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‘I Am My Brother’s Keeper’State Leaders Focus on Membership Growth at Annual Meeting

I n his keynote address at the annual StateDeputies Meeting in New Haven, Supreme

Knight Carl A. Anderson said that the missionof the Knights of Columbus is to provide char-itable assistance to the most needy and to offertop-rated financial protection to members andtheir families. The two goals are so closely re-lated that one serves the other, he noted. “When we step out in charity, we are doing

what no one else is doing” in such a significantand consistent way, the supreme knight said,highlighting the theme of the meeting, “I AmMy Brother’s Keeper.” He further reiterated theOrder’s commitment to charity when he re-leased the record-breaking 2010 Fraternal Sur-vey results to the attendees the following day(See article below) The supreme knight delivered his address at

a banquet on June 8, the first evening of thefive-day meeting for newly elected state

A.M. BEST REAFFIRMSKNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

RATING OF A++ (SUPERIOR)

F or the 36th consecutive year, A.M. Best Company has given theKnights of Columbus its highest financial strength rating, A++

(Superior). A.M. Best is a worldwide rating and information agency,which conducts in-depth analyses and issues reports about the fiscalstability of insurance companies. In its 2011 reaffirmation, A.M. Best cited the Knights of Colum-

bus’ “strong fraternal and insurance presence within the Catholic com-munities in the United States and Canada, its superior risk-adjustedcapitalization as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio and theOrder’s consistently positive statutory operating results.”The report also stated that “the Order has a strong affinity with its

large membership base through its charitable works and competitiveportfolio of life insurance and annuity products.”

T he Knights of Columbus once again set annual records for char-itable contributions and volunteer hours, showing itself to be

one of the most efficient and effective organizations in the world forhelping the poor and the most needy when and where they need itmost.The results of the Order’s Survey of Fraternal Activity, announced

on June 9 by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson during the StateDeputies Meeting in New Haven, showed that the Knights of Colum-

The Order Sets NewRecords for Charitable

ContributionsDonated $154 million and

70 million service hours in 2010

SEE record, PAGE 3 SEE rating PAGE 5

SEE meeting, PAGE 2Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson describes the Order’s mission to state leaders at the opening of the annual meet-ing in New Haven.

deputies and those who were re-elected for asecond year from the Knights of Columbus’ 72jurisdictions. Also at the meeting for the firsttime were state secretaries, who were invited toprepare them to take the top position in theirjurisdictions in the coming years. As examples of the Order’s charitable efforts

in recent months, he cited the “Healing Haiti’sChildren” initiative by which youngsters wholost a limb in the 2010 earthquake are receivingfree prosthetic devices and physical therapy; do-nations from all regions of the Order for reliefefforts in Japan after the tragic tsunami andearthquake; work by local councils to assistfamilies in Alabama and Joplin, Mo., in thewake of the devastating tornadoes; as well as thelongstanding programs of support for theGlobal Wheelchair Mission, Special Olympics

and Habitat for Humanity.The insurance program and other financial

products of the Knights of Columbus are top-rated among companies in North America interms of the protection they provide and theethical standards the Order maintains, headded. The success of the program is measuredin more than just the $80 billion of insurancein force. The real value is seen, he said, “in se-curing and guaranteeing the financial futuresof hundreds of thousands of Catholic families.”Recently, A.M. Best reaffirmed the Knights ofColumbus rating of A++ (Superior). (For moredetails, please see the article on Page 1.) He challenged the state deputies and state

secretaries to strive for excellence in all areasof the Order’s operations as the new fraternalyear begins July 1. “As we look forward to thecoming year,” he said, “we have to be proudof what has been accomplished, and work

hard to be good stewards.” Also addressing the assembly during the

Leadership Session held on Thursday, wereother supreme officers: Deputy SupremeKnight Dennis A. Savoie, Supreme TreasurerCharles E. Maurer and Supreme Advocate JohnA. Marrella. They outlined the scope of theOrder’s business, insurance, fraternal andCatholic evangelization programs, noting that834 employees work at the New Haven head-quarters, and that plans for building for the fu-ture include a new Corporate BusinessImprovement department and a ManagementDevelopment Program that recruits collegegraduates each year who are trained in a num-ber of departments within the corporate head-quarters.During business sessions throughout the

