The Lake Current - August 2018

Welcome to the August edition of our council newsletter! Here are a couple of quick (but important!) items before we get into the news: Please remember that no council property, including tables and chairs, may be borrowed from the council without first going through our Worthy Warden, Mike O'Brien. After speaking with Mike, you must sign-out for the property in the logbook kept behind the bar in the lounge. You also must sign it back-in when you return the property. If you have any questions about this policy, please speak with GK Steve. Our regular monthly business meeting is next Wednesday, August 8th, starting at 7:30 p.m. We'll be serving a BBQ dinner for only $5 starting around 6:30 p.m. Fall will be here before you know it, and there's lots to plan for in the months ahead. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend! Also, don't forget to bring in your C&B raffle stubs and payment. (More on C&B below.)

2nd Annual J.O. Memorial NY Mets Baseball Trip It was a spectacular day to watch a ball game as our council held its fourth annual Citi Field excursion on Saturday, July 7th. Two years ago the outing was named in memory of Jimmy O'Neill, who organized the first two trips. We started the afternoon off with a nice barbecue at the council. Then we set off for Citi Field on a bus trip that few who were on it will soon forget. (Let's just say it wasn't a non-stop trip. It was a one-stop trip, and that stop was on the median of a packed highway.) Not surprisingly, the Mets lost, but nobody was sorry they went because a good time was had by one and all. Special thanks to PGK Bobby Palazzo for organizing and leading another great council trip.

Knights' Casino and Bar Raises $5K for St. James at Annual Feast We had another terrific showing of volunteers for this year's Feast of St. James the Apostle! Members of our council and Ladies Auxiliary ran the casino and casino beverage sales, worked security, manned the Sausage Connection booth and other vendor stations, helped with the daily accounting, and served in a variety of other important capacities. We also had a very nice showing of members and families support the feast as customers, donors, and patrons. Our efforts in running the casino games generated over $3,000 for the parish, and our sales of the wine and beer that we donated netted close to $2,000, for a total contribution from our council of about $5,000! A great big THANK YOU to everybody who donated their time, treasure and talents to help make the feast a successful fundraiser for our parish!

"Fall of Fun" Comedy Night Sept. 15 It was such a blast last time that we're doing it again! We'll be hosting another great night of comedy dinner theater on Saturday, September 15th . After what promises to be a delicious dinner (just like last time!), our host F ran Capo will bring us some top-notch comedians including these headliners: Peekskill native Larry DiGregorio (regular at the Parks Casino and Funny Bones, appeared on “Late Night with Johnny P"); Joe Moffa (star of the hit off-Broadway shows “Shut up, Sit down and Eat” and “My Big Fat Dysfunctional Life”); and the Comedy, Ventriloquism and Magic of Gemini (star of Vegas, the Palladium, Atlantic City and “America’s Funniest People”). For only $75, you'll get a ticket to the show, open bar, appetizers, hot buffet dinner, and dessert. Doors open at 6 p.m., buffet from 7-8 p.m., and showtime is 8:30 p.m. You must purchase tickets in advance. Contact Bobby Palazzo at (845) 216-1997 or Charlie Grimmer at (845) 222-7392 to guarantee your seats!

Support the C&B Program It's once again time to join with KofC councils across New York State and raise funds for important charities by selling tickets to the annual Charitable & Benevolent Program raffle. Not only are there $50,000 in cash prizes -- including the $25,000 Grand Prize -- but our council keeps a portion of the cash from the sales to help with our own charitable efforts. This year our initial mailing of booklets will be to those who purchased them last year. If you do not receive them in the mail in the next few days, you can pick them up in our lounge, or you can get some by contacting our new C&B Chairman, Mike Clement . Please return your stubs and payment by dropping them off at the council or by mailing them to his attention at 10 Fair Street, Carmel, NY 10512.

All Aboard for Mohegan Sun - October 13! Our next great Mario Antoci Memorial Mohegan Sun Casino Excursion is Saturday, October 13th ! As always, you must reserve your seat in advance, so please call PGK Bobby Palazzo by October 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.

Fourth Degree News The Mother Cabrini Color Corps served as honor guard at a July 8th Mass at St. Joseph's Church in Somers celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the ordination of Fr. Jude Aguwa, Ph.D. Our own Father Adolphus was one of the many priests who concelebrated the Mass. Fr. Jude is a parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s and a Professor of Theological Anthropology at Mercy College, while also serving as Chaplain to Monsignor Collins Council of the Knights of Columbus in Somers (a member council of Mother Cabrini Assembly). Pictured below is Fr. Jude with members of the Mother Cabrini Color Corps (l. to r.): Faithful Navigator Vincent LaRusso, PGK; Robert Firriolo, PGK, PFN; Color Corps Commander Michael O'Brien; Joseph Cicchelli; GK Stephen Gheduzzi, PFN; and Michael Holmes.

