Knight’s Notes May
Knights of Columbus St Michael Council #11445
May 12, 2025
REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING
Grand Knight LaMorte called regular business meeting to order at 8pm and
proceeded with opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance.
A motion was made to waive reading and approve the minutes of the prior meeting,
which was seconded and passed by voice vote without objections.
CHAPLAIN’S REPORT:
Not Present/No Report
REPORTS OF OFFICERS:
Grand Knight (Michael LaMorte):
- Star Council awarded to Br. Seth Walker
- Memorial Day hot dogs, motion for new business needed, under 500
- Memorial Day Flags up and ready for volunteers, takes about an hour, look at website for link
- Brown Scapular enrollment after this meeting
- Columbus Right to Life looking for funding for their Gala
- Boy Scouts looking for sponsorship for their camps
Treasurer (Chris Axene):
- Cleared balance $68,006.86
- $8,843.43 in CD
- Balance in Damo Scholarship end of Q1: $27,195.87
Financial Secretary’s Report (Matt Decenzo):
Fish fry (receipts need to be approved) total proceeds: $44,940.13
Cash bonanza $1081
Total (of above): $46,021.13
Expenses:
- Joe Gallagher: $2,305.52 (Fish Fry)
- John Greve: $158.64 (Social Meeting Expenses)
- Avalon: $13,399.56 (Fish Fry)
- Capital Plus Partners: $563.98 (Fish Fry)
- Specialty Gas: $386.16 (Fish Fry)
- Michael Chadwick: $121.75 (Fish Fry)
- Michael LaMorte: $619.64 ($202.01 Fish Fry, $175.71 H4H, $241.92 Gen Council Exp)
- Sean Murray: $587.40 (Mother’s Day flowers / Corp Communion)
- Ohio State Council: $562.60 (Cash Bonanza)
Donations:
- Maria McCallister: $250 (FOCUS Mission)
- Aaron Schaefer: $500 (Damascus)
Bills read: $19,404.25
Set asides:
- Fish fry: $3,277.51
- Fish Fry Distro fund: $41,631.72
- Measure up: $1470
- Vocations: $271.47
- Formation/evangelization: $1,271.75
- Cash bonanza: $618
- Pancake breakfast: 30 cents
- Memorial fund: $8,896.45
Total (set asides): $57,437.20
Net free cash flow: $10,569.48
Move to pay bills passed
Membership (Brett Gissel):
- For fraternal year, 10 new members, 11th getting through online paperwork
- Elliot coming to ceremony later this week at St Paul, get him in before June 30 for quota
- Keep recruiting!
- Grab business cards for recruiting after meeting
REPORTS OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN:
Program Director
Family Director (Sean Murray)
- Thanks for volunteering for Mother’s Day flowers
- Went through 600 stems
- Look at next pancake breakfast some time in June
Council Director (John Greve)
No Report
Faith Director (Bill Hinger)
Need new faith director, encourage people to go to mission and stuff going on in the church, see GK for interest
Life Director (Wayne Lovely)
- Continue to pray and fast for life
- Make holy hour for the intention of life
- Data points:
- Abortions increased less than 1%
- Increase in mail order chemical abortion
- 8% drop in women crossing state lines for abortions
- Fertility tracking increased
- Uptick in protestant churches offering non-meat meals for Fridays
- Opportunities for alms, check emails from Br. Lovely
- Summer Special Olympics volunteers
- Bottoms Up annual drive month of May, talking to Respect Life to see if we can do a last ditch drive at end of month
- IC has mega diaper drive soon, might be able to do something similar
Community Director (Greg Kociba)
- Measure up not as successful, 362 cash collected
- Thanks to Br Mike Gross for mentioning the idea of doing measure up outside of Kroger, in motion for next year
- One day at Kroger instead of at a highway intersection
- Lessons learned, work around the city and in safe environments, more volunteers needed
- Problems with city and permits
- Bridgettine sisters’ garden project in the works possibly
- If anyone is more distinguished in tailoring, see Br. Kociba bc a brother Knight needs measurements
Fish Fry Committee Chairmen (Chris Fricke)
- Still working on funds disbursement, should have by next meeting
- More thanks for assisting in this record breaking year
- Highest grossing year in Br. Fricke’s years of organizing
Report on the 4th Degree (Tony Matlak via Brett Gissel)
- This past Saturday, new member joined the 4th degree
- Another exemplification July 26 in Dayton
Scholarship Committee Chairman (John Greve)
- Meeting here shortly covering scholarships
Measure Up (Greg Kociba)
- See Community Director report
Formation/Evangelization (Wayne Lovely)
- Next fireside event hosted by Br. Schmitt, this Friday at 7pm
- Schedule open for month of June for hosting
Chancellor’s Report on Vocations (Tom Messina)
- Thank you to Br Kociba for taking on Measure Up
- Thank you to fish fry crew and those working on the trailer who just do it and kick butt
- Thank you to Br Kash for working on the efficiency in the drive thru
- Vocations, sign up for the garden event
- Serra Club had awards ceremony at St Pius where two St Mikes students won and 5 altar servers were awarded as well
- School is very well represented
Field Agent’s Report
- Apologies for sparsity, hired 5 new guys
- If you use Agent code, member gets free dues for (new members)
- KofC mutual funds in the works after Br Slater’s series examination
- Full time moral theologian in line with the mutual fund
- Changes to member benefits, see Br. Slater after meeting for details, will be reaching out
District Deputy Report
- Completed insurance requirements
- 2 last members
- SP7, 4 in community, life, faith
- As of July 1, District Deputy will be stepping down
- Jarrod Golden will be taking over
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
1. Vestments for Fr. Johnstone, tabled until next month so we can do more
research.
- Fr. Johnstone will look into vestments and get back to us
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Slate of Officers (See last meeting notes):
- Grand Knight: Mike LaMorte
- Deputy GK: Brian Elliott
- Chancellor: Tom Messina
- Recorder: Devon Harant
- Treasurer: Chris Axene
- Trustee 3rd Year: Seth Walker
- Warden: Jason Thwart
- Inside Guard: Greg Kociba
- Outside Guard: Peter Schera
- Advocate: Brett Gissel
Amended Recorder: Br. Schmitt -> Br. Harant
Measure Passed/Slate Approved
2. Approve up to $500 to cover hot dog costs for Memorial Day
Up to 800 hot dogs
Measure Passed
LECTURER’S REFLECTION:
Rosary check!
Salve Regina!
Rosary prayer brochures at front of room.
PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL:
The Damo Family
John Fields
Tony Schera
Dcn Dan Murray
ADJOURN at 845pm