Knights of Columbus Tops $80Billion of Life Insurance in Force

T he Knights of Columbus insurance programpassed a major milestone in late April when total

insurance in force exceeded $80 billion. The amount oflife insurance in force has doubled in just over a decade,from $40 billion in 2000. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson cited the record sales growth as resulting fromthe organization’s philosophy of sustainable investment andethical business practices. “Despite the difficult economic con-ditions in the United States, the Knights of Columbus has maintainedits strength, and has improved its standing relative to the insurance in-dustry as a whole,” the supreme knight said. “There is no higher-ratedinsurer than the Knights of Columbus, and we have every confidencein our continued success because we have a fundamentally solid busi-ness model, which continues to serve us well.” The Knights of Colum-bus has more than $17 billion in assets and ranks in the Fortune 1000list of America’s largest companies. It is one of only five insurers inNorth America to receive the highest possible rating for financial sta-bility from both Standard & Poor’s (AAA) and A.M. Best (A++).

KNIGHTLINEKNIGHTLINEm a y 2 0 1 1 � v o l u m e 2 8 � n u m b e r 5 � w w w . k o f c . o r g

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS In Service to One. In Service to Al l .

Salt + Light Television CEO Speaks on John Paul IIFather Thomas Rosica, CSB, chief executive officer of Salt + Light Television in Canada, presented a two-part lecture se-

ries at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn., in conjunction with the opening of the Pope John Paul II

exhibit “Blessed.” Having served as the National Director and CEO for World Youth Day 2002, Father Rosica’s first talk,

April 6, was dedicated to the gift of the late pontiff to the youth of the world: Laboratories of Faith: World Youth Days in

the Pontificate of Pope John Paul II. His second talk, delivered the next day, was titled The Suffering and Death of a

Shepherd: What Pope John Paul II Taught Us at the End.

n e w s f o r k n i g h t s o f c o l u m b u s l e a d e r s � 1 c o l u m b u s P l a z a , n e w h a v e n , c t 0 6 5 1 0 - 3 3 2 6 , u s a

‘Making God’s Work Our Own’

Supreme Knight Delivers Talk on JFK’s Inaugural Address

W ith the backdrop of historic Faneuil Hall in Boston, SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson delivered a speech April 7 titled

“Making God’s Work Our Own: The Importance of President John F.Kennedy’s Inaugural Address 50 Years Later.” More than 400 digni-taries, Knights, seminarians, and members of the public were on handto hear the supreme knight’s comments on President Kennedy’s mem-orable speech. Cardinal Seán O’Malley, archbishop of Boston, deliveredthe invocation, and Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, andSupreme Chaplain Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport were alsopresent.The event was co-sponsored by the Knights of Columbus andthe Boston Leadership Forum. Throughout his talk, the supreme knight repeatedly touched on two

of the major quotations from President Kennedy’s address: “The rightsof man [come] not because of the state but because of the hand ofGod” and “... ask not what your country can do for you — ask whatyou can do for your country.” He expressed how themes of human

SEE JFK, PAGE 4

2

LOUISIANA KNIGHTS GATHERAID SUPPLIES FOR JAPAN

W hen Louisiana District Deputy Darrel Gonzales and other mem-bers of Archbishop Rummel Council 5747 in New Orleans were

putting the finishing touches on preparations for their annual LouisianaCrawfish Festival during the last weekend in March, he and his fellowKnights quickly added a significant new item to the festival plans: collect-ing food and other supplies for the people of Northeastern Japan. Due totheir own losses during Hurricane Katrina that had devastated the area,the local Knights had firsthand experience with the needs and trials facedby the Japanese people in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami. TheKnights rented a large truck, parked it next to the festival site, and put outword in the media that donations were being sought. As the festival beganon Thursday evening, cars were already dropping off food and other sta-ples, often in case-sized quantities. The Crawfish Festival is major fundraiserfor Council 5747, and enables the Knights to fund a wide variety of char-itable activities. It is an “all hands” effort, and more than 200 of the coun-cil’s 281 members turned out to work during the festival’s four-day run.Three other councils in the area — 3068, 3441, 8442 — provide signifi-cant support. Contributions for the Japan or Haiti efforts can be made by visiting

