KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HOLY ROSARY COUNCIL 13579 NEW

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HOLY ROSARY COUNCIL #13579 NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION

Knights Advocate Program Introduction • An average Council can easily lose a new member’s interest within 3 to 6 months of taking his 1 st degree if there is no interaction in place to assist him. • In response to this concern we developed an intervention program and are making this available to you. • This program is designed to begin on the day you makes your 1 st degree. At this point we begin calling you a “Columbian. ”

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ADVOCATE PROGRAM * The Advocate Program is designed to help new members (Columbians) to feel welcomed in your new Council. We are committed to be more helpful and to guide you through the adjustments in being an active member of the Holy Rosary Council. * The Program asks current active members, who are known as “Advocates, ” to adopt new members and to keep in close touch with you, providing you with valuable Knights information. This person could be the person who recruited you. The Advocate’s Mission: - Make monthly contacts announcing our business meeting date and to give updates on our current month’s activities. -An Advocate will get to know his Columbians; his spouse and children, his degree, his parish affiliation, his special interests and goals. He will use the Advocate Survey for this purpose. -He will become a Mentor, a True Friend. * We hope the New Knight (Columbian) will come to realize that his Advocate is an important part of being an active Knight.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Purpose and Goals • Why this Orientation? Prior to you taking your First Degree, you received information in a variety of ways. Since we do not know what you know, we do not wish to assume your level of knowledge about who we are. This common ground will allow us to share who we are with you and allow you to ask as many questions as you like of us. In the end, we will all be brothers united in faith ready to take action for the good of others. • Purpose: To present material about the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council and your local Council, that will enable each member to acquire the same level of knowledge about this Catholic service organization. • Goals: – Help you to feel welcome into your Council and comfortable in speaking with other members. – Understand the objectives of your Council and how you can be of service immediately, by getting you into existing programs or volunteering to start something new. – Fulfill your expectations of belonging to an organization that does service in the name of God.

Part #1 Learn About The Knights of Columbus

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS REVIEW – WHY DID YOU BECOME A KNIGHT • Why Join the Knights of Columbus: You probably imagined being part of an organization that fills your heart and your mind with the joy of giving to others and the feeling that comes with making a difference. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, Family, Fraternal, Service Organization. Knights are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved in your community; it is supporting your local Catholic Church, while enhancing your own faith; it is about protecting and enhancing your own family life. It is through these 6 areas of service that we truly make a difference. CHURCH, COMMUNITY, COUNCIL, FAMILY, YOUTH, PRO-LIFE

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS THE BEGINNING OF THE KNIGHTS • • • Thanks to the efforts of Father Michael J. Mc. Givney, Assistant Pastor of St. Mary‘s Church in New Haven, CT. the Knights of Columbus was formed to render financial aid to members and their families. Fr. Mc. Givney’s goal was simple – to establish an Order that would unite men in their faith as well as help provide for Catholic families in times of need. The history of the Order shows how the foresight of Father Michael J. Mc. Givney, whose cause for sainthood is being investigated by the Vatican, brought about what has become the world’s foremost Catholic fraternal benefit society. The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to more the 16, 000 councils and 1. 9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines Islands, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam and Saipan.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS THE VENERABLE MICHAEL J. MCGIVNEY • The Knights of Columbus: • Father Mc. Givney gave Catholic laymen the chance to grow in holiness while contributing to their family’s well being. Today more and more Church leaders are recognizing his spiritual genius. Wherever the Knights of Columbus exist, they continue the tradition of support for Bishops and Priests exemplified by Father Mc. Givney. Each year tens of thousands of Catholics attend the Marian Hour of Prayer Program, Rosary Prayer Services and pro-life Masses that the Knights sponsor. Father Mc. Givney founded the Knights of Columbus as a fraternal benefit society offering low-cost insurance to immigrant families facing destitution if the family breadwinner died. Today, the Knights of Columbus has more than 50 billion of life insurance in force. Its insurance received the highest possible ratings from both the A. M. Best Co. and Standard & Poor’s. • • “In fidelity to the vision of Father Mc. Givney, may you continue to seek new ways of being a leaven of the Gospel in the world and a spiritual force of the Church in holiness, unity and truth. ” Saint John Paul 11

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP • • • COLUMBIA MAGAZINE – Free subscription to the Order’s monthly magazine examining issues of concern to Knights, Catholics and Families. DAILY MASS OF REMEMBRANCE AT ST. MARY’S CHURCH – Mass for deceased members and their wives at the birthplace of the Order. KNIGHTS’ INSURANCE PROGRAM – Portfolio of top-quality life insurance, longterm care and annuity products exclusively for members and their families. MEMBER/SPOUSE FRATERNAL BENEFIT – Accidental death coverage for member and spouse at no cost. FAMILY FRATERNAL BENEFIT; ORPHAN BENEFIT; WIDOW BENETITS & SCHOLARSHIPS. FOURTH DEGREE – Eligibility to join the “Patriotic Degree. ” HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP – At age 70 with 25 years – Free Membership. MEMBERSHIP CARD – Entitles participation in all Catholic, fraternal and social activities throughout the world. ACTIVITIES – FAMILY, YOUTH, RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL, COMMUNITY, PRO-LIFE – Participation in a variety of programs and activities conducted by local councils

