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Fraternal Leader Advisory
Breaking News | Reminders | Resources | Recommendations
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Fraternal Operations Resources are now available in
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MIRACLE APPROVED!
FATHER MCGIVNEY TO BE BEATIFIED!
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On May 27, The Vatican
announced
that Pope Francis approved the promulgation of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, a Connecticut priest who served his flock during the pandemic of 1890, before himself becoming ill and dying of pneumonia.
Read More.
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Upcoming Online Exemplifications
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It is a top priority of the Supreme Knight
that we ensure that we leave no neighbor behind. This includes the many men who desire to join us as Knights of Columbus. The Supreme Council has online ceremonies scheduled through the end of June.
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Update on Remote Operations
Councils must continue to follow the pandemic restrictions of church and state authorities. In areas where restrictions have been relaxed, councils must exercise prudential judgement when considering the resumption of face to face events and meetings. The safety of members and guests must be of paramount concern with special attention given to protecting those most vulnerable to the virus (elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions).
Since regulations are different in every state and city, the Supreme Council cannot, at this time, issue an overriding set of guidelines for a return to normal operations. Indeed, fraternal operations may never fully return to the old normal. Many new rules may remain in effect indefinitely. Furthermore, rules may change often and on short notice as societies come to terms with this terrible disease and its impact.
Our May 14 webinar on Fraternal Operations
included suggestions for councils to consider for the resumption of face to face meetings and events.
Click here to review the slides from that webinar
. Please note that these are merely suggestions that reflect what many organizations are doing to manage their own events. Also, pleases be aware that our suggestions are not all inclusive. However, they are good things to consider as you plan to resume “in contact” activities. Church and local authorities, particularly local health boards, are likely to have more comprehensive guidelines for councils to follow.
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Installation of Council Officers
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Councils can continue with
officer installation ceremonies
during this time of recommended social distancing. Online platforms currently used for council meetings are recommended for holding virtual installation ceremonies.
The ceremony is frequently altered to meet the needs of council settings and events, so alterations to accommodate a virtual ceremony would also be appropriate. Much like any Installation of Council Officers ceremony, the district deputy will want to review the script beforehand and make any necessary modifications that would not make sense in the virtual setting.
Areas to alter can include:
- Blessing of the Medals of Office
- Escorting of the officers
- Investing with medal
- Inviting of wives to come forward
- Forming of the cross
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Star Assembly Award Update
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public gathering restrictions the requirements for Star Assembly have been adjusted. The revised 2019-2020 criteria for Star Assembly are outlined below.
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Decommissioning of Online Training Courses
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As of May 26, 2020, you will no longer be able to access our online training courses hosted on SABA.
As we look to improve the resources available to our fraternal leaders, the Supreme Council will now be hosting our training materials directly on the
For Members section of KofC.org
. The fraternal training portal link found through
Officers Online
will now redirect there. Updates to the For Members pages will provide you with the most current resources for your officer role. Content will continue to be added through the start of the new fraternal year. Should you have any questions, please reach out to us at
fraternaltraining@kofc.org
. Your feedback on future training and video topics will be essential as we move forward.
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Membership Growth Promotion for Friends and Family
Now is the time to ask Catholic men to join you in the breach. If a Knight joins online by May 31 and uses the promo code
GIVE2020
, his $30 membership fee will go directly to the
KofC’s Leave No Neighbor Behind fund
, and the Supreme Council will match that donation 100%.
Please email this
invitation
to your family and friends and encourage them to make the life changing decision of becoming a Knight of Columbus — by joining now, they help us support our neighbors in this time of need.
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- Conduct a remote council visit with officers from each of your councils and complete the Council Health Assessment together. Discuss the results and identify areas that need improvement. Brainstorm action plans to address these areas for next fraternal year.
- Submit the Semiannual Report on Council Status (Form #944) for each council in your district, whether active or inactive, by the June 30 deadline.
- Contact all your councils and remind them to report their Leave No Neighbor Behind activities. If a council conducts any activities associated with the Leave No Neighbor Behind initiative and reports on their work using the Leave No Neighbor Behind Survey, the council will receive two program credits towards any category for the Columbian Award.
- Remind all your councils they must submit a form 100 for all candidates that attend an online Exemplification. Advancing members can be updated on the Member Management portal.
