New York State Knights Organizational meeting 2020

1. N.Y. State Council
Knights of Columbus
Organizational Meeting
July 11, 2020
State Deputy – Walter J. Wych

2. Fr. Brian’s Opening Prayer
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3. State Deputy Welcome

4. Agenda
Topic Presenter
Opening Prayer Fr Brian McWeeney, Administrative State Chaplain
State Deputy Welcome Wally Wych, State Deputy
State Chaplain Address Fr Brian McWeeney, Administrative State Chaplain
Supreme Knight Address Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight
State Deputy Address Wally Wych, State Deputy
Supreme Membership Presentation Mark McMullen, Sr VP, Membership & Marketing
State Membership Director & Team
Tom Moran, Membership Director
Deacon Charlie Esposito, Admin St Chair, NCD
Bill Stewart, Admin St Chair, Online Membership
Break
Supreme Programs Presentation Jonathan Reyes, Sr VP, Evangelization & Faith Formation
State Program Director & Team
Tony Zibella, Programs Director
Jim McCue, Admin St Chair, Life Programs
John Mastrosimone, Admin St Chair, Community Programs
Supreme Agency Presentation Robert Marlowe, Sr VP, Agency & Marketing
State Insurance Liaison Report William Schneider, State Insurance Liaison
Supreme Legal Briefing John Marrella, Supreme Advocate
Supreme Fraternal Operations Thomas McCaffrey, VP, Fraternal Operations
State Public Relations Carl Schneider, State Chair, Publicity
State Charities Report Tony Marengo, Admin St Chair, C&B Program
Safe Environment Charlie Robinson, State Warden
Supreme Representative
Comments
Robert J. Ennis, Director of Membership Growth
State Deputy Closing Message Wally Wych, State Deputy
Blessing of Jewels
District Deputy Charge
Fr Brian McWeeney, Administrative State Chaplain
Wally Wych, State Deputy
Closing Prayer Fr Brian McWeeney, Administrative State Chaplain

5. Fr. Brian’s Address
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6. Supreme Knight Message Link

7. State Deputy Address

8. Mark McMullen - Membership Growth Link

9. New York State Council
Knights of Columbus
Organizational Meeting & DD Training
SK Thomas M. Moran PGK FDD
New York State Council
Director of Membership

10. 2020 – 2021
New York State Council Membership
Team
Administrative State Chairmen
• Recruitment - Ralph Cefalo
• New Council Development – Deacon Charlie Esposito
• Online Membership – Bill Stewart
• Retention – Edmund Newborn

11. New Council Development
Deacon Charlie Esposito
https://videos.kofc.org/exemplification

12. Online Membership
Bill Stewart

13. Membership & Recruitment
Best Practices
What do we offer to potential members?
• Faith Formation Resources – Wherever you are in your faith
journey, we have the spiritual weapons you need to live in
todays world as a Catholic Man
• Columbia Magazine – Shining a light on the issues that
matter to most Catholics
• Opportunities for Charity – Give back to our communities
and those in need, you can trust your work as a Knight is
making the world a better place

14. Membership & Recruitment
Best Practices
• K of C’s Insurance Program – Every Knight has a dedicated
Field Agent assigned to him and his family and are eligible for an
annual complimentary financial review as well as purchase any
of our products backed by our ethical and faith first business
practices
• Fraternity of Faith – You become part of the largest Catholic
fraternity in the world, a true brotherhood built on shared values
and our desire to be the men we are called upon to be
• Stand up for the Truth – Over 2 million men around the world
standing up for our Catholic faith in the public sphere. Stay
informed and make an impact in matters of Life, Family, and
Religious Liberty

15. Review of the WHY’S
• Help bring men back to the Church
• Local communities need our help – Leave No Neighbor Behind
• Our parishes need our help
• Fraternity and Spiritual Support
• Making men better Catholics, Fathers, and Husbands
• How have you benefitted from being a Knight
• We help people and we save people
• Does this sound like an organization you would like to be a part of?