weekend, a number of Supreme Council staffleaders gave presentations. George Hanna, sen-ior vice president for Fraternal Services, ex-plained the vital role of charitable programs inattracting new members as well as in servingcommunities, and Thomas Smith, executivevice president for Agencies and Marketing, toldthe state deputies and state secretaries how theOrder’s insurance program can be promotedamong the membership to improve the finan-cial security of families.Supreme Advocate Marrella described the

online resource for state and local Knights ofColumbus leaders called the Officer’s Desk Ref-erence. In addition to explaining basic matterssuch as the Order’s incorporation and tax sta-tus, the reference offers guidance on a host of is-sues that leaders encounter in the dailyoperation of the Order — from a council’s re-lationship with a home association to theproper attire for a Fourth Degree honor guard. Gary Nolan, director of Ceremonials, spoke

about the recent changes regarding the Firstand Third Degrees. In addition, the Order’smedia relations and outreach were addressed byPatrick Korten, senior vice president andspokesman for the Order, and Andrew Walther,vice president of Communications.

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Convention Registration Now OnlineThe Supreme Council is providing a new web feature dedicated to hotel room

and states dinner reservations, allowing convention attendees to book their

2011 Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention requests online.

Located at the web address kofc.org/register2011, the

process is a quick, easy and secure way to make your hotel

room and states dinner ticket requests directly to the Supreme

Secretary’s Office for this year’s convention in Denver.

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson reviewed the Order’s mission with attendees during the leadership session.

meeting, FROM PAGE ONE

­­­

3

D uring a Mass celebrated in New Haven at St. Mary’s Church,the birthplace of the Order, with attendees of the 2011 Meeting

of State Deputies and State Secretaries, Supreme Chaplain BishopWilliam E. Lori, the main celebrant, cited in his homily the readingfrom the Gospel of St. John, when the resurrected Jesus meets his Apos-tles by the shore and asks Peter three times a pointed question: “Do youlove me?” This is a question that Jesus also asks people today, including Knights

of Columbus leaders, the supreme chaplain noted. The response of the

Order to the question is expressed in the first three principles of the Order— charity, unity and fraternity — defining the many charitable worksand programs that Knights perform throughout the world, the supremechaplain said.Yet, he continued, “This response is only possible by the grace of the

Holy Spirit.” Knights cannot presume to rely on their own skills, strengthand good intentions to love God and neighbor as they should. They mustunite their works with prayer to be filled with the grace that is the sourceof all good in the world, Bishop Lori concluded.

Bishop Lori CelebratesMass with State Leaders

bus gave a total of $154.7 million to charitablecauses in the year ending Dec. 31, 2010, an in-crease of more than $3 million from the previ-ous year. Knights also volunteered more than70 million hours to charitable works last year,nearly 800,000 more than in 2009.The figure includes $29,083,191 donated by

the Supreme Council and $125,568,661 incontributions from the organization’s state andlocal affiliates.“There is no more effective grass-roots or-

ganization that works in so many areas, with somany programs that help such an enormousnumber of people than the Knights of Colum-bus,” the supreme knight said.

Sixty percent of the contributions were forprojects at the community level, many involv-ing youth activities. Large donations during theperiod included a $1 million distribution for aFood for Families program and $1 million foran effort in cooperation with Project Medishareto give prosthetics to Haitian children who lostlimbs during the January 2010 earthquake.The survey also indicated that the quantity

of volunteer service hours to charitable causesby Knights grew to 70,049,433—an increaseof 797,507 hours compared to the 2009 total.Among the service programs receiving signifi-cant K of C volunteer hours were Habitat forHumanity, Special Olympics and the GlobalWheelchair Mission. There were also morethan 428,000 K of C blood donations during

the year.Cumulative figures show that during the past

decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated$1.406 billion to charity, and provided morethan 653 million hours of volunteer service insupport of charitable initiatives.“The Knights of Columbus significantly ex-

panded its outreach to those in need last year,and will continue to do because of the eco-nomic problems facing so many people in ourcommunities,” said Supreme Knight Anderson.“Despite the fact that the economy has also cre-ated hardship for many of our own members,Knights have stepped up as never before tomeet the needs of their neighbors. We havetaken very seriously the fact that we are ourbrother’s keeper.”

record, FROM PAGE ONE

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2010-11 InternationalFree ThrowChampions

Congratulations to this year’s international winners of the 2010-11Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship. These winners notonly demonstrated their athletic ability in free-throw shooting, but alsodemonstrated outstanding conduct and resolve throughout the levels ofthe competition. For more information on the Free Throw program visitkofc.org/freethrow.

