Safe Environment 2017

Worthy District Deputies, Worthy Grand Knights and Brothers all,

July 1^st will be the start of the new Diocesan fiscal year for all the Catholic Dioceses in Arizona. This also means it is time to complete your “Safe Environment” training, and if you have already taken the training in previous years you will only need to renew.  If you have Brothers that can not complete or do not have the means to online training, the dioceses still have classes that our Brothers can attend. Please visit the website below to find more information.  Our Worthy Supreme Knight Carl Anderson stated, “It is our duty and obligations that ALL Knights of Columbus members are required to meet their local Diocesan Safe Environmental Training policies and to ensure the protection of our youth and elderly!”

         The Diocese of Phoenix Safe Environment Office has a new online at:

            http. www.safeenvironmenttraining.org/obligations.php 

         The Diocese of Tucson’s training called “Safe environment” can be found at:

            http: www.diocesetucson.setanet.org/obligations.php

         The Diocese of Gallup’s Save Environment information can be found at:

            http: www.dioceseofgallup.org

The Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus decided to continue a stronger commitment in youth protection by designating the following official positions in Knights of Columbus to receive mandatory Praesidiuim Armatus online safe environment training: State Deputies, State Advocates, State Youth Directors, Grand Knights, Youth Directors, Chief Counselors and Faithful Navigators.  To complete your Armatus online training please log on to “Officer Desktop” on the Supreme website and follow the instructions.  Please understand you are still required to meet your diocesan requirements.  

As a part of the leadership team of the Arizona Knights of Columbus, we need to set the example to our Brother Knights. Please complete your renewal by July 30, 2017.  Our Worthy Financial Secretaries should create and maintain a current list of members who are active volunteers in the council, both in church ministries and activities sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, and then have a current list of all members who have completed diocesan safe environment requirements. They should be prepared to share these lists with the diocesan safe environment coordinator upon requests.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Vivat Jesus!

Luigi Baratta

State Advocate

Arizona State Council

(602) 326-8511

Luigi.baratta@cox.net

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State Deputy Message - October

October 8, 2017
Brothers,
Those Knights in Tucson should already be aware but for the rest of our Members, we now have a new Bishop in Tucson. Bishop Gerald Kicanas submitted his notice of retirement to the Pontiff when he turned 75 last year, as required by Cannon Law. On Tuesday October 3, 2017 Bishop Edward Weisenburger was introduced as the next Bishop of Tucson. Bishop Weisenburger was Bishop of Salinas, Kansas prior to this announcement. He is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and the Kansas State Deputy Vince Melvin has let me know the Bishop is a strong supporter of the Knights.

We will miss Bishop Kicanas, who has been a friend and champion of the Knights of Columbus since his arrival in Tucson. District Master Bryant Sayers and I were honored and privileged to be invited by Bishop Kicanas to be present at the announcement.

We have now completed the first quarter of this Fraternal Year. How is your Council doing? Are you conducting programs that support your Pastor and our goal of Building the Domestic Church in support of our Parishes? Are you using these programs to attract or create interest among men in your Parish to join our Order as we support our Parishes and fulfill the vision of our Founder Father Michael J. McGivney? Have you recruited a new member and held an Admission Degree this quarter? It is not too early to work toward your Star Council, Star District and other Supreme Awards.

For the first three months of this year we have added 166 new members as Arizona Knights. This does not count those men that transferred to Arizona from other states. This is great! We are a little short of the goals we set but with October beginning I am confident we will get back on track.

October is traditionally a big month for the Knights of Columbus. We hold our Fall Church and Membership Drives in October. We are also the major sponsor of the annual Arizona Rosary Celebration as well as conducting our PWID drives. This is a great month to show prospective members how we are active in both support of those in our communities and that we are fully engaged in the spiritual side as we publicly proclaim our devotion to Jesus through Mary with recitation of the Rosary.

