February Ontario Fraternal Success Planner

Ontario Fraternal Success Planner
February 2015
“Together we could be an enormous force for good in a world that so obviously needs the love of God and
love of neighbor, which are reflected in our work.”
Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight
---------------------------------------------------------------Kevin Daudlin, Ontario State Deputy
I’ve become increasingly concerned about what I perceive as misunderstandings that members and our local councils encounter with
Supreme and State council leadership. The perception is that the only concern is to increase membership numbers and that increasing
those numbers serve only to show a greater number representing our Order whether in the local council or state council and even
internationally. Sure, that is undeniably an opportunity for bragging rights when a council achieves STAR or Double STAR; or a state
council achieves Circle of Honour. When Supreme and State Council leaders emphasize the growth of our Order, I believe it is
something more than just numbers to brag about; instead, what our founder, the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney are focused
on. Our Founder organized our fraternity to focus on the Church mission of spreading the good news through Charity, Unity and
Fraternity. The challenges in achieving that shared mission are greater today as we all know the materialism and secularism that
pervades our societies. While these challenges were more prevalent in lands outside our country, they are now prevalent in our own
land. The Church wants us to be prepared to serve as disciples by truly learning and living our Faith and, to live our lives in charity in
the way we treat each other. Isn’t the Knights of Columbus as perhaps the most organized fraternity within the Catholic Church and
with an infrastructure that can make a difference in the mission of the Church something that we should share with all fellow Catholics
and those who have left and want to join us again? I are privileged and proud to be part of the Knights of Columbus. Know that growth
of a council equates to welcoming fellow Catholics and returning fellow Catholics of our Church to our fraternity which provides
opportunities to spreading the good news as true followers of Christ. We are all called to be good shepherds!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Country, State Program Director
Worthy Sirs, February is the shortest month of the year. So in order to be able to accomplish something in it, we need to have a plan. A
plan on what to do and how to act with potential members that you are recruiting this month. The items to have ready are where to
recruit, members in place to recruit, and a schedule to implement the recruiting process. Let’s break these down. Where to recruit
sound easy enough, at church right? But you are limiting the amount of people you can draw from if you recruit just in the back of
Church. There should be some kind of recruiting in ALL your programs. Not all Catholics go to church, this is due to a variety of
reasons too numerous to mention here. Continue to promote and recruit at Church, but also promote and recruit other places that you
know where eligible men are around.
Encourage ALL council members to recruit. The more members recruiting, the recruits we can expect. The single man membership
team cannot keep the flow of new members coming in to compensate for the amount lost in suspensions and death. Ask your District
Deputy about the MAT program. Spread the word with every member should be active in membership. This also may help a prospect
hear the same message from different people. The more people prospects hear the good works, deeds, and fun things we do, the
more they will want to be a part of it.
Have the schedule in place. A schedule of what is suppose to happen helps everyone including the recruit on the steps that need to be
done and what needs to happen in the future. From the initial contact of the recruit all the way to the 3rd and 4th degrees scheduled.
Grand Knights, you can print off a page of your fraternal activity planner, to map out your schedule and have it posted for ALL the
members helping the council recruit new members.
Keeping these items in mind will help guide you and your council in the quick pace you need to have in order to keep up with the ONE
MEMBER, PER COUNCIL, PER MONTH goal expected by every council.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mario Duguay, State Membership Retention Director
How can we make sure we maintain the members we have?
Encourage our councils to stop abandoning on our members. Any members suspended after January 1, 2015 is too late and the council will
still have to pay the per capita. Why not spend the balance of this fraternal year to introduce strong new programs that will focus on retaining
our members and see if that will make a difference.
Service Programs are essential to a council success. To attract prospects we must give them a good reason to join. Therefore, to keep
members from losing interest they need a variety of activities to choose from and an opportunity to volunteer – that is why they joined!
Effective programs leads to active members and councils, successful recruiting, less suspensions, increased parish activities, and increased
community and family activities.
