Congratulations to Daniel Miller, Domagoj Bilandzich, Joseph Frasca, Alfredo Cervantes, Danna Clifford and
Nicolas Ducltesne who joined our Council through the exemplification of the First Degree in August.
St. George Parish BBQ
Members of council 953 ran the bar at this years St. George Parrsh BBQ. Next year St. George Church hopes to expand their annual summer BBQ into to a food festival. Pictured are Alan Dahl, Greg Wolfe, GK Adam Struck, Reader Fred Struck and Nick Bilandzich.
Knight of the Month for August
Our Knight of the Month for August was Scott Raab. He is the outreach director of Move America Forward, a Rancho Cordova organization that sends care packages to our troops overseas and provides assistance to veterans here at home. Recently, Scott connected with the Knights of Columbus Wheelchair Mission and was able to secure 30 wheelchairs that Move America Forward later distributed to disabled veterans in our area. Scott keeps busy with his work, and so we don’t always see him at our regular meetings and events. But that hasn’t stopped him from fulfilling our order’s mission of charity. Well done, Brother Scott!
Mexican Night Proceeds to Support Clara’s House
The Knights of Columbus Council #953 are pleased to announce that proceeds from our upcoming Mexican Night fundraising dinner will once again support Clara’s House. Mexican night will be held on September 23, 2017. Please save the date and make your reservations soon. Last year’s dinner sold out.
Clara’s House is a small primary care nurse practitioner clinic in Sacramento that provides compassionate, comprehensive healthcare to those most in need including the uninsured and homeless (http://clarashouse.org/).
Please invite your family and friends to attend Mexican Night dinner. All are welcome. Make a reservation by contacting Greg Wolfe, Chairman, Mexican Night at 916-457-7329 or at gwolfejf@gmail.com.
Grand Knight’s Message, August 2017
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:
- 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!
- 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
Volunteers Needed for Zippy Bun Booth
St. Mary’s Parish will be holding its 86th annual festival on Sunday, August, 20, 2017 and as usual, the festival’s Zippy Bun Booth will be set up and run by members of the council. (For newer members not familiar with a zippy bun sandwich, it’s nothing more than a pile of roast beef between two bun halves dripping with aus jus and is one of the most popular food items at the festival.) We’re still in need of a few volunteers to man some of the two hour shifts. If you can help at the booth, please contact GK Adam Struck at (916) 914-5041 or struckam@hotmail.com.