kofc.org. Donations (in the United States) are tax deductible to the ex-tent allowed by law to Knights of Columbus Charities, Inc., a 501(c)(3)charitable organization. In Canada, donations are tax creditable to the ex-tent allowed by law to Knights of Columbus Canada Charities, Inc., aregistered charity with the CRA. Please write “Hope for Haiti’s Children”or “Japan Earthquake Relief Fund” on the memo line of the check.Checks should be sent and made payable to: Knights of Columbus Char-ities, One Columbus Plaza, PO Box 1966, New Haven, CT 06509-1966. For Canada, please mail checks made out to: Knights of ColumbusCanada Charities, Gift Processing Center, PO Box 7252 Station A,Toronto, ON M5W 1X9.

Knights from throughout St. Bernard Parish and surrounding Louisiana communi-ties led an effort to collect donations of food and other supplies for victims of Japan’searthquake and tsunami.

“Defend life” was a rallying cry for Knights and other

pro-life advocates who participated in simultaneous

“Walk for Life” events in Luzon, Visayas and Min-

danao. The activities were held through March,in sup-

port of the culture of life and in opposition to the

Reproductive Health Bill, a measure that seeks to pro-

mote contraceptives. Similar government legislation

that would have created what it touted as a measure

on maternal health care failed last year because the

Philippine Congress ran out of time to deliberate on

the matter.

On March 25 in Luzon, an interfaith rally organized by

the Archdiocese of Manila against the Reproductive

Health Bill took place. The rally, attended by Cardinal

Gaudencio B. Rosales and members of the Order,

drew almost 400,000 supporters. The following day

the Knights of Columbus of Luzon held their “Walk for

Life” and it was attended by almost 10,000 members

from the different councils in Manila.

Meanwhile, councils in Visayas held marches in three

different locations. On March 12 an event held in

Cebu City was attended by nearly 10,000 members

and other supporters.

A rally held on March 18 in Bacolod City drew 18,000

participants including Knights and their families. In

Iloilo City, on March 25, nearly 3,000 Knights and

other supporters also held a demonstration against

the bill.

Mindanao also held a “Walk for Life” on March 12 in

Davao City with 5,000 Knights. A second event was

held simultaneously in Digos City, Davao del Sur with

1,000 Knights attending.

HAS YOUR COUNCIL CONDUCTED AN OUTSTANDING PROJECT LIKE THIS? If so, we’d like to hear about it. Please send information

on your project (including the when, where, what, who, why and how of the activity) and photos to knightline@kofc.org. If you have any questions about sending in photos,

call us at 203-752-4264. In addition, if you think your council has an event or program that is an outstanding example of one of the six “Surge … with Service” categories

— Church, Family, Pro-Life, Youth, Community or Council — let us know. We would like to produce a listing of upcoming events that we can pursue for possible promo-

tion with local media and/or for use as a feature article in one of our publications. Please send a brief description of your upcoming event (one or two sentences describing

it, the date, the location and contact information) to knightline@kofc.org or call 203-752-4264. We look forward to hearing from you.

Knights ‘Walk for Life’ Throughout the Philippines

­­­

3

K nights of Columbus from throughoutMexico traveled to the Shrine of

Christ the King at the top of Cerro del Cu-bilete (Cubilete Hill) March 27 for a specialday of worship in memory of the K of Cmartyrs who were killed during the persecu-tion of the Catholic Church in Mexico inthe 1920s.Approximately 400 Knights and their fami-

lies, some traveling as long as 15 hours fromthe far ends of the country, joined SupremeKnight Carl A. Anderson for the event, whichincluded a Mass celebrated by Cardinal JuanSandoval, archbishop of Guadalajara.Cardinal Sandoval emphasized the need for

the Order to grow in Mexico and for Knightsto give witness to their faith, following the ex-ample of the Order’s founder, Father Michael J.McGivney, and of the martyrs being com-memorated.In remarks delivered in Spanish following

Mass, the supreme knight also reflected on thesacrifice of the Mexican martyrs. “What makes these Knights holy is not that

they faced death with no fear,” he said. “Rather,it is the sincere and immense love they gave totheir friends and enemies, even going to the ex-treme of shedding their own blood for theirsake, as Christ himself did.”The martyrs’ example of love of God and

neighbor, the supreme knight added, is insep-arable from the Knights’ history in Mexico.