age name score council location

BOYS

10 Jack Pantlin 25 13204 Alpharetta, Ga.

10 Matthew Feddema 25 5085 Le Center, Minn.

11 Austin Peterson 25 5929 Chesterton, Ind.

11 Jason Komulainen 25 10221 Gorham, Maine

11 Matt Roper 25 9981 Chesterfield, Mo.

11 Jack Bedard 25 11128 Sarnia, Ont.

12 Tayt Vincent 25 3527 DeSmet, S.D.

13 Justin Lemenager 25 13495 Clifton, Ill.

13 Colin Squiers 25 1836 Blue Earth, Minn.

14 Julian Corpus 25 4060 Danville, Calif.

14 Mason Plotner 25 4194 Morton, Ill.

14 Dominic Downs 25 5452 Rochester, Mich.

14 Grant Frydenland 25 5341 East Grand Forks, Minn.

14 Cody Crum 25 2565 Caldwell, Ohio

14 Blake Goss 25 2737 Daphne, Okla.

14 Rob Farley 25 12447 Canadensis, Pa.

GIRLS

10 Taylor Robertson 23 601 Salina, Kan.

10 Fiona Rowan 23 10525 Poplar Springs, Md.

10 Jaisee Stinson 23 7740 Omaha, Neb.

10 Maggie Manson 23 6465 West Fargo, N.D.

10 Megan Turner 23 5589 Orwell, Ohio

10 Monica Daly 23 10009 Ancaster, Ont.

11 Sidney Gerkin 23 1631 North Vernon, Ind.

11 Zoe Schultz 23 2773 Angelus, Kan.

11 Kelsi Stuckmayer 23 3982 Pierz, Minn.

11 Rachel Lacroix 23 4442 Salem, N.H.

11 Mackenzie Featherstone 23 4502 Simcoe, Ont.

12 Carmella Bickel 24 14874 Sunbury, Pa.

12 Libby Epoch 24 1534 Moose Jaw, Sask.

13 Lisa Higgins 24 1736 Ridgewood, N.J.

13 Kayla Airaghi 24 367 Norfolk, Va.

14 Karina Cole 25 4235 Lincoln, Mich.

2011 Substance AbuseAwareness Poster ContestInternational ChampionsThe 2010-2011 Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest winners

have been announced. This year’s competition was a great success withtalented young artists participating in local competitions throughout theOrder. Here is the list of this year’s winners, their local councils and lo-cations (Posters shown are by those names italicised.):

ages category rank name council location

number

8-11 Drugs 1st Mitchell Most 2199 Hart, Mich.

8-11 Drugs Runner Up Aimee Nguyen 3601 Canoga Park,

Calif.

8-11 Drugs Runner Up Luke Pearson 12302 Spring Grove, Ill.

8-11 Alcohol 1st Rachel Macairan 6901 Barnesville, Md.

8-11 Alcohol Runner Up Madilyn Krentz 10172 Arlington, Minn.

8-11 Alcohol Runner Up Lincoln Shon 14446 Oakville, Ont.

12-14 Alcohol 1st Madison Knott 2657 Prairieville, La.

12-14 Alcohol Runner Up B’Elanna Rooney 628 Mt Carmel, Pa.

12-14 Alcohol Runner Up Maddie Barnard 12181 Draper, Utah

12-14 Drugs 1st Quinn Vu 11137 Santa Maria, Calif.

12-14 Drugs Runner Up Veronica Bates 13449 Bannister, Minn.

12-14 Drugs Runner Up Sarah Naraine 11525 Toronto, Ont.

AND THE WINNERS ARE ...

5

rating, FROM PAGE ONE

The winners have been announced for theOrder’s “The responsibility of the Catholiccitizen in a free society” essay contest. Con-test participants were asked to write a 500-to 700-word essay based on writings fromPope John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI.The essay contest is open to all Catholicstudents in public, private or parochialschools, in grades 8 through 12. For moreinformation please visit kofc.org/essay.Here are the winners:

council city

8TH GRADE

1st Ethan Pitney 2968 Old Saybrook, Conn.

2nd Stasia Iwuc 5958 Orlando, Fla.

3rd Lina Pearlman 11127 El Cajon, Calif.

9TH GRADE

1st Katie Mattingly 1263 Perryville, Mo.

2nd Emily Sola 13127 Plattsburgh, N.Y.

