August 2007

Grand Knights Message:

Brothers,

While attending the Summer Diocesan meeting, I had the pleasure to once again hear Brother Francis Boylan speak. Brother Francis asked those who were gathered:

 “What are the Lions Known for? Helping those who are Blind. What are the Shriners known for? Helping Children who are Crippled and burned. What are the Knights of Columbus Known for? Helping Widows and Orphans.”

Also, I recently was reminded of President Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address in which he states:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Truer words were never spoken. As the soldiers who were fighting the Civil war were doing so in the sake of freedom, a righteous sense of duty to the widows and orphans, who paid the price for freedom with the loss of their loved ones, was being felt at home.

 We too must never forget that we are responsible to take care of our own widows and orphans. Orphans are not just those children who lost their parents. An orphan can be a child with special needs who has been cast off by society.

Let us always remember our duty to the  widows and orphans of  our fallen brothers, but also to those members of society who for no sake of their own are in need of our support.

Vivat Jesus!

Mark L. Palmer - Grand Knight

A few Statistics from the Summer Diocesan Meeting

Council Participation Report for 2006-2007:

37,964 Individual activities

96% Church Activities

87% Community Activities

88% Family Activities

95% Council Activities

87% Youth Activities

Vocations – 212 Councils Supported over 300 Seminarians/religious

2006-2007 MI Drive – 70% of councils participated

2006-2007 Family of the Month – 70% of councils reported

Special Olympics in Michigan

 Michigan K of C is a Silver Medal Sponsor of Special Olympics.

2005-2006 donations $148,000

2006-2007 – 165 council donated more than $176,000

2007-2008 Michigan K of C is on track to become a Gold Medal Sponsor

Supreme is in partnership with Special Olympics. Every council is now required to report Special Olympics activities, even if no participation was made. If 100% of councils report their activities, Supreme will make a donation to Michigan Special Olympics.

“You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. “ ~John Wooden – UCLA Basketball Coach

Fr. McGivney Chair for Life Ethics

Only 34% of councils are participating in the McGivney Chair for Life Ethics. Your Council is one of the participants

The goal is to provide 1.2 Million over 10 years.

Currently the Lansing Diocese is leading with 39% participation.

As of right now, the program is $218,000 behind the goal set since the beginning of the program.

If you cannot give the full $12.00 a year, please give what you can.

Right to Life News

 January 22 2008, Right To Life March in Washington D.C.

Depart by Trailways Bus,  Monday January 21, between 6-8:00 AM from St. Mary’s of the Hills, in Rochester Hills. $92.50 per person, and must be paid separately to Michigan State Council Bus Trip.

1st stop will be Council 3774 in Allen Park to pick up more participants. There will be a couple of stops along the way to D.C.

Lodging will be at Old Town Hampton Inn in Alexandria Virginia. $135.16 per night, Single, Double, Queen or King. Up to 4 people per room.

Tuesday Jan 22, 1:00 – 2:00 PM RTL March and Rally. Early in the evening of Jan 22, the buss will be leaving back to Detroit.

Just because you have a ticket on the Bus Doesn’t mean that you have a place to sleep and vice versa. You need to make room reservations on your own. Room reservations and Bus reservations are separate.

Contact Paul and Sue Thorn  Respect for Life Chair couple for more details:

248-852-1758

Sue@SueThorn.com

Council Family Picnic

 A special thanks to the Malover Family for hosting the 2007 Council Family Picnic. A good number of brother Knights and their families attended. Thank you to all who attended.

Holy Cross Children’s Services

 Brother Francis sends his thanks, the councils in the State of Michigan sent in 125% of their quota to assist Boysville in the 2006-2007 fraternal year. HCCS has 10 Schools and 30 Housing Centers in Michigan, the schools received children from 79 of the 83 counties in Michigan.

Samaritan Center, alone last year received request from 400,000 people looking for help, 1000 a day.

If you can spare the time, Brother Francis can always use volunteer help at the Samaritan Center.

The Samaritan Center
5555 Conner Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48213
Phone: 313-579-4100 | Fax: 313-579-4169

Happy Birthday!!

 August Birthdays:

Officers Installation

 A reminder that the 2007-2008 Officers Installation will be held in the Church Tuesday August 14, 2007 7:30 PM. Officers should report no later than 7:00 PM. All members are invited and a reception will follow in the Conference Center. Attire is Church appropriate, and 4^th Degree members are encouraged to wear their Tuxedo. We will be taking pictures of the officers at the reception.

Thank you….MI Drive

We have received thank you letters from both Mary’s Children and  Kids on the Go. Both organizations have expressed their thanks for our continued support.

Parish Dream Cruise Party

As in years past, the Knights of Columbus have again been called upon to provide security for the Parish Dream Cruise Party Friday August 17. We will need volunteers from 3:00 – 10:00 PM. We also need a few people to help secure the Northwood Parking Lot for 4:30 and 6:30 Mass on Saturday August 18^th. Please contact Program Director John Iannotti (586) 731-1779 or gmiannotti@comcast.net to help out.

Meeting Reminder

 If you have not been to a meeting in a while, here’s an opportunity to have a say so in the operations of the council. Our meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. A listing of meetings for the following months follows:

Meetings are held in the Conference Center located in the Plaza with YaYa’s Chicken, on Woodward Ave. Just North of the Church. Park in the Northwood Church Parking lot and enter through the rear of the building. It is mandatory that you present a current membership card to enter the meetings.

Help the Unborn and Newborn

 Mother and Unborn Baby Care crisis pregnancy center needs our help. The center, run by Sam and Juliana Mannino, provides ultrasounds and support services to Mothers who are facing an unexpected pregnancy, in an effort to encourage them to keep their babies instead of killing them.

The Center is in need of the following items:

• Newborn Sleepers and clothing (0-3 months)

• Diapers size 1, 3, and 4.

Please support our Brother Knight and the lives of those babies his organization saves each day. (248) 559-7576

News submissions are invited from all our Brothers, Officers, Directors and

Committee Chairs to be included in our newsletter.

Address all information to:    

Mark L. Palmer, 1774 Keats Avenue, Madison Heights, MI 48071

(248) 588-3469    (248) 282-5179 FAX    Email: mark_l_palmer@hotmail.com

Advertising / Circulation

Brian H. Malover

Malover Ink, Inc.

330 E. Maple Rd., Suite I

Troy, MI 48083-2706

(248) 616-0990   Fax (248) 616-0303

Email:  maloverink@aol.com

Council  Meetings

Our meetings are held in the Church Conference Center.

North of the church in the commercial strip center, across Northwood Blvd. Near Ya-Ya’s Chicken.

Park in the Northwood parking lot and enter thru the rear of the building.

Meetings are the 2^nd & 4^th Tuesday of the month

At 7:30p

 U

Our Little Flower

Published by

 Knights of Columbus

National Shrine of the Little Flower

Council No. 12408

A Parish based Council

2100 West Twelve Mile Rd.

Royal Oak, MI 48073

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When you visit www.kofc.org, our official website, spend some time on the insurance portion of the site.  This will help keep you well versed on this fraternal benefit offered to all members.

 Vivat Jesus

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