The Lake Current - March 2019

Welcome to the March 2019 edition of our monthly newsletter! As usual, here's a few quick reminders before we get into the news: If you're coming to our "MARCH MADNESS" Comedy Dinner Theater on Saturday, March 30th, please get in your $75 ticket payment to one of our event chairs, Bobby Palazzo and Charlie Grimmer, or to our Treasurer, Joe Groneman. We do not want to have to take payments the night of the event, so please prepay! Our regular monthly business meeting is this Wednesday, March 13th, starting at 7:30 p.m. We'll be serving dinner for only $5 starting around 6:30 p.m. There are many activities to plan for and important business news to share with the membership, so all members should attend!

St. Patrick's Day Parade & Celebration Recap The weather could not deter a large group from our Council from proudly marching in the 43rd Annual Northern Westchester/Putnam St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 10th. Though it was chilly and drizzling, it warmed our hearts to be out there behind our Grand Marshal, brother Knight Bill Dowling! It was a great day for the Irish and anyone who wanted to be Irish for a day! 

Thanks to all who turned out to march, including past Grand Marshal Russ Lavan, pictured here with his wife, Pat, the Grand Marshal and Mary Dowling. Thanks also to our Parade Committee representative, PGK Mike McDonald, for all of his hard work with the committee on this event, which we proudly sponsor each year.

After the parade, our Council Hall was full as we served up a great corned beef and cabbage lunch, and enjoyed live performances by Irish singer/musician Ed Mullaney, the always fabulous Kelly Oster School of Irish Dance, and the outstanding Stephen P. Driscoll Memorial Pipe Band. Special thanks to our diligent event committee that worked all week to prepare a traditional Irish breakfast for the Grand Marshal and his family, and also the delicious corned beef lunch enjoyed by one and all. We were honored to be joined by last year's Grand Marshal, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell, as well as Putnam County Legislators Toni Addonizio, Bill Gouldman, and Neal Sullivan, NYS Assemblyman Kevin Byrne, our brother Knight -- the former (and future) Carmel Town Councilman -- Frank Lombardi, and other dignitaries from our community. Please join us for the parade Awards Ceremony at our Council on Friday, March 22nd at 7:30 p.m . All participating organizations should be sure to send representatives -- you may be a winner! Enjoy these great pictures of our reception from our brother, Harry Gorman:

Lenten Fish Fry Fridays are Back and Better than Ever! Our 2019 Lenten Fish Fry is already off to a great start! We served 202 meals on our first night last Friday! Our first weekly special -- Lobster Mac and Cheese -- once again sold out, even though we made more than ever, serving 44 orders! This week's special is something new and delicious: Fish Tacos! (Quantities are limited!) We've also added a gluten free option of rice with any dish instead of pasta. Our well-intentioned experiment in taking orders by email turned out to be not very practical, so we won't be taking email orders for the rest of this season. However, even though we served 73 customers (mostly between 5 and 7 p.m.) there were no long lines thanks to our new take-a-number and electronic point-of-sale ordering systems, improvements in our kitchen workflow, and the hardest working crew in the history of KofC fish fries! Most orders were served in only a few minutes. So whether your order is eat-in or to-go, just come on in, take a number, relax with a cocktail from our lounge, and we'll get you your order pronto !

So join us every Friday from 5-8 p.m. through April 12th. Please note that on Friday, March 22nd , our dining room will close at 7 p.m. to accommodate the St. Patrick's Day Parade Awards Ceremony in our main hall, which starts at 7:30 p.m. We will still fill take-out orders until 8 p.m., and you can also eat in our lounge after 7:00. Come for dinner, stay for the ceremony! And here's our regular weekly menu:

Honoring PGK Mike McDonald at the Chapter Awards Gala! At our February membership meeting, Worthy Grand Knight Steve Gheduzzi announced that Sir Knight Michael McDonald will be our Council's honoree at the 18th Annual KofC Westchester-Putnam Chapter Annual Awards Gala on Sunday, March 24th , at Mulino's at Lake Isle in Eastchester. Mike is being honored for his twenty years of devoted service to our Order and our Council, including as our Worthy Grand Knight from 2004 to 2006; his current service as our Worthy Advocate, our representative on the Northern Westchester-Putnam St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, and the anchor of our First and Second Degree Teams; and for being a tireless volunteer and enthusiastic supporter of Council events. Michael also served as an active member of the Mother Cabrini Assembly Color Corps. We are grateful for his leadership, service, friendship, and fraternal spirit. Congratulations to Mike on this well-deserved honor!

A Wee Bit O' Murder Mystery Dinner Was A Whole Lot O' Fun! Congrats to our Ladies Auxiliary for hosting another hilarious night of interactive dinner theater with the ACME Mystery Company on Saturday, March 9th. The food was outstanding and plentiful, and everybody had a blast trying to figure out who killed family matriarch Eileen O'Moore, and who was going to wrest control of the IFOLK Union (International Fellowship of Little Knickers). Not only was the company of performers fantastic, our own guests became part of the show and truly made it a night to remember!

Fourth Degree News Attention all Third Degree members: There will be a Fourth Degree Exemplification on Saturday, April 27th . Please speak with Grand Knight Steve if you are interested in receiving the honors of the Patriotic Degree and becoming the highest-level member of our honored Order! MEETING NOTICE The next meeting of the Fourth Degree Sir Knights will be Thursday, March 21st at 7:30 p.m. at our Council. All Sir Knights should attend!

NY Mets Excursion - June 29th Join us as we continue the tradition started by J.O. as we travel down to Citi Field for our Third-Annual Jimmy O’Neill Memorial NY Mets Baseball Trip on Saturday, June 29th . Your $110 payment gets you: 1 ticket to see the Mets vs. Atlanta braves, with seating in the Big Apple reserved section; Lots of pregame activities to honor the 50th anniversary of the 1969 championship "Miracle Mets"; 1969 World Championship pennants given to the first 15,000 guests; A great tailgate party BBQ at the council, including beer & soda, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Luxury bus transportation to Citi Field leaving promptly at 1:30 p.m., with beer, soda and water provided on the bus. Feel free to bring whatever you else you want to drink. There are only 54 openings, so you must prepay by June 1st! For tickets call Bobby Palazzo at 845-216-1997.

Mohegan Sun Casino Trip - Saturday, April 6: Hop aboard for another Mario Antoci Memorial Mohegan Sun Casino bus trip! For only $40 you get transportation, a $15 lunch voucher, and $10 casino match play. Start with coffee and donuts at the council at 7 a.m. The bus will leave our Council at 8:00 a.m. SHARP. Enjoy a six-hour stay at the casino. Beer, soda, and water will be provided on the bus. Feel free to bring your own beverages and snacks as well. Every one of these trips has proven to be a great time for all, win or lose. So don't miss out! You must prepay, and seating is limited. For information and reservations, call PGK Bobby Palazzo at (845) 216-1997. Founders Day BBQ - Friday, May 24: Our annual summer-kickoff BBQ is back, and we will continue the tradition of honoring a deserving member with the Angelo Trongone Award for distinguished service. More details will be announced as we get closer to the date, but plan to be there and bring the whole family! Council Golf Outing - Friday, June 7: Our awesome annual Golf Outing will be here before you know it. Details will follow, but SAVE THE DATE and make your reservations for a foursome with Anthony Falco. Please also help us gather sponsorships, as this is our major annual fundraiser for the many charitable and community activities that the Council supports. Night at the Races - Saturday, June 8: Back by popular demand, Our Ladies Auxiliary is hosting another fun-filled Night at the Races, where you can wager on real horse races. We'll also be showing the Belmont Stakes live on our big screens. More info to come, but SAVE THE DATE and speak to President Maria Barry 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.

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