3rd Robert Gillmore 4371 Warner Robins, Ga.

10TH GRADE

1st Kateri Sternberg 7551 Red Oaks Mill, N.Y.

2nd Eli Perry 14449 Indianapolis, Ind.

3rd Jessica Kenny 2968 Old Saybrook, Conn.

11TH GRADE

1st Casey MacClaren 11728 Batavia, N.Y.

2nd John Pham 9901 Moore, Okla.

3rd Mary Kathleen Henry Circle 5455 Bethlehem, Pa.

(Sponsored by Assembly 931)

12TH GRADE

1st Lucy Fitzmorris 9901 Moore, Okla.

2nd Cara Chapman 13127 Plattsburgh, N.Y.

3rd Matthew Mendoza 2788 Baytown, Texas

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said, “In the past 36 years, therehave been five recessions. And in every single one of those years, theOrder earned A.M. Best’s highest rating. This confirms the wisdom ofour careful investment policies in turbulent economic times and againdemonstrates our fidelity to our original mission: providing Catholicfamilies with security and stability through top-quality life insuranceproducts.” In just over a decade, the amount Knights of Columbus insurance

in force has doubled to more than $80 billion. It also recently intro-duced disability income insurance to its product portfolio.

Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge

to ‘Under God’ inPledge of Allegiance

Knights of Columbus waged successfuldefense on East and West Coast cases

T he United States Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal ofa lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Pledge of Alle-

giance, thus ending a seven-year battle involving two separate cases,one originating in California and the other in New Hampshire. TheKnights of Columbus, represented by the Becket Fund for ReligiousLiberty, played a key role in defending the Pledge as a “defendant in-tervenor” 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 tothe Pledge in 1954, and they express a fundamental belief that we haveheld as a nation since our founding, that we ‘are endowed by our cre-ator with certain unalienable rights.’ The notion that this somehow vi-olates the First Amendment has now been soundly rejected by boththe First and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Courthas now allowed both decisions to stand. It is a victory for commonsense.”The Ninth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Pledge in

March 2010 and the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of theCalifornia case in March 2011. The First Circuit upheld the constitu-tionality of the Pledge in November 2010 and the Supreme Court de-nied certiorari in that case June 13, 2011.

2010-11 K OF C Citizenship EssayContest Winners

The Pledge of Allegiance was an eloquent backdrop for the States Dinner at the73rd Supreme Convention in Philadelphia in 1955. The Order was instrumen-tal in having the words ‘under God’ added to the pledge in 1954. (Photo by JulesSchick, a gift from William Lennox, past supreme director.)

6

MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that is, practicing) Catholics in union with the

Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the pre-

cepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.

O nce you finish out the current fraternalyear’s membership recruitment, imme-

diately start planning for how your council willstrengthen itself with new members during the2011-12 fraternal year. Start with getting yourmembership committee organized and movingforward. When looking for members to serve on this

committee, choose Knights who are enthusias-tic about the Order, are detail-oriented, goodplanners, and will follow through on projects.Also, any members with sales experience, whohave worked in advertising or marketing, andare comfortable speaking in front of peoplewould be great additions to your committee.Ask your field agent to be a part of, or at leastoffer advice to, your membership committee. Follow these steps in setting up your mem-

bership committee: • Refer to the “Membership Committees” and

“Membership Activities” sections in theSurge...with Service manual (#962) or atkofc.org/recruit.

• The grand knight appoints a membershipdirector to oversee all membership programsand recruitment activities.

• Upon recommendation of the membershipdirector, the grand knight appoints a mem-bership committee of three or more Knights.Select successful recruiters or sales-orientedmembers.

• The membership director and recruitmentcommittee members form two-man recruit-ment teams.

• The grand knight, upon recommendationof the membership director, appoints a re-tention chairman and committee.

• The grand knight appoints an insurancepromotion chairman, preferably the coun-cil’s field agent.

• The membership director, committee chair-men and committee members set goals andplan specific recruitment, retention, and in-surance promotion activities for the year.

• Plan a full schedule of First Degree exempli-fications.

• Identify and schedule recruitment methodsthat best suit your council’s needs and goals;church drives, open houses, team recruiting,etc.

• Set membership goals (exceed quota, achieveStar Council, Double Star Council, winCentury Club, break previous council re-cruitment record, etc.). Refer to “SupremeCouncil Awards” section in the Surge...withService manual or the “Council” section ofkofc.org/service.