“Honoring the lives of these men, the Ordermust remain faithful to the promise of grow-ing with members who, with the fruit of theirtestimony, will transform society,” he said.Cubilete Hill is located at the geographic

center of Mexico, near the town of Silao, Gua-najuato. At the hill’s summit, 8,530 feet abovesea level, sits a shrine whose columns support a65-foot-tall, 88-ton bronze statue of Christ the

King. The original Shrine of Christ the Kingwas first built by Catholics of the region in thelate 1920s during the Cristero War. It was de-stroyed with dynamite by the Mexican govern-ment in 1928. At the bottom of the hill, at theplace where the head of the original statue ofChrist was found after the explosion, is thechapel of Mary Queen of the Martyrs, whichtoday houses relics of the Mexican martyrs.

Mexico Knights Make Pilgrimage to

Christ the King Mountain

Top: Fourth Degree Knights align a procession into the chapel at the Shrine of Christ the King. Above: CardinalJuan Sandoval, archbishop of Guadalajara, and Supreme Knight Anderson are pictured with the state deputies ofthe four Mexican jurisdictions. The supreme knight, Cardinal Sandoval and the state deputies had an opportunityto talk about the development of the Order in Mexico before Mass.

4

rights, service to others and religious freedom appear throughout thespeech.“Few presidential speeches in our history have so clearly presented

the spirit of our nation’s historical, philosophical and moral founda-tion,” the supreme knight said. In looking at why the speech had suchan impact, the supreme knight recalled the words of John Steinbeck,who was at Kennedy’s inaugural. Steinbeck later wrote to the presidentcommending his speech which he said “was not only nobly conceivedand excellently written and delivered, but also had that magic under-tone of truth which cannot be simulated.”Anderson said that he believes it is this “undertone of truth” which

gave Kennedy’s words their enduring power.“President Kennedy’s great challenge — ‘ask what you can do for

your country’ — remains with us still, more relevant than ever,” thesupreme knight added. “For the Christian, I believe he answered thatchallenge with the final words of his address: ‘With a good conscienceour only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let usgo forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, butknowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.’ Andthat is why President Kennedy’s address still resonates after 50 years.”President Kennedy joined the Knights of Columbus in 1946 on St.

Patrick’s Day. He was a member of Bunker Hill Council 62 inCharlestown, Mass.For more on the supreme knight’s speech, visit kofc.org.

JFK, FROM PAGE ONE

Also in attendance was Supreme Chaplain Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport andCardinal Seán O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston, who gave the invocation atthe event.

S upreme Chaplain Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport was the maincelebrant for a Mass at St. Mary’s Church in honor of Founder’s

Day recognizing the 129th anniversary of the Order receiving its char-ter from the state of Connecticut. Supreme Council officers, staff andother guests attended the Mass. Bishop Lori gave the homily during the special Mass at the Order’s

birthplace. In his homily, Bishop Lori said: “On this Founder’s Day, wegive thanks to God for the Venerable Father Michael McGivney, ourfounder, and pledge to re-double our prayers that the cause of his beat-ification may advance such that he will be numbered among the saints.So also we pray for the eternal salvation of our first supreme knight,James T. Mullen, the founding members of the Order, and all those whohave gone before us, so that we may continue to build on the solid foun-dation of faith and fraternalism that these visionary and hard-workingmen bequeathed to us. May their souls rest in peace and may we have thegrace to carry forward their legacy in challenging days for the Churchthroughout the world.”Immediately after Mass, the attendees gathered at the sarcophagus of

Father McGivney in the back of the church, to pray for his canonization.Following the service at St. Mary’s Church, the Supreme Council offi-cers, led by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, traveled to the gravesite ofthe first Supreme Knight James Mullen, where they laid a wreath thatwas blessed by Bishop Lori.