A well-tuned Service Program is tuned to the needs of the local church, community, council, families, youth and members. Keep in mind that
every council is different and what works for one may not work for others. It may time to revisit your programs and make some overdue
changes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jim Farrand State Council Retention Director
H.O.P.E. APPROACH TO COUNCIL PROGRAMS ...We need hope to be successful and we know that successful councils follow rules and
habits in their approach to programs. Rules and habits usually turn into habits and passions for a council activity.
H….How does the program or event work? How do we get our members involved?
O…..Ordering supplies that are needed. Obey the rules established for the event or program and make sure everyone understands them.
P….People must know what role they have for the program success. Positive in your promotion of the event. Perfect …. we are not, but give it
a try.
E…..Encourage participation in the activity. Evaluate the program after it is complete. File an activity report with your Grand Knight. Easy
…keep it easy and simple to follow what you are doing and expect from everyone
Your programs are for your membership and your membership will grow your programs and programs create new members. Good Luck.
--------------------------------------------------------Several Forms need to be prepared and sent to Supreme by the due date.
January 30th: Partnership Profile Report with Special Olympics (Form #4853), and Free Throw Championship
Participation (Form FT-1)
January 31st: Survey of Fraternal
Jerry Hayes State Council Director
Active councils are successful councils, - but so are active District Deputies.
If you asked members of your councils that received “Star Council” recognition this past year what their secret to success is, their answer no
doubt would be “PROGRAM ACTIVITIES”. Activity breeds success. The more activities and charitable works that councils undertake in your
parish and community, the more people will see and appreciate all that the Knights of Columbus do.
Undertaking activities generates interest among your existing members, and makes our councils more desirable for new members to join. New
members bring new life to a council by bringing new ideas with them. It’s a circular process where everyone wins because these ideas benefit
the council and its’ existing members, as well as the new member, the parish, and the community as a whole. You can quickly see that
everyone wins.
Our State General Program can be a huge help to Grand Knights and councils throughout Ontario. It has great ideas and suggestions for
numerous council activities that have been undertaken by some of the most successful councils in the province. These are all active and
vibrant councils that are achieving significant milestones. These councils, however have to be reminded that they need to report on these
activities, --- and an excellent tool for this is the “Friday File”.
Over the next few months encourage your councils to strive to attain both State and Supreme award recognition and promote programs that
really highlight a membership component. Ask councils to give you feedback regarding their success which we can promote or publish on our
web-site to share with others.
The HOPE Program from Bro Jim draws attention to “Program Planning”.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bro. Marcel Lemmen, New Council Development / Round Tables
Operating a Parish Round Table
Round Tables are established and sponsored by an existing council in a neighbouring parish where there is not currently a Knights of
Columbus Council and with the permission of the pastor. The Round Table Coordinator is appointed by the Grand Knight and he is the
designated leader of the Round Table. He meets with the pastor frequently to determine what the Knights of the parish can do to help. The
Round Table does not hold regular meetings. Knights who are members of the Parish Round Table attend the regular meetings of the
sponsoring council and continue to meet their financial obligations to their council. The Round Table itself has no dues and any financial
transactions are done through the sponsoring council. All projects undertaken by the Round Table are council projects and the coordinator calls
on members of the council to help if there are not enough Round Table members to do the job. In addition to providing a Knights of Columbus
presence in a parish, the purpose of the Round Table is to help lighten the workload of the pastor. The coordinator may ask non-members to
help with Round Table projects and are an excellent way to recruit new members to the order.
If you have any questions about setting up or operating a Round Table, please contact me at (905) 546-6923 or [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Joe Mathews, State Special Olympics Director
Please consider selling your Knights of Columbus Raffle Tickets at a Special Olympics event, be it an event sponsored by your Council or a
local event organized by Special Olympics.
An example of this cooperation between the Knights and Special Olympics is the opportunity given to the Knights to sell raffle tickets at the
Family Dinner and Closing Ceremonies at this year’s Special Olympics Provincial Winter Games in North Bay.
For more information on ticket sales please contact the State Office. For information on Special Olympics events in your area please contact
Special Olympics Ontario.
