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MAY 2025

FAITH FORMATION

The Easter season is represented by the liturgical color white the color of light, a symbol of joy, purity and innocence (absolute or restored). The season ends on Pentecost, June 8th, so the whole month of May is in the Easter season.

A Time of Grace

The world is resplendent with Spring's increased light and new growth. It is Mary's month in the Easter season and all of nature rejoices with the Queen of heaven at the Resurrection of the Son she was worthy to bear. During the remainder of Easter time, let us endeavor through the prayers of the Holy Liturgy and the Holy Rosary to deepen our gratitude for the mystery of our Baptismal rebirth in Christ.

"The month of May, with its profusion of blooms was adopted by the Church in the eighteenth century as a celebration of the flowering of Mary's maidenly spirituality...With its origins in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Messiah under the figure of the Blossoming Rod or Root of Jesse, the flower symbolism of Mary was extended by the Church Fathers, and in the liturgy, by applying to her the flower figures of the Sapiential Books Canticles, Wisdom, Proverbs and Sirach.

"In the medieval period, the rose was adopted as the flower symbol of the Virgin Birth, as expressed in Dante's phrase, 'The Rose wherein the Divine Word was made flesh,' and depicted in the central rose windows of the great gothic cathedrals-from which came the Christmas carol, 'Lo, How a Rose 'ere Blooming.' Also, in the medieval period, when monasteries were the centers of horticultural and agricultural knowledge, and with the spread of the Fransiscan love of nature, the actual flowers themselves, of the fields, waysides and gardens, came to be seen as symbols of Mary..." John S. Stokes

COR: Working with Your Pastor

A good working relationship with your pastor is key for council success. Building and maintaining this relationship will require time, intentional effort, trust, and continued communication.

Have you ever struggled to have a good relationship with your pastor? Do you sometimes feel like you’ve tried everything but you and he don’t see things eye to eye?

Consider the fact that this may be as simple as not understanding each other’s intentions compounded by not communicating in ways that are mutually clear and beneficial.

Knights of Columbus councils are to be in service to the pastor and thereby the parish. While you may know this, has this been expressed (consistently) to your pastor?

Much like yourself, the pastor is extremely busy and in most cases he is being

pulled in countless directions. He doesn’t need more work, he needs more help. Who better than the Knights of Columbus to be in direct service to him?

In order for him to believe this, he must first trust and be able to depend on you and your council. While your words are important, a solid relationship with your pastor will be developed and sustained by your actions as a council. The response to your pastor’s request for assistance must be an enthusiastic “yes.”

The month of May is dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Holy Father's Intentions for the Month of May 2025

For the use of the new technologies: Let us pray that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person, and will help us face the crises of our times.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people!

GROWTH REPORT

Keep Ohio in the Circle of Honor

Ohio Brother Knights, we had a strong third quarter of membership Growth. Let us keep that going and keep Ohio in the Circle of Honor for the second year in the row. State Deputy Jeff Kiliany wants to reward all the councils for their hard work.

Any council that makes 130% of Council Growth Goal for the entire year will have option of either 16 x 20 unframed print of Blessed Fr. McGivney Icon or 24 x 36 Membership Drive Banner – Custom Council from Knights Gear. Ohio membership goal of 2,000 new Brother Knights, we are 500 members away.

Fourth Quarter

Member Incentive

The Fourth Quarter Incentive runs from April 1st until June 30th. No reporting necessary, just bring in new Brother Knights into Ohio!

Any council that brings in two members will entered into a drawing for $300.00. If your council brings in three new members, it will receive a $25.00 Gift Card in addition to being entered in the $300 drawing. Any council that brings in four or more members will receive a $50.00 Gift Card in addition to being entered in the $300 drawing.

Any District Deputy that brings in six or more members for his district will receive $50.00 Gift Card.

End of Fraternal Year Incentives

Top Council in each diocese (Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Steubenville, Youngstown) with the highest Growth percentage intake for the 2024-25 Fraternal Year will receive $150.00 check. The top council with Total new members in each diocese will receive a $100.00 check.

EMembership Incentive

From April 1, 2025 until June 30, 2025, the Top Council in Each Division (1-5) that brings in the most E-Members will receive a $50 Domino’s Gift Card! That’s right, enjoy some pizza on the State’s dime for all your hard work! They must be E-Members and on your council’s roster or prospect tab by June 30, 2025. The winners will be presented on the State Tour this summer.

DIOCESAN INCENTIVES

May

Bulletin Blurbs

Unity has many meanings to it. Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that with unity we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. So, we stick together and we support one another. Want to be a part of that? Go to kofcohio.org and click on Join Us. For more information contact Grand Knight (name, phone, email here).

June

Fraternity is the third principal of the order of the Knights of Columbus. United by Baptism and the Eucharist, we stand ready as brothers to bear one another’s burdens. Where there is a spiritual or material need, we assist one another by prayer, counsel and practical support. With that, our Lord calls us to live in fraternal communion, and to encourage one another. Want to learn more and be a part of that? Go to kofcohio.org and click on Join Us. For more information contact Grand Knight (name, phone, email here).

