Supreme Convention Reflection

I had the honor of attending the Supreme Convention this August as a representative of North Carolina. During the gathering, Past Supreme Knight Carl Anderson recounted a compelling piece of history: in the mid-1800s, Pope Pius IX sent a stone from Rome’s Temple of Peace to the United States. This gift was intended for installation within the Washington Monument, symbolizing a gesture of goodwill between the Holy See and the United States.
Unfortunately, this act was misunderstood by members of the “Know-Nothing Party,” who misconstrued it as an attempt by American Catholics to seize national influence. Their response was extreme—they stole the Pope’s Stone from the construction site, destroyed it, and threw the fragments into the Potomac River. This incident underscores the intense anti-Catholic prejudice that prevailed during the time of Blessed Father McGivney.

Council Insurance Billing Update

By the time you read this article, your council will have received its insurance bill if you are covered under the annual policy purchased by the State Council for North Carolina Councils. You will notice that this year’s bill is lower than in previous years, at $1.50 per active member.
The reduction results from a change in the insurance company’s policy renewal date. Your council is being billed for July 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026. A new policy will begin February 1, 2026 and run through February 1, 2027. Rather than estimating costs in advance, we are billing only for the current policy; the 2026 policy cost is still unknown. Councils will receive a bill for the full year’s premium in early 2026, so the 2025-2026 Fraternal Year will show a higher cost, after which annual billing will resume on a date later in the fraternal year. This process ensures billing matches actual insurance expenses.
Please email any email updates to your address to the State Treasurer (statetreasurer@kofcnc.org) so we can keep our records current. Since Supreme doesn't share email addresses, we only know to send invoices to a new contact if you inform us.
Contact me with any questions or if you need assistance. Thank you for your dedication to our order.
Vivat Jesus,
Joe McCarthy, North Carolina State Treasurer
statetreasurer@kofcnc.org