Founder’s Day Celebrated at

Order’s Birthplace

MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the

Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the pre-

cepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

Supreme Chaplain Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport was the main celebrant for aMass at St. Mary’s Church in honor of Founder’s Day. Supreme Council officers,staff and other guests attended the Mass, and later prayed at the gravesite of firstSupreme Knight James T. Mullen.

Board of Directors Meets in BostonSupreme Knight Carl A. Anderson welcomed the

newest member of the Knights of Columbus Board of

Directors, Paul J. Lambert, who was installed at the

board’s quarterly meeting in early April. Supreme Di-

rector Lambert, a past state deputy of South Dakota

(2003-05), was elected to fill the vacant seat on the

board in early February. In other business at its quar-

terly meeting, the Knights of Columbus Board of Di-

rectors approved funding for 11 more ultrasound

machines. The Order has now funded 112 ultra-

sound machines for pregnancy centers in 41 states,

plus a machine funded by Georgia Knights for the

Holy Innocents Center in Kingston, Jamaica. To-

gether, local and state councils have joined with the

Supreme Council to purchase ultrasound machines

worth more than $3.3 million since the project began

a little over two years ago. Planning is now underway

to expand the program to Canada.

Is Your Council Star Quality?Now is the time to make sure your council has met all

the requirements for the Star Council Award by quali-

fying for the Father McGivney, Founder’s and

Columbian awards. The eligibility requirements for

these awards are: conducting and reporting at least

four major programs in each of the Service Program

categories (using the Columbian Award Application

found in the Council Report Forms Booklet (#1436) or

on the Order’s website by June 30), achieving new

associate member quota, and achieving new insur-

ance member quota. For more details, refer to the

Surge ... with Service program manual (#962) or the

Grand Knight’s Handbook (#915). To ensure timely

processing, all Form 100s must be received,

processed and recorded at the Supreme Council be-

fore 4:30 p.m. EST on June 30 to be counted toward

2010-11 fraternal year quotas. All insurance policies

must be issued and released on June 30 in order to

count for the 2010-11 fraternal year quotas.

Knights Respond to Tornado Relief EffortsDevastating tornadoes in the southern and midwest-

ern parts of the United States prompted impressive

local response from K of C councils, and donations

by the Supreme Council to aid disaster relief efforts.

The Supreme Council authorized a $10,000 donation

from the Order’s disaster assistance fund to provide

food, shelter and immediately needed items for mem-

bers in Iowa and their families, as well as for priests

and religious. The Supreme Council also donated

$20,000 toward storm relief efforts in North Carolina

after tornadoes touched down in 26 counties in the

eastern part of the state.

100 Percent Reporting The annual Survey of Fraternal Activity is how the

Knights of Columbus best tells the story of its work

for those in need, both financially and in time given.

Councils, assemblies and circles can and should still

submit their 2010 Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity

(#1728) to the Supreme Council office. A push is on

to get 100 percent of councils in each jurisdiction to

submit a Fraternal Survey by March 31, to ensure our

contribution numbers and volunteer hours can be the

highest ever. These jurisdictions currently have 100

percent of their councils submitting surveys: British

Columbia, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Michi-

gan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Puerto

Rico, Saskatchewan, South Carolina, Utah and

Wyoming.

Fourth Degree AwardsRemember that assemblies that have conducted four

or more patriotic programs during the fraternal year

are eligible for the Supreme Council Civic Award. The

Civic Award application is found on the Order’s web-

site at kofc.org and in the Assembly Report Forms

Booklet (#325). Submit the form to the Knights of

Columbus Supreme Council Department of Fraternal

Services before June 30.

