(K)Night School

Since the Knights of Columbus created the new, much shorter Charity, Unity, and Fraternity (CUF) Exemplification, it appears as though all the newly “exemplified” brothers have missed out on many of the more thorough explanations and detailed instruction about the Order that you and I (i.e., older Knights) experienced. From an entire evening spent listening to the 1st Degree Ceremony Lecture, to what appeared to be a full Saturday to receive our 2nd & 3rd Degrees. The elaborate explanation of Charity, as the first principle of our Order, to the Unity and Fraternity lectures that packed a lot of information about the 2nd and 3rd Degrees have since been lost. Borrowing from the Ceremonial Department FAQ guide, dated January 15, 2020, the future of our Order depends upon growth, and true growth can only be accomplished by providing an entry path that is inviting and accessible to prospective members and their families. Efforts to create the combined ceremony (that produces 3rd Degree Knights in less than 40 minutes) focused on removing the barriers of secrecy and commitment of time that inhibited so many from joining our ranks. In the process, it also eliminated redundancies necessary to instill deeper understanding of our virtues, principles, and traditions in our new Knights and focused on presenting the lessons of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity in a clearer, convincing, and much faster way. The CUF Exemplification Ceremony is designed to be conducted at the Parish-level, with family and friends seated in the pews. All can now witness firsthand the organization their loved ones are joining, its principles and values, and why it matters. The new Exemplification of Charity, Unity and Fraternity stays true to our traditions, while addressing the needs of our times.

Personal surveys conducted at our local Parish indicated that newly “exemplified” Knights appeared to have been “short changed” as missing out on valuable information that you and I received attending our ceremony years ago. For this reason, our Council created what we coined as “(K)Night School”. (K)Night School consists of all the detailed information that was originally included in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Degree ceremonies. Five lesson plans were created that cover the history and overview of the Order, the Council Officers, Constitutional Roll, the emblems of the Degrees, and instruction on parliamentary procedure, including the “Raps of the Gavel”, Salutation/Salute to the Grand Knight, making a motion, etc. All newly exemplified Brother Knights are asked to attend (K)Night School, which is held thirty minutes prior to the start of our monthly council meeting. The goal of this program is not to deviate from what Supreme mandates, but to augment it! Since the inception of (K)Night School back in February of 2022, 30 new Knights in Council 9967 have attended and benefited from this supplementary instruction. Our first Grand Knight of Holy Trinity Council 9967, PGK Thomas Trbovich, has been our Primary Instructor. PGK Trbovich is the Founding and Charter member of Council 9967 and is still very active after 35 years! This ‘home-grown’ program has enhanced the knowledge and understanding of all newly exemplified brother Knights and helps our council to thrive, even after 35 years!