Your District Deputies should by now have made you aware of some information we will be gathering for our October membership drives. If they have not yet talked with you about this, give them a call so you will be ready when they ask you at the end of the month how things went.

In the next few days our State Program Director Larry Powers will be sending out information from our various State Chairman related to the different programs that Supreme, the State, and Councils can plan for over the next few months. Going forward we will have the various State Chairman work through Larry Arizona State Council Knights of Columbus Office of State Deputy to present broadcast messages to the Councils and state membership. I also encourage you to visit both our state website: www.azknightsofcolumbus.org and the Supreme website www.kofc.org on a regular basis. Almost all the messages we send out are also listed on our State Website.

I trust by now the Councils have received their supply of the Fraternal Leader Success Planner. I apologize on behalf of the Order for the delay in getting these to the Councils. Supreme tried a new process this year of sending them directly to the Councils rather than to the State Deputy. As with many initial undertakings this endeavor did bring to light some logistic difficulties.

Even though these were delayed in getting to you, I encourage you to begin using them right away. History has shown that setting goals, tracking progress and planning produce better results. You will see that the October highlighted program is the Holy Family Prayer Program. We have two images of the Holy Family in Arizona along with the prayer programs to be used to host a Parish or group prayer event. District Master Bryant Sayers or State Family Director David Fischer can provide you additional information and arrange for one of the images to come to your Council.

As your Council conducts and reports your PWID activity I ask that you help our State Council and State Treasurer. Councils submit a list of the groups they wish their portion of the PWID proceeds to be directed to. In the past we have prepared the checks made out to these groups but sent them to the Councils for you to present to your charities. Unfortunately, there are still many checks that have not been deposited. We are looking at sending these directly to your designated recipients. This should cut down on the number of checks lost or misplaced. There comes a point in time that funds not used are considered abandoned and the State Council will donate the money elsewhere and not reissue the checks.

This week we will have our Supreme Membership & Program Consultant Pat Maloney traveling in Arizona to present some training for Council Officers and members. We have not had high turnout in the past. We have sent several reminders about these sessions. We are looking to do at least two more rounds this year. Let your District Deputies know what type of additional training you are interested in receiving so we can plan further in advance. We need to build stronger Programs and recruit more Members to work with us as we do the work that Knights do. Remember to sign up and participate in the Supreme Training Webinars. The next one is October 18th and Supreme will be presenting this one beginning at two different times to accommodate Knights nationwide.

Finally, I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at one of this month’s Arizona Rosary Celebrations. Because the money sent for sponsorship ads in the Program book were down this year I ask that you, and those you invite to attend with you, be generous in donating at the events when we take up a collection to support this event.

Vivat Jesus,

Sean Halpain
State Deputy

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Hurricane Harvey Relief

Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School students collected supplies to send to Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School in Houston. The students filled a U-Haul trailer with school supplies & sent $300 to help with tuition. The Knights of Columbus from the Bishop J Green Council 11855 delivered the supplies to Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic School in Houston. Knights Chris & Jerry Jbara along with two of their children delivered the supplies Friday 10/6. Council & State Chaplain Fr. Crino blessed the supplies and led a prayer for a safe trip. Univision TV sent a reporter to cover the delivery of the supplies.

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Rosary Celebration

All Knights Should Attend the Arizona Rosary Celebration

Brother Knights the Arizona Rosary Celebration is one of those must attend events. If you’re a Fourth Degree Sir Knight in Regalia, or helping as an Usher, or attending with your family to enjoy this wonderful event, make plans to attend. Come and listen to guest speaker Most Rev. Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B., Bishop Emeritus of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Celebrate the 42nd year of Arizona's Rosary Celebration tradition.

In Tucson, the celebration is Saturday, October 21, 2017, 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church (8650 North Shannon Road, Tucson, AZ 85742). The Most Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson, will preside. Then on Sunday, October 22, 2017, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:15 p.m., the celebration comes to the Phoenix Convention Center, Halls F and G, 3rd Street and Jefferson. The Most Rev. Eduardo A. Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix presiding. 