Speed into a Fantastic Year-EndMembership Finish!As an incentive for jurisdictions to push toward a

strong year-end membership finish, the “Membership

Racing Series” competition has been pushed to the

starting line. Under this competition each of the final

five months of the 2010-11 Fraternal Year is treated

as a separate race and the Order is divided into six divi-

sions consisting of 12 jurisdictions each. Each jurisdiction

can have a chance of winning cash for its membership

programs by achieving 10 percent of its membership

intake goal. The jurisdiction that attains a minimum of 10

percent of its membership quota and the highest intake

percentage for its division will receive an extra bonus. A run-

ning score will be kept throughout the race and the jurisdiction with

the highest percent of intake quota (a minimum of 50 percent of its intake quota) will earn a bonus worth

three times its monthly award. Along with the monetary rewards, top performing jurisdictions also get

bragging rights. So rev up your recruitment engines and race to the top membership recruitment finish

line.

5

SHORT TAKES

Knights at DartmouthAll Knights, and especially college Knights, are

called to transform society, Supreme Knight

Carl A. Anderson told the founding members

of Father Bill Nolan Council 15094 at Dart-

mouth College, when he presented them with

their council charter on April 16. “We are

called to transform society. Our job is not an

easy one. ... We must in the words of St. Paul

put on ‘the whole armor of God, that you may

be able to withstand in the evil day, and having

done all, to stand’ (Eph. 6:11),” the supreme

knight said. “Today, we celebrate the estab-

lishment of a new Knights of Columbus coun-

cil here at Dartmouth College. It is a place to

stand, to ‘be strong in the Lord and in the

strength of his might’ (Eph. 6:13). That is why

you are called ‘knights.’”

6

Serving ThoseWho Served

O ur military personnel voluntarily actas the protectors of our nations,

standing on the front lines while keeping ussafe behind them. The Knights of Colum-bus acknowledges this unselfish act of patri-otism by promoting the “Serving ThoseWho Served” program. Members of theOrder should honor and assist these menand women in everyway possible.To honor military

personnel for theirservice, assembliesand councils cangive their time vol-unteering at veter-ans’ hospitals, clinicsand health care facil-ities. Councils canalso send greeting orbirthday cards tohospitalized veteransand military person-nel stationed awayfrom home. This is agreat way to showveterans that theirefforts and sacrificesare not forgotten. Let the veterans

and current membersof the military knowthat the Knights ofColumbus appreci-ates their service andsacrifice. Take thetime to honor or as-sist them in a waythat is worthy of theirmilitary service. The Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service,

VAVS, is the vehicle that assemblies use in the“Serving Those Who Served” program.Through this program, the Knights ofColumbus Fourth Degree Veteran’s Hospitalvolunteers are organized by having one of theirmembers become a certified representative atthe hospital. Our certified members attendhospital meetings and organize efforts for K ofC volunteers.The Knights of Columbus currently has a

VAVS Committee at almost every VA medical

center and clinic in the United States. Thesecommittees consist of at least one certified rep-resentative and up to three deputy representa-tives from the Knights of Columbus.In the United States, the VA hospitals,

clinics and facilities need all types of volun-teer services — from program planning tovisiting veterans. For more information on

this outstandingprogram, please con-tact your Fourth De-gree district masteror locate the closestVA Medical center. Programs like

these are by nomeans limited to theUnited States.Canada, the Philip-pines and other ju-risdictions offer likeopportunities. Con-tact your Fourth De-gree district masterfor more details. Assemblies and

councils can alsohonor military per-sonnel and veteransthroughout the yearby presenting themwith Patriotic ServiceAward certificates —U.S. (#839), Canada— English (#839C),Canada — French(#839F), Mexico —Spanish (#839S),

and the Philippines — English (#839P).These vertical certificates are available for 25cents each from the Supreme Council SupplyDepartment, plus shipping and handling. Also available is the Armed Forces Cer-

tificate (#1471) that can be presented tomembers of the military as an expression ofgratitude for service to the defense of“mankind’s basic rights to a life of freedomand dignity.” Space is provided for the grandknight’s signature. This vertical certificate isavailable in English only for 25 cents fromthe Supply Department.

This Spring,Focus on

RecruitingYoung Fathers

NEW IDEAS, THE ENERGY OFYOUTH, a fresh way of looking at old challenges.

