The Lake Current - May 2024

Welcome to the May 2024 edition of our Council newsletter! A few quick but important items up-front before we get into the news. Our next regular business meeting will be this Wednesday, May 8th, starting at 7:30 p.m. Dinner for $5 will be at 6:30, as usual. We will be discussing elections for Council officers and Corporation directors (see report of the Council nominating committee below). With so many activities to plan for and important business news to share, all members should attend! This Thursday, May 9th, is the Feast of the Ascension, a holy day of obligation which commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. At the Noon Mass at St. James the Apostle Church, the intention will be for the deceased members of our Council. Scholarship Applications: Click here to download the instructions and application for our Council Scholarships. We award them to graduating high school seniors who are pursuing full-time higher education. The deadline for submission of applications is June 1st. Contact GK Tim or our Scholarship Chairman, PGK Ralph Fleischman, with any questions. Karaoke Night: Stop by our Lounge this Friday (5/10) and bring your best singing voice for a guaranteed fun evening of karaoke led by our own Worthy Chancellor and Soulmate, John Crecco. Earplugs will be available for purchase on a sliding scale, with the cost depending upon the singer at the time.

Our Lounge's Draft Beer of the Month is Fiddlehead IPA (6.2 % ABV / 53 IBUs). Thrillist calls this Vermont brew "The ubiquitous house beer of the Green Mountain State.” Fiddlehead IPA is a well-balanced American IPA with mellow bitterness and a dry, refreshing finish. The brewer describes its tasting notes as "dank, pine, and resiny." Give it a try!

Council & Corporation Elections - Wednesday, June 12th Our Council will hold elections for all eligible officer positions at our June business meeting on Wednesday, June 12th, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Please review the Report of the Nominating Committee and Proposed Slate of Council Officers for the 2024-25 Fraternal Year, which appears below. The report explains the rules for additional nominations. Please speak with GK Tim McDonald or any member of the Council's Nominating Committee if you have any questions about running for any office or about the elections process. The report of the Corporation's Nominating Committee will be sent to the membership under separate cover when it becomes available. All members in good standing of our Council are eligible to vote for Council officers and Corporation Directors.

Welcome Our Newest Brother Knights! On Friday, May 3rd, our Council hosted the Knights of Columbus' "Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity" and welcomed the following twelve Catholic gentlemen to the Third Degree of our Order and to membership in our Council: Bryan Cafaro Stephen Devine Terry Feehan Michael Gaffney Robert Kearns John Keher Ray Kolkmann Bjiu Lukose Christian Nuñez Louis Scagnelli Francis Sheridan Walter Wissell Please welcome these newest members when you see them and encourage them to participate, along with their families, in the activities of our very active Council. A big thanks to our in-house Degree Team, which executed another outstanding and moving ceremony, and to our Chaplain, Father Quarato, who made the degree even more special by leading us in the opening and closing prayers and by blessing the proceedings and attendees. Thanks also to the brother Knights who sponsored the new members and to those who turned out to observe the ceremony in their support.

Summer Kickoff BBQ & Founders' Award - Friday, May 24th -Honoring Bill Dowling! Join us as we kick-off summer with our Ninth Annual Founders' Day Barbecue & Trongone Award Ceremony on Friday, May 24th! On the menu will be burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, sausage and peppers, sliced steak, corn on the cob, baked beans, salads, desserts, and more! Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner service starts at 6 p.m. Feel free to bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share. We're also continuing our fantastic PIG ROAST, which has been such a hit the past five years! All for only $25 for adults, $10 for kids, and kids 6 and under eat free. Nobody has ever left hungry! Bring the whole family!   We do need a headcount for food purchase and planning, so please let GK Tim know if you're coming NO LATER THAN May 20th! We will have sign-up sheets for volunteers and for guests at our monthly business meeting on Wednesday, May 8th. As is our tradition, we will be honoring a member of our Council who has provided many years of dedicated service with our Angelo R. Trongone Founders' Award. This year, we are pleased to announce that our worthy honoree is William J. "Bill" Dowling!

Bill has been a Knight in our Council for over 48 years, and served as Council officer in positions including Inside Guard, Outside Guard, Warden, and Lecturer. He also served on our Home Corporation's Board of Directors for many years. Bill also played a very important role in support of our Council's youth, serving as a long-time counselor to our Columbian Squires circle. The Squires were a group of young men who wanted to participate and learn about becoming a Knight, a Catholic gentleman, and a good American until they reached the age when they could join the Knights. Bill not only counseled our Council's Squires but he was also the Assistant Youth Director for the entire New York State Squires organization. Bill may be best known for his years of service as our Council's representative to the Northern Westchester-Putnam Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. We were honored to have him serve as Grand Marshall of the 43rd Annual Northern Westchester-Putnam Saint Patrick’s Parade on March 10, 2019. Please join us as we honor Bill with our Founder's Award in recognition of his devoted service to our Council and Home Corporation.

