December, 2006

December
Calendar  of Events

Fridays - 7 am-7 pm Blessed Sacrament Adoration.

December 2 - 9 am Breakfast with St. Nicholas

December 3 - Advent Begins
December 5 - 8 pm - "Light Up For Christ"

December 6 - 7 pm - Rosary, 7:30 pm Council Meeting

December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception

December 9 - 7 am - Highway Cleanup

December 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 20 - Council Officers Meeting
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 31 - New Years Eve Party Benefiting "The                           Gathering  Place"

To submit an Item for the Newsletter

(►Help Needed--Special Attention Requested)

On the first Tuesday of the month, December 5, Knights of Columbus  across America will kick off the Christmas season with the annual “Light up for Christ” celebration. I am asking our members to join other Councils in keeping this tradition alive.  You can participate by lighting up a Nativity Scene and/or Christmas Tree at 8:00pm (local time).  The event can be commenced with the blessing of an Advent wreath, singing Christmas carols and/or inviting friends and family members to celebrate “Light up for Christ”.

I would like to wish each and everyone one of you a special Christmas this year.  May your season be filled with many blessings and those you love.  I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and others in our community during this last year.  I look forward to seeing you throughout the holiday season and especially at our New Year’s celebration.

May Peace be with you,
 
Victor Mendoza
Grand Knight
Council #9368

►SPECIAL NOTICES:                                                                                         

►Breakfast with St. Nicholas December 2

An annual event sponsored by our council, Breakfast with St. Nicholas for the St. William Community younger set, will be held in the new parish hall on Saturday, December 2 from 9:30 am 'til noon. If you can help, please come at 7:30 a.m.
 

►Highway Clean-Up Set for December 9

The last highway clean-up of this year will be held Saturday December 9 at 7 am. There will be a special holiday treat for those that get up early and join the fun. Please call or e-mail Jim Carse (512-310-2499) to let him know you are coming.

►The Gathering Place at St. William Church

The "Gathering Place" is a Knights of Columbus project to construct an all-purpose structure on the new church grounds where our parish community may gather for social events. The initial phase will be a pavilion approximating the square footage of the former PAC  (St. Barnabas) building, with a large enclosed kitchen facility.

The initial fundraising effort will be a gala New Years Eve Party in the new St. William PAC (in the old church). $100 "Friends of the Gathering Place [] sponsorships include a couples ticket to the event (tickets are $60 per couple). A raffle for great prizes is also being conducted. A live auction will also be held [].

Council 9368 Supports Diocesan Medical Mission
Furnishing Barbecue for Benefit Dinner

In support of a Diocesan effort to send medical missions to the poor in the South American jungles, K of C Council 9368 provided and prepared smoked beef brisket and chicken for a fund-raising dinner held September 24 at Round Rock's Allen Baca (named for a deceased brother Knight) Center. Council members began food preparation Friday night, then fired up the grills at 4 a.m. Saturday and worked through the day (with just short breaks to watch the Longhorns defeat Iowa) with delivery to Baca center at 6:30 p.m. in time to serve 250 guests at a dinner benefiting the Austin Diocese Medical Mission Team. Bishop Emeritus John McCarthy was featured speaker. Council member Tino Hernandez was chairman for the fund-raiser.

Our Council Supported 'Annie's Way'
Furnishing 25 Smoked and Fried Turkeys

Annie was a warm and generous woman who prepared and served Thanksgiving dinner to people who had no family.

The night before Thanksgiving, Chisholm Council 9368 members gathered at the new St. William PAC to prepare and cook more than 25 Thanksgiving turkeys for "Annie's Way," an annual St. William Parish community holiday dinner for 300 to 400 persons who have no one with whom they can share the Thanksgiving holiday as well as members of the parish who generously join in to share their Thanksgiving dinners. In addition, turkey dinners are taken to fire fighters and police personnel on duty during the holiday, shut-ins in the area and to the homeless.

Annie has been gone for many years now, but the St. William community continues each year the tradition she began.