These are all attributes that young men, especially

young fathers, can bring to your council. As the

world continues to change, the Order is changing

with it and your council needs young members to

keep it strong, growing and current. With Fathers

Day fast approaching, focus your efforts on recruiting

young dads.

Show these young fathers and other men that the

Order has plenty to offer them. Invite them to your

service programs, or even better, get them involved

in planning projects. Show them that you’re inter-

ested in their views and are eager to listen and act.

Here are some ideas on how to bring in young fa-

thers:

Identify young fathers — sons and grandsons of

members, fathers of Squires and parish school

students, members of fathers’ clubs, and dads

of sports team members. Also, look at the fa-

thers of past winners from your Free Throw com-

petition, essay contest, substance abuse

awareness poster competition or Soccer chal-

lenge as potential members who have had a

good experience with the Order.

Conduct an invitation program aimed directly at

young fathers; highlight programs, activities and

events that will interest them, such as athletics

and community service projects, along with the

Order’s many benefits.

Conduct First Degrees throughout the year

aimed at initiating young fathers into the council,

and encourage them to join with other dads they

know.

Encourage young fathers to spend some time

visiting fathersforgood.org.

For more information on membership and recruiting,

visit kofc.org/recruit.

thinkstock.com

Photo by randy hale

Chris Pace of St. Francis of Assisi Assembly inPort St. Lucie, Fla., escorts World War II veteranRobert Ballis into Digital Domain Park for aminor league baseball game. Knights sponsored sixveterans to attend the event. The assembly also col-lected $2,800 from ticket sales and donations atthe game to fund further programs for veterans.

“I must give to others notonly something that is myown, but my very self; I must be personally present in my gift.”

S o wrote Pope Benedict XVI in his encycli-cal on charity, Deus Caritas Est. His state-

ment reflects the core of the charitable work ofthe Knights of Columbus, the giving of our-selves through volunteer service. Whether your council is conducting food

drives, working with veterans, collecting cloth-ing for needy families, or other charitable activ-ities, mobilizing volunteers is the key to success. Here are some things to consider when re-

cruiting volunteers and strategies to use whenasking people to give their time: Appoint a council volunteer coordinator to

maintain a list of people willing to work withthe program chairmen in making sure each ac-tivity is sufficiently staffed with volunteers. Start with your council members and their

families when building a list of potential volun-teers. Contact each member on the council’sroster (even those who might not have attendeda meeting or an event for some time) and ask ifhe is interested in helping out at council activi-ties throughout the year. Be sure to mentionthat this is not a commitment to volunteer atevery event, but rather it is an opportunity tobe included in the council’s pool of volunteers. Once you have a good foundation of Knights

and their families for your volunteer pool, startlooking at other potential volunteers. Somegroups to consider are: vParishioners who are already familiarwith your council’s members and whatthey do.

vCouncil members’ friends and relativesvMembers of other groups in the parish(various guilds and other servicegroups).

vThe parents of children attending theparish school or nearby parochialschool.

vMembers of other churches, syna-gogues and mosques in the community.

vStudents at both public and Catholichigh schools. (This might be a very

productive group to contact because oftheir youthful energy as well as the factthat many high schools now request anamount of volunteer hours by studentsas a graduation requirement.)

vCollege/University students (especiallyon campuses that have a Knights ofColumbus college council) are also vi-able prospects. To supplement your volunteer pool, place a

“Call for Volunteers” in your council, parish,and community publications at least a monthprior to an event. Keep this announcement sim-ple and include the type of event, the date, time,and type of work that will be done, and anytools and materials that volunteers would needto bring. Also include a name and contact in-formation (phone and/or e-mail) for your vol-unteer coordinator or program chairman. When asking a prospect to be a part of your

volunteer list, be sure to mention the commit-ment is as much as he/she wants it to be —from volunteering at two to three (or more)projects throughout the year, to simply pur-chasing an extra can of food once a week for thecouncil’s food drives. Set up a schedule of events your council will

