St. Mark Council News Official Publication Knights of Columbus Council 12654 St. Mark Catholic Church, Huntersville, NC August 2006 http:/www.kofcncstmark.org

Well, the end of summer as we know it is fast approaching.  The kids will be back to school very soon and there should be a semblance of order returning to most families.  Our schedules as Knights of Columbus should get more active, and I am hoping each of us will make an effort to get involved in many of our activities.  Foremost right now is to support our pastor, Monsignor Richard, as he rolls out the next Foundation for our Future fund raiser – the raffle to win the brand-new VW Beetle Convertible. Let's really make an effort to sell these tickets, not just the five that each family n the parish was provided. The real winners of this raffle will be St. Mark Parishioners, as it should bring us another step closer to seeing the start of our new church. 

Schedules are definitely getting busy. We had a Knights family gathering on Saturday, August 25 for a Kannapolis Intimidators baseball game. St. Mark Council’s Officer installation is coming up after mass on Saturday, September 9. Another wonderful opportunity to earn money for charity is coming at the Amazing Maize Maze on Sept 14-17. Another one of my favorite Knights activities will be starting again on Monday, September 11 (prior to our Council meeting) when the Knights Choir starts up again after a summer recess. Laura McLean is hoping we will have a few more good men come to the aid of our Choir. Dan Szajko will be our choir coordinator, please let him know you want in.

Please check our “Power of Prayer” feature later in the newsletter. Our prayers are with the family of Barry and Trish McCaa because of the loss of Trish’s father Jim McGovern, and with the McDavid Family for the loss of Joan McDavid. (Joan was the wife of Jim McDavid and the mother of Patrick McDavid, both former St. Mark Knights.)

GK Ed Keller  

Activities Calendar
Sept. 9	St. Mark Council Officer Installation (after 5:30 p.m. Mass)
Sept. 11	Knights Choir practice (before Council meeting)
Sept. 11	Monthly Council meeting
Sept. 14-17	KofC volunteers working at Amazing Maize Maze
September 13	St. Mark volunteers to feed homeless
September 23	St. Mark Parish Festival
September 23	Second and Third Degree at St. Therese in Mooresville
October 7-8	Statewide Membership Blitz
October 23	Fall Charity Golf Tournament (Birkdale Country Club)
November 4	St. Mark Christmas Bazaar
November 10	Festa Italia (Italian Night Dinner/Dance)

August 7, 2006 Meeting Notes

Report by NC KofC District Deputy Ed Kane

· A statewide membership blitz is scheduled for the weekend of October 7-8. All NC Councils are being asked to participate.

· A combined Second and Third Degree is scheduled for Saturday, September 23 at St. Therese in Mooresville. Events begin at 9 a.m. (Second Degree) and 11 a.m. (Third Degree). Registration for each begins an hour earlier.

· St. Mark Council exceeded its Fraternal Year 2005-2006 membership growth goal by 100%. (St. Mark Council added 18 new Knights for the year; the Council goal was 9.) The Insurance goal was also achieved by providing new KofC insurance policies for five St. Mark Knights and their families. Kane thanked St. Mark Council for its effort.

Financial Report: Treasurer Chip Marshall reported that total income for the month of July was $2,453; total expenses were $1,284. The Council’s end-of-month bank balance was $13,344.

Italian Night rescheduled

· Council Director Barry McCaa announced that Festa Italia (Italian Night) has been rescheduled for Friday, November 10. Previously, the event was scheduled for October 6.

· The semi-formal event will include a full meal (provided by caterer Waiter’s Choice), music and dancing.

· McCaa said that music/entertainment arrangements have not been finalized. One individual under consideration is Knight Frank Domiter, a nightclub-style singer with a Frank Sinatra voice. He auditioned for the Council meeting by playing a CD of some of his songs.

Youth: Deputy Grand Knight Dick Christian reported that 46 St. Mark teens attended the recent Steubenville Atlanta retreat. During the retreat, there is an opportunity for young men and women who are seriously considering Catholic religious vocations to indicate their interest. Christian said that nine teens from St. Mark Life Teen expressed this interest (five young men and four young women), a very significant number.

First Degree Team thanked: Membership Director Chris O’Keefe thanked the First Degree team (which has some new Knights in some of the roles) for its work on the recent First Degree ceremony at St. Mark. Three new Knights joined the Council. O’Keefe said that the next First Degree will likely be in mid-October after the Membership Blitz.

Amazing Maize Maze

· Church Director Sergio Miranda provided additional details about the opportunity to volunteer September 14-17 at the Rural Hill Farm event.

· The Council’s volunteer goal for the event is to provide 10 Knights each day Thursday through Sunday. Ten volunteers per day will earn the Council $1,000 per day for a total of $4,000.

· Thursday-Friday hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Full shifts are preferable, but Sergio has received permission for volunteers to split the shifts in half (Thursday and Friday only.) Saturday-Sunday shifts are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch is provided to weekday volunteers; weekend volunteers get dinner.

· Some volunteers will greet visitors and explain the Maze. Others will staff the towers to direct people who are lost in the Maze. Others will cook and serve meals to volunteers.

Fall Charity Golf Tournament: Arthur Packard reported that arrangements have been finalized for the Fall Charity Golf Tournament on Monday, October 23 at Birkdale Country Club -- shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. Packard encouraged Knights to begin forming teams now. The tournament can support 32 foursomes. Cost is $85 per person, which includes a post-tournament picnic dinner (hot dogs and hamburgers). The biggest need right now is to get businesses (or individuals) signed up for sponsoring a hole for $100. Packard can be contacted at 704-895-3812.

Volunteers Needed for Parish Festival

· Deputy Grand Knight Dick Christian said that a large contingent of volunteers (~50) will be needed at the St. Mark Parish Festival on Saturday, September 23, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.