This year we honor Mary under Her title, Our Lady of Fatima, marking 100 years since her appearance to three children in Portugal. We are deeply blessed to have the United Nations Pilgrim Virgin Statute of Our Lady of Fatima and the First-Class Relics of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto (two of the three children seers). Come and bring your petitions, venerate the relics, pray for peace, pray for the reparation of sins, and pray for the conversion of souls.

Go to www.azrosary.net for more information

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e-Membership Announcement

Worthy District Deputies and Worthy Grand Knights,

I have some very exciting news to share with you. The Arizona jurisdiction has been selected as one of the few states chosen to roll out Online Membership, a new way to bring Catholic men to the Knights of Columbus. This has been in the works for some time, with Immediate Past State Deputy Larry Becker first being updated at the State Deputy Mid-Year Meeting in November 2015. Because of his involvement from the start, his proven record of membership recruitment and leading Arizona to our first Circle of Honor award in several years, I have asked him to lead our efforts on this initiative.

Online Membership will not replace your need to find and bring every eligible Catholic man into our Order. It is a stepping stone we can use to bring to us men we might not otherwise reach. You will still be involved to bring them into your local Councils and engage them to become active Knights as we build the Domestic Church in support of our Parishes.

Online Membership is now live in Connecticut and Arizona. Councils and members may now invite eligible men to join the Order online by sending them to www.kofc.org/joinus

This is a pilot program, and is currently only available in a limited number of jurisdictions. The goal of this initiative is to introduce men to our Order in a way that will strengthen and benefit all councils and members, and to recruit young men who will be the future of our Order. The goal of this pilot is to learn. Your communication and input are key, so please contact your state officers with any questions or comments.

This initiative is a result of our Order-wide listening sessions and membership surveys, as well as ongoing input from our state deputies. We firmly believe that there are many Catholic men    out there who can benefit from membership in the Knights of Columbus, and we intend to bring that opportunity to them. This pilot presents a tremendous opportunity for the continued growth of our fraternity.

Online Membership gives us:

·         A Faster Way to Join – One of the most common objections to joining the Knights of Columbus is “I don’t have time.” Through Online Membership, a join process that can take as many as two months now takes five minutes.

·         An Amplified Message – The Online Membership initiative is backed by a substantial, digital and data driven marketing campaign that will find and work to convert prospective members. We are investing in advertising membership in the pilot jurisdictions.

·         A Stronger Brand –This initiative does not change requirements for membership, but it does provide a new membership initiative that is tailored to younger men and busier men who may not yet be ready for council-based membership. This low-pressure, low- commitment experience enables us to bring more men into the fold. Council-based membership is still the goal, as is progression through the degrees – but this will provide a new option for the beginning of a Knight’s journey.

Attached is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to provide more background on this pilot program. There will be an upcoming webinar to further explain the Online Membership pilot. Details will be released shortly.

We are also working to provide Officers with access to www.knights.net –a new, online membership portal. In the interim, do not sign up as eMembers. This is a tool for non-members to join, not for existing members.

We are excited to begin this initiative, and to begin it with you. Thank you for your partnership and for your leadership in your councils and districts. We look forward to welcoming more Catholic men into our brotherhood and helping them to experience the transformative power of membership in the Knights of Columbus.

Vivat Jesus!

Sean E. Halpain State Deputy

Arizona Knights of Columbus

 FAQ

1.      What is the Online Membership initiative?

The Online Membership initiative is an online program through which eligible Catholic men can join the Knights of Columbus.

The Online Membership initiative is designed to meet to do two things. First, the Online Membership initiative allows eligible Catholic men to join the Knights of Columbus online, through a streamlined, optimized process. Second, the initiative provides these members with a newly created and predominately digital Online Membership experience, which will help them to grow as Knights and as Catholic men, and will revolve around the four main themes of faith, charity, advocacy, and insurance.