Francisco Naar State Community Director:
I would like to thank all the Councils that participated in the Coats for Kids Program we as the Province of Ontario donated 249 boxes by the
end of December 2014, but remember winter is not over yet and you can still order your boxes for just $245 each.
With your assistance in holding Food Drives throughout the Christmas Season, and through the generous contributions from these drives,
many families were able to celebrate with a decent Christmas meal, and for this we thank all of you that participated.
Food for Families, A big “Thank you”, goes out to all the District Deputies who came to the Winter meeting and brought food, and to those that
participated in the raffle. As a result of your generosity a donation of $1,021.10 was made to St. Francis Table.
Let’s carry this positive momentum into Easter (April 5, 2015), remember Lent begins on February 18th. We should focus on conducting the
Food Drive campaign for Easter with the theme “40 cans for lent” we as leaders should always, “Lead by Example” demonstrating the
need for everyone to bring canned goods to your Council meeting, and Share what you Can. Please remember to submit the Food for
Families report form 10057
As members of the Ontario State, we should take on a task we have not done before, so I invite all Councils of Ontario to donate ONE
WHEELCHAIR at a low cost of $150.00 and let’s ship a full container in partnership with the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation to bring
freedom of mobility, to those in need.
I encourage all Grand Knights to continue promoting the Coins on a Mission by collecting the Coins at your meeting to support the Catholic
Mission in Canada. Let’s do something very simple, we have over 500 actives councils and if every Council sends in the SO42 form with
just $20.00 we will make a huge impact in our community by presenting a cheque for $10,000.00 and that is something I believe we CAN do.
Do you believe?
-----------------------------------------Peter Lemon Lottery Director
Brothers, You have all received your Lottery tickets and should be finalizing plans for how you are going to sell these tickets. As we move out
into the community this is an opportunity to extol the virtues of your Council and the good works that we do in our Parishes and Communities.
If we are setting up a table at a commercial establishment it would not be a bad idea to have signs or pictures showing some of the projects
that your Council supports within Church Community and Family.
What a great opportunity to raise awareness of your Councils and of our partners, Arthritis and Special Olympics. This venue allows you the
opportunity to invite interested men to join our Order and to assist us in doing the many good works that we do.
If every member in Ontario took one book and sold it we would not have enough tickets for everyone. Take the time and effort to assist the
Arthritis Society Special Olympics along with our twenty other charities and your communities helped through the Knights of Columbus
Charities Foundation on your behalf.
-----------------------------------------Christopher Lazure State Membership Director
Preparation is the key! When you want new members it usually is not just a coincidence. You need to prepare for it. March is the next Order
wide church drive and we need to be prepared. We need materials like “24 hours of being a Knight”, we need a date for the drive, we need
colouring books for the kids of prospects, we need our DD and FA booked to be in attendance, we need to have a date for the 1st degree
planned no later than 4 weeks and most of all we need to speak to our priest about all of this and who he might help us to recruit. Preparation is
a big job but with the help of a council membership director, DGK and the people listed before you will be prepared. Membership must be
planned for all year round because if we do it wrong we will not recruit anyone, if we do it well then they will bring friends. Good preparation will
lead to many new members, so go get prepared. Any questions please contact me directly.
Ray Bechard. State Training Director
Crucial Time -- The next 4 months is the prime time to promote your upcoming Officer Training Seminar. Be sure to let every DD, DW,
and DA Chair know the date and location of your upcoming seminar.
The confidence that can come from knowing that there will be a well run training session may be just the thing that will get some
quality members to be willing to let their name stand for nomination and election as an officer of their council.
Send reminders to the DDs EVERY MONTH, and encourage them to mention the date and location at every council meeting, district
meeting, and diocesan meeting. In fact, make it a tag-line that everyone should include at the top and bottom of every email
message that they send, or reply to.
Then get ready to provide the most crucial service that every council needs ... a training seminar that will produce a team of trained,
motivated officers and directors ready to turn their council into an enticing group that everyone will want to participate in, and stay an
active member.
