2014-01 JanFeb

January-February, 2014 State Deputy

Our mid-year ‘Report Cards’

By Ken Girt State Deputy

At the recent Mid-year District Deputies Meeting, we reviewed the current status of our Star Council effort here in Ohio. I presented my State Deputy “report card” and then had the District Deputies “grade” themselves on their “report card”.

Our primary goal for this fraternal year is to achieve and exceed the Supreme Council goals set for our jurisdiction last July 1. Many of our District Deputies received “A’s” for the great work they are doing and I am sure, if our Grand Knights were to be “graded” as well, they too will have many “A’s” on their “report card”. But our “report cards” were a way to identify those areas that we needed inprovement. And there were many “grades” less than an “A”.

As mentioned, our goal is to have 75 or more concils acheive the Star Council Award for the 2013-2014 fraternal year.

We designed our “The Light of Ohio” State Program Contest around the criteria of the Star Council Award. We thought we were making it easy for all councils in Ohio to participate in the program. There are no mandatory programs and we even required small minimum donations for our charitable fundraisers to encourage participation. One of those minimum donations was $10 for Matching Funds, yet only 169 councils (45% of all councils Continued on Page 2

Councils owning property now can file for tax exemption Ohio Knights of Columbus councils that have a home corporation and own property now can be considered for a property tax exemption.

Specifically, Ohio State Council properties that are used primarily for administrative and fraternal purposes and that receive less than $36,000 annually in rental income are now eligible for the property tax exemption. It is the result of a new state law that was passed last Fall.

“The Ohio State Council has established instructions for local home associations to apply for the exemption,” announced State Advocate Bob Byers, who has worked with the Ohio State Council’s legal counsel, Richard Meyer, on gaining approval for allowing Ohio councils to apply.

Councils with home corporations are urged to visit the Ohio State Council’s website, www.kofcohio.org, for details.

They will find on the right side of the home page a The Light of Ohio logo. Click on the box, which is a link to 1) Instructions for completing the application; 2) A Home Association Financial Report form that must be completed, and 3) An Application for Real Property Tax Exemption and Remission Form DTE 23 that also must be completed.

For questions, contact Byers via email at robert_byers@hotmail.com.

Start planning NOW for the March Blitz

By Ken Gardner

State Membership Director

March has traditionally been an excellent month for councils to recruit new members as Supreme Council promotes this as one of the two “Blitz” months for the fraternal year. March, 2014, will be no different, with the weekend of March 15-16 designated as an “Order-Wide Church Drive” weekend.

All councils should be following the fraternal leader’s success planner that was given to all Grand Knights at the beginning of the fraternal year. Begin planning now for a successful Blitz program! Don’t wait until March is already upon us before contacting your

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Jerry Lowery (left) and Brett Baxter

New Technology

Computers have brought about a new way to conduct the Ohio State Council’s business

Ohio’s councils have become fully aware of a project that has changed the way the Ohio State Council conducts much of its business.

It’s the implementation of computer technology; doing things electronically; going paperless.

It was perhaps a decade ago that the Ohio State Council first dabbled in the electronic technology, implementing a basic website. Improvements and upgrades have been made through the years. Today we can find an abundance of information on it. Even, for example, one can find current and past issues of the Buckeye Bulletin. Just go to www.kofcohio.org to see what it’s all about.

Electronic technology has been introduced in other areas, too. Program reporting is one major innovation. Councils no longer prepare and mail paper reports to state directors. They now simply find the proper report form on a website link, type their Continued on Page 8

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Page 2__________________________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin__________________________________________________ January-February, 2014

The 2014 Million-Dollar Baby Super Cash Bonanza Road Shows

State Chaplain’s Message

Read and Raise

Information and Ticket Distribution Meetings

By State Treasurer Kevin Miller

By Rev. William B. Kraynak State Chaplain

“Father, I tried to be a good Catholic and I tried to raise my children in the Catholic faith but they don’t go to church now and they haven’t since they got married. What can I do to get them back to going to church?”

I hear this question every week from the members of my parish and many members of the Knights of Columbus. And I have also heard …

“We have tried to be a good example of Catholic Life going to Mass every Sunday and Holy Day. We have prayed as a family, grace before meals, night prayers, and the Rosary. We have gone as a family to confession monthly and during the Lent and Advent Season. We have kept the poor in our minds and hearts in our daily prayer and our giving to support charities and the support of our parish church. We have done all these things and still we don’t have the faithful Catholic Children we had expected. We have done all the pleading and begging we could. Is there anything else we could do? “ Some adults have returned to the practice of the faith because they have had the opportunity to meet a priest or a religious who was able to bring them to a new understanding of the Catholic Church. Or they were able to answer questions about the faith that had been disturbing them since childhood. Or they were able to find reconciliation with God and the Church which they needed to bring them back.

There have been many wonderful stories of this sort which have happened to me and others in my ministry.

The Knights of Columbus are offering another way that could help Catholics find their way back to the practice of the faith by bringing more, good Catholic literature into every Catholic home. This program is called “Read and Raise”.

By this program of evangelization, parents or friends of Catholics who need help in being alive in their Catholic faith can be able to read more about it. “Read and Raise” promotes many good Catholic periodicals to be sent to any home you wish. These are top quality monthly or bi-monthly newspapers and magazines that carry the Catholic message of the faith to thousands of households across the United States. They may have an article or a story that could interest a Catholic who has not been to church in a while. They will also help those Catholics who would like to know more about their faith but don’t know where to turn to find quality publications they need and can’t find on the local newsstands.

“Read and Raise” can bring to your home the ideals of good Catholic leaders and writers who have the knowledge of the universal church. Check out this activity that your council will be doing in the months to come. Give a gift subscription to someone you love or get a subscription for yourself and make it part of your daily prayers to read. You will raise funds for your local Knights of Columbus Council and “raise” your knowledge of your Catholic Church.

You can learn more about the Read and Raise subscription program by visiting www.readandraise.org or by calling (888) 538-0950. The Read and Raise program is recommended by the Ohio State Council Knights of Columbus.

State Deputy: Our mid-year ‘report cards’ Continued from Page 1

in Ohio) participated.

One of the criteria for Star Council is membership recruitment, and we are well behind in recruitment to where we should be. By now, we should have all councils in Ohio with Form 365 submitted. But we are still missing 50 or more of these reports.

