Programs and Membership go Hand in Hand

A Knights of Columbus council can work wonders; in fact, with its many programs, it can help change the community, town, city or neighborhood in which you live. However, a successful Knights of Columbus program is more than the words you see written here or in any Supreme publication. It’s more than a suggestion at a meeting. A program needs people taking the initial idea, modifying it to suit specific situations and local needs, then implementing the program in a way that works. Your councils at this point should have already appointed directors, chairs and set the program calendar, membership, insurance goals, budget and social calendar. You owe it to your brothers for the efforts that they put forth in running these programs to make your councils successful.

Remember that programs and membership go hand in hand. A council cannot conduct successful programs without member support, but without quality faith -filled family programs, prospective members will not be interested in joining your council.

The Faith in action model is a realization of the changing needs of men in the twenty-first century. It seeks to balance all our key priorities with theirs — Faith, Family, Community and life — and present them in a way that is clear to our leaders, members and prospective Knights. The simplicity of Faith in Action is that it fully integrates Building the Domestic Church programs as a foundational part of the model, limits the number of required programs to earn the Columbian Award and, most importantly, allows councils to concentrate on implementing quality faith-filled family programs. Our goal is for men to lead their family in service — not leave their family for service. The focus of this streamlined program is quality, not quantity.

Under Faith in Action, certain state and council officers/chairmen are required to take safe environment training and may also be required to provide authorization for a background check.

As the Service Program Personnel Report (#365) is being completed, ensure that all member email addresses are accurate. The Columbian Award Application (SP-7) will be updated to support the model.

Additional service program resources and recommendations can be found at https://www.kofc.org/en/programs/index.html

How will you answer when a prospective member asks you, what do the Knights of Columbus do? Don’t let the Fraternal year pass you by without taking advantage of the resources readily available for your council’s growth and success.