Welcome from the Deputy Grand Knight
My Brother Knights, spouses, families and
friends -
Let me begin by thanking you for electing me as your DGK. It is an
honor and privilege to serve you, the Council, the parish, and the
community in this important position, and I will not violate the trust
and confidence that you have placed in me as we launch off into another
fraternal year.
I’d like to briefly share an experience I had recently when I attended
the State Pre-Organizational Meeting for the Knights of Columbus in
June. Having never attended this session before, I had no idea what to
expect. When I stepped into the huge gymnasium where the meeting was to
be conducted, I was literally overwhelmed by the numbers of men who were
present. As I literally stopped in my tracks and observed the
preparations and the discussions between the leaders of our state’s
councils and districts, I could sense, for the first time, the very
power and force of the Knights of Columbus as an organization. All these
committed, devoted Catholic men gathered in one location to prepare to
organize and execute the good works that the Knights do. It was a
humbling, yet uplifting experience to be part of this endeavor, and I
could feel the excitement and enthusiasm all around me. It was
infectious!
This sense of power and the potential “good “ that can obtain from “the
strength of numbers” inspired me to work this year to bring more of our
Council membership back into the fold. I’ve always been a nose-counter,
even as a kid with CYO drum and bugle corps in Massachusetts. I found
myself disappointed when all of our members did not attend the music
rehearsals and marching practices; I wanted to see the whole corps
practice and compete. When we were all there and we practiced or
competed, you could literally feel the power and the majesty of the
corps as we performed. It was inspiring in the extreme and made you
proud to be part of the experience. For you gentlemen in the Council who
wore the uniform of our nation in military service, you may recall that
there’s a type of military operation called a “meeting engagement,”
where two opposing forces grope towards each other and finally collide
in combat. The major operational principle of a meeting engagement is
that “numbers count,” that is, the side that brings the most combat
power to the battlefield usually wins the engagement. So it is with an
organization such as the Knights with its many programs and activities
built upon the foundation of unity, fraternity, patriotism, and charity.
Like a meeting engagement of modern warriors, ”numbers count,” and we
need all Knights in Council 8183 to take a more active role in the
Council’s activities and program if we are to “win” in a big way this
fraternal year. In closing, I encourage all of you to make a special
effort to attend our two monthly meetings, most especially the Rosary
and business meeting the first Tuesday of each month. I want you to see
and feel the power of our entire membership and realize the full
potential of this Council throughout the upcoming fraternal year.
Vivat Jesus,
Paul Severance, DGK and program Director