But this is the halfway point in our fraternal year. There is still time to partipicate in our state program contest. There is still time for our general agents and field agents to work on our insurance quota. And there is still time to recruit new members to our Order so that may join us in our charitable work. Let’s set a resolution for the new year to help Ohio get back on track! We have time. And we can do it!

Thank you for all your efforts for the Order here in Ohio.

Be the “Light” !

2014 Super Cash Bonanza Campaign Chairman

The “official” Super Cash Bonanza Road Show team will meet with councils in every diocese of Ohio during February to kick off the 2014 Million Dollar Baby Cash Bonanza Charity Raffle, when tickets will be distributed and rules of the campaign explained. The meetings will be held at eight locations around the state so that all council leaders might attend one of them.

“Big Daddy” will be in attendance with the team members, sharing some thoughts and information on methods and procedures to help all conduct and accomplish a successful charity raffle at the home councils. In order to achieve the attendance rebate, at least two members of a council must attend the ticket distribution meeting.

As in the recent past, 25 cash prizes will be awarded to winners during the drawing at the Columbus Hilton at Easton Hotel as part of the 2014 State Convention’s Friday Night Party. Top prize will be $49,680, with $18,780 and $12,720 as second and third prizes, respectively. The other prizes include 4th, $4,000; 5th, $3,000; 6th-9th, $1,500; 10th-13th, $1,250; 14th-17th, $1,000; 18th-21st, $750; and 22nd-25th, $500.

Tickets will sell for $5.00. Of that, $2.40 is automatically retained by the council to use for local charities. Based on rebates, it is possible for councils to retain $4.60 per ticket sold.

The following schedule lists the meeting sites, dates, and times. We look forward to meeting with you!

Friday, February 14 Tiffin Council 608, 49 E. Perry St., Tiffin (Toledo Diocese) Saturday, February 15 10 a.m. Msgr. Lang Council 1039, 111 Elliott Rd., Defiance (Toledo Diocese) 3 p.m. Fr. Aufderheide Council 12912 (Cincinnati Diocese)

St. Christopher Church, 435 E. National Rd., Vandalia 7 p.m. St. Michael Council 3382 (Cincinnati Diocese)

St. Michael Church, 11144 Spinner Ave., Sharonville Sunday, February 16 2 p.m. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council 11187 (Columbus Diocese)

600 Hill Rd., Pickerington Friday, February 21 7 p.m. Cambridge Council 1641, Christ Our Light Parish (Steubenville Diocese)

St. Benedict Church Social Hall, 714 Gomber Ave., Cambridge Saturday, February 22 10 a.m. St. Joseph-Randolph Council 2039 (Youngstown Diocese)

2697 Waterloo Rd., Randolph 1 p.m. Garfield Council 4130 (Cleveland Diocese)

10806 Granger Rd., Garfield Heights 7 p.m.

The Buckeye Bulletin

State Chaplain

State Deputy

State Secretary

Fr. William Kraynak

409 W. Main Street

Ravenna, OH 44266

(330) 296-9193 wkraynak@youngstowndiocese.org

State Treasurer

Kevin Miller

1101 Arbor Oaks Lane

Galloway, OH 43119-8507

(614) 853-2642 km8007@columbus.rr.com

Ken Girt 6433 Lutz Ave. N.W. Massillon, OH 44646-9341 (330) 837-6670 girtken@sssnet.com

Robert Collins Jr. 10181 Tracy Trail Parma, OH 44130-5310 (216) 410-7174 rfcollinsjr@gmail.com

Robert Byers 565 Indian Run Rd. Marietta, OH 45750-6693 (740) 373-7154 robert_byers@hotmail.com

Mark Siracusa 1310 Markey Dr. Bryan, OH 43506 (419) 553-9552 cuzza@roadrunner.com

State Advocate

State Warden

Immediate Past State Deputy Chief of Staff Buckeye Bulletin Editor

Dave Helmstetter Jack Campbell Harding Christ

5421 County Road 33A 1630 34h St. NE 32649 Surrey Lane

St. Marys, OH 45885-9658 Canton, OH 44714 Avon Lake, OH 44012-1642

Tel: (419) 394-1180 Tel: (330) 453-0872 Tel: (440) 933-8986

dhelmstetter@bright.net Email: cootzbabe@att.net Email: harding.c@oh.rr.com The Buckeye Bulletin is published by the Ohio State Council Knights of Columbus and mailed via Third Class NonProfit Postage, Permit No. 229, at Cleveland, Ohio. Any member of the Ohio State Council in good standing may subscribe free of charge.

Editorial Content Forward all editorial content to Harding Christ, Editor, 32649 Surrey Lane, Avon Lake, OH 44012-1642.

Subscription Status Address Change Forward all requests for new subscriptions, changes of address or cancellation to Harding Christ. New subscriptions must include the full 9-digit Zip Code.

January-February, 2014___________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin_________________________________________________________________ Page 3

District Deputies’ Mid-Year Meeting

State Deputy introduces ‘report cards’ for District Deputies to grade themselves

The three diocesan religious education directors present to receive their Matching Funds checks are Dr. Barbara Romanello-Wichtman, Columbus (3rd from left); Ken Gleason, Cincinnati (4th from left), and Paul Ward, Steubenville (right). State Chaplain Fr. William Kraynak (left) accepted the Youngstown Diocese check. With them are State Deputy Ken Girt (2nd from left) and State Advocate Bob Byers, 2013 Matching Funds Campaign chairman (2nd from right).

Matching Funds Campaign raises $50,304 for diocesan religious education departments

A total of $51,958.50 was raised to support the many agencies, programs and schools in 2013 through the annual Matching Funds Campaign, according to State Advocate Bob Byers, the 2013-2014 Matching Funds chairman.

The funds for religious education departments in each Ohio diocese were announced at the Mid-Year District Deputies’ Meeting in January. Because of weather conditions around Ohio that weekend, only three of the six diocesan religion education directors were in attendance to personally receive their diocesan check. The biggest check -$11,377 – went to the Cincinnati Diocese.

According to Byers, 170 councils and eight assemblies participated in the campaign.

Their donations amounted to $26,958.50, of which $25,000 was matched by the Ohio State Council’s Charity Foundation.

Columbus Diocese Religious Education Director Dr. Barbara Romanello-Wichtman spoke on behalf of all the Ohio religious education directors.

“So many things have changed in the way we reach out to our people,” she said. “We could not have reached out without your help.”

Following are the monies given to the dioceses. All funds collected in a particular diocese went to religious education in that diocese.

• • • • • •

Cincinnati Diocese: $11,377 (Ken Gleason, religious education director).