• Get the ENTIRE council involved. Thosewho don’t recruit directly can identify/sug-gest prospects.

START THE FRATERNAL YEAR RIGHTGet Your Membership Committee Organized

T he desire to help Catholic men and theirfamilies played an important role in Vener-

able Michael McGivney’s decision to establish theOrder in 1882. This desire to help has stayed withthe Order throughout our existence. DuringKnights of Columbus Family Week, Aug. 6-14,sponsor Father McGivney related activities. Hereare some programs to consider:• Start off Knights of Columbus Family Weekcelebrations by bringing new members intothe Order through First Degree exemplifica-tions held on the anniversary of Father Mc-Givney’s birth on Aug. 12.

• Hold a memorial Mass on Aug. 14 to mark theanniversary of Father McGivney’s death. Aprayer dedicated to the cause for the beatifica-tion of Father McGivney would add a specialtouch to these services.

• Distribute Father McGivney prayer cards(#2617) available in English, French or Span-ish from the Supreme Council Supply De-partment at no cost. Copies of The Life and

Legacy of Father McGivney booklet (#2045) arealso available in limited quantities.

• Show the 16-minute productionThe Life andLegacy of Father McGivney available on DVDor for download at kofc.org/films. Use thispresentation, in English, French or Spanish, atreceptions or open houses following memorialMasses or exemplifications. This DVD is avail-able at no charge except $3 for shipping andhandling from the Department of Frater-nal Services.Requests for information about Father

McGivney, materials regarding his causefor canonization and accounts of anyfavors received through his interces-sion can be directed to the FatherMcGivney Guild, 1 ColumbusPlaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326.

For more on Family Week visitkofc.org/familyweek.

Honor Our Founder During Family Week

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COUNCIL AUDIT: The Semiannual Council Audit Report (#1295) — for the period ending June 30 — is due at the Supreme Council by Aug. 15. Make sure the

trustees complete the audit immediately and send it to: Knights of Columbus, Council Accounts, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven CT 06510-3326. The report can be found at

kofc.org/forms and in the Council Report Forms Booklet.

T his Sept. 11 marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks onthe United States. As the Knights of Columbus observe World Day

of Prayer for Peace on that anniversary, we recall the tragic events of thatday, and honor the thousands who lost their lives. We also pray for peaceamong nations, especially in those places where war or turmoil persist.We pray that religion will be a means of peace and accord and not an ex-cuse for violence and division.At its annual meeting in 2004, the Supreme Council passed a resolu-

tion that Sept. 11 be observed each year as a World Day of Prayer forPeace. Thus, all Knights of Columbus leaders are urged to begin planningfor this event now and hold an appropriate prayer service in a church, orin a public place such as a war memorial, a municipal park, or on thegrounds of the town or city hall. To assist your council in its participa-tion in this event, the Supreme Council offers a Day of Prayer poster(#9483) and prayer card (#9484). The prayer card includes a prayer takenfrom the remarks of Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the site inNew York where the Twin Towers stood.Today, more than ever, our world is in need of prayers for peace. The

Knights of Columbus World Day of Prayer for Peace, held annually on

Sept. 11, provides an opportunity for Knights throughout the Order toparticipate in a powerful international offering of prayer for peace. For more information please visit kofc.org/prayerforpeace.

World Day of Prayer for Peace

W ith little more than a month to go be-fore Madrid welcomes the more than

1 million young Catholics expected to fill itsstreets, the Knights of Columbus continues toprepare both spiritually and logistically for thethousands of English-speaking pilgrims whowill be joining Pope Benedict XVI for the26th World Youth Day Aug. 16-21.Housed at Madrid’s Palacio de Deportes, a

15,000-seat concert and sports arena, the Loveand Life Centre: A Home for English-Speak-ing Pilgrims will be co-hosted by the Knightsof Columbus and the Sisters of Life. The center’s programs will include inspir-

ing speakers and faith-filled entertainment,making it the premier English-speaking site ofWorld Youth Day 2011. It will operate dur-ing the four days, Aug. 16-19, leading up toWorld Youth Day’s culminating weekend,which will feature a vigil and Mass with PopeBenedict.In addition to the main arena, pilgrims will

be able to explore chapels, art exhibits, and in-formational displays, as well as avail them-selves of eucharistic adoration and the

sacrament of reconciliation, which will be of-fered continuously throughout the day.For more information about the Love and