----------------------------------------------------Joseph Salini PSD, State Ceremonials Director
I was recently looking for information about how small groups change the culture of a community and my investigation led me to a group of 12
people that had a very special leader. This group of twelve men changed the culture of the community of a particular period of time they lived
in. I don’t think it is too hard to figure out who I am talking about.
When we compare this group of thirteen people in total and compare it to the Knights of Columbus it is not a stretch to see how we can change
the culture of our community. The apostles led by example and went out and evangelized.
We can, by communicating the message of the Knights, get the same results. We can grow our Order by communicating a very simple
message. All Catholic men and their families should be involved with the Knights of Columbus. The apostles deviated from this path and they
are a perfect example of what perseverance and dedication can accomplish.
As we approach our March membership drive, go out and spread the word of the Knights. Let all Catholic men know what a great organization
the Knights of Columbus really is. Invite them to join us and ask them to help change the culture of our communities.
Start by asking your Grand Knight and District Deputy to organize a 1st and 2nd Degree. Have them follow up and have 3rd Degree. Think as the
apostles did. We can call belong to the most important Catholic family organization in the world. Vivat Jesus
-------------------------------------------Anna Kocmarek , Ontario State Office
2015 Ontario State Lottery Draw – a program that helps many
Great Work of the Regional Lottery Directors! Many Councils are now coming back into the program to participate. Some have sold their initial
block of tickets and are requesting more. I’ve noticed many Councils listing other events in their church bulletins but no one has mentioned the
lottery!!! Please get it out there that tickets are available. Even if you don’t plan on selling at an event, you can sell to your Council members,
your family and Church community. Also, let us know of your events so that we can post it on our website. Be careful, some Grand Knights are
blocking the sale of tickets for their Council even though we have the Special Olympics Ontario providing volunteer services as needed…. and
remember, this is a program that every Knight should be involved in!!!!
---------------------------------------------Getting rid of problems ......The problem with many things is the pre-conceived ideas we have about them!
--Shanti
-
Kevin Heffernan, Ontario State Church Director
Church Membership Recruitment Tips: Brothers: consider spicing up your parish membership campaigns by hosting a Parish Communion
Breakfast or cooking for your parish's youth programs.
Active service in our parishes inspires Men and Families to join the Knights of Columbus. There is no better time than the winter months to
draw in members through Parish Programs- take advantage of your captive audience so that men may join/re-join our ranks. Adding in a parish
event into your membership recruitment strategy shows parishioners we are the strong right arm of the Church! Vivat Jesus!
-------------------------------------------------------------------Sandy Harkes, State Family & In-Memoriam Director. Family of the Month, Family of the Year & John P. Rodina Seniors & Widows
Programs
Brothers: As we are well into the second half of the fraternal year, your council(s) should be on their way to formulating submissions for the
service programs. The Surge with Service booklet has many family programs that will enhance your councils ability and opportunities to recruit
new members.
To date the interest in the Family of the Month has been slow. Please have your councils promote the Family of the Month/Year and seniors
areas. If articles on Family events are submitted to the Friday File or the State Bulletin, this would help us promote the Knights of Columbus as
a Family organization. We would like to see an increase in participation. All forms for these programs are available on line. Remember, again
this year the submission deadline is early. All submissions must be in the State Office on or before Monday March 16th 2015.
--------------------------------------------Sandy Harkes, State Family Director.
BUILDING THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
Because love is filled with hope when it is communicated, our family wants to promote the lifegiving spirit of our families.
We see the fruit of our lives in our children. But our vocation to fruitfulness is greater than this.
Even if we cannot have children, our love is called to be fruitful in our work and rest, our family life,
our adoration and mission. Everything is called to generate new life in others and to proclaim the
great hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. Other unique signs of fruitfulness are religious and priestly vocations. All of us, whatever our state in life,
are called to spiritual parenthood.
