By: Paul J. Palka - Wed, Apr 14, 2021 8:15 AM

SPRING 2021

Worthies, Greetings and Vivat Jesus!

 A lot has happened at camp since our last correspondence.  As you can imagine we had to close camp this past summer for the safety of our counselors and campers.  Perhaps you were in the same boat if not the same storm. As we try to reboot this summer (2021) it will take time, energy and money.  Thanks to people like you who have opened your hearts and your wallets I know that we will once again be creating that joy worthy of a campers smile. We have created the ultimate camping experience for campers with developmental disabilities in the Great Lakes Region, making our camp the finest facility in the State of Michigan if not the entire Midwest, truly one of a kind.  And yet we are the least expensive camp program.  Our cost per camper is $879 each but we only charge $560 leaving a shortfall of $319 which is subsidized by various donations including those from Knights of Columbus councils thru the MI drive. 

Besides your continued financial support, we need your help.

 A famous saying is “IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME”.  Our campus can house 350 campers per year in our new “KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL”, a 35 bed dormitory.  Two years ago (2019), we served only 175 smiling faces who enjoyed a week long, fun filled, challenging activities on beautiful Goose Lake in the Irish Hills.  So you can see there is plenty of room to grow.  This was 75 campers short of our goal of 250. 

 We don’t want just your financial support, we want more campers.  Statistics tell us there are between 18 and 30 deserving developmentally disabled potential campers in your council area.  They just need to know about this great camp and the joy that it will bring to them if they attend. So here is the plan: find some campers who want to go, get them registered and together we will find the necessary funds to complete the deal.  So please, you can be that voice, spread the word and help recruit more campers.  If you can’t find any campers this year, please donate to the campership fund so that someone else has your financial support and an opportunity to go to camp.

 Its people like you and me who have answered God’s call to be “Christ – like” in our everyday life, because we believing in the teachings of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, who taught us that:

 “IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE”

 And the Knights of Columbus give unconditionally.  Thank you for continuing to support St. Francis Camp on the Lake.

“Living and Playing Together in Dignity, Respect, and Love.”

Check out our website:  http://www.saintfranciscamp.org/

 May God Bless You & All Our Campers,

Russell E. Smith         

Knights of Columbus /Liaison Director

 St. Francis Camp on the Lake is a501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt # 52-0614583                                  

By: Gary DeCarlo - Sun, Apr 11, 2021 6:34 PM

God Bless you boys,

Summersaults are coming to our Convention this year, from Kevin Rowley AKA "Joliet Jake". We are over the hump so to speak.

Join us for the Raffle Drawing 4/15/21 here at DeCarlo's 5 pm with subs and beverages. RSVP to Gary by phone or text 586-436-0121.

Thanks for all you do for Charity,

Gary and Kevin  

By: Michael Wegener - Sat, Apr 10, 2021 7:40 PM

By: Ed Strach - Mon, Apr 5, 2021 5:00 PM

If attending by livestream you'll still need to register by sending a note to: Brad Smith, RTL MI at bsmith@rtl.org.

Ed & Lynn Strach Pro-Life Chair Couple

Michigan State Council Knights of Columbus

734-476-6296

By: Martin Brown - Sat, Apr 3, 2021 5:37 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After weeks of polling and thousands of votes cast, St. James Catholic Church in Montague is the 2021 13 ON YOUR SIDE Fish Fry Frenzy champion!

St. James defeated Knights of Columbus 3104 in the final round, winning by a final vote of 729 - 519. 

St. James easily won the Lakeshore region before defeating the 2020 champion Christ the King in the semifinal. 

St. James says all of the money raised during its fish fry goes to charity. 

Thank you to everyone who voted and congratulations once again to St. James!

St. James Catholic Church in Montague wins the 2021 13 OYS Fish Fry Frenzy Championship

Click link for details.

https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/morning-features/13-on-your-sides-2021-fish-fry-frenzy-starts-now/69-47530f3d-175c-4589-bdc1-2fa1373e9007

By: Don Wesley - Sat, Apr 3, 2021 4:51 PM

By: Jon Olson - Sat, Apr 3, 2021 4:14 PM

 Brothers,

 Here are the upcoming training sessions I have scheduled for the months of April

 The RSVP link will let you pick which date for that presentation

 Supreme Regional Training Director Jon Olson

Here are the upcoming training sessions that Jon Olson has scheduled for the months of April. Please note which time zone you are in. I have also attached some graphics you can use for publicizing the training session. The RSVP link will let you pick which date for that presentation.