Life Centre, including daily schedules, lists ofperformances and discussion panels, and otherdetails, please visit wydenglishsite.com or facebook.com/wydenglish. A “WYD Experi-ence App” for iPhones and Androids will bealso be available soon. Councils, assemblies and circles can also

support pilgrims who will be attending thiscelebration in a variety of ways. Consider put-ting together “care packages” for pilgrims(nonperishable food items, travel-size toi-letries, sun screen, etc.). To get a listing of the local groups attend-

ing the event, contact your diocese. Knightsand parishioners can also sponsor a Mass forthe pilgrims and then pray for them duringtheir attendance at the event. The “Love and Life” Centre is also cospon-

sored by Holy Cross Family Ministries, Salt +Light Television, the Apostleship of Prayer,FOCUS, and the John Paul II Institute forStudies on Marriage and Family.

KNIGHTS AND WYD 2011

thinkstock.com

Developing a SuccessfulProspect List The Order’s membership requirements are

straightforward — all practical Catholic men

over the age of 18 are eligible to join. There are

many ways to identify prospects:

• Ask pastors or parish secretaries for their

parish rosters and include priests, deacons,

religious brothers and seminarians on your

prospect list.

• Look for active parishioners, ushers, lec-

tors, etc.

• Obtain a list of former members from your

financial secretary or from the Department

of Fraternal Services.

• Request a zip code listing of inactive insur-

ance members and former members in

your area from the Department of Fraternal

Services. Note: These listings should be re-

quested through the state deputy.

• Include 18-year-old Columbian Squires,

Catholic high school graduates and college

students.

• Ask council members to fill out a Prospect

Referral Card (#921), available free from the

Supreme Council Supply Department, list-

ing coworkers, neighbors, friends, fathers,

sons, brothers, nephews, cousins, in-laws,

grandfathers and grandsons.

KNIGHTLINEKNIGHTLINE1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326

I n the sales business, we have aphrase often used called a

“center of influence,” or COI. It is a personwho, in our estimation, exerts considerable in-fluence on those around him (or her) and thuswould be a good person to get to know. Whenwe talk to our general agents about recruitingnew agents, we suggest a number of differentways to engage men in conversations, includinggetting existing agents to offer referrals, scan-ning Form 100s for the type of man we may belooking for, using personal observation while inthe field, and contacting centers of influence.When I talk about “centers of influence” in

the Knights of Columbus, guess who I’m talk-ing about? You!That’s right, you. Although you may not

know it, in Knights of Columbus circles youare a center of influence. As an officer or chair-man in the Order, you obviously have beenable to influence people around you to trust

you and to offer you a position of responsibil-ity. When we instruct our general agents to goand spend time talking with guys who “knowtheir way around,” you are on the list. You canofficially put “COI” on your business card!With this designation comes some pretty

heavy responsibility. Let me explain.I have had discussions with agents, often

new agents, who come to me devastated bysomething they have heard. Often the conver-sation goes something like this: “An officer inone of my councils is telling all the newmembers who join that I will be calling them,which is fine. But, Mr. Smith, he goes on tosay that they don’t have to talk to me … thatI’m just trying to sell them something. Howam I ever going to overcome that?” Those aredifficult conversations for me to have, andthere is little I can do to restore that man’smorale in a business that relies so heavily onmorale.

Thankfully, the opposite happens moreoften. An agent will come to me and say: “Mr.Smith, I just came from a meeting of districtdeputies in my area, and the host DD recog-nized me and gave me a great plug. He evensaid that he owns a bunch of K of C productsand if anyone in the room hadn’t made an ap-pointment with me, they should stop and talkto him. He’ll tell them how important it is.”That man — that agent — is so far off theground that there is no way I can motivate himbetter, and there is no way I can slow himdown. He’s thrilled and excited to be here.That’s the power of you! Although you may

not know it, you have the power to boost theenthusiasm of an agent just by a few wellplaced words of encouragement. Just by a pos-itive endorsement of the great work they do.Just by saying “Hey, he’s a good guy. Talk tohim.” That’s the power of being a center ofinfluence. The power of you.

PUBLISHED 12 TIMES A YEAR BY THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS SUPREME COUNCIL � 1 COLUMBUS PLAZA, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-3326CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-380-9995 � 203-752-4264 � KNIGHTLINE@KOFC.ORG

Knights of Columbus Insurance: Your Shield for Life.

‘Center of Influence’ Thomas P. Smith Jr.

Executive Vice President (Agencies and Marketing)