DISTRICT MEETING/CHRISTMAS SOCIAL

Worthy Sir Knights:

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, the final District meeting for the calendar year 2011 will commence at St. Mary of the Assumption School in Upper Marlboro, MD, 20772.  This meeting however, will be different from previous meetings as we are asking that you bring your families for this meeting/social.  This  will the annual District Christmas Social for the District.   We will have a very, very brief meeting to discuss only one major issue.  HOW MANY CANDIDATES DO WE HAVE AS OF THAT DATE.  To ensure that we keep the meeting within the confines of secrecy, I am asking each Navigator through his Captain to have a report sent to the District Liaisons and to SK John Winfrey, Assistant to the Master.  He will compile the numbers for us and all we will be doing is confirming your totals as of that date.

Now for the Christmas Social:

We will do what we did last year in that we will have a pot luck luncheon where each person or family will bring a dish.  Ms. Gloria Winfrey will be purchasing a major meat for the luncheon to include the supplies for service (rolls, drinks, plates, cups, napkins, silverware and basic decorations)  All she is asking that those who will be bringing a dish to please let her know what the dish will be.  This will help her see what items we may be missing.  Those of you bringing a covered dish or a food item should contact Mrs. Gloria Winfrey either through email or by telephone.  Her contact information is either jwinfrey@verizon.net, or jwinfrey@microsoft.com, and phone is (301) 345-3794. This is a very good way to contact her as it will give her a record that she can track.

The kinds of things we are asking are:

Other meat dishes (to include but not be limited to chicken, luncheon finger sandwiches, etc.)

Salads (potato, garden, bean salads, etc.)

Vegetable (Hot, to include casseroles, veggie tray)

Deserts (Cakes, pies, brownies, cookies, etc.)

For the gift exchange, we will again have a White Elephant gift exchange.  The limit on any gift should be at least $5.00.  Thank you all for being a part of this fun session.  I have received regrets from a couple of people in Assemblies.  The Master asks that each Assembly at least have their officers or a representative to share our Christmas Social with everyone in the District!

 

v/r,

 

S/K Maurice Hunt

Special Projects Representative

 

 

 

Worthy Masters and my Brothers All,

When we were together at the Provincial Meeting, I mentioned the Wreaths Across America Program at Arlington National Cemetery that is being conducted on Saturday, December 10^th.  This project was worked in the past by the Maryland District.  At that time, I suggested that this be a Provincial Event as it is a very worthy project and the scope of the project has grown significantly this year as it is the 20^th anniversary of the program. 

There is a substantial amount of information in the e-mail that follows from Fritz Leach, the Special Events Coordinator for the Maryland District, so I encourage you to read his e-mail in its entirety.

In a nutshell, volunteers are needed to be at Arlington at 8:30 AM on December 10^th for a briefing at the main entrance to the Cemetery in front of the Women's Memorial.  That said, you should probably plan to be there no later than 8:00 AM to make the 8:30 AM briefing.  So that we can work as a group, I would suggest (as pointed out in the notes that follow) that we meet at the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) monument on the right as you enter the cemetery and just before getting to the Women's Memorial were we are to receive instructions.  

Due to limited available parking, volunteers are encouraged to take the Metro Rail to the Arlington Cemetery Station on the Blue Line.  You could also park across the bridge near the Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korea Memorials, then walk across the bridge.  No formal registration or sign-up is required. You just show up at the designated time and place. 

There is no dress code other than comfortable clothes that are appropriate for walking and the temperature that is forecast for that day.  Everyone should wear Knights of Columbus or patriotic articles ( shirts, hats, etc.).     

 

I hope that those close to the Arlington area, and those with family members buried in Arlington, will consider joining Judy and me on December 10^th. 

For those that cannot make it to Arlington, there may be opportunities to participate in similar programs closer to your own homes.  There are also programs for all of us to donate to help pay for the wreaths that are placed at the graves of our veterans.  For more information on donations and programs closer to home, please see the websites shown below.

As this Veteran’s Day weekend is celebrated, let us give a thought of how we can pay tribute to our veterans for the Christmas holiday season.

Thanks.