Cleveland Diocese: $8,632 (Chris Hoag, religious education director).

Columbus Diocese: $9,323 (Dr. Barbara Romanello-Wichtman, religious education director).

Steubenville Diocese: $4,024.50 (Paul Ward, religious education director).

Toledo Diocese: $10,907 (Dave McCutcheon, religious education director).

Youngstown Diocese: $7,695 (Barbara Walko, religious education director).

Ohio’s District Deputies gathered at the Columbus Hilton at Easton Hotel on the weekend of Jan. 4-5 for their annual MidYear Meeting. Following are some of the highlights: State Deputy Ken Girt introduced “report cards” to the District Deputies. He distributed the “report cards”, asking that the District Deputies grade themselves on their performances during the first half of the 2013-2014 fraternal year.

But before giving them their “report cards”, he graded his own performance during the first half. The “grades” he gave himself would not have put him on a high school honor roll.

During his introductory remarks, Girt continued to stress his main goal for this fraternal year – to have councils work toward being Star Councils.

“Let’s shoot for the stars,” he stressed. *

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Special guest at the weekend meeting was J.P. McCusker, a past state deputy in Virginia and current Supreme Membership and Program Coordinator.

“We need your support – you have the insight, the knowledge,” he told the District Deputies. “The council is where the real work of the Knights of Columbus is done. We need the enthusiasm. We have to light that fire.”

He noted that during the first six months of the fraternal year, Ohio councils have done 30% of the state’s goal. “In the next six months we have to do the other 70%,” he said. *

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State Chaplain Fr. William Kraynak had some words about using good public

Former State Chaplain Fr. F. Richard Snoke is greeted at the Mid-Year District Deputies’ Meeting by State Warden Mark Siracusa. Fr. Snoke has been hospitalized for part of the year 2013, and he faces one more surgery this winter.

relations.

“We do a lot of good work,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we tend to hide it. We tend to be silent.

“We need to get out there and let everybody know the good things that we are doing.”

And he said that “some of our priests don’t know you; don’t know all the good things that you do. We must let them know.”

Councils now can use video for First Degrees

Ensuring the growth of the Order today and in the future must be a perennial priority for fraternal leaders at every level of the Order. All of the good we offer to our Church and communities depends on councils continuously welcoming more and more qualified Catholic men into our ranks.”

Using those thoughts, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson announced that “to facilitate the timely admission of new members, I am pleased to announce that, effective immediately, councils are authorized to host First Degree exemplifications using a new Supreme Council-produced video presentation of our initiation ceremonial.

He said that while live degrees remain the preferred method by which candidates are to be admitted and advanced through the degrees, “the video presentation of the First Degree is meant to supplement their efforts and ensure that every prospective member can be admitted without unnecessary delay.

Councils can visit https://www.kofc.org/oo for additional instructions and to access the First Degree video online. A DVD copy will follow by regular mail in the coming weeks. If councils have questions, contact the Ceremonials section of the Department of Fraternal Services at ceremonials@kofc.org or by calling (203) 752-4346.

Visit Ohio State Council website: www.kofcohio.org

State Deputy Ken Girt (right) and Supreme Council Membership and Program Consultant J.P. McCusker converse at the Mid-Year District Deputies’ Meeting.

Page 4__________________________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin__________________________________________________ January-February, 2014

State General Program

We want to hear from You!

By Jeff Kiliany

State General Program Director

We are now in the 2nd half of the “Light of Ohio” General Program, with three of the five reporting periods completed. Almost half of the councils across the state have not yet reported a program activity. We need to hear from you. It’s not too late to report on some of the programs and activities that your councils are doing.

Remember: NOW is the time to start checking your status online and making sure that your council stats match up with the Director’s Master Stat Sheet! If you want to be in the running for Top 5 councils in your division, you will want to check and verify your Total Program Points. You will see the top 10 councils in the State in each division on the home page of the State Website. If your stats don’t add up and agree with the State’s, please call the respective director and find out where the differences are. Keep up the good work!

Please check your council’s standings on the State Website. You can also see if you turned in your Form185, Form 365, Semiannual Audit 1295, Annual Survey 1728. You also can see your Membership and Insurance Quota, Gains, Losses, Net, and Percent.

And finally, you can see if you paid your Supreme and State Tax. All of these standings are updated monthly. You can find all this by following this online path: • www.kofcohio.org ….. Knights Login ….. Your user name and password …..

Click on the Grand Knights Review Center tab ….. Programs drop-down tab …..

Review Council Status tab ….. Blue Program or Supreme tab (across the main part of the page).

It is also time to start laying the ground work for choosing your Best of the Best.

Please start the planning now. It is a good idea to get nomination forms out to your members and set a late February Deadline for turn in so your nomination committee can tally these and prepare them for voting. These nominations must be received in the mail by April 1, 2014 Jeff Kiliany can be reached at 559 Walnut St., Leetonia, OH 44431; Phone: (330) 427-9874; Cell: (330) 853-6099; Email: jtktg@yahoo.com.

State Youth Activities

2014 Soccer Challenge winners are announced

By Bob Walsh

Top 10 Councils in Programming by diocese

Following are Ohio’s Top 10 councils in programming in the six dioceses. The Top 10 includes program points only. Standings do not include membership or administrative requirements.