After the Mass, more than 100 people came to our council hall -- which was donated to Fr. Jude -- for a banquet and reception. Many past and present St. Joseph parishioners came out to celebrate with Fr. Jude, along with a large group of his family and friends -- some of whom traveled all the way from Nigeria! MEETING NOTICE The next meeting of the Fourth Degree Sir Knights will be Thursday, August 16th at 7:30 p.m. at our Council. Our new Worthy FN is planning to have a meet-and-greet over pizza, so all Sir Knights should join in!

Showing Our Support for Medal of Honor Winners Our council was proud to support and help plan the very first New York State Medal of Honor Day Parade held in Carmel on July 21st. Hundreds of Putnam County residents turned out on a beautiful summer day to watch the parade as it moved down Route 52 along the shores of Lake Gleneida, past the reviewing stand on the steps of the historic County Courthouse, ending right behind our building off Fair Street. The parade was a celebration of recipients of our nation's highest military award and of all those who have honorably served our nation in uniform. Veterans, representatives from all branches of the military, Army recruits, marching bands, military and antique vehicles, and many local fire departments made the parade a very special tribute to New York's Medal of Honor recipients. Two such award winners were on hand for the parade, Paul Bucha and Robert O'Malley (pictured below).

Columbus Day Parade in Mahopac - Sun. Sep. 30th Join us as we honor the patron of our Order, Christopher Columbus, along with the contributions of Italian-Americans to our nation, as we march in the annual Putnam County Columbus Day Parade in Mahopac on Sunday, September 30th. With the important legacy and contributions of Columbus under attack from the forces of political correctness, it is more important than ever that we have a strong turnout to march proudly behind our council banner, just as we do for St. Patrick's Day! As always, this is a family event, so bring along your family to march, and wear a KofC shirt or jacket. This is also a Color Corps callout! Lineup for the parade will be at 1:30 p.m., with the parade stepping-off at 2:30 p.m. Please arrive at our council by no later than 1:00 p.m. if you wish to carpool over to the lineup area from our council. We will be serving a free pasta luncheon at our council immediately after the parade. Members, families, and guests are all welcome! If you can donate a tray or two of prepared meatballs, baked ziti, lasagna or even just meat sauce (gravy?), please deliver them to the council by Sunday morning. We also need a few volunteers to work in the kitchen during the parade so that everything will be ready to serve upon the marchers' return. Speak with GK Steve if you can help out.

KofC Sets Another Record for Charitable Activity! 2017 was another record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work, with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of service provided worldwide, with an estimated value of $1.9 billion! The K of C’s 2017 survey of charitable giving also showed that monetary donations increased $8 million from 2016 (+4.5 percent), and service hours grew by 527,550 (+0.7 percent). Year-over-year annual growth in both categories has been consistent over the past two decades. In addition to disaster relief, the K of C also continued to support local communities through programs like: Disaster Relief   $7.5M Christian Refugee Relief   $6.3M Coats for Kids   $2.5M Food Drives   $7.6M Special Olympics   $14.7M Habitat for Humanity   $0.6M Global Wheelchair Mission   $1.6M Since 2014, the Knights’ Christian Refugee Relief Fund has donated more than $17 million for humanitarian assistance to Christians and other religious minorities primarily in Iraq, Syria and the surrounding region. WELL DONE BROTHER KNIGHTS!

Cleanup Thanks - Thanks to everybody to turned out on Saturday morning, July 14th, to landscape and clean up around our council. It was left looking great in preparation for the Medal of Honor Parade Day, and also for the seniors and staff from the Putnam County Office of Senior Resources who use our facilities every weekday. Sunday Cash Bingo - Sept. 23: Join us for another great afternoon of Cash Bingo presented by our Ladies Auxiliary. All monies raised will go to an outstanding local charity. Big cash jackpots every time! Admission is $30. Doors open at 1 p.m., first game at 2 p.m. Attendance is limited to the first 100 players. For RSVP & payment details, speak with President Maria Barry or email: ladieskofc@gmail.com. Oktoberfest - Sat., Oct. 6: It's now an annual tradition! Hearty, home-cooked German food, imported German beers, great live music from the Austrian Boys Band, contests, prizes, and more! Don't miss it! NOTE: Our first meeting of volunteers will be Thursday, August 30th at 7 p.m. Please join in the fun by helping out! Murder Mystery Dinner Theater - Sat., Oct 20: Our Ladies Auxiliary is planning yet another very special event. Details to be announced, but save the date! Annual Dinner Dance & Awards Ceremony - Sat. Nov. 3: Hard to believe our event of the year is almost here again. This year's Annual promises to be another night of great food, fun, live music, and a celebration of the people who make our council such a special place. BE THERE! NOTE: Our first committee meeting will be Thursday, August 30th at 7:30 p.m. We need your help to make this another incredible event! FOP Golf Outing - Mon., Oct. 1: Our friends in the F.O.P. Driscoll Lodge are holding the First Annual "JO" Memorial Cup golf outing at Putnam County Golf Course. Contact Pete Conlin at (646) 773-0839, Stephen Conner at (845) 803-9664, or Brian Long at (914) 548-1305 for reservations, sponsorships, or more info.

Remember, a full calendar of events can always be found on our website: carmelknights.org under the Upcoming Events tab. And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page for up-to-the minute announcements, photos, event listings, and items of interest.

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