Minutes of the Archdiocese of San Antonio Chapter, Knights of Columbus

March  15,  2006 - Council 9291

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by Chapter President Mike Nishimuta at 7:40 pm

Opening Prayer: Led by Bishop Flanagan

Pledge of Allegiance: 

Warden’s Report:  Given by Roy Ball. There were 87 members present.

Recognition of Guests and VIPs.   State Deputy Leo Hanus. State Advocate John Pfister and Austin Assistant DD Douglas Oldmixon.

First Time Attendees were recognized. 

DD Larry Clary, Host Grand Knight Nello Rosanio and DGK Richard Richter were recognized and members of the host council were thanked for the wonderful dinner.  All former state committee men were recognized.

Minutes.  Minutes of the February meeting were approved as posted on the website.

Chapter Chaplain Bishop Tom Flanagan. 

Bishop Flanagan spoke of today's sermon about being a servant. Today we are the servants in both health and service. He thanked all of the knight s for their services for Religious Appreciation Dinner. We are here to service to hear the call of our Lord to be his servant and to be a good servant. He finish with a reading which stated that we are entrusted with the poor and the helpless.

President’s report - Chapter President Mike Nishimuta

We had an incredible Religious Appreciation dinner on February 26. It was the largest turnout ever, with every seat taken.  Mike reported that a nun came up to him and said that she had been raised in Oklahoma and purchased produce from a Nishimuta farmer who happen to be his grandfather and went to school with his uncle , who later became a Maryknoll priest. Mike also stated that the Chapter wanted to to purchase the book Parish Priest, to give one to each seminarians. Council 9291 presented a check for $300 for this purpose.

 The ASA will not have a hospitality room as we have had in past years. We will still need to supply the money for the hospitality for the free beer and wine.

Two candidates who are running for State Office were introduced. State Advocate John Pfister who is  a local San Antonian and who graduated from MacArthur High School. He again is running for State Advocate.  Austin Assistant DD Douglas Oldmixon who is running for State Advocate. He requested that all councils purchase a book of the Parish Priest to be placed in every lending library, catholic schools, and for the council. His father was a DD in Victoria and in Brownsville where Douglas grew up. He has been a brother knight for 30 years of which 6 years were as a squire. He has been an attorney for 20 years in real estate law.

If your councils committed to donating for the Religious appreciation dinner, either a gift or for tickets, please go back and check to see that your council has actually written and mailed in the check. Our expenses were higher than in previous years, and we need each council to make sure they paid what they agreed to.

Golf Tournament.  Planning Monday, March 20, Pat O'Brien's 7 pm

Auction Party - Planning meeting at St. Brigid, Wednesday March 22, 7 pm

State Free Throw Tournament this Saturday at UTSA.

Catholic Charities Gala, May 25, Omni Hotel, honoring Rev Louis Zbinden and Bishop Zurek. We received an invitation for the annual gala. Tickets are $100 a person.  Councils are encouraged to support this, and if you can only send one or two people, let's have a Chapter table. Contact Mike Nishimuta.

State Deputy Hanus

He thanked all of the knights for their help. Most of the knights should have received their packets for the State Convention. The convention will be in Ft. Worth. Grand Knights should be receiving convention packets this week. The contracts were signed two years ago. In the mean time many of the hotels have changed hands or gone out of business. But arrangements have been for the hospitality rooms. There will be a common room for hospitality and a cash bar for hard liquor. Chapters or dioceses will be able to place a table in the room. All activities will occur at the convention center. 

Treasurer’s report (Wayne Pipes):

The beginning balance was $6,397.04 on February 28, 2005

 A motion to approve the Treasurer's report was made and seconded. The chapter voted to approve the treasurer’s report.

General Agent:   Richard Gaona. Out tonight helping a brother knight.

Correspondence -  Dozens of letters of thanks from the Religious appreciation dinner were received.

Chapter Committees:

1.  Golf Tournament.  We have less than 60 days to go. Three remaining meetings will be March 20, April 2 and 17 at Pat O'Brien's at 7 pm. We have a separate  meeting for the auction. Tickets for the auction event will be $20 person which includes dinner and two drinks. Asking each council to provide an auction item of at least $50. March 22 at St. Brigid at 7 pm. The wives are invited for the auction. The goal for the auction is $10,000.

