The Lake Current - February 2022
Welcome to the February 2022 edition of our Council newsletter!

Here's a couple of quick (but important!) notices before we get into the news:

  • Our regular monthly business meeting is Wednesday, February 9th, starting at 7:30 p.m. We'll be serving a home-cooked dinner for only $5 starting around 6:30 p.m. We will be presenting St. James School and Parish with a donation from the Men's Beefsteak proceeds! As always, there are many activities to plan for and important business news to share with the membership, so all members should attend!

  • Fish Fry Staff Meeting: If you're part of our fin-tastic Fish Fry Crew -- or would like to be -- please join us for a very important staff meeting immediately before our business meeting on Wednesday, February 9th, starting at 6:00 p.m. We will consider reopening our hall to dine-in service, discuss ordering procedures and menu options, etc. We always need extra help in our dining room, serving customers, and -- especially -- helping with cleanup at the end. Our take-out only Fish Fry ran very smoothly last year thanks to a lot of hard work and planning. Let's do it again! All of our staff members' input and support are crucial to making it work!
Another Spectacular Beefsteak is In the Books!

Our Sixth Annual James "J.O." O'Neill Memorial Men's Beefsteak Dinner on Saturday, January 22nd, was a sold-out smash-hit once again!

More than 110 beef-loving men were on hand to enjoy unlimited delicious food, excellent football playoff games on our HD projection and big-screen TVs, and lots of fun and good company.

We were honored to have our parish clergy -- Father Szymon and Father Tveit -- along with numerous dignitaries from Putnam County, on hand to enjoy the Beefsteak and support our fundraising efforts.

After an awesome charcoal-grilled, all-you-can-eat, filet mignon dinner, we raffled fantastic gift baskets donated by St. James School, and held our 50/50 raffle. Then the bidding began in our very successful live auction. All to raise even more funds for charity.

We are thrilled to report that thanks to the support and generosity of our guests and donors, along with the hard work of our volunteers who pulled out all the stops, we were able to raise enough to make a $6,000 donation to St. James the Apostle Parish and School!

We'll be presenting the checks to Principal Maura Crawford and a representative of the Parish at our general business meeting on Wednesday, February 9th.

Enjoy some photos of this memorable event:
Welcome To Our Newest Members; Next Degree Announced

While councils and districts throughout the state are still holding degrees virtually, our Council hosted another live and in-person Degree of Charity, Unity and Fraternity to initiate new members of our Order on Saturday, January 15th.

We welcomed these six Catholic gentlemen into the ranks of our honored Order and to our Council:

Patrick J. Crecco
Thomas J. Curtin
James Mallon
Kevin Quinn
William P. Silke, and
Michael J. Sorrell

Additionally, Brother Knight William DeBonis was advanced to the Third Degree of our Order.

Please congratulate these brothers when you see them, welcome them to our Council, and encourage them to take an active part in the many fraternal and charitable activities at our busy council.

Thanks to our Membership Chairman, Chancellor George Kane, our in-house Degree Team, and the kitchen volunteers who made everything go smoothly, including a very nice brunch. Special thanks to Fr. Tveit from St. James for his participation in the ceremony, providing the opening and closing prayers and benedictions, as well as some inspiring words to the members, new and old.

We have tentatively scheduled our next combined exemplification for Saturday, April 9th at noon. If you know of a practical Catholic gentleman age 18 or older who wishes to join, have him contact Chancellor George Kane, or GK Ralph Fleischman as soon as possible to submit an application and be interviewed. Any current First or Second Degree member may also participate to become a Third Degree member of our Order.
Fish Fry Fridays Start March 4th!

Our annual Lenten Fish Fry Fridays will begin on March 4th!

While we will be offering take-out orders like last year, we're also planning to re-open our Council Hall for limited dine-in service. Whether pre-ordering will be required for dine-in service is currently under discussion.

As we did last year, orders each week may be placed in advance and pre-paid through Eventbrite. Orders will be available in 15-minute blocks (e.g., 5-5:15, 5:15-5:30, etc.). There will be a limit on the number of orders available in any given time block to ensure that all orders will be filled on-time.

We also plan to bring back the popular Seniors-Only Hour from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in consideration of their safety and for their convenience. Regular orders will then continue from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m.

Full details and a link to the ordering site will be sent in the days to come, in a separate email. Watch for it!
Fourth Degree News

Dues notices for 2022 will be going out in the mail after the February meeting. Please watch the mail for yours, or come to the meeting and pick it up (and pay!) to save us the postage. We will need a few members to arrive early to help prepare the mailing.

Honorary Life and Life Members will be receiving their cards enclosed with the notice and do not need to pay dues. However, they should return the form and can also use it to participate in the 50/50 charity fundraiser.

MEETING NOTICE
The next meeting of the Fourth Degree Sir Knights of Mother Cabrini Assembly will be Thursday, February 17th, at 7:30 p.m. at our Council.

All Sir Knights should attend!







  • Bartenders (Still) Needed! Our Home Corporation is once again putting out the call to members who may be interested in tending bar in our lounge. Shifts are available for weekday evenings and weekends. Please speak with Anthony Falco for more information.

  • Our annual Super Bowl Party is on Sunday, February 13th. Doors and our Lounge open at 4 p.m. Some snacks and wedges will be provided, but the best part of the party is our Pot Luck Dinner, so bring an appetizer or entree (preferably in a foil half-tray) and enjoy the buffet!

  • West/Put St. Patrick's Day Parade - Sunday, Mar. 13: Come march behind our Council banner in Mahopac on Sunday, March 13th. We are proud to once again be a prime sponsor of this parade, which is the third largest in New York State and is in its 45th year. This parade is meant to recognize and celebrate Irish culture, heritage, and pride for those who have emigrated here from the Emerald Isle, the Irish-American community, as well as those who are Irish in spirit! There will be numerous organizations, bands, clubs, patriotic groups, Irish dancers, and a vast array of participants showing their support of the Irish community. As always, we will have a corned beef luncheon and reception at our council after the parade with live entertainment. This event is one of the highlights of our social calendar, so don't miss it!

  • Comedy Dinner Theater - Saturday, April 2nd: Join us for another great night of comedy dinner theater at our Council! Our "Spring to Comedy" night features headliners Joe Moffa, Fat Jay, and Joseph Anthony. Doors open at 6 p.m.; dinner served at 7 p.m.; showtime is 8:30 p.m. Catering by the fantastic Luigi's Famiglia Cucina! Your $100 ticket gets you open bar, appetizers, catered hot buffet dinner, dessert and the show. Advanced ticket purchase is required! For tickets, contact: Bobby Palazzo 845-216-1997 or Charlie Grimmer 845-222-7392.

  • Biblical Citizenship Online Course Starting 2/17: Our Brother Knight Kevin Murray will be hosting another Biblical Citizenship in Modern America course via Zoom on Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m. beginning on February 17th. Produced by Patriot Academy and presented by former state legislator and America's Constitutional Coach Rick Green, it reaffirms the biblical and Christian founding of our nation and the role that religion and religious liberty have played in establishing and maintaining our constitutional republic. Please see the flyer below with Kevin's contact information and registration details. Please also click here to watch a promo video for more information.
Remember, a full calendar of events can always be found on our website: carmelknights.org under the Upcoming Events tab. And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page for up-to-the minute announcements, photos, event listings, and items of interest.