Monthly Archives: May 2015

Faithful Navigator’s Message

Faithful Navigator's Message

Brothers,

After a busy month of May, we look forward to a nice relaxing summer.

This month’s bulletin is a long one, but there’s one big issue that I want everyone to give some thought to. It seems that our “Phone Captains” system needs to be updated. Attendance to recent events has been low so we want to make sure that everyone is in fact being notified of upcoming events in a timely manner. To that end our phone captains and myself are looking at the lists and trying to find out where people are going missing. If you have not heard from your phone captain in a while, please let me know. If you prefer to be notified by email, then send me your email address.

My own email address is rjeffsmith@live.ca. My Stratford phone number is 226-786-0151. If you can’t get me on the Stratford number then my cell number is 226-789-1899.

Vivat,

SK Jeff Smith

Coming Events

4th Degree, Coming Events

June BBQ Social: June 22nd, Cocktails at 6:30, Dinner at 7:00.

Note: Tickets will be $5 per person. Open to members and their guests. Please notify Jeff or your phone captain early so that we can give our caterer ample warning.

If you know of any of our widows who might be interested in coming out, please invite them.

Exemplification

Exemplification

Please welcome our two newest members, Fred Dubrick and Howard Culligan. We look forward to seeing them and their wives at the June Social BBQ and other events.

The Exemplification saw forty-eight new members join the Fourth. It was a well attended event.

For the gift basket that we donate annually, Jean and I took a different approach this year and canvassed local businesses to make donations, instead of just buying some the basket contents. We received $270 worth of gift certificates for the basket. The basket’s theme was “Spend a day in Stratford” and included breakfast at Features, chocolates from Rheo Thompson, lunch at the Keystone Alley Cafe, an afternoon boat tour from Avon Boat Rentals and dinner at Foster’s Inn. If you are near any of these merchants in the near future be sure to thank them on behalf of the 4th Degree. We will be sending formal thank you letters to our sponsors shortly.

Flag Pins

Honour Guard

As you may have heard by now, there has been a lot of confusion lately regarding the flag pins versus the standard Fourth Degree pins that we received at our own Exemplifications. A few weeks ago we received an email from Supreme stating that the flag pins are no longer to be used, then at Exemplification they were handing out the flag pins to all members to wear that day. To further complicate things, the new members at the Exemplification were given the old standard Fourth Degree pins.

So at this point in time I would like to advise all members who attend any honour guard or other formal event to carry both pins with them. Bottom line is that we all are supposed to wear the same pin when we do honour guard duties, so let’s be prepared by carrying both pins with us, just in case.

Fifth Ontario District Golf Tournament‏

4th Degree, Coming Events

When: 11:00 AM, Saturday, July 25, 2015

Where: Country View Golf Course on Highway 40, between Chatham and Wallaceburg, at Oungah

Format: Four Person Scramble, Shot Gun start, Ladies are welcome to play as well

Cost: $65.00 for 18 holes of golf, 1/2 golf cart, smorgasbord supper about 4:00 PM following completion of golf.

Please call in or preferably e-mail the names of your golfers to Peter Hensel, 519-627-2347 or pnjhensel@yahoo.ca at least a week before the tournament, July 20 at very latest so arrangements can be completed.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Silver Rose Installation

4th Degree, Coming Events

Date: August 15, 2015

At: Our Lady of the Rosary, Knights of Columbus London Diocesan Shrine

5773 – 10th. Line Raleigh, Merlin, Ontario

Mass: 11:00 am – Celebrant, Bishop Ronald P. Fabbro CSB

Banquet: 1:00pm – Saint Peter’s Hall 5425 Tecumseh Line Tilbury Ontario approx., 5 kms from Church.

Menu: Stuffed Pork Loin with all the trimmings + Desert

Contact for tickets: SK Leo Heppelle 519-451-6417 or email leoheppelle@rogers.com Tickets $ 20.00 each. Any special Dietary needs Call Leo. Tickets are first come first served.

Message from your Chaplain

Chaplain's Message

Dear Brother Knights,

As you know, we are coming to the end of the Easter season in the Church, and we are moving steadily toward summer. The great feast of Pentecost, the birthday of our Church, is just around the corner. We live in the life of the Spirit, and at times we can forget this truth with our crammed schedules and concerns. When we realize this, then it is a good time to take a pause and reflect on this and what it means in my life. The celebration of the sacrament of Confirmation reminds us of this. This sacrament will be celebrated in our cluster on May 24 at 2:00 at St. Joseph’s Church. I want to thank the Fourth Degree Knights for the honour guard.

I want to thank all those who have accepted positions on the executive for this coming year, and thank those who are retiring. We promise our support. I also want to thank you for sponsoring the Walkathon which is coming up on June 14. I hope as many as possible will either walk or sponsor those who are walking. The monies raised from this will go to the restoration fund for St. Joseph’s Church. Let us pray that we have good weather.

I want to end with this reflection from Brendan McConvery “Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, so that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.

Once, again, I want to thank you for all that you do for our church and the wider community.

Your Chaplain

Father Bester

Grand Knight’s Message

Grand Knight Message

Dear Brother Knights

My time as Grand Knight is coming to an end. The two years have been both a learning and a rewarding experience for me. I learned that as the person in charge, ‘the buck stops here’ and at the same time I learned the value of having dedicated and dependable people around to help. Thank you to the executive members for your help and advice and as well as to many other brother Knights who step up and make this a very good Council.

I send a special thank you to my wife Pat for her support these past two years. I believe I speak for many other Knights as well when I say that spouses play an important role in making our Council successful.

New members are looking for an opportunity to participate in Council activities. Invite them to take part when you are planning an event. The availability of members to be involved changes over time. Family and job responsibilities and our health change. Let’s not forget members who have been with Council for many years and may just need an invitation to get involved once again.

There are few changes in the executive positions for the next year. This experienced group will do great work in support of newly elected Grand Knight, John Price. Best wishes to everyone in 2015-16.Enjoy the summer.

Dave Wilby

Grand Knight

Rose Sunday

Donations

Donations from parishioners at Immaculate Conception and at St. Joseph’s on Mother’s Day were over $900.The Knights will again be making a donation to Stratford and Area Right to Life to reflect this generosity. Thank you to brother Knights who helped in the collection at the Masses: Joe Lorentz, John Saman, Eugene Hagen, Gary Crowley, Matt Willemsen, Ken Henderson, Jacques Lauren, Paul Gras, Ken Gaffney, Don Van Raay, John Walsh, John Price, Mike Lobsinger, Adam Gulikers, Larry McCabe, Jim Gaylor and Harry Visser.

In Memoriam

in Memoriam

Our prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of Jean O’Donovan, spouse of deceased Brother Knight Pat O’Donovan and for Katherine Hess, sister-in-law of Brother Harry Thomas and for their families.