2014 DISTRICT MASTER S MESSAGE

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1 November 2014 DISTRICT MASTER S MESSAGE Worthy Sir Knights and Brothers All, It is my honor to announce a new Assembly in the District of North Carolina. The establishment of the Father John G. Parish Assembly No in Wake Forest has been approved by the Supreme Committee on Charters. The Assembly is located at the Saint Catherine of Siena Church and is made up of the members from Council 11234, also located at this Church. We are just two weeks away from the Exemplification on November 15th at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham and we anticipate a large class of candidates. For those of you who live in the area, please join us in the Honor Guard for both the Exemplification and the Mass. Many of our brothers cannot take their Fourth Degree on Nov. 15th, but fear not, we have two more planned for The first is a regional one (one day) at St. Patrick Church in Fayetteville on February 28th. The instructions, dress code form and form 4 example is included in this issue of the Golden Plume. The second is a regional also and is in Hickory on April 18th. There will be more information after the 1st of the New Year. Now is the time to start signing up brothers to join the Fourth Degree and attend either of these regional exemplifications. Do not wait until the last minute. Our Assemblies are involved in the Church and Community and doing great things, but we can do more and with new, active Sir Knights, we have the ability to expand our activities. DON T FORGET TO VOTE AND REMIND OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!! All Assemblies should already have a Veterans Day program planned and ready to put into action on the weekend prior to Tuesday, November 11th or the day of. Please contact District Secretary Bill Barry (bbarry54@gmail.com) and let him know what you did and how it went. Send him pictures for the website. Now is also the time for Assemblies to be preparing to complete the Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity, Form 1728C. This is for just the activity the Assemblies are involved in and should not be confused with what the Councils are doing and the 1728 they must send in. Thanksgiving is a time to thank our Lord for all the Blessings He has bestowed on us. It is also a time to give to those less fortunate than us. Many Churches, Councils, Assemblies, and other organizations sponsor food baskets for those struggling to feed their families. Several Councils and Assemblies volunteer their time to work at various shelters and facilities. What a great way to get involved and teach our children and grandchildren how important it is to help others who need assistance for one reason or another. Anne and I wish all of you a very happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. If you are traveling, it is our prayer that it be a safe and enjoyable trip. Fraternally, Sir Knight Dave Onofrio, PSD, District Master God Bless You, God Bless Our Church, and God Bless America 1

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3 Worthy Masters and All Sir Knights, I am pleased to announce we finally have our first new Assembly in our Province. A big welcome goes out to Father John C Parish Assembly 3510 located in Wake Forest, North Carolina. I received a partial application for a new college assembly in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Once the remainder paperwork is received, it will be forwarded to the Supreme Master with my approval. Remember, it only takes 30 members to institute an assembly. We are not just looking for numbers, but we are looking to make a viable assembly that will flourish in the future years of the Order. I know there are many locations in the DeSoto Province that could benefit from a new assembly. Please contact your District Master on possible locations in your area. A total of 21 men received the honors of the Fourth Degree in Caguas, Puerto Rico on October 19, Exemplifications have been scheduled for November in Duluth, Georgia on the 8th; Durham, North Carolina on the 15th; and Orlando, Florida on the 29th. The District Masters are counting on large classes so get all your paperwork into them ASAP so they can make the proper arrangements. Here is the latest concerning the Military Catholic Chaplain s Program. We are almost halfway through our fourth year of the five year program and we have reached a new total of $896, That leaves only $103, to go by the end of this fraternal year and we will have attained the $1,000, goal one year early. Your repeated generosity has made this possible. So, let s pass the hat at a business meeting or hold a special event or donate again personally so that we can make it happen for our seminarians. Following are two examples of how we are helping with the aid of this Program. Rev. Mr. Ryan Boyle and Rev. Alexander Scott, two seminarians in the Military Chaplain s Program, were ordained transitional deacons at St. Peter s Basilica on October 2, 2014, by his Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. His Excellency, the Most Reverand Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the US Military Services, concelebrated the 9:30am Mass. Rev. Mr. Boyle, a graduate of the Air Force Academy in 1998, is the oldest son of Ret. USAF Colonel Gary S. Boyle and entered the seminary in the summer of 2009 for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. He graduated from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami in 2011 and earned his Bachelor s degree in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Geogorian University in Rome. He is currently studying Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He hopes to return to the Air Force as a Catholic Chaplain. Rev. Mr. Scott is the fifth of six children and his father is Ret. Major General Bruce K. Scott of the US Army. His seminary studies began at Mt. St. Mary s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he received his Master of Arts in Philosophical Studies. He transferred to the North American College in Rome where he earned his STB in 2014 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and will begin his studies there in the Fall. He is from the Archdiocese of Washington, DC and a chaplain candidate in the United States Army. Four of his siblings serve on active duty in the Army, while his sister served five years on active duty in the Air Force. Continued on Page 4 3

