Anchor Newsletter September 2010

GRAND KNIGHT’S MESSAGE


My Dear Brother Knights:

Many years ago Shakespeare wrote “This news is old enough, yet it is everyday’s news.” Someone once put it “Everything that happens everyday to everybody is news to somebody.” So Brothers, our Council Meetings are held the First Thursday of every month at 8 PM. Every Grand Knight has begged for your presence so that you can help your Council. It is sad to relate that our Council is compelled to suspend members for non-payment of dues and apparent lack of interest. Can we not also say that sometimes the sponsor has been lax as well? It is the sponsor’s job to arouse the enthusiasm of their new members to a level that will make him want to come to our meetings on a regular basis. If he begins to drop away, for any reason, he should be told by his sponsor that his absence is felt, his fellowship wanted.

Fraternally,

Mike

GRAND KNIGHTS

Council 551 Grand Knights, Most Terms: Frank Goss Jr.-7, George Klesius-5, Mike Moloney-4, John Sheedy-3, Vincent Stevens-2, Francis Barron-2, John Moloney-2, and Jim Kilcoyne-2. Too many 1-year Grand Knights to list them all. Our current GK: “I’m going to try to break the 7-year record if I’m worthy and then hopefully resign!! Maybe?!?”

BLUE & WHITE MASS

We will be hosting our annual “Blue & White Mass” on Saturday, September 11, 2010, commencing with the 5 PM Mass at the Cathedral with Bishop Joseph Adamec as principal celebrant. All members and families are invited and encouraged to attend. A reception will be held following the Mass in our upstairs ballroom at the Council Home. This Mass honors all who perform a public service and keep us safe.

BLUE & WHITE MASS SET-UP AND KITCHEN HELP

In order to make this a successful event, we need your help. We will be meeting upstairs on Thursday, September 9th at 7 PM to clean the upstairs hall and set-up for the reception. Kitchen help and food prep assistance will be needed on Friday, September 10th at 6:30 PM and finishing Saturday morning, 9/11, at 9 AM. If you can spare an hour or two at any of these times, please come to the Council Home & help us out. Finally, we will need help on Saturday evening during the reception itself. If you are able to help on Saturday evening, please call the Council Home at 942-6262 and let us know you’ll be there. We would like to see some new faces pitch in and help the regulars. Brother Leo Winkler is once again serving as chairman of this project.



FIRST and SECOND DEGREES

We will be hosting exemplifications of the First and Second Degree on Sunday, September 19th. The First Degree will begin promptly at 1 pm with the Second following at 2:30. A light lunch and refreshments will be available following the Second Degree. Candidates for the First Degree must be at the Council Home by 12:30 PM at the latest. Candidates for the Second Degree, who are not taking the First, must be at the Council Home by 2 PM. If you sponsored someone to join our Council, you should have received a letter with all these details as well. Please contact your candidate today and offer to pick them up and accompany them to the Degree Ceremonies. All current members are invited to attend as observers, but please make sure you have your current membership card with you. Dress code for the Degree is coat & tie. If you have a candidate who wants to attend, or need additional information, please contact the Council Home at 942-6262 for FS Frank Goss at 329-6094 or frankgoss@atlanticbb.net. In addition, we will be hosting a Third Degree on October17—more details in next month’s Anchor.

KNIGHT’S DAY AT HOSS’S

We are sponsoring a fundraiser through Hoss’s Restaurant on Pleasant Valley Blvd in Altoona on Sunday, September 26. We have enclosed a ticket in this mailing for you to present when paying your bill after eating. As long as you present the ticket, our Council will receive a minimum of 20% of your total order as a donation to the Club from Hoss’s. There is no additional cost to you or to the Club. If you are looking for a reason to eat at Hoss’s, this is it. You can enjoy a good meal and make a donation to the Club at the same time!! If you will not be using the enclosed card, please give it to someone who can. Or, please send it back to us, so we can distribute it elsewhere. Anybody can use the card---not just a member!! If you need more, please stop by the Club & pick them up. Thanks to DGK Frank Misitano for implementing this program.

C.O.A.L. TICKETS and FOOTBALL SWEEPSTAKES TICKETS

Also enclosed with the Anchor is a booklet of “Chance of a Lifetime (C.O.A.L.)” tickets. 16 fabulous prizes will be given away on December 8, 2010. Tickets are $5 per book or $1 each. Please buy or sell your booklet and return your money and tickets to the Club ASAP. The sooner we turn them in, the more profit we make. In addition, we now have our Football Sweepstakes Tickets available at the Club. If you would like to purchase a ticket, please stop by or send us a check for $10 for each ticket you would like to purchase and we will return the ticket stub to you. These tickets return a percentage of sales back to our Club which then helps support our charitable activities throughout the year.

FORMER FOURTH DEGREE COLOR GUARD MEMBERS

If you are a former Fourth Degree Color Guard member and are no longer willing or able to participate, but would be willing to donate or lend any of your Color Guard attire, please contact Brother Tom Strunk at 942-9105.



31ST ANNUAL PA STATE KNIGHTS GOLF TOURNAMENT

This tournament was held at Sinking Valley Country Club on August 20, 2010. We put together a team of 8 Golfers and won everything. Foursomes were split among participating Councils. By winning the team competition, we are holding the rotating trophy at the Council Home until next year’s tournament in Greenville, PA. Congratulations to the following Brothers who helped Council 551 to victory: Mike Allen, Bill Allen, Todd Homan, John Carey, Frank Goss, Terry Anderson, Ron (Bob) Smith and Jim Showalter. We are proud of you guys!! Next year’s tournament will be hosted by the Joseph J. Fitzmartin Council #1446 in at the Greens of Greenville. Let’s bring the trophy back for another year!

COUNCIL 551 IN THE COMMUNITY

Congratulations to Barton’s Plumbing who won the Logan Twp Youth Baseball League Championship. Brother Tony Gibbons is a coach and his son plays for Bartons. Also, congrats to Carlin & Assoc for winning the Altoona Independent Minor League Championship. Brother Kurt Schimminger is a coach with his son Nick a player as well. Good job Brothers!!

CAR WASH

On August 21, we held our 2nd Annual Car Wash. We were able to raise $500 for the American Cancer Society for our efforts. Thanks to all who helped, especially Brother Tom Potopa & Rocky 104.9 who donated a two-hour live remote broadcast to help promote our event. GK Moloney: “It’s always good to see Tommy!! One of these Thursday nights, I’m going to drag him out of his house (I will probably need some help!!) and bring him down to the Club. Thanks to all for a job well done!!”

DATES TO REMEMBER

Today…………………………………………………Return Your C.O.A.L. tickets and order football tickets

September 11……………………………………..Blue Mass, 5 PM Cathedral, Reception following at Council Home

September 22……………………………………..First Day of Fall

September 26……………………………………..Hoss’s Fundraiser

October 7…………………………………………..Regular Council Meeting, 8 PM Sharp.