|
Council #10808 Recorder Dana Dennis and Past Grand Knight Basil Favaro presenting a cheque from their Council to Angela Davies, Executive Director, Lennon Recovery House, South Rustico Our K of C Msgr. George A MacDonald Council #10808 The Knights of Columbus have a 99 year history on Prince Edward Island. Ours is one of 21 Councils and we are into our our 27th year. We are the Monsignor George A. MacDonald Council, named after a renowned physics professor at St. Dunstan’s University in Charlottetown who was well known for his community activism and leadership. Seven founding members are still actively involved in our Council. In October, 2015, we were honoured to receive a 4 Star Award for a 475% increase in membership and our growth in community service ventures. We were one of only 5 Councils across Canada and the United States to receive such a distinction. In 2017 we won another Star Council Award for surpassing our membership quota and for new community service projects including Coats for Kids, which provided new winter jackets to 48 children and youth in need through the four schools in the Bluefield Family of Schools. We were also at the corporate tables at the fundraising gala dinner for Special Olympics the past four years and are now actively helping out in special events for young people across PEI with physical and intellectual disabilities. In the last three years we have grown from 53 to over 97 members. Currently 25% of our members are in their 30’s and 40’s and the vast majority of them are actively involved with our veteran members in the many projects we undertake to help out people in need, regardless of their religious affiliation. We believe that teamwork is the fuel that allows ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. We work in true collaboration to serve our communities in many ways and we are especially proud of some new family-oriented activities and our growing engagement with children and youth. For example, at our annual State Convention which we hosted in 2016, we hired 10 youth from our Good Shepherd Pastoral Unit to serve the luncheon and the closing banquet. We also expanded our annual bursary program last Fall to award 4 high school graduates $250 each to further their studies beyond high school last year. We host annual summer family picnics and winter sleigh rides and this year are expanding them to include all parishioners. One of our newest community partners is Lennon Recovery House in South Rustico. Pictured below is Recorder Dana Dennis and Past Grand Knight Basil Favaro presenting a cheque to Angela Davies, Executive Director of Lennon Recovery House. Our Executive Team for 2018 – 19 Position/Name Chaplain……………………..Fr. Douglas MacDonald Grand Knight……………….. Paul Roberts Deputy Grand Knight………..Trevor MacKinnon Chancellor……………………Leo Trainor Recorder…………………… .Dana Dennis Warden………………………Darrell Evans Advocate……………………..Ron Gauthier Treasurer…………………… John Walsh Financial Secretary…………. David Murphy Lecturer………………………Wally Kowalchuk 1 Year Trustee……………… Donald MacDonald 2 Year Trustee……………… Arthur Mahar 3 Yr Trustee………………….Arquel Lizama Inside Guard…………………Barry Kelly Outside Guard……………….Leonard Rogers Faith Director………………..Basil Favaro Family Director………………To be named Community Director………Wally Kowalchuk Life Director……………….Don MacDonald Our meeting times We meet the first Thursday of the month in our Parish Hall at St. Francis of Assisi Parish Church in Cornwall. On average 25-30 members take part in our meetings and visiting Knights are always welcomed. All meetings are followed by a social hour with treats donated by volunteer members. We often begin our social hour with invited guest presentations on key themes relative to our service work. Monthly meetings are usually preceded by an Executive Meeting on the previous Tuesday evening. We continue to be active and proactive throughout the summer through fund raising initiatives such as barbecues in our local shopping plaza for Coats for Kids and our Fall Bursary Program. Who are the Knights of Columbus? On Oct 2, 1881, a group of 7 men gathered in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, at the request of their 29-year-old pastor, Father Michael J McGivney. The end result of that meeting came just over 5 months later on March 29, 1882, with the formation of an organization that came to be known as the Knights of Columbus. Its founding purpose was to offer financial help to members and their families who were sick, disabled and financially challenged, and this remains to this day one of the principal goals of our organization. The Knights of Columbus is world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization. There are 15,342 Councils with more than 2 million members in 17 countries around the world. They include Canada, United States, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Guatemala, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea Today, 135 years later, our Order remains true to its four founding principles – Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. Knights are Catholic men, 18 and older, who are committed to making their communities better places through charitable service. Charity is the first and foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. Our five key areas of service are Families including Children and Youth, Community, Church, Council and Culture of Life. Knights are called to help those in need and all Knights believe they can make a positive difference and change the world through small acts of charity and kindness at all levels, local to global. |
The Knights of Columbus of PEI 