Our Blessed Mother Pray for us.

Our Blessed Mother
Supreme Semantics
Supreme Council Columbiettes
Pray for us.
Spring Edition 2016
A Message from our Supreme President
Since spring has finally arrived we can prepare ourselves to enjoy the
sun, warm air and the lush green grass. Our season of spring has also
painted everything for us in a fresh coat of colors. Let us enjoy the magic
of this season and the fun times it is about to bring our way.
It is hard to believe that another Columbiette year will be coming to
an end. As the States prepare for their Conventions, our Chapters and
Auxiliaries are holding their elections for officers for the upcoming year.
A special Thank You to all our Officers and committee chairpersons for all
they did for our organization this past year. We truly appreciate your
dedication and hard work.
I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newly instituted
Territories. On December 12, 2015, All Saints Auxiliary from Puyallup,
Washington was instituted followed by Blessed John 23rd Auxiliary in
Knoxville, Tennessee on February 27, 2016. We wish these two auxiliaries
much success and happiness. I am happy to say that we are still receiving
many inquiries from Grand Knights requesting information on
Columbiettes.
Through my monthly letters, frequent e/mail blasts reminding us of
changes and the Let’s Learn Together Newsletter we have been able to
open up the lines of communication between the Supreme Board and our
members. Supreme continues to upgrade the Computer System so we
can service you more efficiently and continue to make the job of the
Financial Secretaries more manageable. Our Supreme Advocate, Anne
Sullivan, has re-typed and updated the Constitution and By-Laws of our
Organization. All the State, Chapter and Auxiliary Presidents will be
receiving a copy to be placed in their President’s manual. Please do not
hesitate to contact the Supreme Office if you need help with anything.
My officers and I are always ready to assist you in any way possible.
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Packets of the application for the Margaret Mary J. Mangan Award
have been mailed out. Every single auxiliary works very hard and does so
much good that they should take the time to submit an application. Good
Luck to all!!
If you know of a Sister Columbiette who is continuing her education
please encourage her to apply for the Past Supreme Presidents
Scholarship Award. The award is open to all Columbiettes in good
standing with a minimum of two years of membership.
Supreme will not be sending out copies of the Officers List any more to
our State, Chapter and Auxiliary Presidents or Financial Secretaries. We
are requesting that you go onto our Website on June 30th after your
elections to update your Officers List for the 2016-2017 Columbiette
Year.
I hope to see many of you at our Supreme Convention on August 19
through the 21 of 2016 at the Princeton Hyatt Regency in Princeton, New
Jersey. My Convention Committee is working very hard to make sure that
your weekend with us in New Jersey will be an enjoyable and memorable
one.
Let us not forget our Blessed Mother during the month of May and
remember to pray the Rosary at least once a day. I wish all our Mothers,
Grandmothers and Aunts a very happy and healthy Mother’s Day. May
spring bring her blessings and fill your life with light.
Once again, thank you for all you do and all that you continue to do for
our organization. Have a safe and enjoyable summer with your families
and friends.
May Saint Theresa, the Little Flower of Jesus, shower upon all of you
her promised Roses of virtue and grace.
Patricia Zellner
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A Message from our Supreme Chaplain
My dear Columbiettes,
"Christ is Risen. Alleluia!" It is in the joy of the Easter Season that I
write to you in the Semantics newsletter. And what an appropriate way
to begin with the joyful greeting that we first shared on Easter Sunday
and we will continue to share throughout the fifty days of the Easter
Season, culminating with the Solemnity of Pentecost, this year on May
15.
Each of us learned about faith in God from our parents and others who
taught us about God. As you read this newsletter in the month of May,
our nation celebrates Mother's Day on May 8. May God bless all of our
Moms and all "maternal hearts”. May our Heavenly Mother Mary
intercede on your behalf to her beloved Son for your good health and
prosperity.
And may you continue to enjoy the blessings and graces of the Easter
Season! Be assured of my prayers and affection.
Msgr. Andrew L. Szaroleta
On the Sundays of the Easter Season the First Reading at Mass is taken,
not from the Old Testament, but from the Acts of the Apostles, the New
Testament book that follows the four Gospels in the Bible. It records the
life of the Early Church after Our Lord's Ascension into Heaven and the
descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In Acts 2:42-45 we read: "They
[the disciples] devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to
the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe
came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through
the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in
common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them
among all according to everyone's need."
