november 2006 newsletter

I’d like to thank  all those Knights who worked to make this year’s LAMB and our first “Pumpkin Patch” such great successes.  More details will be found elsewhere in this month’s “Knightline”, but all of the Knights who gave their time to both projects are to be complimented on jobs well done.

If there’s a downside on the success of these two projects, it’s that most of the brothers who worked on LAMB are the same ones who also worked at selling pumpkins.  We just have to find a way to get more of our Council membership involved in our various programs.  Brother Mark Daly noted that with more help, we could have added Bloom Grocery, and possibly BJ’s, to  our list of retailers that allowed us to solicit LAMB funds.  If you’ve got any ideas on how to get more K of C members, and their families, to volunteer for a few hours at upcoming projects let us know.  We could use the help.

In the meantime, please accept my best wishes to you and your loved ones for a very happy Thanksgiving.  Sit down with your family sometime this month and try to enumerate all of the gifts for which you should be thankful.  Betcha won’t be able to end the list because each thought, each minute is a gift from Almighty God. He’s not trying to get ahead of you, He’s just showing his love for you.
Vivat Jesus, Ken

(ALMOST) FINAL LAMB REPORT 

With a $500 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, our LAMB collections reached a total of $10,240 for this year.  To help increase this amount, letters will be sent to all Council members who did not participate in soliciting or counting money during the two LAMB weekends.  The letters will ask that each of the non-participating brothers “buy” a case of Tootsie rolls by contributing $17.50 to LAMB.  This will help defray our only expense, the purchase of the candy.

Once again, we were blessed with good weather and charitable shoppers at Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter and Lowes Food Stores. The addition of Sunday solicitation at Wal-Mart proved to help our final figure of $9,690 at the retailers’ stores.  A total of 45 Knights participated in this year’s LAMB.  They were complemented by members of this year’s Confirmandi class, staff members from LifeSpan and teachers from Mooresville High School. Total volunteer hours amounted to 550.

Organizations that are slated to receive LAMB funding are the special education classes at Mooresville High School, Parkview Elementary, Springer Elementary and LifeSpan.

PUMPKIN PATCH and PIES

Brother Chris Baker reports final sales amounted to approximately $1,600 profit for our first Pumpkin Patch Sale.  Chris commented that we learned a lot from this year’s effort and some minor changes will be implemented in next year’s sale.

St. Therese parishioners were our primary customers, with the times after each Mass the busiest.  With pumpkins priced at $5 or $10, some of our customers noted that our pumpkins were the best they had seen this year and that we could have charged more because of the quality.  Many paid for their pumpkins with ten and twenty dollar bills and, in many instances, told us to “keep the change” since the money was going to support a Knight cause.

Brother Stewart McLamb is putting together a “team” to take any of the unsold pumpkins, peel them, cook the “meat” and make pumpkin pies.  He did a test run on his plan, baking two pies and serving them after the October 23 Council business meeting.  They must have been good — both pies quickly disappeared with no chance for seconds.

Currently, Stewart’s plan is to sell pies after Mass on an upcoming weekend, or at the Crafty Ladies’ November 11 gift bazaar.

4th DEGREE

It was announced during the October 23 business meeting that Stewart McLamb and Jim Kiger would be joining the Fourth Degree later in the month. The exemplification was held on October 28 in Greensboro. Congratulations Sir Stewart and Sir Jim.

FUND RAISING

We continue to search for new ways to raise money to fund our various activities, including our charities. Included in those charities are our regular donations to the parish building fund, support of seminarians and our scholarship fund. In addition, our collected money is used to pay the bills incurred for regular expenses.

Since we “parted ways” with Lowe’s Speedway, we have been looking for ways to replace that lost income. The Pumpkin Patch and the Entertainment Books currently being sold have helped. However, we’re in need of over $10,000 to replace the lost Lowe’s income. Suggestions currently under discussion are the raffling of a JetSki and trailer and/or working at the Bobcats’ Arena with the St. Matthew Council. Both of these programs could be a source of high income, but both have pros and cons.

We plan to have a “brainstorming” session during the social meeting on November 6 to discuss the two programs and any other ideas that might be brought before the Council.

MEMORIAL MASS

Also on November 6, a Memorial Mass will be offered for Hugh Sullivan who died during October. Hugh transferred to our Council last April. His body has been returned to Connecticut for burial.

BIRTHDAYS