2. Habitat for Humanity - This will be the 7th house to be build.

3. Coordinator of Religious. Rudy Escamilla

Rudy Escamilla presented certificates of appreciation to individuals who provided extraordinary leadership or assistance. Ray Neumann thanked everyone for the great team effort. We served 0ver 750 religious at the appreciation dinner. It is a beautiful thing to hold the dinner at 4140.

Chrism Mass April 11. Knights will support by serving drinks at the dinner/social.

Seminarians - There are still Seminarians who are not being supported, and are in great need of financial assistance. St Jude Council will support Seminarian Patrick Higgins. 

Assumption Seminary Gala - May 11 at the River Center Marriott.

4. Couple's Retreat. The Couples retreat will be held on April 7-9, 2006 at Camp Tecaboca near Kerrville.  The theme of the retreat is "I will testify to Love." The cost per couple is $155 before March  and $165 after March . The point of contact is Roland and Susie Garza.

5. Trustees.  Nothing to report

Old Business. None

New Business.

Fr  Xavier Ray, Director of Campus Ministry from Madonna University in Detroit, has five students and two faculty who will be staying with very poor families that either reside in Ejido Santa Maria or Ejido Rancho Nuevo (province of Coahuila, Mexico), where Felician Sisters serve. The group’s purpose is to serve those in need and promote the Catholic faith by participating in the Holy Mass or Rosary’s at the local church. THey need transportation from San Antonio to Eagle Pass on April 29 and May 6. If anyone can help facilitate this project, please let me know. It would be great if we could assist these missionary college students by providing one round trip for 7 people. I need two drivers on April 29 from 2 pm until midnight and two on May 6 from 5 am until 2 pm.

Ad for State convention is $250 for a full page.  This was in the budget, and an ad will be purchased.

Diocesan Deputy Report -   Jim Wade.  

The Tootsie Roll Drive will be on the 8th of April. 

Fourth Degree.  Master Ken Boone. Absent

State Directors and Committee Reports:

Council Growth: Jerry Janecka.   

All Council Active: Mike Urrutia.  Absent.

Church Liturgy: Joe Lopez.   

Education and Training: Ken Martinez.   

Awards/Reports & Forms Chairman:  

Retention: No report.

Special Olympics.  Absent.

Guest Speakers:

Jack Wilder spoke on Council 9967's plan to bring an out of town guest speaker to San Antonio.  Alephonsion Deng will speak on May 5th on the tragedy in Sudan, at Holy Trinity church.

In 2001, Alepho was relocated to the United States by the International Refugee Committee.  Living now near San Diego, Alepho works, goes to college and travels the country recounting their story.  Bringing the story of the “lost boys” to print was a courageous undertaking by Alepho, his brother Benson and their cousin Benjamin.  The book They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky recounts their odyssey.  Council he Knights will bring Alepho to Holy Trinity to speak to our Council, our parish, our community.  The story of the “lost boys” needs to be heard  and people need to be shocked and they need to be outraged -- they need to act.

Our goal is to educate and inform our community about the situation in Sudan and cause them to act.  The action can be on many fronts.  It could be financial support to one of the many worthwhile relief agencies working in the area like our parish did recently when the Social Concerns committee approved sending $10,000 to the Bishop Gassis Relief Fund to support educational activities in southern Sudan.  The action could be political.  On September 9, 2004 Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the situation in Darfur (the western region of Sudan) constitutes “genocide” by the Sudanese government and Arab militias. His comments came a day after the United States circulated a draft U.N resolution calling for a stronger international security force in Darfur.  The House and Senate passed resolutions in July 2004 calling the situation in Darfur “genocide” and urged President Bush to seek a U.N. protection force.  To date our government has done nothing to intervene in the situation and the U.N has only threatened to impose sanctions.

The Next meeting will be Apr 19, Council 10181, St. Joan of Arc.

The sick and in distress were remembered.

Closing Prayer was led by  Bishop Flanagan and the meeting  was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Brother Louis J. Benavides, Council 7770, Chapter Secretary