Win $25,000 - 2024 C&B Drive is Under Way!   The 2024 NYS Council's Charitable & Benevolent (C&B) Program is under way! Get your chance books and return them with your payment right away to be eligible for all of the drawings, totaling $50,000 in prizes! Chances are only $4 each. There are 3 chances per book, or $12 per book. Of that $12, half goes to our Council and half goes to the New York State Council. Proceeds from ticket sales go to benefit the many worthy charities and causes supported by the State Council, including disaster relief and scholarships, as well as those supported by our own Council. Save two dollars per book when you buy five books for only $50 (that's $10 per book). Such a deal! Last year we sold 315 books -- just short of the number needed to win a bonus award from the New York State Council. This year our Council's goal is to sell 375 books. This should be a very easy goal to attain since we're only asking each member to sell at least two books. With around 500 members, we should be able to surpass that goal if every brother Knight does his part! First Prize is $25,000, Second Prize is $10,000, and Third Prize is $5,000. There are also ten (10) Consolation Prizes of $1,000 each. Sellers of the winning chances will also receive prizes of $1,000 (1st), $500 (2nd), $250 (3rd), and $100 (consolation prizes), so be sure to put your name down as the "Solicitor" on each ticket you sell.   Turn in your stubs soon because your best chance to win a prize is by getting in on the “Quick Start Drawing” on July 21st.     Books submitted for the Quick Start Drawing will also be eligible for the Early Bird Drawing and the Final Drawing, so each ticket offers four chances to win, including the sellers' prizes!     Our C&B Chairman, Kevin Shea, will have chance books available for pickup at the Council business meeting on Wednesday, May 8th, and you can turn in your stubs and payment to him as well. There are also books in the bin behind the bar in the Council Lounge.    Please make your check payable to: “Knights of Columbus 6318” with $12 for each book sold. Put your money and stubs in a sealed envelope addressed to C&B Chair Kevin Shea and leave it with any Council bartender, or mail the stubs and your check (no cash, please!) to him at the following address: Kevin Shea 59 Blair Heights Carmel, NY 10512 If you have any questions, contact Kevin at (914) 941-2105 or by email.                               Thank you for your participation and support of this important charitable effort. And good luck in the drawings!

Sign-up for The George Dean Memorial Golf Outing on Friday, June 7th! Putnam County Golf Course 9 a.m. Shotgun Start Sponsorships Available - Take one Today! Our fantastic George Dean Memorial Annual Golf Outing will be on Friday, June 7th! In addition to a great round of golf at Putnam County Golf Course, you'll get a delicious lunch, beverage cart, golfer SWAG, prizes, and our own sumptuous filet mignon dinner, all for only $170. Sponsorships are available: Hole Sponsor ($150, or $100 with a foursome), Lunch Sponsor ($500); Dinner Sponsor ($750) and Platinum Sponsor ($1000). Click here to download the handbill with the reservation and sponsorship form, or find it online here. Registration is 8 a.m.; shotgun start at 9 a.m. Cocktails and dinner for golfers at our Council immediately following the outing. Prizes will be awarded for best foursome, longest drive, and closest to the pin. This is our annual major fundraiser that enables our Council to do the many charitable, community and parish activities that we do on a regular basis. Please support this event by golfing, taking a sponsorship, donating prizes, or helping us get others to do the same. For reservations, sponsorships, or more information, please contact Anthony Falco or GK Tim McDonald.

Spring Fair - Sunday, May 19th Come on down to the Council to enjoy live music, over 30 great vendors, food trucks, and wine & spirits tastings at our first-ever Spring Fair from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 19th. See the flyer below or speak to GK Tim or Ladies Auxiliary President Kim Crecco for more information.

Fourth Degree News MEETING NOTICE The next meeting of Mother Cabrini Assembly #1572 will be Thursday, May 16th, at our Council. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. All Fourth Degree Sir Knights are welcome and encouraged to attend.

NEWS UPDATE Join us in congratulating the three members of our Council who received the honors of the Fourth Degree of our Order at the Exemplification held on Saturday, April 26th, for the 2nd New York District, St. Isaac Jogues Province. Pictured from left to right are Sir Knights Daniel McPartland, John P. Petriello, and Deputy Grand Knight Richard F. Kreps. They are now the newest members of Mother Cabrini Assembly #1572 along with two brothers from Mahopac Council, Fortunato Cantizaro and Gianni Calisi.

Jun. 1st (Sat): Kitchen Cleanup - We will be giving our kitchen and BBQ area a deep cleaning starting at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 1st. Fish Fry and all of the other events we cater in-house eventually take their toll, so we'll be getting everything back into top shape and ready for the summer barbecue season. There is a lot to do both up in the kitchen and out on our patio, so please volunteer some time if you're able to do so. Many hands make light work! Jun. 30 (Sun): Ladies Appreciation Brunch - We can use some help in the kitchen and with serving brunch to the Ladies Auxiliary on Sunday, June 30th. This is an opportunity for our Council to show our appreciation for all that our Ladies Auxiliary does for the Council and our community. Our format change last year from a dinner to a brunch was so well received that we're doing brunch again, starting at 11:00 a.m. Speak with GK Tim or PGK Rob Firriolo if you're interested in helping. Jul. 19-20 (Sat. & Sun): The Feast of St. James - Our annual Parish Feast returns this summer as a weekend event. Planning is ongoing but this is sure to be a fun time for the entire family and it will present plenty of volunteer opportunities. More details will be announced, but save the dates and speak with our Worthy Grand Knight to find out how you can help out. And finally, don't forget that Sunday, May 12th, is Mother's Day! Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to highlight the beautiful vocation of motherhood and the gift of life. It calls us to cherish the gift of life that we receive from our mothers and to pray for all women to whom God has entrusted life in a very special way. On this Mother's Day, let us join together in prayer that all mothers may be supported and encouraged in their special vocation of love; that all might treasure and support God’s plan for life and love; and that all children will honor their mother's many sacrifices by leading lives of service and virtue.

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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