Invited to join the Knights of Columbus

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I was invited to join the Knights of Columbus earlier this week after attending Mass at school, and I’m curious to know what the process is (I haven’t heard back about my application yet) and what meetings are like. I
 
K of C everywhere I’ve gone is like the Kiwanis with more prayers, cool uniforms, and awesome fish fry. If I were a man, I’d join up.
 
*blink*

Huh?

There isn’t much more we could do this side of the law.

We placed our thousandth ultrasound machine last month.

Typically, they go to a crisis clinic across from an abortionist.

When mothers see their child like this, the overwhelming majority choose life.

We’ve actually run out of fixed sites to place then in Nevada, and are transitioning to mobile units.

Within Nevada, we’re mobilizing against assisted suicide legislation proposed in this years legislature.

Some councils have extraordinarily dull meetings; that is true. We have plenty of other things to do, though.

We may or may not be many things, but uninvolved in abortion and euthanasia isn’t on the list

(We have arranged matching funds to buy these machines; if the local council raises its half, National has donors to match).

As far as joining, they will take you to a First Degree. (It’s actually possible to join on line in many states, soon to be all, but you miss a bit that way).

hawk, PFN, PGK, CGK
 
I didn’t realize that the Knights were supposed to be politically active in social issues.
 
So, you don’t think Catholics and other Christians should have involved themselves in politics regarding slavery? 🤔
 
Wouldn’t abortion cause division whether a given party was ‘for’ or ‘agin’ it? It’s a human rights issue, a life-and-death issue. I wouldn’t care what either party said about it, I’d care whether this was morally right or not.
 
That’s not something a council can do. That’s a state or national organization, to which knights show up. The council will report to members when and where they can show up for such things.

There are, indeed, a couple of councils in the US with as many total members as are visible or hidden in this pictures, but not many.

Gay marriage has come and gone. It’s not coming up again in this or the next generation.

But we’ll stay focused on abortion, helping young mothers, and euthanasia.
YourNameHere said:
I don’t like religion mixed with politics.
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So at the 1950 convention, when the hotel in DC was segregated, the KofC shouldn’t have responded forcefully?

The hotel was informed we were moving the convention.

They offered to let black Knights stay for the convention.

We declined, and told them it had to be permanent.

They agreed.

We still arranged for a black priest as celebrant at the main Mass . . .

hawk
 
This has been my experience as well. I’ve also found them incredibly supportive with vocations. Although i’m not able to be as active with them these days, I also recommend getting involved if you can. They are a wonderful group and do so much for our Church.
 
@YourNameHere

With all due respect, this is a thread about the Knights of Columbus, not a thread about your views on politics and religion.
 
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@YourNameHere

No. It’s a thread in which a poster asked a question about the Knights of Columbus. You have now directed the conversation towards your personal views on religion and politics.

There’s threads out there already in which you can discuss that to your heart’s desire. You can even start your own thread about the KofC and their support for Catholic causes.

But this thread is about a guy inquiring about joining the Knights. It’s not a forum for your political ranting.
 
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If you like Fraternal organizations, the Knights of Columbus are a great organization. Up in Long Island, the local Councils have some of the best Italian food to be had. Sociologically, just know that fraternal organizations are a very unique corner of the world. When you attend an open meeting, bear in mind that is structurally how a closed meeting will proceed.
 
When I was a young man I didn’t consider the Knights because I was heavily involved in renewal movements. The renewal movements were ok, but after awhile I noticed most people got burned out, and also they attracted the same people, over and over. There were many types of people, especially men, they would never benefit.

I find the K of C is much more able to reach the average practicing Catholic man. Whether he is intensely religious, or marginal, whether he wants a lot of involvement or occasional, the Knights benefit him, and usually a parish, too.
 
Cruciferi said:
@Titivillus Thomas has questions 🙂
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Howdy! As many have noted, the activities of councils can vary widely, even in neighboring jurisdictions.* If you want to read about and view videos of the Order in its best light, you can do so at their website,


The Knights bill themselves as the world’s largest fraternal, social, charitable, and insurance association. Know that the order was founded as an insurance system, at a time when such advantages often were systematically denied to Catholics, and Catholic families were liable to poverty and dissolution if the father-bread-winner died unexpectedly and unprepared. Insurance is still a fundamental part of the order, and part of how the national organization can support charitable causes ranging from financial support of Vatican broadcasting, to church buildings like the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, to pro-life political advocacy, to disaster relief and more. You will be offered the opportunity to purchase their insurance products, but never required to do so.
Thom18 said:
I’m curious to know what the process is
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Linked off the above website, the order has recently begun offering an Online Membership, which does make one eligible to participate in insurance, but does not bind one to a local council. Joining a council would require going through at least the First Degree ceremony.

There are 3 primary “degrees” of membership plus one very optional “Fourth Degree”. The Knights of Columbus is not a “secret society”, but the details of the ceremonials are the only secrets of the order. Each degree ceremony imparts a lesson on one of the Order’s core virtues of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. You can be assured that they none of them involve anything dire nor dangerous physically, mentally nor spiritually.

If you have any more specific question, I’d be happy to answer.
*
For example: My own council is in an urban area and is full of grey, white, and no-hair members, and it seems we sometimes struggle to come up with enough members to organize a meaningful activity. Some of our neighboring suburban councils seem much more active (and youthful) in that way.
 
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2️⃣©️©️

And as for the cockamamie idea of “not getting involved with politics”: It is true that we are not to involve the order in partisan politics, but as for issue politics…well, I just called the idea cockamamie. :crazy_face:

So, the political government provides SNAP benefits to help feed struggling families – Guess we can’t assist Food Banks any more

The political government sends FEMA to hurricane and other devastated areas – Guess we can’t contribute to disaster relief

Et cetera :roll_eyes:
 
dochawk said:
*blink*

Huh?

There isn’t much more we could do this side of the law.

We placed our thousandth ultrasound machine last month.

Typically, they go to a crisis clinic across from an abortionist.

When mothers see their child like this, the overwhelming majority choose life.

We’ve actually run out of fixed sites to place then in Nevada, and are transitioning to mobile units.

Within Nevada, we’re mobilizing against assisted suicide legislation proposed in this years legislature.

Some councils have extraordinarily dull meetings; that is true. We have plenty of other things to do, though.

We may or may not be many things, but uninvolved in abortion and euthanasia isn’t on the list

(We have arranged matching funds to buy these machines; if the local council raises its half, National has donors to match).

As far as joining, they will take you to a First Degree. (It’s actually possible to join on line in many states, soon to be all, but you miss a bit that way).

hawk, PFN, PGK, CGK
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Ok, but other than aqueducts, public order, and roads, what have the Romans ever done for us?
 
Titivillus said:
As many have noted, the activities of councils can vary widely, even in neighboring jurisdictions.
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I suppose I should add, in case you fret that you don’t “have time” to join the Knights: I have heard it said, and it mostly matches my experience (for good or for ill): If you can attend one business meeting per year, and participate in one project or charitable activity, you will be as active as (or more than) 90% of Knights

While some people may have legitimate concerns about over-extending, some people, it seems are as scrupulous about time as others may be about morality.
 
YourNameHere said:
As people, I have no problem if people want to be active in some cause. But I do not believe that a religious organization should be active in politics.
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You’re hijacking my thread. I’m asking about the process for joining the Knights, not your views on what you think they should and shouldn’t involve themselves in.
 
4th Degree Knight here. Find a good council. That’s the key. Some are active and some are there to get drunk.
 
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