The above three verses certainly relate to the good and noble works
of you, dear Columbiettes. When the disciples became aware of the
needs of their brothers and sisters in the Lord they shared what they had
so that others had food, drink, clothing, and a roof over the heads. Your
many charitable endeavors respond in kind. Your prayers and spiritual
activities keep you in touch with the Lord. Your works of charity flow
from that. This is how we put our "faith in action," as we read In James
2:14-17.
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A Message from our Immediate Past Supreme President
A Message from our Supreme Vice President
To all my Sister Columbiettes, I would like to wish you a Happy Easter
Season and a Happy Mother’s Day.
Sister Columbiettes,
With the close of the Columbiette year fast approaching, I would like to
say congratulations to the outgoing Officers for all their work and support
to our order.
I wish everyone the best of luck at their Conventions and especially to the
newly elected Officers for the coming year.
To my Sisters out West, I wish you much success in becoming California
State Council Columbiettes in June. I wish you much happiness and
success in the future.
I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all my Sisters
for all the wonderful works that you do in the name of the Columbiettes.
Your invested involvement is reflected in the accomplishments we have
succeeded in. I am truly blessed to be a member of this fine organization
with the opportunity to work with my Columbiette family.
May God bless and keep you all in His care.
Ronnie Albert
Congratulations to our new Sister Columbiettes in the states of
Washington and Tennessee.
I wish you much success in the future.
Symphony of Spring
In this dogwood-blossom season, when the earth comes alive again,
My spirit soars on winds of hope as I listen to Nature’s symphonic
refrain.
I hear the singing voice of the wind, a song of hope within my heart.
Nature rehearses for a season of joy…
Springtime is a welcome time to start.
By Charles Clevenger
I am looking forward to seeing you at the Supreme Convention in
August. May our Blessed Mother shower all of you with Her Love
always.
Barbara Ann Lucarelli
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A Message from our Supreme Secretary
HAPPY SPRING from Supreme Secretary Micki Magee:
Well here in the Northeast, we had SPRING weather for a few days, and
then it turned cold again. I sure hope our weather gets warmer real soon.
Happy Spring to all and in the words of Charles Kettering “Every time you
tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and
progress.”
As we continue on our way, sometimes ladies no longer want to stay with
us. Please take a few minutes to read the information below. Some
auxiliaries continue to struggle when it comes to Withdrawals and some
only rarely encounter this. Here is a refresher for all.
Which payment shall be certified by the Financial Secretary and President
of her Auxiliary = A 100 form must be signed by FS and President.
The withdrawal Card will be forwarded to the member by the Supreme
Office = Supreme Secretary will update the members status on our
website and send the Withdrawal Card directly to the now former
member. I am here to help you with any questions that you may have.
Contact me at [email protected] or
[email protected]
Happy Spring
Micki
Withdrawal: Chapter XXI Section 155 Withdrawal Card. Any member in
good standing desiring to withdraw from the Order may have issued to
her a withdrawal card signed by the Supreme Secretary upon payment of
all dues, fines and assessments or contributions charged against her,
together with the current fee for said card, which payment shall be
certified by the Financial Secretary and President of her Auxiliary. The
withdrawal Card will be forwarded to the member by the Supreme Office.
Let’s break this down further:
Any member in good standing = members who have paid their dues to
the auxiliary for the current year in which they are requesting a
withdrawal. If they have not paid, they would be suspended.
Together with the current fee = A completed A 100 (with the members ID
#, Name and current address) and fee (as of March 2016 the fee is $3.47)
must be sent into the Supreme Office. A 100’s sent in without a fee will
not be processed until the fee is received. Please send Auxiliary Checks
only. No cash.
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A Message from our Supreme Financial Secretary
Dear Sister Columbiettes,
I hope everyone and your families and friends had a Blessed and Joyous
Easter!
Our Columbian year is rapidly coming to a close. All of the States are
excitedly getting ready for their conventions and Auxiliaries are electing
officers for the new Columbian year.
