Never give up!

Brother Knights:

As we approached the 115^th Texas State Convention, the message to leadership throughout the jurisdiction was to not let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. And that message was strongly reinforced by our Clergy and newly and duly elected State Officers and Past State Deputies at Convention. To amplify the message, think and act on this: Never give up! We are now approaching the close out of this fraternal year. Yet, we have a long way to go before we get there. So, what can we do? We can focus every day and always on increasing membership and increasing State Charities. Regardless of our Council goals and current standing, we all can present the positive aspects of being a Knight, inviting all eligible men into our Brotherhood, and strongly supporting our Brothers via our State Charities.

When we are making a positive difference in our communities and putting our Faith in Action through our outstanding programs, the environment changes. We are creating that Safe Environment that all people of good faith seek out. It is not always comfortable to share our story and to do what we need to do. Yet when others see us as unafraid to laugh, cry, have fun, work hard, and to be inspired Catholic role models, they want to be part of that. The time is now; we need to increase our membership with massive intentionality because our Church, our communities, and our society need the positive environment we create. If there are more of us, the greater the positive influence. Don’t give up! Remember always our minds and thoughts don’t lead others, our hearts and values do. They want what we are and do, and we need to keep asking them to join us. Ask yourself, what do we have that is captivating the imagination of others?

And our charity starts at home in our communities and in our state. Our bishops rely on our charitable giving, and our brothers and their families in our state are greatly blessed by our charitable efforts. Our giving nature defines us. Folks worldwide marvel at how generous we are and wonder how and why we do it. And our answer is, it’s who we are. Don’t give up! We can reach new heights and even greater heights as we increase our membership as each and every council participates. And remember it’s not just the numbers of our membership, though that is indeed important, rather it’s the quality of the members themselves that let their light shine for all to see.

This fraternal year has been a challenging change for many. What hasn’t changed is the message of good works guided and informed by faith, initiated and executed by men and their families who believe in Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. The programs are now focused on Faith in Action within a Safe Environment. Our focus is on how we can positively do what we can to grow our Order, increase our charitable acts, and never give up in the pursuit of our Faith in Action. Brothers, let’s finish this year strong. Be confident that you are making a difference in your communities, your Church, and your world. Keep after it, you are more influential than you realize. Any difficulties you and your council may have encountered this year can prepare us ordinary Brothers for an extraordinary destiny. And that destiny is for the state jurisdiction of Texas to lead the Order. We have done remarkable things this year, let’s continue to the end of the year shining brighter than ever.