Cincinnati Diocese Cleveland Diocese Council Div. Pts. Council Div. Pts. 2158 Fr. Kunkler 5 525 4731 North Olmsted 5 600 15533 St. Dominic-Delhi 1 500 637 James Martin 4 525 4022 Maria-Joseph 4 450 7970 North Ridgeville 4 525 10215 St Leonard 4 450 3304 Geauga 3 475 14400 Fr. Charles Mentrup 3 400 10792 St. Francis Assisi 4 450 1991 Coldwater 5 375 10936 Fr. Maruskin 3 450 2640 St. Henry 5 375 947 Painesville 4 400 3724 Fairborn 5 375 3269 Father Ragan 5 375 11550 St. Joseph 3 Rivers 3 375 4130 Garfield Heights 5 375 14995 St. Charles 3 375 5405 Wickliffe 5 375 14255 St. Sebastian 3 375 15056 Holy Family 1 375 Columbus Diocese Steubenville Diocese Council Div. Pts. Council Div. Pts. 5534 Marysville 3 525 4617 St. John of Beverly 5 475 1786 Father Reidy 2 500 5583 Pieta 2 400 10820 Fr. John Kempf 1 475 472 Imm. Heart of Mary 4 350 1016 Lancaster 5 425 478 Marietta 4 350 11224 Fr. Sheldon Kelly 2 425 11828 St. John Newmann 2 350 11275 St. Andrew 4 400 2565 Fr. Klueber 2 325 12772 St. Joseph 2 400 1664 Fr. Jessing 1 300 1056 Delaware 3 375 4361 Msgr. Joseph Dooley 4 175 5801 St. Jude 4 375 5009 Monroe 1 100 11208 St. Brendan 4 375 1641 Cambridge 2 75 Toledo Diocese Youngstown Diocese Council Div. Pts. Council Div. Pts. 1039 Msgr. Lang 5 575 1569 Leetonia 3 525 11450 St. Jeromes 3 575 11915 Fr. David Venglarik 3 500 14344 Mother Teresa 2 500 3813 Campbell Marian 1 475 6373 Holy Trinity 3 475 3930 Msgr. Mears` 2 475 1944 Oak Harbor 2 450 7491 John Mahaney 2 400 11370 St. Joseph 3 450 4212 Jefferson 1 375 9788 St. Anthony of Padua 4 425 13977 St. Joseph Austintown 1 375 4539 Vermilion 3 400 15458 St. Michael 1 250 885 Rosecrans-Willard 3 375 1681 Niles 3 225 14155 St. Patrick Heatherdowns 2 375 558 Alliance 4 200 1890 Reagan/E. Palistine 1 200 4484 St. FrancisCabrini 3 200 4733 Holy Martyrs 2 200 10183 St. Jude 2 200 14491 St. James 1 200

State Youth Activities Director

We have completed the 2014 Ohio Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge. The winners are:

Boys Kyle Ross, sponsored by Blessed John XXIII Council 14502, Perrysburg.

Andrew Leopold, sponsored by Painesville Council 947.

Joshua Freiman, sponsored by Cuyahoga Falls Council 2362.

Emilio Del Toro, sponsored by St. Columban Council 13813, Loveland.

Sean McMarthy, sponsored by Middletown Council 1610.

Nathan Hallam, sponsored by Cuyahoga Falls Council 2362.

Michael Allen, sponsored by Immaculate Conception Council 5628, Sylvania.

Girls Age 8 Danielle Tebbe, sponsored by Francis Desales Council 14408, Lebanon.

Age 9 Brooke Martinez, sponsored by Port Clinton Council 1750.

Age 10 Rachel Tebbe, sponsored by Francis Desales Council 14408, Lebanon.

Age 11 Olivia Oziomek, sponsored by Cuyahoga Falls Council 2362.

Age 12 Hannah Tebbe, sponsored by Francis Desales Council 14408, Lebanon.

Age 8 Age 9 Age 10 Age 11 Age 12 Age 13 Age 14

Congratulations to all those involved!

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We’re now at the Regional competitions for the Ohio K of C State Free Throw Contest. The State competition will be held at Bishop Ready High School, Columbus, on March 15. This is the first year that 9-year-olds are eligible to participate.

Councils participating in the K of C Essay Contest: it’s time to send your essays to me for state judging.

The Substance Abuse Poster Contest is coming up. Hopefully, councils have obtained their information packets from Supreme. Judging at the Council level should be completed by the end of February. If District and Regional judging is needed, it should be done by the end of March. State judging will be held in April.

Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to our youth. I appreciate the reports and encouraging work being done.

Fourth Degree

Consider joining the ‘Window of the Order’

By Don Hall

Vice Supreme Master

As we start the new year and the 2nd half of our fraternal year, I wish to congratulate the councils and assemblies that have conducted many fine and worthwhile activities and programs on behalf of our nation’s veterans. And on behalf of our Supreme Master, Dennis Stoddard, and your Brother Sir Knights of the 4th Degree, I extend an invitation to each and every Ohio K of C member to join the Fourth Degree.

The world around us judges the Knights of Columbus by the actions of our individual members. As a member of the Fourth Degree, your attendance at the activities of your council and assembly, your learned guidance, advice, and example will greatly influence your Brother Knights as well as the members of your Parishes and your communities.

How better can we promote membership in our Order than by becoming part of the “Window of the Order”: the Fourth Degree.

As a Sir Knight, each of you will undertake the awesome responsibility of leadership in the New Evangelization, bringing to life the words of our Holy Father. You will be the foremost example of our Catholic principles and as such will be charged with the promotion of our holy faith. It will be yours to lead the way. And as a member of the patriotic degree of our Order, you will assume the obligation and responsibility of protecting and preserving this country as “One Nation under God”.

I ask each Brother Knight to thoughtfully consider membership in the 4th Degree. *

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One of our Former Vice Supreme Masters of the Hennepin Province, James R. Fedewa, passed away last Dec. 27. He was 80. He also was a Past State Deputy of Michigan.

March-April-May, 2013___________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin_________________________________________________________________ Page 5

State District Deputy Director

How is your District Deputy Doing?

By Joe Mackos

State District Deputy Director

On the first weekend of January, 2014, Ohio’s District Deputies gathered at the Hilton at Easton Hotel in Columbus for their semi-annual meeting.

Brothers of councils throughout Ohio, I would like to hear from you: • Is your District Deputy doing his job?

• Does he attend your meetings?

• What is his appearance?

• Does he help the council with your problems?

• Has he installed your officers?

Please email me at JMspaman57@yahoo.com with your comments. Be sure to include your council number so I will know who your District Deputy is. *

Napoleon Knights seek ultrasound purchase

Brother Knights of Napoleon Council 1344 (Toledo Diocese) have conducted a Fund Drive to purchase an ultrasound machine for the Henry County Women’s Health Resource Center in Napoleon. Various fundraisers and individual donors brought in $13,000, to be matched by Supreme Council for the ultrasound machine purchase.

Pictured are (from left) Grand Knight Jerry Cameron; Laura Moninger, R.N., Women’s Health Center office manager; District Deputy Doug Smith; State Warden Mark Siracusa; and Judy Van Wagner, executive director of the Women’s Health Resource Center.

State Culture of Life

Ohio councils continue to defend, protect life

By Gary Anderson

State Culture of Life Director

As we flip the calendar into 2014, the battle to defend the sanctity of human life, marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and our precious religious liberties rages on. The dominant culture, with the mainstream media and the entertainment industry as its flag bearers, continues its all-out war to devalue life, redefine the family, and gain more and more control of our very lives. We must continue to stand firm in telling them, No, we will not allow this to happen! Our Church, families, and nation deserve nothing less than our undying commitment to defend and protect what is most dear to us.