4. All Auxiliary Financial Secretaries should be using the website to
order supplies. Send an e-mail to Sandy Bohinski at [email protected]
with the username and password you wish to use. In the very near future,
paper order forms will no longer be accepted.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at the Supreme Convention in
August. Thank you for all you do for Columbiettes!
Thursa Sotak
It has been an exciting and busy year for me as Financial Secretary, as
well. There are a few things I would like to bring to your attention to
make sure all orders are filled and all checks are posted to the correct
Auxiliary.
1. If your Auxiliary checks do not have your actual Auxiliary name on
them, please write it on your check. Since there are quite a few names
of auxiliaries duplicated across the States, also write your city and state
on the check. As always, include a copy of the bill you are paying along
with the check in the envelope you send to Supreme.
2. Please remember that you do not need a vote at your auxiliary meeting
to pay Supreme bills. Whenever you receive a bill from Supreme, please
pay as soon as possible; i.e. Travel Card bills, Per Capita tax bills, or bills
for any supplies you have ordered.
3. Some of the Auxiliaries are using abbreviations of their Auxiliary
names; such as, OLSS and OLQA. When you reorder your checks, please
write out the full name of your auxiliary. In the meantime, please write
your auxiliary’s actual name on the check with the city and state.
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A Message from our Supreme Treasurer
A Message from our Supreme Advocate
Easter came early this year and spring has arrived, even though it doesn’t
feel like it, as the weatherman predicts snow this weekend. I can’t wait
for the May flowers and the warmer weather. Before you know it
Mother’s Day will be here, the summer, and then our Supreme
Convention. Time does indeed fly.
Dear Sister Columbiettes,
It’s been a busy year as Supreme Treasurer working closely with the
Financial Secretary. All checks are forwarded by her to me as are all
request for payments. Checks are deposited in TD Bank as soon as I
receive them and all payments sent out. I keep a record of all the
Remittance Advice and Payment Vouchers sent to me by the Financial
Secretary. A Treasurers Report is made at all the board meetings and a
yearly report at our annual convention. The bank statements are
reconciled and all the books are available for audit. As always, it’s been
a pleasure working side by side with Thursa Sotak, our Financial
Secretary.
I am also chairman of the Margaret Mary J. Mangan Achievement Award.
Applications were mailed out on April 1st to all the Auxiliary Presidents,
with the assistance of Committee Kathleen Donahue, Kathleen LoFrese
and Madam President Patricia Zellner. Please follow the directions so
your auxiliary can get credit for all their wonderful achievements.
Deadline for returns are to be made to my home and not the Supreme
office, postmarked no later than July 3, 2016.
I would like to wish all my Sister Columbiettes a warmer spring, Happy
Mother’s Day, and a great summer. I look forward to seeing you at the
Supreme Convention in August. Till then, God Bless you all.
Ronny Pliszak
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It is a pleasure to have this opportunity to send a message to you during
this wonderful time of the year. In our liturgical world, we celebrated
Easter back in March and are now looking forward to the feast days of
the Ascension of Our Lord and Pentecost, the birthday of our church.
In our Columbiettes world, it is time to elect our new Officers for the
coming Columbian year and to offer our thanks for all who were Officers
this past year.
State Advocates are reminded that any Resolutions passed at the State
Convention concerning your State Bylaws need to be sent to the
Supreme office in duplicate for approval as soon as possible after your
convention. These Resolutions need to be signed by the State President
and the State Secretary and must include the date of approval by your
states.
Resolutions passed by your State that need to be submitted at the
annual Supreme Convention in August also need to be sent in as soon
as possible after your convention but no later than July 10th. All
Resolutions sent in must be in duplicate and be signed by the State
Presidents and the State Secretaries and include the date the Resolutions
were voted and approved at your annual meeting. Sooner is better and
will be a great help to me as Advocate in preparing, printing and
distributing the Resolutions in a timely manner to the Delegates and
Alternates and Supreme Officers for the Supreme Convention.
Thanks for your cooperation with the Resolutions and my prayer as
always is that God will continue to bless all Columbiettes.
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I hope to see many of you at the Supreme Convention in August in New
Jersey.
A Message from our Supreme Sentinel
To My Sister Columbiettes:
Anne Sullivan
As Supreme Sentinel, I continue to review websites – so please review
yours and keep it up-to-date.
