Grand Knight's Report:

Dear Brothers:

From the messy, cluttered desk of your Worthy Grand Knight…

Greetings, Brother Knights and faithful readers!

This year is starting to heat up for the Council, and in a very good way. First of all, let me begin by congratulating  Brother SK Kevin O’Scanlon on a great St. Pat’s Dinner. Once again Kevin and all of the helpers he gathered set-up, cooked, and served a fantastic event. They had a minor little problem right from the beginning when the Parish office informed them they would not be able to get in on Friday evening as they usually do to set up the hall. So they had to start out right from the beginning on Saturday morning to perform their annual bit of magic! Thanks, again, Kevin. Read the other articles to get all the details.

Worthy DD, PGK SK John Orso approached me some time ago about the possibilities of 3880 hosting a K of C Academy here in Crystal Lake. Actually, this would be our second Academy. We did one way back when, at the time I think SK PGK Tony DePippo was GK.  I may be wrong on that, so maybe someone can refresh my memory. But we held it down in the lower level at St. Thomas and it was successful day. So, we went round and round until we could get a date that was available to the Parish and to the State Council. But we have it! Saturday, April 24th, at 11:00 AM in the Lower Level of the St. Thomas the Apostle Church on Oak Street. I need some of you to put that date on your calendar. We will serve a light lunch I will work on, we need people to direct attendees downstairs and so on… let me know!

Then another piece of good news… after working on this for actually months, we have been able to secure a date for a Major Degree! Sunday, May 23rd, Fr. McCormick Council # 3880 will host a our annual event just a few months later than usual. Both our District Deputy John Orso and our Membership Director Rick Kendzior, as well as the Warden of the Council First Degree Team, FS Steve Haugh, have been scrambling for several days now to get all of our ducks in a row. The Degree Team and under-studies have been alerted, arrangements are under way to transport the necessary items to the School basement, letters are being written to the Grand Knights of all surrounding Councils, from the borders of Lake Michigan on the east to the Iowa border on the west… the menu is being planned … so we need the usual army of helpers… from setting up the rooms, to readying the great hall, to conducting the First Degree, to preparing the meal to serving it and cleaning up afterwards. And one thing this great Council of ours always get to do… bask in the accolades of those in attendance for yet another well done Major Degree. Not because of any one person, ever, but because we ARE 3880! Everything we accomplish is because we are one… no one person gets it done.. but WE get it done (hi, PGK JEFF FAYE ) … WE is a slogan that befits 3880 as well as  Are We Having Fun Yet!??!)

Oh yeah, we will be letting you know fairly soon about this year’s Appreciation Dinner. We can’t forget that… and the nominations and the elections and the installation ceremony and dinner… and DGK Vince Esposito and Angie Krambeer have kicked off another round of Tuesday evening food events at local restaurants… and Melinda Popp and Yvonne Scott  are going full speed ahead with our Ladies Auxiliary  …. And they have an event coming to the Johnny Appleseed Festival alongside the world famous BRATMOBILE!!!  And we are coming right into the time of the Annual Polish Dinner…you didn’t forget about that did you??? Worthy Warden Mike Jasinski will be hitting you up for your help on that… coming soon to a Community Center near you…

I’m getting dizzy trying to think of all these events… maybe not all fund raisers, but awareness events… letting the community know who we are and what we do… probably going to be a number of summer-time events that we will be part of .. .so stick around, it will not be dull! 

 … the greatest Council in the Knights of Columbus!! Come and be proud…let’s help each other help everyone else! 

Peace, and see you around

Vivat Jesus! 

John Stefani Grand Knight,
Fr. McCormick Council 3880
jstefani44@aol.com

Deputy Grand Knight's Report:

Dear Brothers:

Brothers,

We are coming to the end of the Lenten season. I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect and ready yourself for the Easter season. The Easter season runs from April 4 to May 23. During this liturgical time we celebrate the creation of the priesthood, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We’ll also celebrate the inception of the church with St. Peter as the first pope. We’ll celebrate as we always do by sitting down to the dinner table and enjoying a meal with our family and friends. We as Catholics celebrate this way daily by the breaking of the bread at the Eucharistic celebration we call daily Mass. We receive the body of Jesus into our physical body for the wellbeing of our metaphysical body we call our soul. We eat with our “church” family daily or at least weekly. We celebrate that Jesus is with us and part of the feast.

We need to remember “you are what you eat”. We take Jesus into our body and celebrate his presence with us. But are we what we eat? Do we try to live what Jesus taught us? Do we praise the father with saying “Our Father”? Do we praise Jesus’ mother by saying “Hail Mary”? Do we forgive them for “they know not what they do”?  In other words do we act like Christians or are we in tuned with society and acting for ourselves.

I struggle with trying to be the best Christian I can be. I’ll always try but if I fail I hope you can pick-up the slack and say you’re forgiven.

