State Deputy Membership Message

Worthy Grand Knights,

As the Memorial Day weekend draws to a close I hope that each of you had an enjoyable time with family and friends.  I want to thank all of you that have sent me messages and well wishes about our State Convention last weekend.  There is a great deal of work that goes into preparing for and presenting a State Convention, not only for a State Deputy but for the entire State Council leadership team and the Host Committee.  Many people put in long hours of dedication to have an event that was worth your time to attend. 

For myself I took the last few days off from Knights work to spend time with my family.  My younger son came from Portland to spend a few days with us and he was able to meet his new nephew, born a month ago. 

Like many of you I completed my Memorial Day celebrations by attending Mass at one of our Catholic Cemeteries as part of a 4^th Degree Color Corps.  Not only do we honor those men and women who served and sacrificed for our freedoms but we also were there to honor those who served but were able to return home and continue their lives after their service.  Many of the brothers we honor each year as we read the Necrology at the Memorial Mass are now buried at our Catholic Cemeteries.

Just as those who served have and returned have moved on it is now time for us to do the same as we approach the end of our Fraternal Year. 

At the State Convection our State Membership Director Kevin McCarthy presented the Road to Stardom spreadsheet.  Many of you picked up a copy from your DD at the meeting.  Your District Deputies have been receiving an update of this tracking on a regular basis since the Convention.  I wanted you to have an updated version yourself. Some of you have noticed that Supreme might have not received a form that you had submitted. 

Please look for your Council and see where you are at in relation to earning Star Council status.  Also look at the section about forms.  If there is a NO next to your Council it means that Supreme does not have a record of you sending in that form.  If they don’t have it, then just send it again and copy both your District Deputy and me.  We will work to get you credit for the submission.

Don’t wait until the end of June to submit your SP-7 Columbian Award Application.  If you submit as soon as possible and Supreme does not accept one of your programs you will still have time to get another event done and resubmit the form.  It is very sad when a Council brings in New Members, gains in Insured Members, and fails to get the Star Council award because a SP-7 was either not submitted on time or was not accepted.  Remember, this is the one form that does not have a grace period.  I has to be received at Supreme on or before June 30, 2017.

But the key to earning Star Council, which helps your District Deputy qualify for Star District and the State for Circle of Honor, is to recruit new members.  Supreme will reward you for making Star Council by giving you a $4.50 credit on a future Supreme Per Capita billing for every billable member on your roster.  The State Council is offering to pay the next State Per capita billing for every new member you recruit in May and June. 

Don’t delay.  Round up those guys you have been talking to and get them to an Admissions Degree as soon as possible.  If there is not a Degree scheduled near you in the next two weeks, present the degree yourselves by reading the parts or presenting the DVD.  We owe it to these men to bring them into our Order quickly so they can begin to enjoy the benefits of Membership and Build the Domestic Church for our Bishops and Priests. 

Thank you in advance for your continued efforts to make the Arizona Knights of Columbus even stronger.

Vivat Jesus.