Some thoughts as we approach Mother’s Day by Kathleen Shields, May
14, 2006.
“There are Angels God put on this Earth who care for us and guide us.
You can feel their love and gentleness as they walk through life beside
us.
“They do great things for us every day, they whisper in our ears,
they even hold us in their hearts when we are filled with all our fears.
“They are always there to give a hug and try to make us smile,
they treat us with respect and love; they treat us like their child.
“God blessed me with an Angel, I’m proud to call my own.
She’s been with me throughout my life, been with me as I’ve grown.
“She’s guided me the best she can, she’s taught me like no other,
And I’m thankful I’m the lucky one who gets to call her Mother.”
Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being (and a
Columbiette) to do the impossible.
By Marion C. Garretty
May God Bless you all! Happy Mother’s Day!
Jean Breyer
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A Message from our Past Supreme Presidents
A Message from our Supreme Directors
The close of another Columbiette year is fast approaching. Spring is upon
us which means State Conventions. We would like to offer our sincere
appreciation to the outgoing Officers for their hard work and dedication
this past year. Congratulations to all the newly elected Officers, we wish
you much success in the coming year and we are looking forward to
seeing you at the Supreme Convention in August.
Dear Worthy Supreme President, Officers, Directors and Sister
Columbiettes,
Special congratulations to the State of California which will be celebrating
their 1st Convention in June.
Wishing all of you a Happy and Healthy Spring. May you also enjoy the
upcoming summer months.
We would also like to thank all our Sister Columbiettes for all you do for
our Order. Witnessing the many acts of charity from our membership is
a true testament of what a wonderful organization we are all a part of.
May our Lord and Blessed Mother keep watch over you as you continue
with any and all endeavors.
Blessings,
May our Blessed Mother, St. Joan of Arc and St. Theresa the Little Flower
continue to shower us all with their Blessings.
Sandy Bohinski
Ann Seleski
Rose Marie Oliveri
Pam Desaulniers
Patricia Boyle
My Dear Sister Columbiettes,
It has been my pleasure to publish the Supreme Semantics this year!
I’ve loved reading about the wonderful things everyone is doing in the
name of the Columbiettes. You’ve accomplished so much this year. You
should be proud of all your good works. May our patron saints, the
Blessed Virgin, St. Theresa and St. Joan of Arc, bless you and your families.
I wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day and a wonderful summer!
Kathy Donahue
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Dear Sister Columbiettes,
Hope everyone had a Blessed Easter and as mother’s day approaches I
would like to wish you a very happy Mother’s Day!
Now we’re into spring and Mother Nature is telling us it’s too soon to
pack away winter. It just doesn’t want to go away. But spring is all about
cleaning our homes, cars etc. It also could be a time for a little spring
cleaning in our personal lives.
Every day is a new beginning. Plan ahead for what you would like that
beginning to look like. Remember that everything is about the choices
we make.
Happy spring and happy spring cleaning!
By now Lent and Easter have passed. Before you know it Pentecost and
Mother’s Day will be here. How fast the year goes by. We are already
experiencing the signs of Spring here in South Carolina. Flowers are
blooming and birds are serenading us with their beautiful voices.
On behalf of my husband Vinnie, who has had a couple of medical
emergencies, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my sister
Columbiettes for their prayers, healing cards and phone calls. There is
nothing more powerful than families coming together in prayer.
There’s an old saying “we make plans and God laughs”. It’s all in His
hands.
Have a Joyous Pentecost and a very Happy Mother’s Day.
Flo Mucci
Claudette B. Apple
Dear Sister Columbiettes,
Isn’t it amazing how fast the time goes by? Here we are at Easter time.
We can now look forward to warmer weather and flowers in bloom. I
wish you all a wonderful Spring and Summer.
May our Blessed Mother look down on our efforts and continue to bless
each and every one of us and our families.
Happy Easter,
Shirley Gayford
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Mother's Love
There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears.
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.
There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.
There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.
Wishing you all the joys Spring and Summer may bring you. With the
flowers blooming and the sun shining it brings new beginnings and a
hopeful start to the seasons upon us.
May the sun shine bright on your joyous days,
And the rain refresh you through peaceful nights;
May summer show you God's wondrous ways,
And prepare you for heaven's great delights.