16. Keys to Success
• Team Effort – You will need a strong team at the council level and find ways to
overcome resistance to change from council leaders
• Promote a culture of accountability – hold leaders accountable. GK’s, FS’s,
Directors, etc.
• Inspire and motivate teams for success – Share best practices, importance of
District meetings
• Identify and recommend needed training
• Councils must have a strong retention process with director leading the effort
• Councils must encourage and foster a strong relationship with their Pastors

17. Keys to Success
Continued
• Promote Faith in Action and Leave No Neighbor Behind
• Utilize multiple exemplification offerings, Virtual, On Demand, Local Degrees, &
Video options are all available. Local teams are encouraged if not already in
place by each jurisdiction
• Fast Start – Active councils must have all chair positions and directors in place
by July 1st
• Summer Break? – We can’t afford to be stagnant in July/August
• Encourage each council to have a Communications Director to promote council
activity locally
• Know who the Auxiliary State Chairmen are in your area, membership,
recruitment, programs, etc. Collaboration with the team to help your district
reach its goals
• Timely processing of new online/virtual exemplification members
• COMMUNICATION

18. 2020 – 2021
Star Council Requirements

19. 2020 – 2021
Star Council Requirements
The Star Council Award recognizes outstanding
achievement in Membership, Insurance, and
Programming. In order to achieve the Star Council Award,
a council must earn the Father McGivney, Founder’s, and
Columbian Awards.
Additionally, the council must submit both the Annual
Survey of Fraternal Activity (Form #1728), Service
Program Personnel Report (Form #365), and the Council
MUST BE FULLY SAFE ENVIRONMENT COMPLIANT.

20. Father McGivney Award
Membership
• This award recognizes excellence in a council's
membership growth. To earn this award the council
must meet or exceed its yearly membership quota.
The quota for 2020 – 2021 is 5% net increase in the
council’s membership as of July 1st, 2020 with a
minimum goal of 3 and a maximum goal of 20.
• Councils that attain Star Council status and achieve
200% of their net gain goal will receive double star
council award and 300% of their net gain goal will
receive triple star council award.
• All membership transactions must be received,
processed, recorded, and released at the Supreme
office by June 30th, 2021.

21. Columbian Award
Programs
• This award recognizes excellence in your council’s
programming and charitable outreach. To earn this award
your council must conduct and report programs in each
of the four program categories (Faith, Family, Community,
& Life) for a total of 16 program credits, with four in each
category
• A completed Columbian award application (SP-7) must
be received by the Supreme Council office by June 30th
to earn this award
• For the 2020 – 2021 Fraternal Year, there are no required
programs that must be conducted for a council to be
eligible for the award

22. Founders Award
Insurance
This award recognizes excellence in a council’s
promotion of our top-rated insurance products. To
win this award your council must host two
approved Fraternal Benefits Seminars, in
conjunction with their Field Agent. There is no
application that must be completed to earn this
award

23. Thank you for your hard work
and effort for our Order.
The State Membership Team is
here to help you achieve your
Recruitment goals.
Vivat Jesus

24. Jonathan Reyes - Evangelization and Faith
Formation Link

25. New York State Council
Knights of Columbus
Organizational Meeting & DD Training
Anthony Zibella
New York State Council
Director of Programs

26. District Deputy Program Actions
1. Advocate for Faith in Action
2. Coordinate with your councils about the State and Supreme
programs.
3. Support your councils with the right and supportive
communications .
4. Ensure all your councils’ program directors are aware of the
programs and encourage them to discus them with the council
leadership to select the best programs for their council and
parish, encouraging involvement with their parish priest.
5. Encourage the councils, to develop a program calendar .
6. Communicate the changes for 2020-2021 in the criteria for the
Columbian, Star Council, McGivney, and Founders Awards,
along with the required forms and make sure they are sent in
on time.

27. Faith in Action
Program Outline
FAITH COMMUNITY
RSVP Coats for Kids
Into the Breach Global Wheelchair Mission
Spiritual Reflection Habitat for Humanity
Holy Hour Leave No neighbor Behind **
Pilgrim Icon Program Disaster Preparedness
Building the Domestic Church Kiosk Free Throw Championship
Rosary Program Catholic Citizen Essay Contest
Sacramental Gifts Soccer/Hockey Challenge
Helping Hands
FAMILY LIFE
Food for Families March for Life
Family of the Month / Year Special Olympics
Family Fully Alive Ultrasound Program
Family Prayer Night Pregnancy Center Support
Keep Christ in Christmas Christian Refugee Relief
Family Week Silver Rose
Consecration to the Holy Family Mass for People with Special Needs
Good Friday Family Promotion Novena for Life
Bold denotes Featured Programs
**Only for this FraternalYear

28. Life Programs
James McCue - ASC
• Masses for People with Special Needs
• Silver Rose
• Special Olympics

29. Community Programs
John Mastrosimone - ASC
Leave No Neighbor Behind
• Support Your Brother Knights
• Support Your Parish
• Support Your Community
• Feed the Hungry

