The Lake Current - November 10, 2017
Here's the latest on what's happening at our council!
Here are important notices right up front before we get to some news stories:

Party Tonight for Frank Lombardi : Stop by our lounge this evening at 7 p.m., when PGK Mike McDonald will be hosting a gathering for our brother Knight Frank Lombardi, in honor of his birthday and to thank him for his service on the Carmel Town Board and as Deputy Town Supervisor. Light appetizers, cake and cash bar. Sure it will be cold outside, but let's give Frank a warm welcome inside.

Bartenders Needed! : Our home corporation has put out the call to members who may have an interest in serving as a bartender in our lounge. If so, please get in touch with John Hanrahan for more information.

Children's Christmas Party Committee Meeting 11/20 : We will be holding a brief meeting to plan and prepare for our Children's Christmas Party, which includes a dinner for the kids and adults before the Carmel Parade of Lights. Please join us at the council at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 20th, to lend a hand to help out what has become a great holiday tradition for our families.
Our 46th "Annual" Was a Blast!

Last Saturday, November 4th, was our 46th Anniversary Annual Dinner Dance and Awards Ceremony, and boy was it a blast !

The St. James gym was beautifully decorated with a night-time cityscape, uplighting, and elegant tables settings. We danced and sang along with fantastic music from Kim and John Crecco -- Soulmates -- all night. We created a memory (or just goofed around) in the photo booth. We had a fun performance from comedienne Fran Capo. And after a great dinner, we honored the people who make our council so special.

We presented well-deserved service awards to Mike Bock and Rich Keating, an officer's service award to FS Mike Rama, the 50-year pin to Owen Farrell, and appreciation awards to Denis Hanrahan and Bill Moffatt. The Ladies Auxiliary then presented service awards to AnnMarie Hanrahan Bolduc and Grace Rangel. And then we presented our Family of the Year Award to The Barry Family (pictured above) and our Knight of the Year Award to DGK Steve Gheduzzi.

Thanks to all of our hard-working volunteers who made the night such a success, and thanks to all of our guests who turned out in force to have some fun and support our honorees. And a big congratulations to our awards winners!

Enjoy some pics from the night:
Cash Bingo Fundraiser for Veterans - Sun. Nov. 12

Get in on the fun with Sunday Night Cash Bingo featuring a $500 jackpot, presented by our Ladies Auxiliary, on the second Sunday every month this fall: November 12 and December 10. All monies raised go to local charities!

This Sunday, the proceeds will go to benefit the PFC Joseph Dwyer Vet2Vet Program , which assists all veterans of Putnam County and their families through free confidential and anonymous vet-to-vet outreach programs.

Admission is $40 and attendance is limited to the first 100 players (age 18 or older). RSVP and payment are due 5 days before each game night. For RSVP & payment details, email: ladieskofc@gmail.com .

Doors open at 5 p.m. House rules read at 5:45 p.m. First game starts promptly at 6 p.m.

Your payment includes your admission and all-nighters. Extra Specials and Bell Jar tickets will also be sold! Coffee, tea and cake will be served.
Lots of Christmas Festivities at Our Council!

  • Crèche Setup
  • Wreath Sales
  • Family Fun
  • Kid's Christmas Party
  • Parade of Lights
  • Council Tree Lighting
  • Adults' Christmas Party

There are multiple events over several days, so read it all!
Saturday, November 25th

We will be setting up the Nativity Scene at St. James -- including the newly reconstructed stable (pictured here)! -- on Saturday, November 25th . We will need the usual tools and supplies (ladders, socket set / wrenches, staple guns, Tyvek for the roof, hay bales, baling wire, etc.). After we're done with the setup, we'll head back to the council to decorate it for Christmas. (The church usually feeds us lunch after we're done with the crèche.) Meet outside the rectory at 9 a.m. and dress for the weather!

Saturday, December 2nd

Come down to the council on Saturday, December 2nd , where we will be hosting Christmas festivities all day long !  Start bright and early in the morning to buy beautiful, handmade Christmas wreaths in great assortment of ribbons and decorations. These are sold by a local Boy Scouts of America troop to fund their youth programs. For only $20, they are an amazing bargain. Supplies are limited , so get there early to get yours while they last! (Best to get in your pre-order with GK Rob.) Look for them in the front of our building.
 
Inside, starting at 3 p.m., we open our doors to the community for family fun activities , including face-painting and children's crafts. Bring you children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews -- all children are welcome. We'll serve hot chocolate and cookies for the kids.
 