Happy Mother’s Day to all
A Mother is one who can take the place of all others but whose place no one
else can take
Wishing you much success at your conventions and looking forward to
seeing everyone in August at the Supreme Convention.
Cathe Nicholson
For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.
--Author Unknown
I would like to wish all the Mothers a wonderful day. To our Moms in
Heaven: Thank you for watching over us and keeping us on track.
God Bless:
Johanna Anzalone
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A Message from our Territorial Deputies
Blessed John Auxiliary #14341
The ladies of Blessed John from the University of Tennessee, are off and
running. A second 1st Degree ceremony for 11 new members was held
on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Standing Committees have been put in place.
Activities planned include a clothing drive, a Women's Retreat, Bake Sale,
participation in the Knight's Formal and Perpetual Adoration. A
discussion was also held on methods to attract additional members. A
great start to the ladies from the University of Tennessee.
Patti Dmuchowski
Both Auxiliaries are very busy this time of year. In both areas we continue
to help homeless shelters and hungry families by supplying and donating
to food pantries and shelters. We are also busy continuing to support our
Knights in their good works as well. Here in San Antonio, we are helping
them plan the church festival, which is no easy feat, but fun all the same
and to see the benefits for the church is very rewarding. We are also
working with our chaplain to prepare a half day retreat for us this
summer. We have had a difficult year and many of us continue to face
difficulties in our everyday lives and need to refill our hearts and minds
spiritually. God is Good all the time!
We want to wish all of our Columbiette Sisters everywhere, especially our
new territories like Washington and Tennessee a welcome and safe
summer. With God Plan and blessing I look forward to seeing all of you
in August.
May God Bless you always,
Maria A. Cruz
Territorial Deputy of Texas
Past President St. Rose of Lima Columbiettes
Texas Columbiettes
Hello Columbiette Sisters,
All Saints Columbiette Auxiliary 1629
Hardy Howdy Sister Columbiettes. We hope this finds everyone in good
health and good spirits. It’s been for most of us, very busy, growing in
size and activities for our Knights, Church and Communities. I have
worked a few more inquires of possible new auxiliaries in Texas, but so
far, no return calls to say they are ready to move forward. The good news
is that the Columbiette name is spreading in Texas. In the meantime, I
will follow up, continue to sing our praises to anyone that will listen and
be patient.
Happy Mothers’ Day to All! The ladies of All Saints Auxiliary 1629 in
Puyallup, WA are most excited to announce a current membership of 61
members. Our next Exemplification Ceremony is set for May 12, 2016
anticipating 15 to 20 more ladies to be initiated into this wonderful
ministry! Our auxiliary encompasses four parishes in the area: All Saints
Church, St. Andrew’s, St. Martin of Tours and Sts. Cosmas and Damian.
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As the newly appointed Territorial Deputy, Deb Ramirez, is getting her
feet wet by making her first contact in the Anacortes area originating as
a request of information from a parishioner at St. Mary’s Parish. Work
has begun on meeting with the Grand Knight of St. Mary’s to start up a
second auxiliary in Washington State! Five of their ladies plan to attend
our Exemplification ceremony on May 12, 2016.
The Knights of Columbus Washington State Convention is scheduled for
May 13 – 15, 2016 in Vancouver, WA. Territorial Deputy Deb Ramirez
plans to attend with Auxiliary 1629 Knight Liaison, Jorge Ramirez, to offer
information on the Columbiettes as part of her recruitment efforts. Deb
hopes to reach out to a potential attendance of 136 Councils.
The members, officers, and liaisons of our Auxiliary are truly amazing
women and it is evident of their dedication to making our ministry a
success by serving our parishes and communities. Since we became
official on December 12, 2015, we have assisted at five All Saints’ Knights
of Columbus parish breakfasts, four of their parish potluck socials, the
125 year Celebration of the Eucharist in the Puyallup Valley, assisted with
a sister Columbiette who lost her mother and father-in-law within two
months by cleaning her house and taking food to her family of 8 during
the funeral services, hosted four scrapbooking/crafts sessions to make
welcome gifts for our new members, helped with the Valentine’s Day
Breakfast at St. Martin of Tours Parish, participated in Christmas wreath
sales at St. Andrew’s parish, conducted a recruitment weekend in April,
2016 at four parishes (covering 12 masses) with securing 12 new ladies
for our upcoming Exemplification ceremony.