4 Continued from Page 3 In a news release from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, Archbishop Broglio stated that over 300,000 Catholics now serve in the US Military and we only have 227 Priests serving as active duty Chaplains. That is one Priest for 1,300 Catholics in uniform spread out over the globe. This number does not include dependants. Catholics make up 25% of the Military population but make up only about 8% of the Chaplains. Put another way, 92% of the Chaplains in the Military represent Protestants or other faiths. This makes it very hard for Catholic service personnel to practice their faith, particularly on distant deployments and war zones where Masses are few and far between. They may go weeks at a time without access to the sacraments and spiritual counseling. Without any further ado, let s get those checks coming and make them payable to Knights of Columbus Charities and on the memo line write Military Chaplain s Fund. Mail to Gary L. McLain, VSM, 36 Currant Avenue, Middleburg, FL If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me by phone at (904) or by at garymc36@comcast.net. Some important days to remember in November are All Saints Day, All Souls Day, Election Day, Veteran s Day, and Thanksgiving. Fraternally, SK Gary L. McLain, PSD Vice Supreme Master DeSoto Province ATTENTION FAITHFUL COMPTROLLERS The Supreme Council Headquarters published new reference material for financial secretaries. These new materials replace and supersede all previously published Financial Secretary Handbooks and documentation. However, please instruct all faithful comptrollers to continue to use the Financial Secretary/Faithful Comptroller Handbook (#1410) until further notice. Thank you. SK Dennis J. Stoddard Fourth Degree Supreme Master Knights of Columbus 4

5 2015 North Carolina Fourth Degree Regional Exemplification (One Day) February 28, 2015 Hosted By: The Cardinal Gibbons Assembly No. 783, Fayetteville Where: St. Patrick Church 2840 Village Drive Fayetteville, NC Exemplification Time: 12 Noon sharp! Candidates should arrive no later than 10:00 AM and dressed as explained on the attached Exemplification Dress Code Form Observers: You should also be dressed in the official uniform of a Sir Knight, as explained on the Dress Code Form. You also must complete the Dress Code Form and submit with your luncheon fee. Luncheon: Immediately following the Exemplification at approximately 3:00 PM Please advise if there are any Dietary Restrictions! FEES & PAYMENTS Candidates fee is $ He will receive a social baldric, Fourth Degree lapel pin, one luncheon ticket, and a Fourth Degree certificate. This fee is governed by Supreme. Observer and Guest fee will be $20.00 and it will cover one luncheon ticket. The Master must have the name and Assembly number of all observers and the name of all guests. All checks must be from the Assembly and made payable to Master's Fund. There will be no personal checks accepted. DO NOT mail cash!! Candidate and Guest money, completed Form 4, and the completed Exemplification Dress Code Form must be sent in together no later than February 14, No refund requests will be accepted after that date. Observer and Guest money and completed Exemplification Dress Code Form must be sent in by the same date. If the Form 4 is not complete, it will not be accepted. See attached example of a completed Form 4. Send to District Master SK David L. Onofrio, 601 Parker Street, Fuquay Varina, NC If you are planning on staying overnight, there are some Hotels and Motels in the area that you should be able to use. Do not wait. Recruit candidates now. This is a less expensive way for a Third Degree brother to become a member of the Patriotic Arm of the Order and do it in just one day. 5