I continue to be amazed at how councils and Brother Knights across Ohio continue to do just that. Special commendations to the men and families of Our Lady of Charity Council 14406 in Broadview Heights (Cleveland Diocese) for their awesome response to the utter devastation wrought in the Philippines on Nov. 8 by Typhoon Haiyan. Two Sir Knight members of the council have family in the Philippines.

When the council received news about the catastrophe, they got right down to work. The wife of Past Grand Knight David Zuber, Dr. Jeanne Zuber (on staff at the Cleveland Clinic), along with Brother Knight Dr. Paul Russ, who has a dental practice, made arrangements to fly to the Philippines with urgently needed medical supplies and assistance. As of the time this article is being written, they were still there offering their humanitarian assistance and support. Council 14406 provided $2,000 in financial assistance and pledged its ongoing support.

That is a perfect example of who and what the Knights of Columbus is, brothers!

Another example of the Order in action is the ongoing efforts of St. Sebastian Council 14255 in Akron (Cleveland Diocese). On a quarterly basis, the council makes use of a truck, donated by a council member, to move approximately 25 new cribs, mattresses, and car seats from a local Kmart store (where they have been purchased at a discount) to a storage facility owned by Community Pregnancy Center of Barberton. The pregnancy center, which has no manpower or transportation of its own, then makes the items available at no cost to needy new mothers.

These two activities are but a small snapshot of the incredible efforts and work being put forth by councils and brother knights statewide. We appreciate every one of them.

Thanks so much for your dedication!

Finally, I would also like to mention the fine job of detailed reporting that I am seeing online from several councils, among them Marysville Council 5534; Leetonia Council 1569; Gilmore Council 310; St. Joseph of the Three Rivers Council 11550; St. Sebastian Council 14255; Fr. Daniel M. Vanglarik Council 11915, and St. Mark’s Council 15447. Great work, gentlemen!

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At the District Deputies Meeting we presented two different awards to deserving DD’s.

The first was the Recognition Award (or the Red Shirt Award), presented to District Deputies who completed the following for councils in their district: All Form 185’s, 365’s; 75% or more of their councils attending the Summer Tour Meeting; submission of a council membership plan and a district membership plan. The recipients were DD-7 Tim Mangan, DD-8 Michael Freil, DD-16 Richard Bischof, DD-21 William Donohue, DD-45 Duane Lord, DD-50 Steve Ishmael, DD-52 Tony Offenberger, DD53 Donald Frymyer, DD-58 David Lewis, DD-79 Michael Jordon.

The second award presented were for the District Deputy of the First Half from each diocese. They were: DD-18 Robert Weaver, Cincinnati Diocese; DD-27 Michael Kala, Cleveland Diocese; DD-35 Ronald Klausing, Columbus Diocese; DD-53 Donald Frymyer, Steubenville Diocese; DD-58 David Lewis, Toledo Diocese; DD-79 Michael Jordon, Youngstown Diocese.

State Family Activities

Valentines: A time to teach children about love

By Michael Saine

State Family Activities Director

Children are the greatest sponges. No, not the financial kind. They see all we say and do. They end up very much like we teach them to be.

Valentines Day presents a fantastic opportunity to teach your children about the nature of love and how to express love. You can use that instinctual behavior to teach them life lessons.

An article pointed out to me that movies and TV shape behavior very quickly. Much of what children learn today comes from television. I’ve heard school age children watch as much as 27 hours of TV a week. Preschoolers watch even more. The TV, computer and video games have become the electronic babysitters of the 21st century.

Valentines Day is not about candy, flowers, jewels or even chocolates. It’s about the true love. The love that is willing to sacrifice, willing to change, willing to be an equal partner. By showing them the truth of holding hands, quiet laughter and patience, they will learn about true love.

There is more to love than gifts. It’s the quiet, special ways that we share our thoughtfulness. You can show them that there is more to loving than just buying something.

You can show it by involving them in the special ways that you and your spouse show your love for each other. Let them see the way that you do things not because they are something that you want to do but rather because they are for the person that you love.

Express your love both verbally and in action and your children will learn that the true joy a loving relationship can be an integral part of their life.

State K of C Basketball Tourney set for April 5-6 The 2014 Knights of Columbus State Basketball Tournament will be held on the weekend of April 5-6 at the Worthington Community Center in Columbus. Entry forms will be mailed to councils that have participated in the last three years, according to State Basketball Chairman Richard Siefker. Other councils wishing to participate should contact Siefker at (419) 538-6804.

Page 6__________________________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin__________________________________________________ January-February, 2014

Diocesan vocation directors outline their use of Pennies for Heaven funds

By Immediate Past State Deputy Dave Helmstetter 2014 Pennies for Heaven Chairman

The 2013-14 Pennies for Heaven program is off to a great start for this fraternal year.

More than 128 councils participated in the optional December first turn-in.

It’s important that councils and assemblies continue to promote the Pennies for Heaven program. Continue passing the jug and conducting specific fundraising efforts to support our seminarians.

The deadline for this fraternal year is May 1, 2014. Please send your checks, written to the Ohio State Council, Knights of Columbus, to Dave Helmstetter, IPSD, 5421 County Road 33A, St. Marys, OH 45885-9658.

How does your contribution help in your diocese? We surveyed the six vocations directors and here’s what they had to say: Fr. Kyle Schnippel, Vocations Director, Archdiocese of Cincinnati In the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, we have been able to use the funds to enable our outreach to youth and young adults to invite them to consider the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood and/or religious life. With these funds, the Vocation Office is able to participate in youth retreats and rallies, enable NET Ministries to travel throughout the Archdiocese and engage our young people with the dynamism of the unique love of God for each of them.

For a concrete reality of what we are able to achieve with these funds, please visit http://www. cincinnativocations.org/category/video/ The Pennies from Heaven funds allow us to develop and produce a series of high quality videos entitled ‘The Gift of the Priesthood,’ drawing young men into the mystery of what it means to be an agent and actor for Christ.

On behalf of Archbishop Schnurr, please be assured of our gratitude and thanks for providing these funds.They have been instrumental in helping us grow our number of seminarians from 28 five years ago to 46 currently.

Msgr. Charles Singler, Vocations Director, Diocese of Toledo I can attest that the funds provide multiple aspects to our program of vocational awareness.

