Knights of Columbus – Council 3205

Knights of Columbus waged successful defense on East and West Coast cases

June 14, 2011 – Flag Day

(NEW HAVEN, CONN.) – The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance, thus ending a seven year battle involving two separate cases, one originating in California and the other in New Hampshire. The Knights of Columbus, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, played a key role in defending the Pledge as a “defendant intervenor” in both cases.

“The Knights of Columbus is proud to have played a major role in successfully defending the constitutionality of the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. “We were instrumental in persuading Congress to add those words to the Pledge in 1954, and they express a fundamental belief that we have held as a nation since our founding, that we ‘are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.’ The notion that this somehow violates the First Amendment has now been soundly rejected by both the First and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court has now allowed both decisions to stand. It is a victory for common sense.”

The Ninth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Pledge in March 2010 and the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of the California case in March 2011. The First Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Pledge in November 2011 and the Supreme Court denied certiorari in that case yesterday, June 13, 2011.

by GK Ron Gay:

Brothers,

We had our regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 in Zurek Hall @ St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. If you were unable to join us, we missed you, and we hope that you will be able to make our next monthly meeting on June 1, 2011.

We had a great program on the Brazos Valley Child Abduction Response Team from our own Ray Thomas.

At our meeting we learned that we have 89% of our pancake teams staffed. The last pancake breakfast on May 1 netted the Council $445.00. The proceeds from this breakfast were to be donated to the
St. Thomas Aquinas Youth going to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain in August. The Council voted to supplement our pancake breakfast proceeds by $555.00 so that our contribution to the STAY group would total $1,000. Additionally, Brother Charlie Rae donated his $300 in expense reimbursement for the Easter Egg Hunt to the STAY group bringing our total contribution to their World Youth Day trip to $1,300.00!

We had a great Easter Egg Hunt after all the masses on Easter Sunday. Brother Charlie Rae and his wife Patti chaired this event and did an outstanding job. We had a first degree on April 27th and we welcomed two new members into our Council. We have fourteen new members for the fraternal year. We have had to suspend 24 members, most of them for failure to pay their annual dues. For 2010-2011 fraternal year we have a net loss of ten members.

The Council’s annual hamburger cook and corn roast is June 15, 2011 in the PAC @ St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Dinner and drinks will be served starting at 6 pm. Brother Al Mazoch is in charge of this event.

The Council’s budget vs actual expenses was reported, and we are having a very good year. Revenues are above budget in most categories, and expenses are under budget. We have raised more than
$15,000 for charity so far this fraternal year. The Texas State Convention will be May 13-15, 2011 in Dallas. Brothers C. J. Romero and Ron Gay will be our delegates, and Brothers Bobby Reynoso and Art Barry will be the alternates.

We reported on the slate of officers for the 2011-2012 fraternal year.

Grand Knight – Ron Gay
Deputy Grand Knight – Darrell Lovelette
Chancellor – Art Barry
Recorder – Mark Schoenemann
Treasurer – Dan King
Advocate – Ray Thomas
Warden – Al Mazoch
Inside Guard – Adam Falco
Outside Guard – Ralf Trujillo
Trustee – Bob Albanese
Trustee – Michael Hlavinka
Trustee – Russ Kellen

The Financial Secretary is an appointed position by the Supreme Knight and so he does not appear on our list of officers to be elected by the Council. Brother Tim Murphy is stepping down after ten (10) years as our Financial Secretary, and we have asked the Supreme Knight to appoint Brother Paul Marvin in his place. Brother Adrian Martinez has also asked to be relieved of his duties as Council Treasurer after ten years in that position,and Brother Dan King has been nominated to replace him.

Thank you Brothers Tim and Adrian for many years of service to our Council.

We will be presenting the 2011-2012 budget at the next meeting, June 1, 2011, and also voting on the slate of officers for the next fraternal year. I hope you can join us.

The $15,000 matching grant for our Sonogram machine at the Coalition For Life has been approved, and we should receive a check in four to six weeks.

Ron Gay, FSD
Grand Knight