The council events for the next few months include our benefit nights on the social meeting nights. The next one in April will be Pablo’s and Chili’s in June. Our 5^th Tuesday social nights during the whole year will be kicked off by a benefit night at Culver’s.

We’ll be hosting a major degree ceremony on May 30^th along with that date being the 5^th Sunday memorial Mass.  So we’ll be a busy council for the next few months.

Happy Easter and let’s celebrate the true meaning of Easter. Let’s celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Bunnies are cute but Jesus is the way the truth and the light.

Vivat Jesus,

DGK Vince Esposito
VPEsposito@comcast.net

Chancellor's Chat:

One of the many duties that are the responsibility of the office of Chancellor is that of Membership Retention. At the last business meeting the retention committees was former. The members are DGK, Vince Esposito, Chancelolor, Tim Hicklin, Membership Director, Rick Kendzior and Lecturer, Pat Bradley.

We have not had a formal meeting yet, but hopefully we will be able to throw around some ideas for keeping our membership involved with the council over the coming years.

Why is this important? The importance has become obvious to us over the last few business meetings. We used to have about 50-75 members show up every month. This has dwindled down to about 30-35. Though that’s not to bad, we have over 300 members in this council. Without active participation of everyone, new ideas will be difficult to come by.

New ideas are extremely important right now because over the course of the last few years we have lost a major fund raising activity. That was the Gala and put between $3,000.00 and $8,000.00 into our coffers. Some great potential ideas have come up such as Bingo which could and still may net  the council more that $10,000.00 per year. The problem was that only those of us that seem to always help were the only ones who signed up.

So, now, I’m calling for all active members to show up and be counted. We need your participation and involvement. Our first core value of the Knights is Charity. We need you to come and participate and help us help others who are less fortunate.

The administration of the council will be changing soon. Let’s all start coming by and help us to do what we do best—Serve Others!  Participation means retention.

Vivat Jesus.

Tim Hicklin

Membership Report:

SAVE THE DATE!

We have secured Sunday May 23, 2010 for hosting our Major Degree Ceremony. Invitations will be going out to all of our First Degree brothers as well as surrounding councils. We are looking for a great turnout and will need many volunteers to make the day a success as we have in the past.

The Major Degree is a wonderful way to bring a new brother into our council. A new member can participate in the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd degree ceremonies all in one day. There is a wonderful feeling give off from a room full of candidates taking their degree.

So, we are asking everyone to recruit, recruit, recruit!  Our council has an incredibly high goal this year of twenty one new members. Tough? Yes. Challenging? Of course. Impossible? Not for this council. I’m sure everyone knows at least one person to ask. Now, go out and do it. Carry a Form 100 with you.

Remember, there are a lot of qualified Catholic men just waiting to be asked to join. Now is the time to take your first steps toward offering these men membership in the Knights of Columbus.

For more Membership information please contact Rick Kendzior at membership@kofc3880.org or (847) 669-6780.

 Rick Kendzior

 4th Degree Update:

Bishop Boylan Assembly 0198 4^Th Degree Update.

Greetings Sir Knights and Worthy Brother Knights of Council 3880 and all of our faithful readers!

The Fourth Degree is still rolling along! We have several confirmation Honor Guards coming up this spring…. YES! It is almost officially spring, and while the forecast is possible snow on Sunday the 21^st, as I am writing this I am ‘at work’ in California, up north of L.A. in the Thousand Oaks area, and it has been in the upper 80’s the past few days… We are standing Honor Guard for the Bishop for Confirmation at St. Thomas the Apostle on Sunday, May 30^th.. put that on your calendar, 4^thies, and let me know if you have your Regalia by then!!!

Our 4^th Degree members are also being asked to stand Honor Guard for Devine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday after Easter… April 11^th, at St. Thomas. Thru the efforts of PGK, DD SK John Orso, we have performed this duty for several years now, assisting in the adoration. Sir Knight Steve Bright has always been there, but alas he is in Arizona now… being old and retired!!!  Ha ha, Hi, my Brother! And of course the Worthy Financial Secretary Steve Haugh has always been there, so I am sure he will show up, as has the Worthy Warden Mike Jasinski been there before. But with our Merry Band, the more the merrier. If you are a 4^th Degree member with Regalia, call me to volunteer. If you are a 4^th Degree Member without Regalia, but have your Tuxedo and Social Baldric, come join us!!! Call or e-mail below!

At our last meeting, we motioned, voted, passed and wrote checks for several noteworthy causes. Brings up the need we have for additional fund raising events, just as the Council is struggling with. Have some ideas? Come and talk about them… the last meeting only lasted 45 minutes…

We do have  a few 4^th Degree Exemplifications coming up, one very quickly approaching in mid-April, and then another is being scheduled in Crystal Lake (but not by our Assembly). So if joining ranks with the 4^th is still in you plans, let’s talk!