Family Project
To celebrate the life-giving spirit of your family, prepare a slideshow to enjoy with your family that illustrates the ways your family is fruitful. In
the slideshow, include pictures of:
• Parents’ courtship and engagement
• Parents’ wedding celebration
• Birth of each child
• Sacramental celebrations of each child
• Friends, service projects, fun times
• Vocations in the family
Psalm of the Month (Psalm 139)
Pray the Psalm of the Month during every Sunday of the month at your family prayer space.th (P
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“As a gift from God, every human life is sacred from conception to natural death. The life and dignity of
every person must be respected and protected at every stage and in every condi tion. The right to life is
the first and most fundamental principle of human rights that leads Catholics to actively work for a world
of greater respect for human life and greater commitment to justice and peace.” ~~~United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops
Dan Duval – General Agent , Northern Ontario - Insurance Liaison
Introducing Accelerator Term Insurance When Father McGivney founded our beloved Order almost 133 years ago, his goal was to protect
Catholic families from financial devastation. But not all Catholic families have the same needs and goals. That’s why, as we carry on Father
McGivney’s vision, we are always looking for ways to introduce new products and new features that have the ability to most perfectly meet the
needs of brother Knights and their families.
In mid 2014, the Knights of Columbus launched its newest product, the Accelerator Term Insurance Series. Term Insurance is a valuable
product for those Knights and their loved ones who need coverage, but have a limited budget. There are many reasons to consider term
insurance. Perhaps you have a new mortgage. Perhaps you want to provide for income replacement while your children are still living at home.
These relatively short-term needs are perfect for term coverage.And now, with the introduction of the Accelerator Term Series, there are even
more reasons to consider term insurance from the Knights of Columbus.
The Accelerator Series is a cutting-edge insurance product that allows members to maximize the benefit, minimize the cost, and accelerate
their coverage. Offered at 10, 15, and 20 year level term periods, the Accelerator has three unique features that make it special.
The first is the coverage period. With the Accelerator Series, members and their loved ones can now have term insurance protection to age 85
– a 15-year extension from the previous limit. The second is the acceleration feature. For each of the first five years of the life of your
Accelerator Term Insurance policy, the death benefit amount will increase five percent, up to 125 percent of the initial contract amount. This
exciting new feature allows you to maximize and accelerate your death benefit automatically, to increase the protection you are providing for
your family. The third is the conversion opportunity. As your short-term needs begin to expire, you have the option to convert your Accelerator
Term policy into a permanent insurance policy, without having to go through medical underwriting or prove insurability. This is a great option to
have in case your health should unexpectedly deteriorate over the course of your 10, 15 or 20 year term.
The Accelerator Term Insurance series is a great addition to our top-rated portfolio. Backed by the financial strength of the Knights of
Columbus, who has received the highest-possible ratings (A++, Superior) from A.M. Best for 39 consecutive years, you can be confident in the
protection you purchase. And, as a policy holder with the Knights of Columbus, you have the added comfort of knowing that your organization
will give generously and invest ethically. We like to call it “The Catholic Difference.”
So take time to meet with your professionally trained Knights of Columbus field agent, who is also a brother Knight.
He will be able to give you additional details on this exciting new product, and will be able to provide you with a complimentary, comprehensive
analysis that will help identify your needs and goals, so that you and your family can determine the level of protection that best serves your
situation. You won’t regret that you did.To find your agent, visit kofc.org/findagent, or call 1-800-345-5632.
-----------------------------------------------------------------Bro. Savio Fernandes, State Youth Director
Free Throw Program: Thank You all (Grand Knights, District Deputies and your teams) for organizing our
Free Throw
competitions. Please remind the Grand Knights to ensure all the winning participants have all required information completed ( council
number, Participants information etc), on the Free Throw Championship Entry form #1598, before it’s passed to the District Level . Please ask
the Grand Knights to the complete their Free throw Participation form (#FT-1),by including their school and council numbers, by January 31st .
Please inform the State Youth Director by email at [email protected] , the number of councils, in your district which are participating
in the Free Throw Competition, by using the form in the Free Throw Information Booklet.
The Districts Free Throw Competition is to be completed by February 14th, 2015. Please contact your Regional Chairmen to find out the
information about the
Regional Free Throw Competition; their contact information is in the Free Throw Information package posted on
the Ontario State Website, and also included in the CD given at the December DDs Meeting.
Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest:
The Grand Knights should complete the Substance Abuse Awareness Participation form #4001, after the council judging. After the Districts
judging (to be completed by January 31st), please send the Original posters and all entry forms, with all information completed to the Regional
Substance Abuse Poster Chairmen included in the State Directory. Please refer to the email sent on November 20, 2014, via RIDS, on this
program, as it contains information, rules and forms as well. The success of all the Youth programs depends on us all working together as a
TEAM.
Thank You in advance, for your effort in promoting our Youth Programs in Ontario.
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One last thing:
Happy Valentine day.
Some love last a lifetime....True love last forever.
Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.
The past is what we always tend to look back on but remember the future is
what we look forward to in order to move forward.
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The Power of 1
"1 Member, per Council, per Month"
"1 Star Council, per District"
"1 New Council per Diocese"
"1 First Degree, per District, per Month"
"1 Verbal Contact, per Member, per Month"
"1 Member, per Program
"We are all called to be good shepherds"
Mario Duguay, Directeur d’État de la rétention d’adhésion
Comment pouvons-nous nous assurer que nous retenons les membres que nous avons ?
•
Encourager vos conseils à ne pas abandonner sur leurs membres. Les membres suspendus après le 1
janvier 2015 le per capita pour l’année sera encore payable car il est trop tard pour cette année. Pourquoi
ne pas passer la balance de l’année colombienne pour présenter des nouveaux programmes forts qui se
concentreront sur la rétention et voir si ça va porter fruit.
•
Les programmes de service sont essentiels au succès d’un conseil. Pour attirer des nouveaux membres nous
devons leur donner une bonne raison pour se joindre à nous. Donc, pour empêcher nos membres de perdre
intérêt et quitter nos rangs ils ont besoin de la diversité et des opportunités à faire du bénévolat - c'est
pourquoi ils se sont joints à nous!
•
Des programmes efficaces mènent à des membres et des conseils actifs, des campagnes de recrutement
fructueuses, moins de suspensions et une augmentation des activités paroissiennes, communautaires et
familiales.
•
Un programme de service bien coordonné est en accord aux besoins de l'église locale, la communauté, le
conseil, les familles, la jeunesse et des membres. Gardez à l'esprit que chaque conseil est différent, les
programmes qui fonctionnent pour un conseil ne fonctionneront pas nécessairement pour un autre. Il est
temps de revoir vos programmes et y apporter les changements nécessaires.
Bro. Marcel Lemmen, Développement nouveaux Conseils et Tables rondes
Fonctionnement d'un Table Ronde Paroissiale
Tables Rondes sont établis et parrainés par un conseil existant dans une paroisse voisine où il n’est pas
actuellement un Conseil des Chevaliers de Colomb et avec l'autorisation du prêtre. Le coordinateur de
Table Ronde est nommé par le Grand Chevalier et il est le chef désigné de la Table Ronde. Il rencontre
avec le prêtre fréquemment pour demander ce que peuvent faire les Chevaliers de sa paroisse fait pour
aider. La Table Ronde ne tient pas de réunions régulières. Chevaliers qui sont membres de la Table Ronde
Paroissiale assistent aux réunions ordinaires du conseil parrain et continuer à répondre à leurs
obligations financières vis-à-vis de leur conseil. La Table Ronde n'a pas de cotisation et toutes les
transactions financières sont effectuées par l'intermédiaire du conseil parrain. Tous les projets entrepris
par la Table Ronde sont des projets de conseil et le coordinateur invite les membres du conseil pour
aider s’il n'y a pas assez de membres de la Table Ronde pour faire le travail. En plus de fournir une
présence des Chevaliers de Colomb en une paroisse, le but de la Table Ronde est pour aider à alléger la
charge de travail du prêtre. Le coordinateur peut demander non-membres pour aider à des projets de la
Table Ronde et sont un excellent moyen de recruter de nouveaux membres à l'ordre.
Si vous avez des questions au sujet de la mise en place ou fonctionnement d'une Table Ronde, s’il vous
plaît me contacter au (905) 546-6923 ou [email protected]