· Family Fun (10 a.m. until 4 p.m.): Emphasis will be on family. Some of the attractions include pony rides, dunk tank, health booths for adults, and arts and crafts for children and sports such as softball and flag football. Cotton candy, hot dogs, etc. will be sold.

· Outdoor Mass: Festival activities will cease from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in consideration of 5:30 p.m. Mass, which will be conducted outside.

· Food and Music: (6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.) The evening focus will be music and ethnic food. Music will be provided by St. Mark Music Director Laura McLean, the Life Teen Band, and a DJ. Festival visitors will be able to purchase Polish and Italian food provided by parishioners.

· Parishioners will be asked to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

Mid-Year Convention: As a reminder, St. Mark Council will be the official host Council for the NC Knights Mid-Year Convention on January 5-8, 2007 at the University Hilton in Charlotte. Past Grand Knight Tom McGahey is leading the planning effort. St. Mark Council will have the responsibility of operating the registration table on Friday from 3-9 p.m, and again on Saturday from 8-1:30 p.m. and stocking and manning a hospitality suite.

Miscellaneous

• Mailing Volunteers Needed: Jack Clement asked for volunteers to help prepare various mailings to all parishioners for St. Mark ministries. The dates are September 7, 14, 21 and October 4. The time is 10 a.m., and the location is Room 201 at St. Mark Church.
• The Council made a $100 donation to Dick Mahoney’s home services group.
• The 2005-2006 Council audit (due by August 15) has been delivered to Supreme.
• St. Mark’s officer installation will take place immediately following 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, September 9. Dinner will be provided following the ceremony.
• The Lake Norman Free Clinic, which provides health care at no cost to those local residents who are in need, is looking for a volunteer attorney to help organize the paperwork for the purchase of a permanent building. (The Free Clinic has been operating in the basement of First Baptist Church in Huntersville. The new location is on Highway 21, next to Huntersville Seed Supply.)The group also needs a CPA who is willing to volunteer some time to oversee the group’s finances. Contact is Angeles Murphy (Deacon Robert Murphy’s wife) at 704-947-7870.
• GK Ed Keller presented Deacon Murphy with a Dalmatic to wear during Mass.
• Homeless feeding on September 13: Jay Bunton, who leads the Council’s quarterly volunteer activity of feeding the homeless, may be relocating. Bunton said he may need to off-load the leadership of this volunteer effort if he moves.
• Dan Szako (in lieu of Mark Conter) asked that Knights consider joining the St. Mark Knights of Columbus Choir, which will begin practicing on September 11 (right before the Council’s monthly meeting).
• Dan Cedrone will lead the Christmas Tree Sale for 2006.

The Power of Prayer

Mk 11: 24 - "I give you my word, if you are ready to believe that you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, it shall be done for you.”

Please keep the following individuals and families in your prayers

• The family of Jim McGovern, who passed away August 19. He was the father of Tricia McCaa, Brother Barry McCaa’s wife.
• The family of Joan McDavid, who passed away on August 23. Joan was the wife of former St. Mark Knight Jim McDavid and the mother of former St. Mark Knight Pat McDavid.
• Jackie Keller and Bob Keller, wife and brother of GK Ed Keller.
• Dick Christian’s daughter-in-law Jennifer Marks, who is having a difficult pregnancy.
• Brother Tom Fox, who is recovering from an illness.
• Ray Marr’s neighbor, who has brain cancer.
• Ralph Eduardo, who has lung cancer

• Trevor Hehn, who was deployed to Iraq in early January
• All relatives of St. Mark Knights serving in the Armed Forces
• All U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan

Council Contact Information
Grand Knight	Ed Keller	655-8190	edwardkeller@bellsouth.net
Past Grand Knight	Tom McGahey	947-9334	tommcgahey@bellsouth.net
Deputy Grand Knight	Dick Christian	875-1258	dchristian@insouthinsurance.com
Chaplain	Msgr R. Bellow		richard_bellow@yahoo.com
Chancellor	Jim Lotito	948-9015	jllotito@bellsouth.net
Recorder	Mike Mullen	948-7484	michaelamullen@bellsouth.net
Treasurer	Chip Marshall	875-8811	chip.marshall@adelphia.net
Financial Secretary	Jim Bossert	655-8852	sixsigmaguy@aol.com
Warden	Kevin Csehoski	947-2856	kcsehoski@bellsouth.net
Advocate	Chris Tucci	896-9799	C2c01@msn.com
Inside Guard	Bruce Milstead	892-4578
Outside Guard	James Carter	948-8506	jcarterjr@adelphia.net
First Year Trustee	Tom McGahey	947-9334	tommcgahey@bellsouth.net
Second Year Trustee	Barry McCaa	895-2424	bemccaa@yahoo.com
Third Year Trustee	Jack Clements	992-0789	jacknnan@adelphia.net
Membership Director	Chris O’Keefe	875-2524	sandcritta@adelphia.net
Community/Health Dir	Open Position
Operation LAMB Dir	Richard Clancey	609-4400
Council Director	Barry McCaa	895-2424	bemccaa@yahoo.com
Family Director	Andy Kopchinsky	655-0949	76triumph@adelphia.net
Youth Director	Sean McSweeney	948-5543	sean.mcsweeney@fedex.com
Church Director	Sergio Miranda	395-9802	smiranda@carolina.rr.com
Pro-life Director	Tony Gagliardo	439-0533	ajgags@aol.com
Insurance Field Agent	Richard Keyser
Coord, Parish Rndtble	Deacon Robert Murphy	947-7870	ram316@bellsouth.net
KofC Building Director	Jim Lotito	948-9015	jllotito@bellsouth.net
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