Our first fundraiser, selling Jamba Juice gift cards in December 2015,
brought in $1500.00, followed by our most recent Bake Sale, which raised
approximately $445 to go toward our All Saints Catholic School
Scholarship Fund. For Mothers’ Day, we plan to distribute pink carnations
to all the mothers in our 4 parishes.
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Our near future plans include setting up a mentoring opportunity for each
of our new members to hook up with a senior member to help guide her
through all the special opportunities and work our ministry offers; to set
up visits to our local nursing homes and rehab centers to spend quality
time with residents who may not have many visitors; attendance to two
selected Masses each month as a Columbiette ministry group; arts/crafts
sessions every third Tuesday; and a Columbiette womans’ group
(Spiritual Connections) to discuss special faith topics, prayers,
meditations, etc. on every fourth Thursday.
Our Auxiliary remains most excited that we have made history in the
Pacific Northwest by establishing the first Columbiette ministry group
here in Washington State. We welcome all of your ideas and
recommendations which would facilitate an even stronger commitment
and dedication toward serving others in need, as well as to improve our
own faith and spirituality. We look forward to Deb bringing home our
Charter from this summer’s Supreme Council Convention! Our prayers
are with all of you, always!
I submit this update in honor of our patronesses, the Blessed Mother
Mary, St. Joan of Arc, and St. Therese, the Little Flower. May they bless
and protect the Supreme Council and all Auxiliary members!
Sincerely in Christ,
Deb Ramirez, Territorial Deputy for WA State
President, All Saints Columbiette Auxiliary 1629
204 6th Avenue SW
Puyallup, WA 98371
(253) 720-8861
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.columbiettes-asc.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/columbiettes.Recruitment.WA.State/
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A Message from our Supreme Committee Chairpeople
Supreme Council Columbiettes
REPORT OF CEREMONIALS COMMITTEE
Once again our Supreme Ceremonials Committee has been very busy.
With the completion of the updated First Degree Ceremony and
Installation Ceremony last year, we now focus on the Major Degree
Ceremony.
We have received many suggestions with regards to better instructions
for the team members. Our focus has been to make the Major Degree
flow smoothly so our candidates with will walk away with the lessons we
attempt to teach.
The updated Major Degree Ceremony should be completed and
distributed by the end of Spring.
We wish to thank our Supreme President Patricia Zellner for giving us the
opportunity to serve our Order.
Wishing all Mothers, Grandmothers, Godmothers and those who have a
role as Mother, a Happy Mother’s Day.
Ceremonials Committee
58th Annual Convention
August 19, 20, 21, 2016
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The 58th Annual Supreme Council Convention will be held August 19th to
21st at:
The Hyatt Regency Princeton
102 Carnegie Center
Princeton Junction, NJ 08540
609-734-4086
www.princeton.hyatt.com
Preparations are underway for an informative and enjoyable weekend.
Reservation packets were mailed early April and we look forward to
seeing all representatives from our States and Territories in New Jersey.
The committee will show the diversity of the state as Columbiettes will
share the unity of Sisterhood. We hope you will attend.
Union of Prayers,
Jeanne Mucci
Shirley Gayford
Lisa Koenig
Joanne Kurek
Janet Schuler
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Carol Bohinski
RoseMarie Nafus
Convention Chairman
Convention Co-Chairman
Nancy Fallon
Nicole Markus
Hospitality Chairman
Hospitality Co-Chairman
Mary Ann Sweet
Barbara Liona
Raffles Chairman
Raffles Co-Chairman
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IRS COMMITTEE
The IRS Committee has been working hard trying to help all the Auxiliaries
to get in compliance with their tax filings. We appreciate all your patience
as this is no easy task with the government changing dates and
requirements for everyone. The filing list has been completed and sent
to the IRS, now we wait for them to complete their work so that we can
continue to get all Auxiliaries on track. A special thanks to those
individuals and Committees working within each State to help us get this
done.