6 February 28, 2015 Fayetteville Exemplification The following Exemplification Dress Code Form MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED, AND SUBMITTED WITH EACH CANDIDATE'S COMPLETED FORM 4 Appropriate Dress for Candidate and/or Observers is Black Tuxedo, Plain White Tuxedo Pleated Shirt (with lay down collar - NO wing tips allowed), Black Bow Tie, Black Shoes, Black Socks, Black Cummerbund. Observers must also wear their social baldric and the PG-113 lapel pin, not the flag lapel pin. Candidate will receive his Social Baldric and Fourth Degree pin in the Ante-Chamber after registering with the District Secretary. Clergy to wear their Blacks or cassock. Active Duty Military may wear their Class A or Dress Uniform instead of the Black Tuxedo. You also have an option of not wearing the baldric with your dress uniform. No weapons, concealed or otherwise, are permitted! Attach lower portion to candidate's completed Form 4 and send to the District Master OBSERVERS MUST COMPLETE THIS FORM ALSO, IF ATTENDING THE LUNCHEON. I fully understand the above requirements and must be in the appropriate dress to be eligible to take my Fourth Degree. I am to report to the District Secretary s Registration Desk no later than 1 hour prior to the published start time of the Exemplification (9:30AM to 10:00 AM is recommended). Print Full Name of Candidate or Observer Please indicate whether you are staying for luncheon YES NO Will you be bringing a guest for the luncheon? YES NO Print Full Name of Guest Please advise if there are any Dietary Restrictions! No refund requests will be accepted after February 14, 2015 ASSEMBLY OFFICERS: THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETELY FILLED OUT AND SIGNED BY THE CANDIDATE AND ATTACHED TO THE CANDIDATE'S FORM 4. BOTH MUST BE SUBMITTED, TOGETHER, TO THE DISTRICT MAS- TER ALONG WITH A CHECK FROM THE ASSEMBLY MADE OUT TO THE MASTER'S FUND. 6

7 Properly completed Form 4 7

8 One Nation Under God Designated Flag Flying Days from the U.S. Flag Code New Year s Day, January 1 Inauguration Day, January 20 Martin Luther King Jr. s birthday, (third Monday in January) Lincoln s Birthday, February 12 Washington s Birthday, (third Monday in February) Easter Sunday (variable) Mother s Day, (second Sunday in May) Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15 (half-staff all day) Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May Flag Day, June 14 Independence Day, July 4 Labor Day, first Monday in September Patriot Day, September 11 (half-staff all day) Constitution Day, September 17 Columbus Day, (second Monday in October) Navy Day, October 13 Veterans Day, November 11 Thanksgiving Day, (fourth Thursday in November) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7 (half-staff all day) Christmas Day, December 25 8

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10 Where to purchase Formal Wear KC Formalwear -this is located at the State Fairgrounds but do not wait until September or October to go there. Late September they prepare to move out to make room for the State Fair. October is the State Fair. Start now!!!! The owner is Kenneth Carter -his phone number is and his is He is located in one of the enclosed buildings. He will work with you and can even ship to you. To give you an example, I bought a tuxedo shirt for $5. Another place to get a Tux is Formalwear Outlet in Hillsborough. They have a package of a complete Tux (jacket, pants, shirt, bow tie, cummerbund, studs, & cufflinks) for $95 + tax. Tell them they you are a member of the Knights of Columbus. The address is 415 Millstone Drive Hillsborough, NC There are a few J C Penny stores that still offer a discounted price for the proper tuxedo attire that makes up the official uniform of a Sir Knight. This is not a corporate program and entirely up to the store manager. He may tell you it's a corporate program, but it isn't. Now for the correct formal wear for each of you: Black Tuxedo (normally this would be the "After 6" version) -no tails, just a straight bottom cut jacket with normal lapels. Plain white tuxedo shirt -pleated and with a straight collar (NO wing tip collars). Black bow tie. Tuxedo studs and cuff links (these are the round black ones). Black cummerbund (NO vests). Black socks and shoes. SK Dave Onofrio District Master 10