Fraternally,

Richie

 

 

 

Worthy Sir Knights:

 

A couple of months ago you were provided with the process for completing the Fraternal Survey that is required of all Assemblies for the most recent Fraternal Year.  This report is very crucial for Supreme as it provides them with salient data that helps our great organization report to the us and the outside world the manner and how much we donate to others, hours of volunteer services for organization, church and the community.  This report is covering the Fraternal Year ending December 31, 2011 and due  in the Supreme Office on or before January 31, 2012.  To ensure that all our Assemblies have reported in a timely manner, I am asking each Assembly to send your report to Supreme on or before January 15, 2012.  This way we can be assured that our District has provided the required report in time.

 

As you are aware, this report can be completed on line.  The actual site is http://www.kofc.org/un/en/officers/forms/assembly.html.  Click on the report form 1728c and completer the form on line with your data.  Once you have finished inputting your data, please make sure you do the following:

 

Forwarding Instructions:

 

1.      Including your e-mail address allows you to receive a copy of your report via e-mail so that you can forward an electronic copy to any e-mail recipient at a later date.

 

2.      Enter the e-mail addresses you have available  (Vice Supreme Master and Master).  Leave the line blank if you are unsure of the correct e-mail address.

3.      You will have the opportunity to print a copy of the form after you submit the form in the next step.

4.      Click the "Continue" button to confirm and submit your form to:

   

Yourself (Assembly Copy):

Email address for the person in your Assembly to receive the report_:

Vice Supreme Master:      

Email address for the Vice supreme Master:  RGHPSD@verizon.net  (Please note this is the correct email address for the VSM.)

Master:       

Email address of the Master: charles.smallwood@comcast.net

                       

1.      If you complete the form on line and you get a copy for your Assembly records, please forward a copy of the report to the Secretary of the Master SK Ernest Harley at ernharley@verizon.net and a copy to the Assistant to the Master SK John Winfrey at jwinfrey@verizon.net.   I will take the responsibility to send a copy of your reports to your District Liaisons.

     

2.      If you decide to send a hard copy to Supreme, the Vice Supreme Master, and the Master, keep a hard copy for your Assembly and send a signed hard copy to the mailing addresses cited below.  I have attached a template in EXCEL that you can complete and submit to Supreme, the VSM and the Master in Hard copy.

 

Supreme Council:       

 

Ms. Nellie Monroe

Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Services

1 Columbus Plaza
New Haven CT 06510-3325

 

Vice Supreme Master:

 

SK Richard Head, PSD

Vice Supreme Master

13406 Tipple Point 'Road

Midlothian, VA 23114-5556

 

Master:

 

SK Charles H. Smallwood, Master

Archdiocese of Washington District

90 Turnabout Lane

Huntingtown, MD  20639-3709

  

Should you have any questions. Please do not hesitate to contact me, the Secretary, the Assistant or your District Liaisons for any assistance you may need.  Thank you all for all the great work you have done this year.  I am sure that you will do even greater things in 2012.

 

 

 

Worthy Sir Knights and Dear Marshal and Executive Staff Teams:

 

I received the information shown below from SK Larry Grayson today. This is the call for Color Corps for the Maryland Right to Life March held in Annapolis that occurs annually. This year, the march will be on March 12,. 2012. We usually meet and form at the St. Mary’s Church on Duke of Gloucester Street. Parking is a challenge so carpooling is highly recommended. SK Steve Thomas, Master of Maryland District and I were in the march last year and it was quite rewarding.

 

Last year we had a few Sir Knights to help lead the parade. The call is for a larger turn out from both our District and the Maryland District. By copy of this to both the Secretary to the Master and the Assistant to the Master, I am asking them to make sure this date is placed on the calendar and is marketed throughout the remaining of the year up through March 12, 2012. We will get more detailed information from SK Grayson to the District as these data become available.

 

Let’s start getting some of this information out in to the troops not later than January 5, 2012.

 

Thanks to the greatest team in the Knights of Columbus!!

 

Fraternally,

 

Charles H. Smallwood, Master

 

District meeting and Priest Exemplification

 

Date:             17 March 2012

 

TIME:             Brief District Meeting at 9:00 AM

 

Full Rehearsal/Exemplification for Priest, Deacons and

Physically Challenged at 9:45 AM

                       

PLACE:          St. Mary of the Assumption School - Upper

                      Marlboro, MD

 

Turn in all ads, applications, and fees to your Faithful Navigator

so they can be approved and submitted to the Secreatary of the

Master.  Gentlemen, this is an IMPORTANT day as our Priests

are often too busy with Church and Parish business to attend an

Exemplification.  Let's extend an offer to these most Worthy

Men to join us!!!!

