November Bulletin: Tree Lot Sign-Up and Online Degree Exemplification

 Lead article from the November 2020 issue of the bulletin, online now.

Looks like with all the craziness we have been experiencing this year winter decided to show up early. November brings thoughts of winter, Thanksgiving and the tree lot. Many thanks to Don Legatt for organizing another Christmas Tree Lot. Please see information below on how you can help out at the tree lot including tree lot set-up on November 14, drilling and setting up trees when they arrive, helping supervise and label trees with the youth on November 21, and working the tree lot between November 27 and December 19 (or until the tree lot is sold out).

The tree lot will be in the Catholic school parking lot, as it has been in previous years. The trees are ordered, and we are hoping that this will be another stellar year at the tree lot. With a majority of activities delayed or canceled because of the coronavirus, the proceeds from this year’s tree lot will be distributed to multiple recipients, including but not limited to the youth group and the Catholic school, as well as others. Please see how to sign up for the tree lot below: 

• For online sign-up, go to www.kc4174.org and click on “VOLUNTEER” to find the Tree Lot staffing sheets. You can also access online signup through this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4aaaa82aa7f49-2020
• For those who do not have access to the on-line sign-up, please call Dan Lhotka at 320-292-1101 to volunteer. 

Remember to vote pro-life. Please continue to pray for one another, our church and country. Remember to keep the faith!

The council meetings are back, and we are meeting the first Thursday of the month at 7 PM at St. Albert’s parish hall. Great job by Erich Kunzman on recruiting members with his bulletin announcements in both the St. Michael’s and St. Albert’s bulletins.

NOTE: We will be hosting an online Degree Exemplification at the November council meeting. This is for new members AND all you who are first-degree members who want to advance to the third-degree. All are invited! It’s a 30-minute video, and we will start at 7 PM.

God bless, 

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

September 2020 Bulletin: A Little Normalcy, an Easier Exemplification

Leader article from the September 2020 bulletin, online now.

September brings the start of school, church festivals, as well as other activities. We continue marching on through an unusual year with the coronavirus altering, postponing and/or canceling activities that had been held in previous years. We had our first in person council meeting in August and plan to have an in person council meeting for September at the St. Albert's parish hall starting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 3rd. Physical distancing will be practiced at the meeting.

John DeLander celebrated a 60 year wedding anniversary in August, quite an accomplishment, John! Looking forward to seeing you at the next council meeting if you are able to attend. With the Knight's regular calendar of activities being altered by the virus, our stellar deputy Grand Knight Erich Kunzman had a great idea - promote the new online exemplification to bring in new members. The plan is to provide information on how to access the online exemplification in the individual church bulletins as well as other paths to allow people who may be in joining our order the chance to do it in there home. The new exemplification is a way to join the Knights by viewing the ceremony online.

The next planned Knight's activity is the Pro-life Dinner in October. More information for the Pro-Life dinner will be sent out closer to the event. Remember to keep each other in prayer, help out those who need help and keep the faith!

God Bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

May 2020 Bulletin: Happy Easter!

Lead article from the May 2020 bulletin, online now.

I hope that the change in routine has had some positive impact on you and your families. The Knights had a nationwide online exemplification the week after Easter and had a good showing all over the nation. It was so successful that it looks like there will be additional dates added in the future. 

Many thanks to our Worthy Deputy Grand Knight Erich Kunzman and Worthy Financial Secretary Don Legatt who figured out what happened to the check with proceeds of the tree lot that were donated to the youth group and delivered the check to the youth group.

There was a spaghetti dinner benefit planned for Lisa Mueller on May 2nd that will need to be rescheduled after the stay at home order expires. It is unknown at the time of writing this article if Friendly City days will be canceled, changed in some way, or go on as normal. Communication of what is decided with Friendly City days will be sent out via e-mail after the decision on if it will be held or canceled is made.

Many people in our community have been impacted by the slow down in the economy due to the Wuhan virus. An e-mail will be sent out to recruit guys to help out our community, especially Knights and Knights’ families, that have been negatively affected by the current situation. If you are someone who could use some help such a ride to the grocery store, running errands, driving people somewhere, etc. please let us know how the Knights can help. You can e-mail me at andrewsipple@hotmail.com, and we will get you connected with a Knight who can help.

Keep the faith.

God bless, 

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

September 2019: A Full Fall on Tap

Lead article from the September 2019 bulletin.

The August Hanover and St. Michael parades were a good experience. Many thanks to Earl Krajsa for another year of letting the Knights use his trailer and for driving the float (Earl’s trailer) in the Albertville, Hanover, and St. Michael parades. Thanks to Brent Traynor for organizing our councils ability to be in the parades. In the Hanover and St. Michael parades around 17 boxes of tootsie rolls were tossed to kids and adults. It seemed the adults enjoyed getting the monster Knights of Columbus tootsie rolls as much or more than the kids. The kids had a great time tossing out the tootsie rolls.

The September calendar is pretty full of events. In addition to St. Michael and St. Albert’s fall festivals on consecutive weekends there is major degree Saturday September 21 at St. Joseph’s in Delano. The 1st degree starts at 9 am, followed by the second degree at 10 am and the third degree at 11 am with lunch to follow. Please consider attending if you are looking to get additional degrees and/or support new Knights in our area.

Our council is co-sponsoring with the Catholic Watchmen a talk by Matt Birk on the evening on September 21 at St. Michael’s church. Mr. Birk will speak from 7:00 – 8:00 pm and be available in a reception after he finishes his talk. This is a father-son event and tickets are only $5.00 a head. Following the Matt Birk talk, a first degree is hoping to be held in October with recruits from the talk.

As summer comes to an end and as school supplies in preparation for the next school year start showing up around the house, I am reminded that the Christmas tree lot is not too far off. I believe that set up for the tree lot will start around mid-November and shifts to work the lot will be available shortly thereafter. Please keep some time available to help out at the tree lot. More information to come later. Many hands make light work at the Christmas tree lot. 

God bless,

Andy Sipple

Grand Knight

January 2019 Bulletin: Short and Sweet

Lead article from the January 2019 bulletin, online now.

Short and sweet this month: We will do a first degree on January 26th at 9:00am at St. Albert Parish Center. We will have donuts and coffee after the degree. Please find a candidate to invite so we can get a nice turn-out. Our February council meeting will be an open meeting with wine tasting and desserts. Bring your wives and enjoy some treats on us. I want to wish you all a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year. Thanks to all the KCs who volunteered for all the great events we put on this past year. Let's make this next year a great success as well. God bless you and your families.

Gary Frandsen
Grand Knight

April 2017 Bulletin: First Degree on Thursday, April 6

From the April 2017 bulletin, online now.

Why are you a Knight?

Do you remember why you joined the KCs?  When your annual dues statement shows up in the mail do you stop and think about why you are still a member?  Take a few minutes and think about those two questions.  Are your answers to each question different?  I joined because I was fresh off of a CRHP retreat and on fire to get engaged somewhere.  I really had no idea what the KCs did but I knew it was for Catholic men and that was enough for me to give it a shot.  That was six years ago this June.  

I'm still a KC because I love the cumulative power we have to help those in need.  I cherish the friendships I've made.  I really enjoy being a part of the 4th Degree Assembly.  I am honored when we show up in number to pray the Rosary for a deceased member.  I am humbled by each and every thank you I get because of something this council did.  

What is your reason?  Is it a particular activity you enjoy participating in each year, values we promote, things we do for the youth, the insurance program, or something else?  Is there someone else you think could benefit from that answer?  If so, consider inviting them to the First Degree at our next meeting. 

Joe Van Hoorik

Grand Knight