11 WOUNDED WARRIOR PROGRAM INFORMATION WE are getting into the busiest time of the year for our Wounded Warrior Program. Many Councils and Assemblies, in North Carolina and other Districts in the DeSoto Province have already sent me funds they have collected, with most stating that this is their first run at for this year. More to come. I have personally been involved with some of the Councils to assist them in getting their program off the ground. I will be going to Orlando, Florida for their November 29, 2014 Exemplification. This is usually the biggest Exemplification of the entire DeSoto Province. The District Master of Florida is giving me time to talk about the Program at the Exemplification Banquet. I look forward to have the opportunity to personally thank the Florida Assemblies for their extreme generosity. Of course I will be at Raleigh, NC on November 15 for the NC Exemplification. I also have permission to talk about this program at that time. I have been getting mail asking for some suggestions to help their Councils increase their intake. I think that if you can get permission from your Pastor, to speak at all Masses on one weekend and explain this program and then have Knights in the back of the church with collection containers, you will be surprised how much you will get.. My personal Parish donates around $3,000 each year from this method. If any of you have a good program that you have found to be very helpful, please let me know. Let's share our good ideas and become more successful. I believe that I mentioned in the last report that since we started this program in 2006 the Knights of Columbus have raised over one million dollars and it gets better and keeps growing. If I can be of any help to anyone please let me know. I do not have all the answers, but if we share our successes we will all do better. Fraternally, SK Robert J. Singer, PSD, FDM, FVSM 2506 Canal Drive Wilson, NC rjskofc@nc.rr.com 11

12 Knights of Columbus District of North Carolina Programs The following programs are considered as District wide. Military Chaplain Scholarship Fund To support priestly vocations for the military. This is reserved exclusively for seminarians who will, once ordained, serve both their home diocese and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, as a uniformed chaplain. The goal is to have each State, combined with the Fourth Degree District, raise a minimum of $4000 per year over a five year period. Checks are to be made payable to Knights of Columbus Charities with the notation Military Scholarship in the memo area and mailed to: Gary L. McLain, VSM 36 Currant Avenue Middleburg, FL Wounded Warrior Fund Run through the Military Order of the Purple Heart, we raise money to send all of the Wounded Warriors, in the Military Hospital at Camp Lejeune Marine Base, home for the Holidays. This is a 501c3 non-profit organization and your contributions are tax deductible. 100% of the money is used to send them home. This program has been approved by Supreme Master Dennis Stoddard. Checks are to be made payable to M.O.P.H. with the notation Wounded Warrior Fund in the memo area and mailed to: Robert J. Singer, FVSM, FDM, PSD 2506 Canal Drive Wilson, NC VAVS (Veterans Assistance Volunteer Service) This encompasses so many activities in support of our Veterans and it is only limited by your imagination. SK Tom DuPree is our representative for this extremely valuable program and has implemented several ways we can help and work with our Veterans. One such activity was the collection, at the Fourth Degree Exemplification, of specific items that are needed at the VA Medical Centers in NC. Please contact Tom, find out what he has already set up and volunteer. Tom is always looking for more ideas. Tom DuPree, North Carolina District VAVS Representative VA twdupree@aol.com H or C

