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VOLUME 88 November 16, 2023 | KOFC.ORG/FORMEMBERS

Join us tonight, November 16 at 8:00 PM EST, for an informative fraternal webinar entitled 

Midyear Review: Succeeding or Struggling?

In this webinar, we will talk about where councils should be at midyear. We will showcase some best practices and significant accomplishments. We will have a frank discussion of some common issues and challenges, along with ways to address them. And we will talk about important things to consider for the remainder of the year. Attendees will be well prepared to earn the Star Award for their councils. 

And remember, if you can't join us live, it will be available on-demand afterwards. Be sure to sign-up to ensure you get the link for this important webinar. Click on the button below to register:

Since 2009 over one million kids have been provided a warm winter coat due to the Coats for Kids program. As a reminder, there are two ways your council can support this program. First, your council can raise funds to purchase coats and distribute them in your community. Second, you can raise funds and donate them through Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., so that those funds can help purchase coats and distribute them where they are needed most. The funds raised also help to keep the overall cost of coats down so that council efforts can go further.



This year, in celebration of reaching the 1 millionth coat, Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc. is seeking to raise $1 million to continue to support this initiative. We will be asking both members and donors to support our Coats for Kids initiative through a Giving Tuesday donation. Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that encourages people to do good in the world. Help us reach our goal to raise $1 million to celebrate our 1 millionth coat milestone!  

Every year, the Knights of Columbus helps wounded warriors by sponsoring a healing pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. Our 300 pilgrims join 14,000 warriors and pilgrims from 41 countries in seeking Our Lady’s intercession for their suffering. They will benefit greatly from this five-day event of prayer, reflection, candlelight processions, Masses, and visits to the healing baths. For more information on the Warriors to Lourdes Pilgrimage, click here.

Our wounded, ill, or injured pilgrims, their caregivers, and companions with financial need will not pay a cent for this healing experience. However, it costs us about $3,000 per person for transport, food, lodging, and materials.

Please consider having your council or assembly make a monetary contribution to support this wonderful program as we celebrate our veterans during the month of November. 

Register now to enhance your skills to run a successful council and make a difference in your community. View our Online Training Schedule or click on the training topic below to register:

November 20, 2023, 8:00 PM EST    Grand Knight 201

And don't forget that training sessions are recorded and made available to view on demand after the live broadcast. Click here to view the complete list of on demand training videos.

Plan to Attend Life Fest – Because Love is the Answer!    

Life Fest, a pre-March for Life rally hosted by the Sisters of Life and Knights of Columbus, will be held on the morning of the March (January 19, 2024) in Washington, D.C. Tickets will be available soon. More details to come. Visit lifefestrally.com for a tentative schedule and future updates.

Support ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy)  

Nearly $1 million has been donated to pregnancy centers and maternity homes this fraternal year! For every $500 your council donates, Supreme will donate another $100 (up to $400). To learn how your council can participate, visit kofc.org/asap.

Coats for Kids - One Millionth Coat Donated! 

On November 6, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly celebrated the donation of one million coats through the Coats for Kids program, with the distribution of nearly 1,000 new coats to underprivileged children in five Denver Catholic schools. In recognition of the historic milestone, Supreme Knight Kelly also announced the donation of $10,000 on behalf of the Knights of Columbus to each school, for a total of $50,000.

Visit kofc.org/coatsforkids to donate or learn more. 

The Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest program encourages today’s youth to be more connected to their community and their faith. Please complete this survey to help us gauge the health of the program. It will take less than a minute.

Please complete the Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest survey even if you haven’t done the program. Your reasons for not participating are just as valuable as responses from those participating.

Click on the button below to complete the Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest survey. 

**If you missed last month’s survey on the Pilgrim Icon program, you can still complete it using the link here! **

Vivat Jesus 2024 – Bulk Orders Now Available

Fraternal Leaders can now order "Vivat Jesus 2024" through Supplies Online. A bulk order discount of 20 books for $100 will save you $60 off the individual cover price. Individual copies are also available through the CIS Online Store but will not be discounted.

Vivat Jesus can be a great gift to give at your council Christmas party or to attendees of your council’s Cor gatherings. It's also a great resource to give to new members who join your council. Again, if you wish to purchase bulk and would like to take advantage of the discounted price, please place your order through the Fraternal Supply Store.

Unfortunately, there are people who try to scam unsuspecting targets. From time to time at the Knights of Columbus we see scams that target our members and subordinate units (councils, assemblies, and chapters). For example, in recent weeks, many subordinate units received a notice claiming kofc.org was expiring unless money was paid by a certain date. Other scams ask for money or gift cards.

More information on this topic can be found on the United States Federal Trade Commission website at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam. The Canada Revenue Agency has a similar site at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/campaigns/fraud-scams.html. 



If you are the target of one of these marketing scams, you may file a report through these websites. Fraternal leaders may wish to alert their members to be on the lookout for these kinds of scams. 

District Deputy

• Review the Faith in Action program forms reference guide (#11172) and share this valuable resource with your councils.
• Review the Star District requirements to make sure you are on track to earn this award. By now, each council in your district should have recruited new members and participated in a Fraternal Benefits Seminar. If not, help them accomplish these goals.
• Make plans to attend your jurisdiction’s midyear meeting.

Grand Knight

• Meet with your leadership team to evaluate your progress toward earning the Star Council Award. Contact your district deputy or state chairmen for help overcoming obstacles.
• Complete the Fraternal Benefits Event Council Report (#11077) and submit it online as soon as possible after participating in an approved seminar.

Financial Secretary

• If your council’s accounting period ends June 30, then November 15 was the deadline to submit the proper IRS Form 990 (U.S. Councils only). Ensure that this paperwork was filed.

Fourth Degree

• The next quarterly District Master training will take place virtually on January 22, 2024 at 8:00 PM CST, and will focus on the District Master's upcoming Biennial Meeting for 2024. The link to the meeting will be sent out in January to all Vice Supreme Masters and District Masters. Any questions can be directed to: Michael J Porter, 4th Degree Director of Training, at: mjpknight9282@aol.com.

The Knights of Columbus Fraternal Mission Department has a fantastic job opportunity. Please feel free to forward to any members who may be qualified:

Manager of Spanish Evangelization Content

The Manager of Spanish Evangelization Content develops evangelization & faith formation (EFF) content in English and Spanish that is culturally sensitive and oversees the production and distribution of all digital and online content focused on evangelization. This includes the development of social media content, videos, and podcasts as well as the development of supplemental digital content in support of other projects and initiatives. The Manager of Spanish Evangelization Content will support the office of the Executive Director for Hispanic Development at the direction of the Director of Evangelization Content. This position also collaborates with the Communications, Marketing, and other departments needed to develop and execute rollout strategies in the Spanish language.

The ideal candidate for this position is a college graduate (preferably with an emphasis in Journalism, Liberal Arts or Communications; Master’s in journalism or related field a plus). Native or bilingual proficiency in Spanish language is required, including ability to write, translate and/or edit original, professional-quality Spanish-language content, and to review Spanish-language translations of content produced in English



Click HERE for more information and to apply. 

To view the FLA Archives, please click here.