 

Today, I would like to introduce VA for Vets, an outstanding new program to help our Veterans find appropriate careers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Set to launch on November 11, Veterans Day, VA for Vets takes a high-tech and high-touch approach to recruiting, hiring, retaining, and reintegrating Veterans into the VA workforce. As part of its high-tech solution, the program offers state of the art online tools for Veterans as they seek employment or look to further career development opportunities. The online Career Center includes: a military skills translator that translates military skills into civilian language; a resume builder that tailors Veterans’ resumes so they can more easily compete for open positions in VA; and avatar-based technology that connects deployed Servicemembers back to VA during their operational missions.

The high-touch solution comes in the form of career and reintegration coaches who are readily available to help Veterans and Service members take full advantage of opportunities offered through the Career Center or to ensure a seamless transition into the VA workforce. Three new Coaching Call Centers will be operational in Dumfries, Virginia; Ebensburg, Pennsylvania; and New Orleans, Louisiana, starting October 26.

As Vice-Chair of President Obama’s Veteran Employment Council, I am confident that VA can set the standard for Veterans’ recruitment and career development at other Federal agencies. VA for Vets is part of a larger strategic initiative led by the newly established Veteran Employment Services Office (VESO) within the Office of Human Resources and Administration. I have set a goal for VA to increase its Veteran workforce from 30 percent to 40 percent, and VESO will be at the forefront of that effort, working with all offices and administrations, to ensure we achieve our goals.

The VA for Vets program represents a commitment to transforming the way we hire and retain our Veterans. This program requires the personal commitment of all VA employees so we can uphold our sacred trust and moral obligation to care for those “who have borne the battle.”

Eric K. Shinseki

 

Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Symptomatology in Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Similar to Those Observed in Vietnam Veterans

 

Worthy Vice Supreme Masters and my Brothers All,

 

Important information on PTSD similarities between Vietnam and OEF/OIF/ND veterans as well as new risk factors for women OIF/OEF/ND veterans.  This is significant in potential identification and treatment of PTSD or PTSS. The importance of emotional support of family and friends, and I would add spiritual, cannot be overstated.

 

I would ask this be forwarded throughout your Provinces to heighten awareness of PTSD in our veterans and emphasizing the support that Brother Knights can  provide to veterans aof all wars in dealing with PTSD and related symptoms.  Constant reminder of the availability of help at the VAMCs and most importantly the Veterans Crisis Hotline (1-800-273-TALK, push 1) is one sure way we can support those veterans in need of help.

 

Vivat Jesus

 

S/F

 

Chuck Gallina

 

Charles H. Gallina, PSD/FVSM, KHS

Colonel     USMC/Ret

Assistant for Military and Veterans Affairs

National VAVS Representative

Liaison to the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA

 

 

On the 16th of October Staff meeting, the Master notified the ADW Staff and Assemblies about the new 4th Degree pin, and how we are going to impliment.  All Navigators have received 12 of these pins, and a letter accompanying them.  NOTE:  These pins are to be given to ACTIVE COLOR CORPS MEMBERS ONLY in your Assemblies. The purpose of the pin is to signify a member of the COLOR CORPS, not for all Sir Knights in general.  The Marshals discussed this with the Commanders, and our recommendation is that the Navigators present the Commanders with the 12 pins, and let him dispense as needed.  Also, the Commanders should inform the Navigator if more need to be ordered to be given to CC members.  We also suggested that as new members join the Color Corps, they should be given a Certification Card and a Pin..make it special.

 

As far as implimentation, the ADW has made the switch to the new pin NOW!!!!!!.  Navigators should talk to the Commanders and order more pins for Color Corps Members beyond the 12 they give the Commanders as needed.

 

Please remember even after implimentation, these pins are to be worn by those serving in the Color Corps ONLY.  All others when in just tuxedo and social baldric and to NOT participate in the Color Corps will just wear the approved 4th Degree pin and American Flag.

 

 

 

Worthy Marshals, and dear Brothers

Just as a follow up, please remind you members we will be strictly adhering to the uniform standards published in the new drill manual, and memo from the SM. This means one (1) lapel pin, and also the mini jewels should be centered over the jacket pocket. Lastly no Past Chapter President jewel.

We have plenty of time to make sure the word is out, and our members can get the appropriate pins. If you have any question please feel free to give me a call.   

Thanks!

SK John Winfrey _{(FDD,PGK,PFN)}

Provincial Marshal

Calvert Province

District Marshal

Archdiocese of Washington District