First, we publish annual posters with the pictures of all diocesan seminarians and women and men in formation with religious orders in our diocese. These are sent to all parishes, schools and K of C Councils in the diocese every fall season. We make sure to include the K of C logo on both posters to acknowledge this underwriting. Another aspect that these funds underwrite are the annual seminarians convocation held in August at Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center.

Funds also help in underwriting promotional items. Ii.e. annual prayer cards with the names of all seminarians and women and men in religious formation from the diocese). These are distributed to schools and parishes that request them. A new initiative that I hope to get off the ground this year in regional areas of the diocese is called the Melchezidek Project, a recruitment and discernment program for young men considering the priesthood. I am currently soliciting the priestly leadership of several priests. Finally, from time to time, an emergency may arise with a seminarian regarding the purchase of a needed item. I have used the funds to underwrite that need.

Fr. Timothy Shannon, Vocations Director, Diocese of Steubenville Every bit of financial assistance given helps greatly in the task of fostering and sustaining vocations now and for the future. This year the monies the Knights of Columbus have donated will help us in carrying out our plans for vocation promotion. We will continue to visit and conduct a Vocation Day in each of our Catholic grade schools and high schools, continue working with parish vocation committees, and visiting, our various high school PSR/CCD and Youth groups.

Once again we participated in the Annual Vocation Fair which took place at Franciscan University in Steubenville. New this year will be Advent and Lenten Programs geared for all parishioners but, in particular, our families. Finally, in the spring we have plans to conduct some Andrew Dinners with the support of the local Knights of Columbus councils.

Also, we have doubled the number of seminarians we have from five to 10 this year. Two of the men, God willing, will be ordained priests on May 16, 2014.

Fr. Michael McCandless, Coordinator of Vocations to Diocesan Priesthood Diocese of Cleveland The annual Pennies for Heaven collection makes a profound impact on many promotional efforts for both priestly and religious vocations, and also benefits young men from the beginning of inquiring through a seminarians’ first year of formation. A portion of this donation has immediately assisted our men entering our minor diocesan seminary, Borromeo Seminary, as they make the transition into their first year of formation and are recipients of our “Challenge Scholarship”.

Numerous vocational promotion efforts are supplemented with Pennies for Heaven: Posters, discernment books, prayer cards, and other printed literature. Our bi-monthly XLT! Series – an evening dedicated for our high school youth to have time in Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, and an inspirational speaker for their discernment – is greatly supplemented. Our annual “Dinner with the Bishop Series”, an evening dinner, tour of the seminary, and evening prayer with Bishop Lennon, has been made possible from these proceeds. The FEST is our largest diocesan summer

event – our Vocation Tent and Holy Hours are supplemented by Pennies for Heaven (over 1200 youth attended these holy hours at the FEST 2013). Additionally, we are in the process of bolstering our vocation office website and our multimedia initiatives with this money.

Special events and retreat experiences are made possible. This past August the Vocation Office began our first “Borromeo Camping and Canoe Trip”, which gathers the new men entering formation with the present seminarians for a few days of relaxation prior to the school year.

Lastly, the Vocation Office sponsored a promotional table at our Diocesan Youth Conference just this past Nov. 9 for spreading awareness of vocations to the teens present (over 350 teens attended).

Fr. Chris Luoni, Director of Vocations, Diocese of Youngstown The money from the Pennies for Heaven campaign have been used to: 1. Design and print the posters, bookmarks and prayer cards that we use throughout the diocese. All parishes, schools, K of C Councils and other Catholic entities in the diocese will receive these items.

2. Help offset the cost of vocation/discernment retreats.

3. Design and print the cards for a new program “Adopt a Future Priest” that will be implemented in our Catholic grade schools and CCD programs. This program will show our students who are seminarians are, give them an opportunity to pray for them and write letters/ emails of support.

4. Help in the cost of designing a new vocations website for the diocese.

Fr. Paul Noble, Director of Vocations, Diocese of Columbus We have used Pennies for Heaven funds in a variety of ways this year. We have covered medical and emergency room costs. No insurance plan covers everything, and it doesn’t take long before a man without an income can be overwhelmed with medical costs. We have helped some with prescriptions, some with emergency room costs, etc. We have helped men with upkeep of their cars -- new tires, maintenance and emergency repairs can cost the hundreds of dollars. We also have used the money to help cover the costs of special programs for the seminarians.

Our Bishop generously covers the costs of the normal formation program for the seminarians (i.e. tuition, room and board, and books, etc.) At the same time, many men are interested in special pastoral and academically enriching programs, and the funds have helped us make these opportunities available to the men. We also use the funds to provide recreational and fraternity building opportunities for the men. We’re not “putting on the Ritz” but the men appreciate the chance to have a change of environment and get to know each other better in an informal setting.

Akron area Knight involves K of C in his volunteerism John Smithkey, a member of St. Hilary Council 14551, Fairlawn (Cleveland Diocese), is an Extraordinary Minister of Communion who volunteers at the Akron General Medical Center.

Last November, Hospital Chaplain Fr. Milton Kiocha approached him, saying that the hospital Spiritual Care Department had exhausted its supply of “How to Say the Rosary” cards.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get more,” Smithkey told the priest. And he did, by contacting the Supreme office in New Haven, Conn.

They were delivered in plenty of time for the Christmas season.

Smithkey, who also is a Sir Knight of Msgr. O’Keefe Assembly and a former nurse, has a special message for his Brother Knights across Ohio: “I urge Brother Knights to volunteer at

John Smithkey gives K of C Rosary cards to Akron General Medical Center volunteer Josephine (Joey) Debarr.

their local hospitals. It is a very rewarding experience.”

‘The Light of Ohio’ merchandise can be ordered online

By Jack Campbell, State Administrative Services Director Councils and individuals can order State Council “The Light of Ohio” merchandise online by going to the State Council website, kofcohio.org, and clicking on the tab entitled State Programs. Then scroll down and click on State for Sale Items. Once you find an item you wish to order, go to bottom of page and click on Order Form. Fill out the order form completely and return to me.

Once I receive your order, I will fill it, mail it to you and send a bill, which will be for the item plus a fee for shipping.

Jack Campbell can be reached at 1630 34th St. NE, Canton, OH 44714-1564; Phone (330) 453-0872; Email cootzbabe@att.net.

January-February, 2014___________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin_________________________________________________________________ Page 7

Council Development – the drives and follow-through for growth

By Bill Wirtz

Since last summer’s Diocesan Tour Programs, I have emphasized that council development does not always refer to just “new councils”, but also to reactivation and revitalization of existing councils.