30. Robert Marlowe - Insurance Promotion Link

31. John Marrella - Legal Briefing Link

32. Tom McCaffrey - Fraternal Operations Link

33. Public Relations
Telling the Knights of Columbus Story

34. Who needs
to hear our
message?
• Our Brother Knights
• Our Parishes
• Our Communities

35. How to
convey
our
message?
Council or Chapter Newsletters
Parish and Diocesan Media
Facebook and Social Media
NewYorkKnights.com
Columbia Magazine
Local Media

36. State Council Support
Conference PR Directors
• Suffolk County Conference
Norm Wagner
• Nassau County Conference
Al Valente
• Queens County Conference
Ralph Cefalo
• Kings County Conference
Anthony Vesco
• BMS Conference
James Francesco
• West/Put Conference
Robert Cuthbert
• Capital Conference
Christopher Hallenbeck
• Northern Conference
John Ryan
• Finger Lakes Conference
Kevin Fitzpatrick
• Central Conference
TBD
• Western Conference
Jeffery Halstead
• Hudson Valley Conference
Carl Schneider

37. Help get the
story told!
Email photo and description of
your event to your Conference
PR Director

38. PlanningThat Mega-
Event
•Contact your Conference PR Director
•Contact Supreme
•Send Event Details and Point of
Contact Information
•CommunicationsDept@KofC.org

39. Best Wishes for
a Successful
Fraternal Year!

40. Tony Marengo - C & B ASC
C&B Program Overview

41. The Knights of Columbus
SAFE ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
as it applies to NY State
Dr. Charlie Robinson
Follow up to Supreme Advocate John Marrella’s talk

42. A Quick Review
• The Safe Environment Program is an important program for
a council even if the council has few formal youth activities.
Often youth informally participate in our council activities,
especially as a family member.
• For an officer’s own security, and that of his council and the
Supreme Council, it is very important that the council be Safe
Environment compliant and to live by it.
• On-line training might take a few hours of the GK’s and his
Directors’ time.
• Also note that the Star Council Award requires timely
submission of Form 365 and a council’s full compliance with
Safe Environment training.
• Policies are in place for 1) Travel & Overnight Programs; 2)
Monitoring Rest-rooms; 3) Monitoring Free Time; 4) Social
Media & the Internet; 5) Preventing Youth-to-Youth Abuse; & 6)
Outside Contact with Youth Participants

43. What does “compliance” mean?
• It involves 4 positions: Grand Knight, Program Director,
Community Director and Family Director per a council’s
Form 365, their Service Program Personnel Report.
• All 4 positions need to complete Safe Environment training.
But they can be filled by 3 men with one person holding 2
slots. The CD & FD require background chks.
• A common mistake is to fill 3 slots with 3 men and leave a slot
blank. All 4 need filled.
• For “small” councils, having the GK and PD be separate
individuals and each taking one of the two Directorships can work.
That way both are cross trained.
• What doesn’t work is for the GK to take 3 or all 4 slots.
Requirements GK PD CD FD
Training YES YES YES YES
ARMATUSAdmin YES YES
Background Check YES YES

44. NY State Compliance
(505 Active Councils)
• 24.4% (123) of NY councils were SE compliant (only 2
Districts) last year.
• 7.9% (40) could easily have been. Had one open slot.
• All GKs MUST be compliant. 94.1% (475) were in NY State.
• 44.6% (225) had the Program Director compliant. About 33%
CD and/or PD.
• 5.5% (28) of councils had no one compliant.
• FORM 365 is the key! Only 64% (321) of councils submitted
a Form 365.
Goals:
• 80% submission of Form 365, with 33 districts complete.
• 50% of councils Safe Environment Compliant (25
districts).
• 98% of GKs Safe Environment Compliant (all districts with
DDs).

45. What if NO email addresses?
• Recall:
• OFFICE OF YOUTH PROTECTION mails members with NO
EMAIL their username and password AND, if applicable, a
background check authorization/consent
• All members are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to share their
personal email with the Knights of Columbus OR to set up a
personal email account as soon as practicable
• Provides a means of SUPERIOR COMMUNICATION for key
leaders to remain informed of the Order’s programs and
initiatives
• Email is not yet required but might well be shortly.

46. One final note:
Any member can take the training. It
need not be an officer! So ALL DDs
should take the training (No background
check required).
That way you know what the council
officers need to do!
Type KofC Safe Environment Training in your
browser.
Thanks!

47. Bob Ennis
Director of
Membership Growth

48. Carmine Musumeci
Supreme Director

49. State Deputy
Walter J. Wych
Closing Remarks

50. Blessing of District Deputy Jewels
District Deputy Charge

51. Fr. Brian’s Closing Prayer
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53. Thank you for attending the
N.Y. State Organizational
Virtual Meeting
July 11, 2020