Dear Brother Knights, Family Members, and Honored Clergy,
“By Dying He destroyed our death and by rising He restored our life”. We begin the month of April by celebrating the Feast of all feasts, Easter. As members of the Knights of Columbus, we live the Easter message. We understand that we have to “die to ourselves” in order to benefit others. Charity, Unity, and Fraternity are the principles we live by. That being said, I wish you and your loved ones a meaningful and Blessed Easter!
As we move towards the final days of the 2011-2012 fraternal year, we have some very urgent and important business. Our Council’s trustees (Don Coffey, Rocky Lomano, Carl Haaser) are working diligently to identify potential officer candidates for the upcoming fraternal year. Perhaps, they have already spoken with you about being on the 2012-2013 leadership team. If you have agreed to run for a Council office, thank you. If you are undecided or you are unsure whether you can handle the additional commitment, please seek out our trustees or me for reassurances that there will be ample resources and support to make the job one where you will be successful. As an officer for the last three years, I can attest that being a member of the leadership team is both rewarding and fun. As the Blessed John Paul II said, “Be Not Afraid!”
In case you didn’t know, the qualifications to be a Council officer is fairly simple: must be at least a 3rd Degree Knight. That’s it. The commitment is only for one year (or more if you desire). The elected positions are: Grand Knight, Deputy Grand Knight, Chancellor, Recorder, Advocate, Treasurer, Warden, Inside Guard, Outside Guard. Non-elected positions are: Chaplain, Lecturer, Financial Secretary, and Trustee (x3).
This is a perfect time to announce that, due to a combination of family and job commitments (which have already begun), I will not be seeking re-election as Grand Knight for the coming year. Thus, the Grand Knight position will be open and beckons one or more of you to run for that office.
I will admit that the Grand Knight position has been more demanding than I imagined, but it is also more rewarding than I imagined, too. What are the rewards, you ask? What’s in it for you? I can share what being a Grand Knight has done for me. If growing in faith is a journey, then being the Grand Knight of Council 5776 has helped me get a step closer to Jesus and our Catholic Faith. Here are some examples: Over the last year, I have gotten reacquainted to the beautiful prayer we call the Rosary; I have consoled family members of deceased Knights and have shared in their sorrow, I have gotten to know our parish priests and deacons better; I have had the privilege of leading a wonderful group of men who are committed to making life better for St. Paul parishioners and the citizens of Westerville; I had the opportunity to help the needy when I purchased a tank of gas for women who walked into our church upset that she didn’t have the money (to buy gas) to travel to Cleveland to see her dying mother; I’ve listened to and have been touched by your own requests for prayer and for assistance. The list goes on. As Grand Knight you are exposed to things that rank and file members may not experience. If there was coldness in my heart before, being Grand Knight has definitely softened it a tad. It’s been an experience like no other in my years as a Knight and as a St Paul parishioner. I will cherish the experience for the rest of my life.
Finally……I have one last comment about running for any Council office. If you are going to be an officer in any organization, choose an organization that is “running on all cylinders”. Choose a successful organization where the leadership team is supportive of each other, effectively executes its plan, rewards it’s members for their dedication and is recognized for its successes. Westerville Council 5776 is such an organization.
Blessings to you and good health, too!
Vivat Jesus
Bruce Jackson
Our next business meeting starts at 7:00 pm on Wednesday April 4, 2012 at St Paul’s in Room 3 in the Lower Level of the new Church
Please give me (bjwesterville@aol.com or 614-882-8994) or PGK Kevin O’Connor (614-523-3892, koconnor@gci2000.com) any articles by the end of the month so they can be included in next month’s newsletter.