Council Growth

Dates:4/6/21 at 7PM 8PM EDT

The presentation will help Fraternal leaders resolve to leave councils, parish, and community better than how they found it.

Leaders should also learn how to develop a simple, specific, year-round plan in place for growing council membership, that involves participation from the whole council.

Attendees should commit to work with their pastor(s), field agent, and DD to accomplish their goals.

Leaders should understand the importance of hosting regular ceremonials, incorporating recruitment into every event, and running membership drives

Registration link:

You are Your Programs

Dates: 4/12/21 at 8PM EDT

We will cover in this training: Understanding the council’s perception by fellow parishioners, particularly that of inactive members and future potential members.

Construct a council mission statement that reflects the council’s vision and goals. u Understand the Faith in Action program model and its four categories – Faith, Family, Community and Life.

Identify the council’s flagship program(s).

Access the council’s current program regimen and identify the current strengths and weaknesses among its program calendar.

Develop a calendar for the next 6-12 months that responds to the council’s mission statement and addresses some of the council’s strengths and weaknesses identified above.

And understanding the Program Director’s role in leading the council’s programming efforts.

Registration link:

Council Meetings

Date 4/14/21 at 8PM EDT

Strong councils hold good meetings that members enjoy. This training shares the best practices for hosting such meetings.  In addition to guidance on how to run a good meeting, this training also provides guidance and discussion on virtual meetings and the conduct of business by virtual means.

Registration link: 

Enhancing Member Experience

Dates: 4/19/21 at 8PM EDT

We will cover in this training How to understand what’s meant by the terms membership experience and membership engagement and how the two terms are related.

Complete the Council Engagement Assessment to assess their council’s strengths and weaknesses with regards to member engagement.

Understand that member engagement is the council’s responsibility. Successful council engagement leads to members having positive opinions about their membership.

Learn the five steps in the engagement cycle and how they relate to one another, ultimately leading a member to go through them again.

Discover tools that will help address deficiencies in your council’s current member engagement as based on your councils’ engagement score.

Understand that retention issues result when a council has failed to engage a member and show the value of his membership. These issues can be overcome by discovering where this breakdown occurred.

Registration link:

Delta Drive

Dates: 4/20/21 at 7PM 8PM EDT

Presentation will cover The Prospect landing page and interaction with the prospect. Come learn how to adapt the Delta drive Method to your council's next event.

Registration link:

By: Paul J. Palka - Thu, Apr 1, 2021 8:58 AM

During Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival Celebration, the Knights of Council 17237 at the university in Houghton built an ice chapel capable of holding up to 200 people. Throughout the weeklong festivities, more than 400 people attended Mass at the ice chapel. Also, at the festival, the council helped build camaraderie with their classmates by serving more than 90 pounds of chicken wings.

You may view a video of the chapel HERE

By: Walter Winkle - Thu, Apr 1, 2021 8:00 AM

Today Detroit Knights on Bikes had the honor of escorting the cremains of a fallen brother on his final ride around the church. We are humbled to have been requested by the deceased's brother, SK Fr. Robert Johnston.

    From Left to Right: Tim Parker, MI State Deputy SK Walter Winkle, State President Kevin 'Marine' Hagadorn, Diocesan President Brian 'Mr. B' Kubinski, MI VP-elect James Kubinski, Council Captain Ed Jeffrey , State Sgt-at-Arms Dale Grace and Richard Frey.

    On Wednesday March 31, Knights on Bikes of Michigan was asked to be at the graveside service for Father Johnston's Brother. The service will be in Muskegon, the time is 1:00PM. Meet at our National Presidents home and plan to leave at 10:00 AM. His address is on the roster.

God rest his soul!

Jeff Sans

'Moses'

MI VP / State Advocate KonB

By: Gary Merritt - Thu, Mar 25, 2021 8:20 AM