sponsor throughout the year, and begin recruit-ing people from your volunteer pool to work atthese events. Set up an Excel file to list the event,date, time, and the people scheduled to work at

it. E-mail this file to your volunteer pool so theycan keep track of their commitments. The weekprior to an event, phone or e-mail the volun-teers who will be working at it to confirm theywill be able to attend. Make sure that when you schedule someone

to help at an event that they have a specific jobto do. Nothing will turn off volunteers morethan to show up and have nothing to do. Always take time to say thanks to your dedi-

cated volunteers. One way to do this is throughhaving a frequent volunteer points system. Likefrequent flyer mileage points, your councilcould offer volunteer points to volunteers forevery hour (five hours, ten hours, whateverworks for your council) of volunteer time givento the council. These points can be redeemablefor items such as: vTickets to council social functionsvCouncil T-shirts, hats, etc. vKnights of Columbus materials boughtfrom the Supreme Council Supply Department

vGift certificates to restaurants or stores.Along with frequent volunteer points, be sure

to recognize your best volunteers by listing theirnames in the council newsletter and awardingthem with certificates obtainable from theSupreme Council office. See the Knights ofColumbus Certificates flyer (#2640) for a listingof certificates.

7

A PRIVILEGE TO SERVERecruiting and Organizing Volunteers

Members of Our Lady of the Skies Council 8200 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.,chop wood for a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy. Fifteen council members and one youth minister split ap-proximately 10 cords of wood, saving the woman about $2,000 in winter heating bills.

KNIGHTLINEKNIGHTLINE1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326

A h, the old rose-coloredglasses. You know the ones

I’m talking about. I don’t wear them all of thetime, but I keep them handy. They are alwaysaround when I need them.Every summer when the Dallas Cowboys

go to training camp (that’s right — I’m aCowboy fan … go ahead and have your fun),I pull out my rose colored glasses and all theflaws that other people see in my team disap-pear. When I wait until the very last minuteto go to the store to buy something I desper-ately need, I pop on my rose-colored glassesand convince myself that there is no need toworry — they’ll have what I’m looking for, itwill be on sale, and there will be no line at thecheckout. Life is good with those rose-coloredglasses!Football teams and shopping sprees are

trivial matters. A crooked view of life throughmy glasses on those topics doesn’t hurt me

much. But sometimes those glasses are bigtrouble.You know you need life insurance. I know:

it’s not a glitzy purchase … it’s not somethingyou show off to your friends … but youknow you need it. If you have some, chancesare pretty good — great actually — that youneed more. And you know why you need it.It’s all about your family. It’s not about you.It’s about them.So, assuming you know you need it, and I

know you need it, why aren’t we getting to-gether to arrange for it? Those glasses.The glasses go on and we decide to wait

until tomorrow, because after all, nothing badcan happen today. And when nothing badhappens today, those glasses go on much eas-ier and fit much better tomorrow, because,after all, if nothing went wrong yesterday,what are the chances that something will gowrong tomorrow?

You’re feeling good, you’re looking good,you’re loving life, and you have so manyother, more important things to do with yourhard earned cash. The only time you reallythink about life insurance, really, is when wecall you. And for a brief second when that callcomes in, or when you’re reading this col-umn, or when you see your agent, you say toyourself: you know, I really need to take careof that. But then the glasses come out, slideover that nose, and suddenly, tomorrow is abetter option than today. In the end, thinking that the Dallas Cow-

boys are going to go 16–0 and win the SuperBowl every year is foolish, but not dangerous.Thinking that you have an unlimited supplyof tomorrows to make a decision on securingthe future for your wife and children andgrandchildren is both foolish and dangerous. Put away the glasses (temporarily) and talk

with your agent. We’ll make your life really rosy.

PUBLISHED 12 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SUPREME COUNCIL � 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-380-9995 � 203-752-4264 � KNIGHTLINE@KOFC.ORG

Knights of Columbus Insurance: Your Shield for Life.

Put Away the Rose-Colored Glasses Thomas P. Smith Jr.

Executive Vice President (Agencies and Marketing)