Author: Joe McCarthy - State Advocate
My Brother Knights!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord, and a very Happy New Year!
North Carolina has much to be thankful for in 2023! We had 44 councils receive the Star Council Award and another 35 received the Columbian Award!
As of December 22, 2023, we are just shy of 60% of our Membership Goal. We still have more work to do but we are off to a fantastic pace thus far!
In the middle of December, we currently have just over 40 councils that are Safe Environment Compliant. That is about half of those who received at least the Columbian Award last year.
I will be the first to tell you that Safe Environment has been difficult this year. We continue to have issues with reporting since Supreme has moved to their new system. Many councils are off to a slow start and missed the emails to take the training, thus making their councils non-compliant.
Please keep in mind that your councils cannot receive the Columbian Award without being compliant with your Safe Environment Training. The Columbian Award is also a requirement for your council to receive the coveted Star Council Award, the highest award a council can receive. Please don’t be the one in your council that does not successfully complete your Safe Environment Training thus causing your council to miss the Columbian Award or potentially the Star Council Award!
More importantly, Safe Environment Training allows you to recognize the signs of Child Abuse. Is there anything more important than the safety and well-being of our children?
If you are a Grand Knight, Program Director, Family Director, or Community Director for your council, you are required to take Safe Environment Training. If you hold one of these positions for your council and don’t know if you are compliant or if you have any issues with the training, please contact your District Deputy or me so we can help you and your council become Safe Environment compliant!
If you have taken the training or plan to take the training soon, please be sure to save your certificate of completion and, if a background check is required, save the email stating that it was successfully completed. This is the documentation that your District Deputy and I need to prove that your council is compliant!
As I travel this State more and more, I have met many more Brothers! This is by far the favorite part of my job, I get to travel to councils and meet so many men working hard to support our church, our families, our communities, and our order! It has been an honor to meet such fine men and I am proud to call you my Brothers!
Vivat Jesus,
Joe McCarthy NC State Advocate stateadvocate@kofcnc.org