The Tar Heel Knight

Greetings from the mountains of western North Carolina.
 
It was good to see so many of you at the State Convention last week.  Our brothers from Hickory did a fantastic job of hosting and we all had an opportunity to celebrate the great work you have done over this past year.  And it was very special to have Bishop Martin and our Deputy Supreme Knight Arthur Peters there to celebrate with us.  Was that programs report amazing or what?  We more or less doubled our donations and service hours from 2023 to 2024.  I’m looking forward to hearing what we’ve accomplished when 2025 comes to an end.
 
So, here we are in the last month of the fraternal year.  Many of you are putting the finishing touches on a Star Council year.  For some of you, the final piece to that puzzle is Safe Environment compliance.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if there’s anything I can do to help you navigate that process.
 
This is also a transition month.  Many of you have new leadership in your councils, and you are preparing to kick off the new fraternal year on July 1.  As soon as you have your council elections (or now, if you’ve already had them), please go ahead and submit your Forms 185 and 365.  These are the keys to making sure important correspondence goes to the right people, including the invitations for Safe Environment and background checks.  Plus, you will make our State Warden very happy because he loves forms. 
 
As our programs report told us, July was the month where the fewest number of activities took place last year.  Let’s have a plan now and hit the ground running on July 1 in both programs and membership.  There is nothing like a strong start to create positive momentum to last the whole year.  And please plan on attending the Council Leadership Training closest to you in July.  Your District Deputies can provide you with more information on that.
 
I subscribe to a number of email newsletters, many of which provide daily faith-based quotes.  One of these I read the other day struck me and made me think of those of you who are new leaders in your councils.  It is a quote from St. Francis de Sales:  “We all have a vocation.  We need to believe that God has placed us in this life to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish.”  You are in these positions for a reason, Brothers.  This is a calling.  When we use the word “vocation”, we are usually referring to the ordained clergy.  But there are also vocations for the laity as well, and your leadership in the Knights of Columbus is one of those.  You would not be at your current level of involvement, whatever that is, had you not felt a call to serve the Lord and serve your community.  And, as a member of the State Council, I am here to serve you, so please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time.  I look forward to speaking to you and meeting many of you as I travel across the state this year.
 
“But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9
 
Vivat Jesus!