For more bulletin blurbs, visit our webpage by clicking HERE

Council with the highest percentage of growth from now till the end of the fraternal year will receive a $50 gift card to host a party for your members.

We are introducing the Gresko Growth Award to be given to councils in the Cleveland Diocese that achieve 100% of their Supreme Quota and a $25 gift card.

Host a live Exemplification of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity and be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift cards to Walmart. The Exemplification MUST be on the state website and a State Form 450 completed by your District Deputy to be eligible.

District Deputies whose district makes their growth quota will receive a $25 gift card.

DISTRICT & DIOCESAN LEADERS

Worthy Fraternal Leader and District Deputy-

Greetings. Hard to believe May is here. Which means we have little over 60 days until the end of the Fraternal year. There are several items for your Councils to complete before the end of the Fraternal year.

Although the State Program is closed, Councils should continue to host Council programs; schedule degrees; grow their councils; host Fraternal Benefit Events and qualify for the Columbian award. If you have a Council that completed enough programs to complete the SP-7 or Columbian award, there is no restriction when to submit the SP-7 to Supreme. Encourage any Council to complete and submit their SP-7 when ready.

Based on April's Star Report, there are four councils in our Diocese who

Important Reminders

Review your progress toward earning the Star District Award.

Ensure councils hold their election of officers by June 15 and submit the Report of Officers Chosen for the Term (#185) and Service Program Personnel Report (#365) by June 30. Submitting these forms via Member Management is the best way to ensure officers and directors receive timely access to Officers Online and critical communications from the Supreme Council.

Plan to attend your jurisdiction organizational meeting and then schedule your district meeting shortly thereafter using our recommended agenda and notes as a guide.

received word from Supreme they qualified for Columbian. Please use the Star report or the weekly Ohio State Scorecard to see where your District Councils are at.

Please note, there has been an alarming increase in the number of "non-compliant" Child Youth Protection directors. Please review your District Councils to ensure they are compliant and if not notify the Council Grand Knight or Program Director. Please keep in mind a background review if required will take weeks up to a month to complete. We do not want a repeat of last year.

Councils should also be drafting next year's slate of officers. Council elections may begin on May 1st and should close June 15th. Encourage your Council's to host their elections sooner so that the next council administration may begin on July 1st. This will also allow planning of Council Officer Installation.

This is a nice segue, within Member

Submit the Columbian Award application (#SP-7).

Craft an effective communication plan to engage all council members. Form a committee to verify contact information and then update Member Management.

Ensure timely processing of your ASAP, RSVP and Food for Families refund applications.

Q3 Data Needed: If you haven't already, please submit your Q3 Cor Report CorQuarterly Report - FY 24-25. This survey is essential for understanding the impact of Cor across the Order.

FY 25/26 Council EFF Director Submission Form now available. As soon as you or your successor know your EFF Director for the next fraternal year, please fill out this quick form to ensure he receives all Cor communications.

Management under "Council Administration", the "Next Fraternal Year" option is now available for both Chosen Officers (form 185) and Service Program Personnel (form 365) . Please encourage your Councils Financial Secretary or Grand Knight to choose "load current year" and select save. Next Fraternal Year entries may be changed at any time. This will prevent a delay for newly elected officers accessing Member Management on July 1st.

Few upcoming dates, Friday May 9th

Meet the Candidates Night at Garfield Hall; May 23-25th State Convention; June 27-28th DD Meeting Columbus OH; July 20th State Tour Finally, if you have not RSVP'ed, Friday May 30th at 6 PM at Council 4130 Garfield Heights, we will meet as a Diocesan team for dinner. Please let Jim know if you are attending as we will be ordering based on attendance.

Thank you,

Timely processing of member additions and changes is critical as we approach the end of the fraternal year. If your council is on track to earn Star Council, all form 100s need to be processed by June 30. The quickest and easiest way to process new members is via the Candidate Tab on Officers Online.

If your council's annual accounting period ends Dec. 31, then May 15 is the deadline to submit the proper IRS form 990 (US Councils only). Ensure that this paperwork is filed.

Immediately after officer elections submit the Report of Officers Chosen for the Term (#185) and Service Program Personnel Report (#365) using the Member Management application. View a short 'How To' video on using Member Management here. These forms are essential for effective communication between the Supreme Council and fraternal leaders.

The Fourth Degree will host TWO training sessions in July.

District Master and Assembly quarterly training will be on July 21, 2025 at 8:00 PM EDT: "Assembly Faithful Navigator Training."

We will invite the District Masters and Faithful Navigators to this meeting. Followed on July 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM EDT: "Assembly Officer Training."