Oh, yeah… like the Council, annual nominations and elections are coming up for the Assembly. If you have been thinking of getting a little more involved, now is the time. Contact me about info on getting nominated (I do have a little pull over there … )

We conduct our business, talk a few things over, and then stand around and ‘visit’ for a while. So, got an hour? Second Wednesday of the month at Holy Apostles in McHenry on Bull Valley Road. Come and see what we are about.

Check out the updated webpage when you can.. http://www.maxpages.com/bba198

Give me a call or send an e-mail 815 679-6596  KofC0198Comptroller@live.com  or grandknight@kofc3880.org 

Peace! SK John Stefani,
Faithful Comptroller,
Bishop Boylan Assembly 0198

Boy Scout Report:

Scouting in the Community

Scouting for Food

The last weekend of February, Pack 127 distributed @1,000 grocery bags with a notice that the Pack and the Troop were participating in Scouting for Food which would be donated to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry.  The note instructed households to have the bags back out on their steps for pick up the first Saturday in March.

Troop 127 collected the bags on Saturday morning March 6^th and delivered them to Crystal Lake Food Pantry just after Noon.  The combined efforts yielded just short of 1,000 pounds of food for the pantry and the families it serves.  Several scouts stayed and helped sort and stock shelves after delivering the goods.  It was a successful effort by all.

Growing Pains

The Troop had a successful recruiting year.  The Cub Scout Webelos II’s crossed over at the end of February throughout McHenry County and Troop 127 had been campaigning with many Packs in the area to join our group of avid adventurers.  We apparently did a very good marketing job as we recruited 16 new scouts to our Troop almost doubling in size as a result.

We had ten Webelos join us from Pack 127.  We had four from Pack 194, one for Pack 168 and one from Pack 158.  We have already had a couple of meetings with the new scouts and parents and it looks like a very good group.  Several are joining us on our March outing to Upper Limits and Moraine State Park where several scouts hope to earn their climbing merit badge.  I guess that is the true meaning of onward and upward.

The Pack and Troop would like to thank Father McCormick Council 3880 for their continued support and encouragement in helping us build future leaders of our great country.  We would also like to wish you a blessed and peaceful Easter as we celebrate the resurrection our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God bless you all.

Pro-Life Report:

By the time you read this, the health care bill, permitting federal funding of abortion, will have become law or will have been defeated by Culture of Life heroes in Congress who voted against the bill.  President Obama and the Democrats have resorted to seldom-used tactics to attempt to pass this onerous, tax-laden bill that will change the nature of our health care in the United States.  Every Congressional Republican had pledged to vote against it.

This bill will give our government unprecedented power over how we access our health care.  And it will blow the lid off of our national debt at a time when the rating agencies are threatening to reduce our credit rating.

Other Pro-Life tidbits:

• Democratic Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan has emerged as a staunch Pro-Life advocate.  He has rallied several other wavering colleagues to oppose the health care bill because of its pro-abortion provisions.  Despite intense pressure from Nancy Pelosi, who contends the bill does not support abortion, he has stood fast to his Pro-Life principles.

• Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin recently addressed an Ohio Pro-Life rally, reaffirming her commitment against abortion.  Palin said the birth of her Down Syndrome son Trig, changed her life.  She thanked God for the opportunity to parent a special needs child.  “God, are you going to ask me to walk the walk and not just talk the talk of being a Pro-Life advocate”, Palin said she asked in prayer.

• The cultures of death advocates in Washington state are alive and active.  The state’s health department has released its first annual report for the Death with Dignity Act, the voter approved law that legalized assisted suicide in 2008 and went into effect on March 5, 2009.  The report says that 63 individuals requested and received lethal prescriptions to kill themselves under the Act for the year 2009.  Forty-seven individuals have died.  Of these 36 patients were confirmed to have ingested the poisonous prescription.  

Phil Weyna, PGK
Pro-Life Chairman 

Ladies Auxiliary:

The ladies helped out with the sweet table at the St. Patrick's dinner dance. Thank you to those who stopped by and lent a hand for a bit or who worked the event.

The Garage sale date has been set for May 21/22. This will be held at a family member's home of Kathy Esposito which is located Right on Rte 31 just  North of Rte 14, it is a great location. Please come to the next meeting with your inventory list of things for sale and we all will decide on a master price list. If you cannot make that meeting (which is April 7 @ Yvonne Scott's home 1371 Knollwood Circle) either mail or e-mail me your list of items so we have an idea of what we have to sell.

We have procured a spot were we will hold our Craft show at Johnny Appleseed Sat. Sep 25   instead of Christmas in July which we couldn't find a location for,. So ladies get crafty we have a location, date and a booth to sell our things, if you are not crafty find friends who are!

As stated above our next meeting is April 7, at Yvonne Scott's home 1371 Knollwood Circle, C/L 60014. The next one after that will be May 12 before our garage sale at Pam Wyman's home 135 College St C/L 60014.

Please try and come, we do more than just try and come up with ideas and logistics, we are being social, it is a great way to meet other wives and friends.