More Knights will result in more charitable programs, more support for parishes, more help for the needy, the disabled, the hungry and the homeless, and more financial protection for Catholic families. This was the main theme of the Membership Seminar, the first general meeting of the 130th Supreme Convention in Anaheim, which was attended by some 200 delegates and Knights of Columbus leaders.
The Monday meeting was chaired by Supreme Director Daniel Baker, who is head of the Board of Director’s Membership Committee. Also speaking were Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie; Thomas Smith, Executive Vice President for Knights of Columbus Insurance; Gary Nolan, Vice President for Membership Growth and Ceremonials, and Father John Grace, O.S.A., Director of Chaplains Programs and Development.
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson delivered a heartfelt address at the end of the meeting which underlined the importance of membership growth.
“It’s more than just about numbers and quotas,” he said. “Membership is about the changed lives of the men we recruit and the financial protection we can provide for their families. Membership is what these men will do for their communities and their parishes. Membership is about renewing the Church through support of our priests and bishops. Membership is about transforming society through Catholic solidarity, through everyone being able to say, I am my brother’s keeper.”
Deputy Supreme Knight Savoie stressed that “we have no greater responsibility, of the things of which we have control, than membership growth. But we have to put the words into action, One Member, Per Council, Per Month.”
A dynamic video, “The Power of One,” was also featured at the meeting. The five-minute film highlighted the membership theme of “One Member, Per Council, Per Month,” by which each of the 15,000 local councils is asked to recruit at least one member each month. If this plan were carried out, with each council bringing in 12 new members, the 1.8 million Knights would grow by 180,000 in the next year.
“The Power of One,” the film concluded, is “a tremendous opportunity to build a better world.
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