Part #2 Learn About Your Knights of Columbus Council

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS How the Knights of Columbus is Structured • • • Every member belongs to a unit called a “Council. ” We are the Holy Rosary Council #13579 with membership mainly from Sacred Heart, St. Michael and St. Mary Parishes. The members from these three parishes have been assigned to a Round Table, with a Coordinator to lead and contact each member in his group. We also have members from several other parishes in the area. These members have been assigned to the St. Michael’s Round Table, our smallest group. Each Council has elected Officers. Elections are held each fraternal year. The Grand Knight (GK) is elected as the leader and he has a team of elected officers, Directors and members to help organize and facilitate the work of the Council. All members are asked to attend the monthly business (Membership) meetings held on the Third Wednesday of each month. Our Council meetings are held at the Sacred Heart Church basement. We have a 6: 00 Rosary, a 6: 30 Potluck, and a 7: 00 meeting. The GK also holds a monthly meeting with his officers. The outcome of this meeting sets the tone for the monthly business meeting. All Councils are organized into units called Districts, which is headed by the District Deputy. Districts combine with other Districts to make up the State Council, which is led by an elected Board of Officers, led by the State Deputy. All the State Councils are comprised of what makes up the Supreme Council.

HISTORY OF OUR COUNCIL Holy Rosary Council #13579 – 2004 to Present • Our Council Charter was granted on June 30, 2004 by Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight. We were authorized to organize to do business here in Muskegon, MI. Thomas F. Ketchum was elected as our Charter (or First) Grand Knight. With his guidance, our new council chose the name of the Holy Rosary Council and we were given the number of #13579. We also established that dues would be set at $36. 00 per year, and that we would, with our Pastor’s blessing, hold our meetings at Sacred Heart Parish. Our Council has grown from some 30 Charter members to more than 80 members. • The Holy Rosary Council has been a very active council in our four parishes, Sacred Heart, St. Michael, St. Mary and St. Jean (before it closed). We have received 7 Star & Double Star Awards, 4 State and 2 International Service Project Awards, as well as many other Awards and Achievements. From our first six Grand Knights, three have gone on to be District Deputies and Faithful Navigators of the local 4 th Degree Assembly. Two of these men have gone on to be Regional and Diocesan Directors, State New Council Development Director and a third wanting to go on to State Office. So, as you can see, we have had very good leadership and very active members over the years.

HOLY ROSARY COUNCIL OFFICERS Grand Knight Co-Chaplains Dan Wagenmaker Father Matthew Barnum Father Anthony Britto Deputy Grand Knight Paul Robaskiewicz Chancellor Brad Chorny Recorder Matthew Carlton Financial Secretary Joe Zagar Treasurer Bill Forton Advocate Tom Ketchum Warden “Teep” Johnson Inside Guard Jason Andree Outside Guard Tim May Trustee-Year Three Michael Lewis Jr. Trustee-Year Two Mike Lewis Sr. Trustee-Year One J. F. Harris Lector Deacon Bill Cook PROGRAM DIRECTORS Membership Advocate Programs Community Council Family Youth Pro-Life Retention Newsletter Editor Website Editor Church Mike Lewis Sr. Paul Robaskiewicz Gregg Anderson Roger Routt Joe Zagar Mike Lewis Sr. Garret Kelenske Mike Lewis Sr. Thomas Ketchum Matthew Carlton Deacon Bill Cook District Deputy – Garret Kelenske

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COST OF MEMBERSHIP • Our Council members pay annual dues of $36. 00 in January of each year. A portion of these funds is what keeps our organization functioning. Each member pays his dues to the Council Financial Secretary. The Council pays dues to the State Council and the Supreme Council. These payment are based on the total number of Council Members. There are other requested assessments on your yearly dues notice, but they are optional. If you are able, please consider making one or all of these optional payments. It is very important that you keep your dues current by paying in a timely manner. • A new member will pay either the full amount, if he joins in January, or the Pro-Rated amount based on the month he joins. A new member is also asked to pay a $10 Initiation Fee. This will help cover the costs of any subsequent degrees (2 nd & 3 rd Major Degree) you will go through.