All threrer activities require thorough planning, building a team, and steady execution. Each development drive process is similar, as outlined in the General Program Handbook, and any drive requires good follow-through for continued growth.

By following the descriptions of the “drive” and “follow through” processes in our written Program book or on the state website, you will greatly enhance your success. Always contact and include your local directors, diocesan coordinators and District Deputy for their support and guidance. Remember to contact the State Council Development Director, as he can provide sample mailing letters, bulletin announcements, and sample checklists for the drive activities. These tools can be used as guidelines for planning and may also be tailored to meet your local needs. Always,

always, always include your insurance representatives, as they are invaluable resources and team advisors.

All of this information is current and fresh, yet our organization is not breaking any new ground here. We all stand on the shoulders of some fine Catholic gentlemen and all their honorable accomplishments. However, I do intend to change the perception that council development is a “one and done” activity. This is an ongoing cultivation of our members, who are the Knights of Columbus, with the ultimate goal of attracting others to join our ranks.

Finally, there have been many statewide development successes in the past few years and the common denominator is the direct involvement of the state officers. These gentlemen are dedicated to the growth of the Order, so we can continue the work of fulfilling the vision of Fr. McGivney. To that end, remember that all Developments are ongoing team efforts.

As our Supreme Advisor has reminded us about our membership, “it’s about building relationships, not making transactions.”

A new membership challenge:

Ohio State Council Membership as of January 1, 2014

State Council Development Director

A one member…per council…per month incentive

By Ken Gardner

State Membership Director

As of Jan. 1, 36 councils in Ohio were on track for the Supreme Council goal of One Member per Month. These 36 councils have accounted for more than 40% of our intake for the year!

To reward councils that are shooting for One Member…Per Council…Per Month, we have come up with the One Member…Per Council…Per Month Challenge.

The goal of every council in Ohio should be to recruit at least one member per month.

This may seem like a difficult task, but when you break it down to just having 10 active members of your council asking just one gentleman per week to join your council, a success rate of only 2.5% would get you there. The Ohio State Council is committed to having all councils in the state achieve this goal and will be rewarding councils that are on track this mark. Council rewards for this part of the challenge are: • Beginning with the Feb. 1 Supreme Council Report (based on January, 2014, intake), EVERY COUNCIL that is on track to meet One Member Per Month will be in a drawing for $500. Councils need an intake of seven to be in the February drawing.

• If a council has an intake of eight or more on the March 1 Supreme Council Report, they will be in the March drawing.

• Councils that are not on track for any one month can get into the drawing by recruiting multiple members in a month, as long as the intake number puts them on track for one member per month • This drawing will continue through the end of the fraternal year, with the July 1 report being the final drawing.

• Intake numbers will be based on the Supreme Council Membership report, be sure to get those completed Form 100’s in as soon as the degree is held We understand that not all councils can reach this goal, but we would like to reward councils for just recruiting one (or more) members each month. Therefore . . .

• EVERY COUNCIL that recruits at least one new member each month will be in a drawing for $100.00.

• Each new member recruited equals one entry into the $100.00 drawing.

• One council will be drawn each month from February 1 to July 1.

One of the most important keys to bring new members in is frequent 1st Degrees. We also will reward District Deputies for encouraging councils to hold 1st Degrees.

• EVERY DISTRICT DEPUTY that holds a First Degree in his district and submits Form 450 to State Membership Director Ken Gardner will be in a monthly drawing for $200.00.

• Every degree held in the district counts as an entry for that month, January through June 2014.

• Promote the degree within the district to ensure a large class of candidates.

As of Jan. 1, the following councils are currently on track for One Member per Month: 360, 472, 505, 608, 624, 637, 1016, 1056, 1757, 1786, 1991, 2039, 3269, 3324, 3335, 3724, 4130, 4617, 4731, 5253, 5776, 5801, 8115, 10215, 10863, 10941, 11275, 11915, 13429, 14344, 14502, 14551, 15447, 15533, 15793, and 15824.

Diocese

Year to Date Gain

Year to Date Loss

Net

452 314 281 81 411 211

186 129 208 49 108 75

74 70 93 19 52 35

+112 +59 +115 +30 +56 +40

24.8% 18.8% 40.9% 37.0% 13.6% 19.0%

340 255 166 51 355 171

1,750

755

343

+412

23.5%

1,338

Quota

Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Steubenville Toledo Youngstown TOTALS

Percent of Quota

Needed

Start planning now for the March Blitz Continued from Page 1

pastor to set up your parish Blitz.

If you have been following the planner, you will also know that councils should be planning a charitable service program in honor of Fr. Michael J. McGivney the week of March 24-28 and should also be conducting First Degrees sometime between March 24-30. These last two events tie into Founders Day on March 29, the 132nd anniversary of the founding of our great Order.

How can your council tie all of these programs together into a top notch recruitment effort? All Grand Knights should have received a DVD from Supreme Council entitled “Membership Recruitment Training Video”. This excellent training program, narrated

by Vice President of Fraternal Training and Ceremonials Gary Nolan, covers the steps required to conduct a very successful membership Blitz. The four major steps to identify prospective members for your council covered in the video are 1) Conduct church drives; 2) Hold open houses; 3) Work with your pastor, field agent and current members to identify prospective candidates; 4) Reach out to parish members at key stages of life.

In the video, Nolan covers the key components that will help your council use these tools for recruitment. I highly recommend that this video be shown to as many members of your council as possible.

Diocesan Top 3 Councils in Membership as of Jan. 1, 2014

Cincinnati Diocese

Council St. Margaret of York 13429 Coldwater 1991 St. Leonard 10215

Location Net Loveland 15 Coldwater 10 Centerville 9

Columbus Diocese Council Location Net Fr. Charles Griffin 15793 Chillicothe 22 Zanesville 15824 Zanesville 16 New Albany 10941 New Albany 11 Toledo Diocese Council Location Net Ottawa 1757 Ottawa 9 (tie) Tiffin 608 Tiffin 8 (tie) Blessed John XXIII 14502 Perrysburg 8

Cleveland Diocese Council Location Net Father Ragan 3269 Avon 9 North Olmsted 4731 N. Olmsted 8 (tier)James Martin 637 Lorain 7 (tie) Garfield 4130 Garfield Hts. 7 Steubenville Diocese Council Location Net St. John of Beverly Waterford 13 (tie) Imm. Heart of Mary 472 Wintersville 6 (tie) St. Louis IX 3335 Gallipolis 6 Youngstown Diocese Council Location Net Ashtabula 360 Ashtabula 9 (tie) St. Joseph 2039 Randolph 6 (tie) Boardman 11915 Boardman 6

Page 8__________________________________________________________________Buckeye Bulletin__________________________________________________ January-February, 2014

The “Measure Up” Campaign It’s not just a two-week street collection

By State Warden Mark Siracusa

Chairman, 2014 Measure-Up Campaign

How will we as Knights of Columbus in Ohio continue to support our Measure Up Campaign in 2014? There is a little more to the campaign than just the two-week general public street collection on weekends in April and May. There are actually four major fundraising areas -- or phases.