There will also be a host of other activities around town that day, including breakfast with Santa, story reading, craft fairs, hay rides with Santa, and the chowder tasting at Cornerstone Park. Click here for the full schedule.
Then, the Council will provide a free children's Christmas party with dinner at 4:30 p.m . Adults will enjoy a pot-luck dinner, so please bring a dish for the community table . Santa will be attending, so please bring a gift (value $20) for each child you bring, for Santa to distribute. RSVP to Anthony Falco at anthonyfalco17@gmail.com  or (914) 907-4802.

Starting at 5:45 p.m., we will make our way over to the Paladin Center (former Guideposts) parking lot to line up for the Parade of Lights (steps off at 6:30), with our very own children's float.
All brother Knights, Ladies Auxiliary, family members and friends of the council are welcome to march behind our banner and with our float, and hand out the wildly popular glow necklaces to kids along the way.
 
The evening proceeds with caroling and the lighting of the trees along Lake Gleneida at 7:30.

JOIN US!
Tuesday, December 5th

Once again we will join with KofC councils across America to "Light up for Christ" and light our council Christmas tree to signify the true light of the world.

Meet at our council at 7 p.m. for light refreshments, caroling, and the tree lighting. Bring the family and your best singing voice!

Friday, December 15th

Our annual tradition continues with our adult Christmas Party for members of our Council and Ladies Auxiliary on Friday, December 15th at 7 p.m., jointly hosted with Mother Cabrini Assembly. We'll have a complimentary, informal, but very tasty hot buffet dinner with a cash bar. All we ask is that each person bring a gift for the less fortunate in our community, to brighten their Christmas season by helping them put good meals on the table for their families.

This year we are once again collecting donations for the St. James the Apostle Church Food Pantry. The pantry is well stocked with canned goods and other non-perishables, but what they need is supermarket gift cards so families can buy perishable items like milk, meats, and frozen foods, which the pantry cannot stock. So, please bring $10, $20 or $25 ShopRite or Tops gift cards to our party, and we will present them to St. James on behalf of the Knights and our families.
Our Next Mohegan Sun Casino Trip is December 9th!

Need some holiday cash? Our next great Mario Antoci Memorial Mohegan Sun Casino Excursion is Saturday, December 9th ! As always, you must reserve your seat in advance, so please call PGK Bobby Palazzo by December 1st at (845) 216-1997 to make a reservation!

For only $40 you get transportation, a $15 lunch voucher (which gets you a fantastic buffet!), and $10 casino match play.

Start with coffee and donuts at the council at 7 a.m. Bus leaves 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. Bring whatever you like to snack and drink.
Our Council Recognized by a GREAT Charity!

We are honored to have be recognized with an appreciation award by a great charitable service organization -- CAREERS Support Solutions -- at their anniversary gala on October 19th. We congratulate them in their remarkable achievement of helping change the lives of more than 2,700 local people with disabilities who want to work by providing the help they need to find and keep a job in their community. Please support their efforts, as we continue to do so as well.

On hand to accept the award for us was our Lecturer Anthony Falco, FS Mike Rama, and Guard Mike Bock. You can read news coverage of this event here .








  • Big Money Raised for Make-A-Wish! - Congratulations to our Ladies Auxiliary for running an amazingly successful Pocketbook Bingo event on October 21st. Between the bingo games, gift basket raffles, and food sales, they raised $5,550 for Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley, which has granted the wishes of more than 2,300 children in our region with life-threatening medical conditions. Well done ladies!

  • The Westchester-Putnam Chapter Charities of the KofC is once again "Freezin' for a Reason" -- and that reason is to raise funds for Special Olympics. Each council has been challenged to participate in this year's Polar Plunge. Support the Chapter's team by clicking here to join the team or to make a donation. Then, take a dip at noon on Saturday, November 18th, at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle. There are no minimums for donations, and everyone is invited to take the plunge (ankle-deep or fully submerged - it's up to you!). Bring the whole family for a fun time, and have them cheer you on and hand you a towel.

  • Our great Jimmy O'Neill Memorial Beefsteak Dinner ("The J.O.") will be on Saturday, January 13th. Details will be announced shortly, but save the date and reserve early, as we expect this year's event to sell-out quickly.

  • We'll be hosting a "Love and Laughter" night of comedy dinner theater at our council on Saturday, February 10th. The night will feature a catered dinner, drinks, and a show with top-name comedy acts. Watch for an email and flyers around the council for information. Reservations are required.
Remember, a full calendar of events can always be found on our website: carmelknights.org under the Upcoming Events tab, and check out our Breaking News page. And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page for up-to-the minute announcements, photos, event listings, and items of interest.