Winter Meeting 2022 Highlights

 The following are some of the highlights from the annual Winter Meeting:

• Membership and recruitment are keys to future success.  Work with your church / priests to find ways to engage with the church community and find new ways to share the Knights with eligible men / families.
• Fraternal Benefits - another great way to share the benefits of the Knights with potential candidates.  Also, don't forget to schedule Fraternal Benefits meetings.  There are a number of new products and services that our Insurance Agents can share with our members.  Hosting Fraternal Benefit sessions are required for Star Council status as well.
• Star Council Tracker - This tool is available online and regularly updated.  Check it to make sure your Council has its requirements in on time.  Here is the link:  Council Tracker
• Forms:  Make sure to submit your Council forms on time - the Council Tracker lists the dates in the header.  NOTE:  Please copy the District Deputy (dd@sabattuskofc.org) and the state Executive Secretary Mark Bourgoin officermsc@gmail.com when submitting these forms.  Supreme DOES NOT send copies to the state, so you need to send copies to make sure they are aware and that it gets recorded on the Council Tracker.
• Safe Environment Training - protecting the youth in our charge is not just another program or form to fill out.  It is critical training that we need to stay current on and THE way we need to conduct ourselves whenever there are children at functions that we are hosting.  Every Council needs to make sure that the key program and officer positions that require Safe Environment Training are, in fact, current with their training and background checks where required.  It is highly recommended that you have additional Knights in your Council Safe Environment trained and keep their records in a safe place.  When hosting events where children are present THERE MUST BE TWO SAFE ENVIRONMENT TRAINED KNIGHTS PRESENT AND AT LEAST ONE OF THEM MUST HAVE A COMPLETED BACKGROUND CHECK!  If you need help meeting this requirement, you can seek qualified Knights from other area Councils to assist.  If you have difficulty getting the training done, please contact the District Deputy.
• Online Membership / e-Membership - This is still a great way to get an interested candidate signed up quickly, and you can then schedule him for a Degree Exemplification to welcome him officially to your Council.  The link for online sign up has changed slightly. It is now:  http://kofc.org/join .  Use the promo code "mcgivney2020" to get FREE online membership through June 2020.  The candidate MUST have an e-mail address.  Please help him establish one if he does not have one.  Note:  this free membership is for the online membership only.  The Council will still be assessed a per capita fee once he joins the Council, but Councils may wish to consider paying the cost for the member for his first year to welcome him to the Council.
• Form 100's - As you may have heard, the ongoing effort to eliminate the Form 100 is continuing.  Form 100's  are not needed for new members (although you are welcome to keep a copy for your own files).  We are now able to process transfers from one Council to another using the "Candidate" tab on Officers Online.  Form 100's will still be needed to record deaths.  Please submit them in electronic format (scanned in) to Supreme, the State and DD.
• Degree Exemplification - Councils are encouraged to develop their own Degree Teams, but reach out to the District or other Councils if you do not have one.  In addition, the online exemplification is still an option.  DON'T FORGET - submit a form 450 for ALL Degree Exemplifications regardless of how / where they are performed.
• Affiliate Membership - In mid-march a new initiative will be launched to assist Councils with members that are in arears with their dues and efforts to get them current have been unsuccessful.  More details will be forthcoming on this process.  
• Faith in Action - Keep up the great work in your Councils, but don't forget to fill out the Faith in Action reports in a timely fashion.  Take the time two be as descriptive as possible to convey to the reader the details of each FIA activity.
• Charitable Funds - the deadline for submitting candidates for the annual state Charitable Fund distribution is February 28.
• 4th Degree - There will be a "live" 4th Degree Exemplification hosted by the Pine Cone Assembly on May 21, 2022.