2.      How does someone join through the Online Membership initiative?

Men interested in joining the Knights of Columbus through the Online Membership initiative will fill out an online application. As part of that application, they will attest to their membership eligibility (practical Catholic men, over the age of 18), will fill out basic demographic information, and will pay dues. The entire process will take a matter of minutes.

3.      What will these members do?

Once they have completed their registration, men who join the Order online will be given access to a web- based Online Membership portal and will begin receiving regular electronic communication from the Supreme Council. While they will receive a number of other benefits, the digital experience will form the core of their Knights of Columbus experience.

Content distributed to the member through the portal and direct communication will revolve around the four themes of: Lead with Faith, Protect Your Family, Serve Others and Defend Your Values.

Through these four themes, these men will not only grow as individuals, but will become acclimated with the good work and rich history of the Knights of Columbus, thereby strengthening their affinity with the Knights of Columbus brand, and setting the stage for lifelong, active membership. They will also receive regular news updates from the Supreme Council, as well as news and event information from their State Council.

4.      Do these members belong to councils?

eMembers do not belong to local councils. Instead, they belong to state divisions. Each jurisdiction will have one state division, which houses all of that jurisdiction’s eMembers

5.      How do these eMembers differ from members of local councils?

Though they have not yet taken the first degree, eMembers are members of the Knights of Columbus. As members, they have the right to purchase insurance on themselves, their spouses, and their minor children. As members, they receive Columbia magazine. As members, they receive the free accidental death benefit (age restrictions apply). As members, they are eligible for participation in the family fraternal benefit.

6.      Can Online Members join local councils?

Yes. eMembers can become members of local councils by transferring and taking the First Degree. When a member finds a local council he likes, he may deepen his involvement in the Knights of Columbus by converting his membership from his State Division into that local council to take his degrees. Since these members will not have taken the first degree, that ceremonial will be part of their transition.

7.      How will councils know about these potential new members?

During the application process, applicants will need to provide the name of the parish they attend. There is a field to indicate if they would like to join a local council, and the opportunity to indicate their preferred council number if they have one. Both of these tools will generate reports and emails to facilitate the transition towards local council membership.

8.      How would a council admit an eMember into their council?

A transition would be initiated by the local council’s Financial Secretary. The receiving council would complete a Form 100 for “Transfer” after the First Degree and submit to the Supreme Council. After transitioning to a local council, the member would retain his online access to the Knights of Columbus membership experience, but cease paying his membership dues online, and instead begin to pay his local council’s membership dues. The receiving council would receive the member’s dues adjustment for the fraternal year.

9.      How will state division members be assigned an Agency?

Since state division do not belong to local councils they will be assigned for visibility purposes through the postal code assignment system.

10.  What will these members hear about the insurance program?

The Online Membership experience revolves around four themes: Lead with Faith, Protect Your Family, Serve Others and Defend Your Values.

The “Protect Your Family” theme showcases the Catholic difference of the Order’s insurance program, informing eMembers of our business, our Catholic practices, our product lines, and our agents. While regularly encouraging the eMembers to find and reach out to their field agent, the Online Membership initiative also provides members with financial literacy such as “Life Insurance 101,” and other professional resources that help to establish the Knights of Columbus as a trusted friend and advisor.

11.  How will we know that prospective eMembers are eligible for membership?

When a prospective member begins the Online Membership application process, the first step is for them to declare that they are: (1) a baptized Catholic male, (2) 18 years of age or older, and (3) a practical Catholic.

Once they check those three boxes, and a fourth box which indicates that they agree to abide by the laws and rules of the Knights of Columbus, they click “proceed to join” and proceed to the next page. They cannot continue if any of the four boxes have not been checked.

Additionally, before they hit the “proceed to join” button, they are presented with the following message: "Failure to answer truthfully to any of these declarations, or failure to remain a practical Catholic in union with the Holy See, renders void your membership in the Knights of Columbus."

Prospects are also required to submit parish information during the application process.

Last edited: October 16, 2017

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