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- Submit a form 100 for all candidates that attend an online Exemplification. Advancing members can be updated on the Member Management portal of Officers Online.
- Leave No Neighbor Behind has been designated a featured program. If your council conducts any activities associated with the Leave No Neighbor Behind initiative and reports on their work using the Survey, the council will receive two program credits towards any category for the Columbian Award.
- Hold your council officer elections and submit the Report of Officers Chosen for the Term, Form 185 by June 30.
- Work with your council officers to finalize plans for earning Star Council.
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Financial Secretary Report
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Timely processing of member additions and changes is critical as we approach the end of the fraternal year. If your council is on track to earn Star Council, all form 100s need to be processed by June 30. You can submit a paper form 100 or use the
Candidate Tab on Officers Online
. If your council has new members attending the online Exemplifications being offered by the Supreme Office, you still need to submit a form 100 for each new member joining your council.
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Program Reporting Deadlines
Form submission is an important factor for gauging the success of our programs, as well as a prominent way for councils to obtain the credit they deserve for all that they do in our communities. Please remember to complete and submit the following forms by June 30:
Knights in Port Orange, FL Support their Community
Supporting your community is one of the five pillars of our LNNB initiative. An easy way to participate in this program is to shop for at risk individuals who are unable to leave their homes. Work with parish or community leaders to identify those in need and then add their items to your own shopping list. Your brothers in Port Orange, FL are making a difference in their community.
Watch their story
LNNB has been designated a featured program. If a council conducts any activities associated with the Leave No Neighbor Behind initiative and reports on their work using the Leave No Neighbor Behind Survey, the council will receive two program credits towards any category for the Columbian Award.
Leave No Neighbor Behind Reporting
Please be sure to report all activity related to the Leave No Neighbor Behind initiative
HERE
so we can include your council in our reporting.
You may also report council activity as Food for Families and/or Helping Hands using their respective reporting forms.
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RSVP Refund Deadline
All councils seeking a refund through the RSVP program must submit their
RSVP Refund Application #2863
by June 30. Councils can receive a $100 refund for every $500 donated to a seminarian, for a maximum refund of $400 per seminarian. For more information about the RSVP program, visit
kofc.org/rsvp
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Free Throw Championship
The 2019-2020 Free Throw Competition has been cancelled as we have decided to end it at the state level. As a result, there will be no supreme level winner this year. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but we do thank you for your understanding.
Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest
Supreme
will
be awarding an international contest winner, but judging of the essays has been postponed until further notice. Please continue to be patient with us as we provide further updates.
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Host a Virtual Family Prayer Night
As social distancing guidelines remain in place, consider hosting a
Virtual Family Prayer Night
using a
digital meeting platform
. Have a member who is confident using the technology set up the meeting and send out invitations to Knights in your council and families in your parish. Use this virtual gathering to pray together and share in fellowship.
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Promote Human Dignity with the Special Olympics
Need ideas on how to partner with Special Olympics in your area? Watch this short
video
from Florida K of C’s Special Olympics Chairman that was posted during FL Special Olympics Virtual “Spirit Week.”
Contact the Special Olympics coordinator
near you
to learn how you can get involved locally.
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Quick Tips for a Fast Start - Thursday, June 11, 2020, 8:00 PM EDT
Topics will include a brief end of year checklist, Star Council requirements for next year, training and resource updates, important fraternal announcements, and much more. Make sure all outgoing and incoming officers in your council have this webinar on their calendar.
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Survey of the Month - May 2020
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If you haven't already, please complete this brief three-question survey to let us know how your council is operating during these trying times. Thank you.
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Thank you for your service to the Order. If you have any questions or suggestions during your term, please email
fraternalmission@kofc.org
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This e-mail was sent to state officers, district deputies, grand knights, and financial secretaries, council officers and directors in the United States, Canada, and Philippines.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message and any attachments may contain confidential, proprietary or legally privileged information and is intended only for the use of the addressee or addressees named above for its intended purpose. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, this message constitutes notice that any review, retransmission, distribution, copying or other use or taking any action in reliance on the information in this message and its attachments, is prohibited. If you receive this communication in error, please immediately advise the sender by reply e-mail and delete this message and its attachments from your system without keeping a copy. Unless expressly stated in this e-mail, nothing in this message may be construed as a digital or electronic signature. Thank you.
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