journal of Medicine, people with prediabetes who lost as little as 5 to 7 % of total body weight (like 10 to 14 lbs if you weigh 200) lowered their risk of diabetes by 58 %. The more pounds one sheds, the more you reduce your diabetes risk.
Change your diet. Avoid highly refined carbohydrates (especially products made with flour and sugar), which are rapidly turned into blood sugar, and include more foods that are low or moderate on the glycemic scale. Eat a diet that's high in fresh fruits and vegetable, whole grains, and fish, and includes more monounsaturated fats (olive oil) and fewer polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
Manage other risks. If your blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels are high, you also need to get these under control. This article is supported by Dr. Andrew Weil's medical newsletter, "Self Healing".
Pancake and Sausage Day 2004
Mark your Calendars!! On Saturday, February 21, 2004 Father Peter Paul Maher Council along with the Lions Club of Olney, will again sponsor the 28th 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 flyer gives all the details.
Two important reminders:
FIRST: Council Members will be needed to work the dining room from 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. This will be done in two shifts of 7 am until 11 am, which includes set up and then the 11 am until 3 pm shift which includes take down and clean up. Many hands will make for light work. Contact Grand Knight Rick Allison at 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 Brothers Vince Pistolessi at 301-871-3334 or Bob Caron at 301-774-6951 with your ad. Remember that two complimentary tickets are given with each Ad.