IRS Committee
Ronnie Albert
Pam Desaulniers
Donna Byron
SQUIRETTE REPORT by Lisa Koenig
The Squirettes in Canada celebrated their 18th Annual Convention the
weekend of April 22-24, 2016. The Convention was held in London,
Ontario, Canada. I was fortunate enough to attend and this was quite an
experience for me. The Convention was attended by approximately 75
of the most talented, bright and respectful young ladies. The host
Circlette for the Convention was the Tilbury Circlette. The theme for the
Convention was “City on the Hill” and their song was “Do Something” by
Matthew West. Matthew West wrote this song after he had seen the
work one of his friends was doing for the children in Uganda and at least
once a day the girls would sit in a circle, guitar in hand and sing this
beautiful song.
Of course, all of their Counselors and Board members were there for
guidance but the entire Business part of the Convention was run by their
Provincial Board which is made up of elected Officers from each of the
Circlettes. The Business Meeting was like watching a miniature of
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ourselves. The Provincial Chief Squirette runs the meeting. They have a
roll call of Officers, roll call of Delegates (each Circlette has four
Delegates), Rules of the Convention, Election of Officers, Installation of
Officers. We went to Mass as a group at a beautiful little chapel across
from the Hotel. It was all so impressive.
They also had a Guest Speaker, Mary Johnston. Mary, along with her
brother Peter who is a Priest have been traveling back and forth to
Uganda for the past couple of years. Mary did a presentation on their
work in Uganda that had the girls mesmerized. At the end of the
presentation the girls presented Mary with a huge box of all of the items
they had collected for the children of Uganda that are needed there along
with monetary donations. I also made a donation on behalf of the
Supreme Council Columbiettes.
I would like to thank Rose Renaud who has been a part of the Squirettes
in Canada for over 25 years and has such love for these girls and the
Provincial Board for their kindness and hospitality for the weekend. And
of course, our Supreme President Pat Zellner for having me represent her
at this Convention. It was an experience I will not forget.
SUPPORT CLUB COMMITTEE
Just a reminder Supreme Support Club Tickets have been mailed out.
Drawing will be held at Supreme Convention on Saturday August 20,
2016. Remember you have to be in it to Win!!
To all our Sister Columbiettes who purchased tickets or will be taking
tickets THANK YOU for Supporting Supreme. Lastly wishing all my Sisters
A Happy Mother’s Day.
Barbara Lasek – Support Club Chairlady
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A Message from our State Presidents
Florida State hopes everyone had a very Happy Easter.
Dear Sister Columbiettes,
With Spring upon us we are busy planning our 38th annual State
Convention which will be held in Boca Raton the end of April.
As I take my daily walk at this time of the year I am amazed at the beauty
that surrounds me. I see the flowers blooming, the trees budding and the
grass growing and realize that God in His Greatness has created all this
for us.
Florida has brought in a new Auxiliary in December and another
scheduled for this April.
It is time for each of us to take stock of ourselves. We need to find out
where we are in our life’s journey, who we are today and determine
where we are going.
May Our Blessed Mother continue to shower us with many blessings
throughout the year.
The State Board is also planning a State cruise in October for Halloween
and looking forward to sharing this experience with our sister
Columbiettes.
We wish all mothers and grandmothers a wonderful Mother's Day. May
God watch over all of you and keep you happy and healthy.
Lucille Meyers
Florida State President
Fraternally,
Diane Baaden
Delaware State President
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Dear Sister Columbiettes,
Greetings to all my sister Columbiettes and Welcome Spring!!!
It’s hard to believe that another fiscal year is about to end. The things
that we have accomplished in the past year include First Degrees, Major
Degrees, and starting new Auxiliary’s. I smile when I think about all of
the new sister Columbiettes joining our ranks.
As I write this message, I am amazed at how fast this past year has gone.
We are in the home stretch of this Columbian year as we approach our
Annual State Convention in June.
Elections will be coming soon and some of us will move forward and other
will get to wear that “Past something” badge. They say it the best badge
to wear because it shows where you have been. I don’t know, but I think
it’s a little sad and this truly has been one of the best times for me. I don’t
know if I could have had the impact without all the support I have had
from my State of Georgia Columbiettes, State Officers, Auxiliary
President’s, the Knights of Columbus and those “Special Ladies” at
Supreme.
On behalf of the Columbiettes of the State of Georgia I would like to wish
everyone a very Blessed and successful State Convention and we are
looking forward to seeing everyone at the Supreme Convention in
August.
