Worthy Brothers,

We are only one month into the new Columbian Year, and our council is already a flurry of activity. Coming up on Saturday, August 12 is our Tri-Tip Dinner, and a few weeks later is our annual Mexican Night on Saturday, September 23. The proceeds from all our events fund our many charitable programs, so please consider coming to an event or two and enjoying some excellent food and great fun while knowing that you are helping those in need. As always, invite your family, friends, and maybe a prospective Knight or two.

Which brings me to another topic: membership. As the oldest Knights of Columbus council in Sacramento, we also are one of the largest councils in the area, with over 250 members and eight parishes under our jurisdiction. But as is the case with many fraternal organizations, we are lucky if one quarter of those members are active. Our ability to do the most charitable work for the most people in need around us depends on having an active and growing membership.

Throughout this Columbian Year, we are planning to host membership drives at four parishes that fall under Council 953 where there is an interest in the Knights of Columbus but where we have, at best, a minimal presence. Additionally, we will be reaching out to our more active parishes not only to bring new members into the Order but also to determine where we can be of greater service. Our officers and Membership Director will be tapping shoulders for help with these outreach efforts.

In that same spirit, I challenge each of you to do two things this Columbian Year:

1. Reach out to at least one member you know who hasn’t been to any of our events or meetings for a while. Let them know how much we’d love to see them again, and tell them about all the good we are doing for our parishes, our community, and our fellow Brothers. Heck, offer to buy them a beer at our next meeting!

2. Bring at least one new member into the Knights of Columbus. Many of us know more than one Catholic gentleman who has expressed an interest in the Knights. Invite them to one of our fundraisers, or bring them to one of our business meeting dinners (prospective Knights eat for free!). Either way, show them who we are and what our mission is, and encourage them to become a part of our Order.

Think of all the good we could do if just 10% of us – 25 people – each brought in one new member and brought back one inactive member. That’s 50 additional Brothers volunteering at parish events, helping with fundraisers, and volunteering in the community. In other words, we would double the amount of God’s work we could accomplish.

Thank You,
Adam Struck
Grand Knight, Council 953

Worthy Brothers,

First, let me thank you for the trust and confidence you have placed in me to serve as your Grand Knight. It is a true honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our immediate Past Grand Knight, Bryan McKrell, for his leadership and service during the past year. I hope to live up to his example, as he has set the bar high.

As I prepared to write my first message of the new Columbian Year, I came upon the following quote from our Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson: “Whether at home or abroad, charity is our Order’s first principle and the basis for all we do as brother Knights. It is the tangible way that we live out that spirit of fraternity and ‘missionary discipleship’ to which Pope Francis has called us.”

We speak a lot about charity, but sometimes I think we forget that this word has many different meanings. One aspect of charity is the giving of money to charitable causes, which is something our council does quite well. Each year, our fundraising efforts enable us to donate thousands of dollars to scholarships for Cristo Rey High School students, our seminarians, the Sacramento Life Center, Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home, Get on the Bus, and many others. I am exceptionally proud of all that we do to assist these worthy charities. At the same time, I believe we can do even more than we are now.

Which brings me to another definition of charity: the giving of our time and our talents. In other words, simple acts that provide help to our parishes, our community, or even our fellow Brothers in need. For example, you may have seen news reports this week indicating that the homeless population in Sacramento has risen by more than 30 percent. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a group of Knights together to serve meals at Loaves and Fishes once a month? Opportunities like this are all around us: the elderly Brother who needs help taking care of his yard, the parish school that needs painting, or (God forbid) our neighbors who are suffering after a natural disaster.

A perfect opportunity for us to be of service to one of our parishes is coming up on Sunday, August 20: the St. Mary’s Festival Zippy Bun Booth. We are in need of both a chair and Brothers to work in two-hour shifts that day. Please let me know how you can be of service. In addition, I am exploring how we can be of help to the Middle Eastern Food Festival at St. George Parish, which is being resurrected in September after 20-plus years.

All of these examples I mentioned are opportunities for us not only to fulfill our mission of charity but also to recruit additional members to our order. Imagine the impact on prospective Knights when they see us out in the community performing acts of charity while wearing our Knights of Columbus shirts. They’ll surely want to be a part of our council!

My Brothers, God has given us so many gifts. This year, let us make it our council’s goal to renew our commitment to charitable service by sharing these gifts with those in need.

Thank You,
Adam Struck
Grand Knight, Council 953