We will invite the District Masters and ALL Assembly Officers to this meeting. District Masters can email any questions to: Michael J. Porter, Fourth Degree Director of Training: MJPKNIGHT9282@AOL.COM

Teran

District Deputy

Grand Knight

COUNCIL HEALTH

MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR STATE WARDEN

Join us on Friday, May 9, 2025, at Garfield Heights Council #4130 for the Cleveland Meet the Candidate Night. The event will be in conjunction with the Greater Cleveland Chapter Meeting. The Chapter Meeting starts at 7:00 PM with a Rosary, with the meeting starting at 7:30 PM. The main event should kick-off around 8:00 PM. You are welcome to attend in person or online via Zoom. Check the state website or the Chapter article in this newsletter for the link. Please bring your questions, comments, and concerns to these fine gentlemen.

Zoom Info:

See below for connection information. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84841438076?pwd=9gY9FyHeAbaEmZDqPEfubYrE87ohoz.1

Meeting ID 848 4143 8076 Passcode 977496

M. Stewart Vetter

My name is M. Stewart Vetter and I’m running for state warden. I grew up in the Knights of Columbus as a child of a Knight then as a Columbian Squire.

I have been an insurance member of the Knight of Columbus for 30 years. I am a past State Chief Squire of Ohio, past Grand Knight of Bellevue council #752, and former District Deputy. I have served the state council for the past ten years in a variety of positions: state family director, state squires and youth director, state membership director, state eMembership director, and state life director. I firmly believe programs are the best source of growth. Programs are also the key to involving families, attracting younger members, and retaining our current members while keeping them active. Trying new things can be scary but there is no reward without a little risk. Councils need to be willing to try new things; especially if a new member is passionate about that event and wants to be involved in planning and execution. If that new event succeeds, you had a great event! If that event flops, you know it does not work, that way, and you have an active new member who feels heard and wants to stay active. I look forward to telling you more about myself at Meet the Candidates night and convention. I hope to convince you that Ohio will be Better with Vetter.

Greg Singlar

Worthy Brother Knights of Ohio,

My name is Greg Singlar, the current Ohio State EMembership Coordinator. I am a member of River East Mother Teresa Council 14344 in East Toledo and a 4th Degree Sir Knight for Monsignor Robert J. Yates Assembly 2800 in Perrysburg. I have been a member of the KofC since I was a 22 year old college student. Now, at the age of 34 and after receiving a tremendous amount of support from my lovely wife Erin, I have made the prayerful decision that I am running for State Warden for the upcoming May 2025 elections!

My theme is Family First. Family Forward. Family First simply means everything we do will be about keeping the families involved, the ultimate vision of the way Fr. McGivney wanted it to be when he founded the order. Family Forward has 4 key pieces to my campaign, Family, Faith, Youth, and Technology. By keeping our families involved, we can grow our faith through initiatives such as COR and use technology to recruit younger members through EMembership. I will be at the Diocesean Meet the Candidate Night and look forward to talking with all of you then! If you have any questions regarding my campaign, please feel free to contact me!

Vivat Jesus!

Greg Singlar Candidate for State Warden gsing50@gmail.com

STATE PROGRAMS

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Fraternal Trainers provide important support for Fraternal Leaders; training can be tailored to meet the needs of both new and seasoned officers, as well as any members who are interested in advancing to officer roles in the future.

Fraternal Trainers provide officer training at both the district and council level, online and in-person. To sign up for training sessions from Supreme, visit the state website (www.kofcohio.org) under FOR MEMBERS and scroll down to Training Opportunities or click the registration links below.

Also, check out the additional training opportunities on the state website under FOR MEMBERS. There is state specific training for eMembership and Member Management and Billing. There is also a link to Supreme’s Fraternal Video Library that is full of answers to your everyday questions.

Topic/Registration Link

May 8, 2025 8:00 PM | District Deputy Training Part One

District Deputy Basics Part One will cover a basic understanding of the role of District Deputy. Items like what is a District Deputy, who they represent, who they report to, and who District Deputies serve will be covered. This webinar we also talk about some resources you should have knowledge of and understand their contents.

May 14, 2025 8:00 PM | Grand Knight Training: Part Two

This training is designed to help you become a successful leader. This webcast will focus on two key management topics for Grand Knights: Growth and Programs. We will present several management tools and strategies that will empower all Grand Knights to become successful leaders.

May 20, 2025 8:00 PM | Completing the Report of Officers Chosen for the Term and the Service Program Personnel Report Forms

Each Council in the order is mandated to hold elections annually between May 1st and June 15th. After these elections, this webcast will help officers to notify Supreme of the results and to start the communication process with these officers. This training will also explain how to enter the annual appointed positions that need to be given to Supreme to fill the required director positions, including:

• Entering new Officers and Directors into Member Management

• Use of the Report of Officers chosen for the term

• Use of the Service program personnel report

May 27, 2025 10:00 PM | Fraternal Year Transition Tips

for Councils

We will review best practices for putting the finishing touches on the current Fraternal Year, handing over the administration, operation and leadership to the next team, and preparing for the new Columbian year.