Crystal Vliek
Georgia State President
Over the past several months, NJ State Council has been very busy. NJSCC
has found it very productive to send out a January mailer with the
information regarding the second half of the year committees and
events. The auxiliaries, chapters and committee chairladies find it
extremely helpful to ensure they meet the required deadlines and
requirements for the various state events, programs and awards.
The Recruitment Team was very happy to be invited to the NJ State
Knights mid-year Grand Knights meeting on January 9th. A brief
presentation was provided to a very engaged group of Knights. They were
provided with a takeaway of information with answers to frequently
asked questions and a post card to send to Sandra Bohinski, chairlady
with an inquiry for more information and a face to face meeting with the
council. To date we have had several inquiries with hopes of more to
come. The team will be hosting a table at the upcoming NJ State Knights
convention in Wildwood, NJ. Please keep them in your prayers for great
success and prosperity in spreading the news of Columbiettes.
In the next couple weeks we will be enjoying the Charity Awards
Luncheon, where we will honor three ladies for their great works in
Humanitarian Works, Education and Corporate Ethics. This event will
show how empowered Catholic Women are a strong and positive
influence on the goals and ideals of the Columbiettes. The message of the
event is “Catholic Women Honoring Catholic Women.”
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During the weekend of April 8th – 10th, I joined with many Columbiettes
and friends, at the San Alphonso weekend retreat. It was a wonderful
weekend, although a bit cool, sharing in the spiritual messages and
teachings of Mercy. Thank you Barbara Ann for chairing this event.
Congratulations to so many that achieved 5, 10, 20 and 25 year
anniversaries. We also had 10 ladies that attended retreat for the first
time. We are very happy to have ladies from Delaware join us for this
spiritual and restful weekend. Next year’s retreat is April 21st to 23rd.
Over the next few months I will be travelling to attend the state
conventions in North Carolina, Florida, Delaware, New York and
Connecticut and am very excited to see my sister Columbiettes. I want to
wish the other states great success at their annual meetings and special
congratulations to California for the inaugural convention and institution
of their achievements as a State Council.
Our best wishes to all the "States" on their upcoming conventions. Plans
are underway for our annual Convention which will be at the Crowne
Plaza, Suffern, NY on June 3-5, 2016.
New York has been honored to welcome a new auxiliary, St. Dominic's
Columbiettes in Westchester/Putnam Chapter on April 10th and looking
forward to having St. Lawrence Columbiettes in Suffolk Chapter join us
on April 30th.
On behalf of the entire New York State Board of Officer's, we wish all
Mother's Grandmother's, Godmother's and those who care for children
who are called Mom, a Happy Mother's Day.
Lisa Roberts
New Jersey State President
Hope to see everyone at convention in August.
God Bless.
Dee Wych
NYS President
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Dear Sister Columbiettes,
North Carolina will be holding its 17th annual convention on April 22-23,
with the theme “We are many parts, We are all one body, The gifts we
have we were given to share.” We are looking forward to welcoming
Supreme President Patricia Zellner and Jim Zellner to our convention.
As we come closer to the end of this Columbian year the State, Auxiliaries
and Chapters are busy trying to fill the slate of officers for the next year.
We would like to thank all the outgoing officers for all they have done for
our order and congratulate the new officers and wish them well.
North Carolina wishes all our sister Columbiettes a Happy Spring and a
very Happy Mother’s Day.
Marlene Korn, President
North Carolina State Council Columbiettes
Pennsylvania State Council Columbiettes
I am happy to report that the state of Pennsylvania welcomed our 10th
auxiliary on Saturday April 9, 2016. Welcome to the Columbiettes of St.
Joseph Marello Parish in Pittston, PA. Our degree team braved the
elements to travel in a spring snow storm to institute this wonderful new
auxiliary. I am sure they are going to do great things. Welcome to our
ranks.
State Officers are busy preparing for our convention on April 30, 2016 in
Bridgeville PA. Sincere thanks to Holy Child auxiliary for being our hosts
for the day.
I know that many states are planning their state conventions. I wish you
all a great time. Safe travels and blessings to you all.
God bless you and Our Blessed Virgin keep you.
Fraternally,
Joellen Dodson
Pennsylvania State President
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