Knights Advocate Program Holy Rosary Council Shirt *Purchase Shirts at Penney’s *Light Blue – Mother Mary’s Color *Embroidered at Threadlines - 1889 Sun Dolphine Dr.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL ACTIVITIES Parish Festivals Parish Breakfasts Church Ushers Soccer Challenge Family Picnics Bible Study Classes Younkers Comm. Days MI State Convention Knights Degree Team Council Newsletter Church Clean Up Valentine Dinner Mass Volunteers Poster Contest Family Christmas Party Living Rosary Council Raffles Food Drives MCC Car Raffle Council Web Site Church Committees Thanksgiving Dinner Free Throw Contests Essay Contest Food Trucks Council Officer Tootsie Roll(MI) Drive Metal Drives Special Olympics Become An Advocate Do you have an Idea for a new Program or Activity? Columbian’s Name __________________ Date __________

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OUR FOUNDING PRINCIPLES • All the good works we do are derived from our four core principles. • CHARITY - Our Catholic faith teaches us to “Love thy neighbor as thyself. ” Members of the • UNITY – None of us as an individual is as good as all of us as a whole. Our members all know that together we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. This means that, as a Knight of Columbus, you can count on the support and encouragement of your brother Knights as you work to make life better in your parish and community. FRATERNITY – The Venerable Michael J. Mc. Givney founded the Knights of Columbus, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and disabled members and their families. In the Knights of Columbus, we watch our for and take care of one another. PATRIOTISM - Members of the Knights of Columbus are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and Country and believe in standing up for both. Whether it’s in public or private, the Knights remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are amongst its greatest citizens. • • Knights of Columbus show love for their neighbors by recognizing that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HOW MANY DEGREES • There a total of 4 different Degrees in the Knights of Columbus. Each of these Degrees focuses on one of our 4 founding principles. – – The First (Admissions) Degree focuses on the Principle of Charity. The Second (Formation) Degree focuses on Unity. The Third (Full Knighthood) Degree focuses on Fraternity. The Fourth (Patriotic) Degree focuses on Patriotism. • All four Degrees can now be taken on the same day, but it is our common practice to have the 1 st Degree held once a month in our district, the 2 nd and 3 rd Degrees held throughout the year in our district or nearby districts, and the 4 th Degree held twice a year in the Grand Rapids and Saginaw Dioceses. You will be informed when the next Degree Ceremonies will be held. Try to be active in your council and advance through the different Degrees and grow as a Knight.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS K of C WEBSITE • • Our Council Website can be located at: www. knights 13579. webs. com There are number of tabs on our web page; - Links to other Sites and Information - Downloads - Calendar of Council Events - About Our Council MICHIGAN STATE WEBSITE WWW. MIKOFC. ORG SUPREME COUNCIL WEBSITE WWW. KOFC. ORG * You can click on any of these tabs to familiarize yourself with the information that is available.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS • INSURANCE AGENT Field Agent: (Member of the Holy Rosary Council) Joseph (Joe) Tackx (231) 343 -9167 Cell 6686 Beech Creek Dr. (231) 865 -1230 Bus. Fruitport, MI 49415 joetackx@hotmail. com From the very beginning when the Knights were established, a central focus of Father Mc. Givney was the financial security of Knights and their families. The Knights of Columbus Insurance ranks in the top 5% of the approximately 2, 000 insurance companies throughout North America. In addition to exceptional financial protection, you’ll also get personal service from a trained insurance representative, who’s a Knight just like you. Many of our members avail themselves to this excellent insurance program that is offered to our members. It is a voluntary program to our membership. No one forces you to buy insurance, but members are encouraged to allow the insurance agent to present the benefits of the program to them.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS Knights Life Newsletter • Our Council Newsletter is call “Knight Life. ” It is designed to keep our council members informed about up coming events, our many programs that you can be involved in and to hi-light our members and their families. The newsletter are e-mailed to members who have computers and can also be mailed to those who prefer to have a hard copy. • STATE COUNCIL NEWSLETTER EACH MEMBER WILL RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER -- MICHIGAN COLUMBIAN • SUPREME COUNCIL COLUMBIA EACH MEMBER WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF COLUMBIA MAGAZINE

Part #3 Learn About Being Active In Your Council

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SHINING ARMOR AWARD New Member Award Program – Awarded for service to the Order with distinction during the first year of membership, the “Shining Armor Award” is given to those men who exemplify what a true Knight is. To receive this award, follow the requirements below: 1. Work on 3 Council Service Programs 2. Attend at least 3 Council Business Meetings 3. Receive your Second and Third Degrees 4. Meet with the Council Insurance Representative 5. Recruit one or more new member(s) The above items must be completed and approved by the council Grand Knight.

NEW COLUMBIANS BOARD • The New Columbians Board is displayed in the Council Chambers. • We hope that the other Council Members will get to know you better. • We will update your progress monthly.

NEW COLUMBIAN BOARD • NEW COLUMBIAN MEMBER: Date Entered Advocate Program _______ Name _________________ Church (Round Table) __________ Married (Wife)_________ or Single _____ Occupation ____________ Watched New Columbian Presentation YES • SHINING ARMOR AWARD: 1. Work on 3 Council Service Projects - 1 2 3 2. Attend at least 3 Council Membership Meetings – 1 2 3 3. Receive the Second & Third Degrees - YES 4. Meet with the Council Insurance Representative - YES 5. Recruit one or more New Member - YES • Date Completed Program ______

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS -We End With – Welcome To The Holy Rosary Council #13579 “VIVAT JESUS!” (Jesus Lives)