We are currently in the “Gimme Five” collection phase, when we ask councils to actively solicit a donation of $5.00 (or more) from each of their members. Financial Secretaries were given “Gimme Five” flyers to be mailed out with their 2014 membership dues notices.

Secondly, we are again asking local councils to contact businesses within the council’s home area through a “general mailing campaign” and solicit from them a financial contribution. Make sure the letter explains how their contribution will assist those with mental retardation in the community.

Thirdly, some councils may want to do some type of fundraiser to gain additional funds.It can be extremely beneficial if there are difficulties in obtaining permission to conduct a street or storefront collection in your area.

Finally, the traditional street (or storefront) collection is still the most familiar and easiest way to raise funds for the campaign. This has been the mainstay of soliciting funds from the general public for a long time. Make every effort to contact your local merchants for permission to collect in front of their stores and businesses. Have a signup sheet available at the council on meeting nights to allow members to volunteer for time slots during the street collection phase.A Measure-Up ruler should be provided to every potential donor, whether or not they offer a donation.

Our goal in Ohio this year is $450,000 and a total 100% participation by our councils.

Brother Knights, we ask you to support our “flagship” charity and to put Columbianism into action for our “special” friends. * * *

2013 Measure-Up Campaign raised $388,800

Nearly $388,800 was raised in the 2013 Ohio Measure-Up Campaign to support Approximately 296 agencies, programs and schools to help citizens with developmental disabilities.

Overall, 266 Ohio councils participated in the 2013 campaign.

“I would like to especially congratulate the councils that increased their previous donations,” said State Advocate Bob Byers, 2013 chairman. “In addition, there were 50 councils that provided a 25% increase over their 2012 donations, and another six councils that supported the program this year that had not participated in 2012.

Knights of Columbus Insurance

Introducing 2 new policy riders

By Paul Goldsmith, LUTCF, FIC, General Agent State Insurance Liaison

As part of the Order’s continuing effort to provide the best service to our members and their families, Knight of Columbus insurance now offers two accelerated death benefit policy riders: Chronic Illness Accelerated Death Benefit (CI-ADB) and Terminal Illness Accelerated Death Benefit (TI-ADB). These new life riders provide additional living benefits to our permanent life insurance plans.

These riders are designed to allow an insured to have access to death benefit money when certain conditions are met before death. Best of all, there are no premiums charged for these riders.

These riders are available on most fully-underwritten, single-life permanent policies.

A policy can be issued with both these riders; however, the policy owner can only make a claim under one. The Chronic Illness Accelerated Death Benefit Rider can be claimed if the insured is chronically ill and permanently resides in a nursing home. The Terminal Illness Accelerated Death Rider can be claimed when the insured is certified as terminally ill (with a life expectancy of 12 months or less). These new riders add to the list of many value-added options available on Knights of Columbus permanent plans.

Do you know about our Guaranteed Purchase Option (GPO) Rider, which allows for the purchase of more insurance without proof of insurability? How about our Special Waiver of Premium Rider?

A Christmas Parade

Holy Trinity Council 5373, Bowling Green, was one of a number of councils that participated in Christmas season parades. Theme of the parade was “Santa’s Toy Box”. Other councils participated in such activities as food drives, coats for kids, Christmas card sales, etc. Norwalk Council 626, for instance, conducted its annual Christmas tree sale, all grown locally by Brother Don Hite, and with profits used to purchase bibles for First Communicants. Knights of Tiffin and New Riegel Council 10749 joined to sponsor a food drive in front of the Tiffin Council Hall, giving away 23,500 pounds of food to 364 families.

Ohio K of C’s computer technology Continued from Page 1

report and then press a button to send it via email to the proper state director.

Technology also has been introduced at diocesan and state meetings of the Ohio State Council, especially with the use of power point presentations.

The electronic technology has come, of course, with the blessing of the state officers – and a number of years and long hours of hard work accomplished mostly by two Brother Knights from the Columbus area: Jerry Lowery and Bret Baxter – plus expertise from Lowery’s son, Jerry Jr., and Baxter’s younger brother, Derrick.

Lowery got the ball rolling. Baxter joined the revolution and provided the detailed technical knowledge needed to improve and upgrade the system. Both Lowery and Baxter were Brother Knights of Father Hohman Council 5253 for a number of years.

Baxter also thanks two others who have been directly responsible for all the functions now included today and others that will be added in the future: former State General Program Director Larry Droesch, who has helped with testing and debugging new programs, and State Treasurer Kevin Miller, who provided encouragement “to push forward and stretch the bounds of the site to try new things and decrease the amount of work it takes our Brother Knights to enter reports”.

“We have built a website that now I think outshines all others from any other fraternal organization on the internet,” Baxter recently said. “The new look of the website is a direct result of working with our State Deputy, Ken Girt, and I hope all of you love it as much as we do.”

Lowery is retired following a career in the U.S. Air Force and Federal Civil Service, which began in 1963 when he was 19 years old. He served in the Air Force and Air National Guard, retiring from the USAF Reserve as Chief Master Sergeant, Telecommunications Maintenance and Operations. In the Federal Civil Service, he served as director of Physical and Network Security, Defense Information Communications Agency in Columbus.

Lowery, who recently moved to Florida – but who continues to serve the Ohio computer system – and Baxter both had been Brother Knights of Father Hohman Council 5253, Reynoldsburg.Lowery holds the title of Web Site Director for the Ohio State Council.

Baxter joined the Knights of Columbus after moving to the Columbus area from Youngstown. Over the years, his fulltime job has been as a program/project manager consulting for several companies and trying to maintain many of the sites.

“What most Knights are not aware of is that taking updates on a monthly basis from 40-50 councils, correcting and updating the state site has been a 20-30-hour per week job in itself,” Baxter said. “But with better organization and help from my Brother Knights, I think we have turned the corner and are providing much quicker response to questions and solutions to issues identified.”