Council Members Participate in Dedication
of New St. William Church

Council 9368 members participated fully in the dedication ceremony and Mass for the new St. William Church November 18. Our members were present in the lay ministries as well as in the Fourth Degree honor guard. []

►Council Sponsoring Parish-Wide New Years
Eve Party to Help Build 'The Gathering Place'

Join the St. William Parish Community in celebrating the new year and help build "The Gathering Place" at the same time. Tickets are just $60 per couple, food and drinks included. Music will be provided by CPR Mobile DJ's, and there will be numerous door prizes. The will be a live auction and the drawing for the raffle will be held.

Become a "Friend of the Gathering Place" for just $100, and your couples ticket is included. Contact Greg Castro (512-671-7279) or Cliff Wolsin (512-990-1691) for more information or

►TABC Course Required for Work at Dell Diamond;
Council 9368 Workers needed for Seven Up-Coming Games
by Mike Goertz, Financial Secretary

We are again preparing for another year of fund (and fun) raising working for Express Hospitality Service at the Dell Diamond.  The one qualification we are required is to be TABC trained.  This is only requires one evening in a course that is offered at the Dell Diamond or can be taken in an on-line basis.  The council covers the expense of the training.  Our council has already been scheduled to work 4 men on Monday night and 4 men on Thursday night.  Our normal hours of report are from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.  The more people that we have, the more we are able to swap out and to pick up extra events.  The council gets reimbursed $35 for each man that works.  We are allowed all the soft drinks that we can consume.  Sorry, no beer.  On our break (normally early in the shift) we are allowed to purchase any food item at half price.  Some of the more exciting extra events that we get to pick at this year are as follows:

• Saturday     1/27 UT Alumni Game 1pm
• Friday          2/2  UT Game            3pm
• Saturday      2/3  UT Game            1pm        Alcohol Served These Games
• Sunday        2/4  UT Game            1pm
• Tuesday       2/6  UT Game            3pm

• Thursday    3/29  Astros Exhibition Game 7pm

• Sunday        4/1 Exhibition With Hooks No Info At This Time

Last year, our brother nights earned $3,500 for the council coffers.  If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Mike Goertz by phone 923-5734 (cell) or e-mail (FinancialSecretary@KofC9368.org).

Michael P. Regan's Field Agent Report:
The Reasons I Do Not Buy
Enough Life Insurance

Last year, LIMRA conducted a study and found these were the primary reasons people gave to explain why they had little or no Life Insurance. Do you identify with any of these reasons?

1.   It is unpleasant and stressful. The negative emotions, difficulty in understanding the products, and boring topic make it easy to procrastinate.

2.   They are overwhelmed. It is complex, confusing, and there are too many choices.

3,    They don't understand the basics. What are the types? How much do I need? When should I buy?

4,    They resist attempts to reach them. They ignore direct mail or inserts in their bills.

5.    They do not trust agents. They want to buy face-to-face, but are not sure whether the recommendation is best for them or the agent.

6.    They do not have a trusted advisor. They want help in the buying process, but don’t have an advisor to consult or one who calls on them.

The Knights of Columbus is “By Brother Knights for Brother Knights”. We share the same faith and the same hopes for our family as you do for yours. We are trained professionals who know both the factual side of the business and the emotional side of the decision. We are well positioned to help you decide what coverage you need within your budget. We are also keenly aware of the Order's mission, passed to us by Father McGivney: To protect widows and orphans against financial disaster.

 

Second, the Order itself. Over all these years, while so many companies have "remade" themselves, the Knights of Columbus has stayed true to its mission, stayed expert at its core business. We have been so well managed yearly we receive the best possible ratings from A. M. Best and Standard and Poor's and the IMSA certification. In 2006 we returned to our insured’s more than $343 million of life insurance dividends. (Did you get your share?)

 

Finally, our products. Ours are as good as any, and better than most. We are specialists; we sell life insurance, long term care and annuities, and we are good at what we do. So, I’ll be happy to meet with you and provide a free, custom-tailored needs analysis, answer all your questions so that you’ll know exactly where you stand and understand what’s best for you and your family! Please give me a call (512) 828-6859 or email me at Michael.regan@kofc.org.

Vivat Jesus,

Michael P. Regan
Field Agent
(512) 828-6859 Ofc.
(512) 215-4493 Fax