13 Knights of Columbus District of North Carolina Programs One Nation Under God Pledge Program It calls for all assemblies in each U. S. state to gather at the state's capital city on Flag Day, June 14th, to conduct a flag ceremony and recite the Pledge of Allegiance each year. Every Assembly should plan and event in their community for Flag Day. Assistant District Marshal Paul Spire is heading this up for the District. Contact Paul at: pspire@hotmail.com Patriotic Coupon Program All we are asking you to do is to save all the national product unexpired or expired coupons and send them to Joe Bailer. He is working with his contacts at Fort Bragg to distribute these coupons to military families in the U.S. and overseas. This doesn't involve any manual labor (except using a pair of scissors) and would mean so much to many military families. There is no reason you can't get your Assemblies and Councils involved immediately, at little or no cost. Contact info: Joe Bailer 3717 Colorado Drive Hope Mills, NC, , No Start Planning! March for Life Jacksonville will be held on January 31, It will start at 1:00pm at the Jacksonville City Hall and march up Johnson Blvd and then go to the Infant of Prague Catholic Church. SK Lew McCloud, PFN, PGK Director Culture of Life NC KofC State Council State Photographer NC KofC State Council 13

14 VAVS (Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service) Greetings Brothers SK and Faithful Navigators, As we enter into the fall season, the month of November is the opportunity to reflect upon the many things that we are thankful for in our lives. Led by the Fourth Degree, Knights now provide volunteer manpower and nearly all of the Nations Veterans Medical Centers under the National Advisory Committee (NAC) which comprises of sixty-seven national organization. We are the largest single volunteer service partner for the Veterans Administration. In October 2011, our Vice-Supreme Master, SK Gary L. McLain, PSD, FDM, instituted our current VAVS Program in North Carolina. I was selected to be the District VAVS Representative for North Carolina. I have enjoyed the challenge this position brought and thank you Brother Knights for your support. We have improved our participation tremendously. Our shortfall is in our lack of reporting. This is extremely important so that we can get a more accurate picture of our achievements. I again ask for your support in reporting. OUR NEXT MAJOR DUE DATE IS December 31, I need the following data for our annual yearly report: date, event, man hours, dollar contributions and benefit to our Veterans. For each Assembly, please see previous articles in the Golden Plume for guidance. This report is not the 1728 that you will complete for Supreme on December 31st. Any questions, please contact me. Exemplification: November 14-16th Faithful Navigators, please contact your Candidates and Observers who have indicated by their application that they will be attending this event. Our past process has been to ask each Brother Knight to bring a personal donation to the Exemplification. These items will be donated to the four VA Medical Centers. Drop off your donation at the registration desk. Some suggested items requested by the VA Medical Centers: Sweat pants sizes S to XXX gray (tremendous need by all four VA Medical Centers Complete meals non-refrigerated (Hormel Complete Meals) Used to feed homeless Veterans. Fast food gift cards (McDonald s, Hardees etc) Gift cards to grocery stores or change restaurants. Men s long sleeve tee shirts any color all sizes Socks the diabetic style, can be found at Walmart Body wash Special raffles: Honoring SK Ronald J. Carney, Sr., PSD, NC District Master ( ) for his personal sword. Valued $ Another raffles: Regalia Package No complete set from the English Company. Valued $ The net proceeds will be used to help the expenses of the Veterans Wheel Chair Teams from the Salisbury and Durham VA Medical Centers to Dallas, Texas for the Games. Raffles tickets $10.00 for 1 ticket and 3 for $ Operation Cold Front Coats for Veterans: Now that the temperatures are dropping, many of our Veterans DO NOT HAVE a winter coat for the weather. The Durham, Salisbury and Asheville VA are participating in this program. Last year over 150 coats were donated by the Knights at a average price of $ dollars. Fraternally, SK Thomas W. (Tom) DuPree Jr. PGK, PFN, VAVS Representative Durham VA North Carolina District VAVS Representative VA, North Carolina State Council Veterans Affairs and VAVS Chairman 14

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