Grand Knight’s Comments

Brother Knights,

As we close out a busy November and prepare

for the Advent and Christmas season, I first

want to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to

every Knight, Wife, and Widow who gives so

much to our Order. Council 3303 and

Assembly 1820 simply could not do the

incredible deeds without you. We continue to

exceed expectations in our charitable

endeavors as good Christians. Let us be

thankful for such a vibrant and loving family of

Knights. I am truly honored to be part of this

wonderful brotherhood.

During November, we honor our veterans,

commemorate all those that have died, and

pray that their souls may rest in Heaven with

God. We also celebrate the living, which we did with a wonderful luncheon on

November 3rd where we were honored all of our Knight’s Widows. This was

such a special event with 31 of these ladies in attendance. Our Worthy

Chaplain, Father Tully provided a special blessing for the widows. We hope to

see all of you ladies again at upcoming Knights events including the Wives

Appreciation Dinner on February 8th. I want to thank Rosemary Whetzel, Lucy

Andre, and the other ladies for the lovely fall decorations. During the month,

Council 3303 welcomed four new 1st Degree Brother Knights during the

Admissions Degree Exemplification held on November 12th. We will continue

to strive in growing our council and look forward to more degrees and a

membership drive next spring. Hopefully as you read this edition of the

Knightlighter, everyone will be enjoying Thanksgiving with their families, but let us not forget those in need. As we do every

year, the Knights help provide Thanksgiving Baskets to families that could use a little help. Special thanks to Dena Sierocki

who once again has taken the lead for this special project. God Bless you, Dena and we will keep you in our prayers.

In December, Brother Knights will continue to serve by volunteering at the Craven County Senior Center serving food and

giving out presents at their annual Christmas party. We will sell “Keep Christ in Christmas” cards after the masses, support

the St. Paul Catholic Church Bountiful Tree, deliver poinsettias to every local Knight’s Widow, and host the always popular

Knights Family Christmas Party for Parish families. Oh, and did I mention we distributed 72 new coats to kids who need a

warm winter jacket this year.

Remember to check out our website (kofcnewbern.org) and our Facebook page (Monsignor James R. Jones Council

3303). I wish you all a joyous Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas. May God continue to bless the Knights and their

families.

Vivat Jesus!

Michael Lynch

Grand Knight

The Knightlighter The Official Publication of the Knights of Columbus, Msgr. James R. Jones Council

3303 and Kenneth I. Parker Assembly 1820, New Bern, NC

December 2nd Bingo

3rd Council Mtg @ 7 p.m.

4th Assy Officers Mtg @ 7 p.m.

8th K of C Christmas Party

9th Bingo

11th Assembly Mtg @ 7 p.m.

16th Bingo

23rd Bingo

30th Bingo

2nd Council Officers Mtg – 7 p.m.

Volume: 2019 – 12

Editor: Craig Baader craigbaader@suddenlink.net

Family of the Month – November

This November, we honor Kevin and Judy Blust as our Family of the Month.

Kevin, a 4th Degree Knight, and Judy hail from Derby, New York which is close to Buffalo. Kevin attended Erie Community College and spent two years in the Navy before going to work for United Parcel, where he spent 33 years. Judy in turn, worked for the Buffalo Diocese. After they retired, they moved to New Bern and have lived here for 23 years. They have 3 children and one grandchild.

Being involved with the Knights is an understatement. It’s hard to find a more dedicated couple than Kevin and Judy.

Where the Knights are involved, there they are.

Kevin is a mainstay of Monday Nite Bingo, where you also see Judy who stays and helps with cleanup.

They work the Yard Sale, run the 300 Club, and Kevin acts as one of the bartenders at the Council and Assembly events. He also serves as one of the bartenders that service the rental functions that require bar service.

When you put all of these activities together, they constitute a tremendous number of man-hours contributed by this dedicated couple. Without such folks, our council would be but a shell.

John Murphy

** Upcoming Dates to Remember **

Knights Family Christmas Party, Dec 8th

2nd Degree Exemplification, Dec 10th

Craven Senior Center Christmas Party, Dec 13th

K of C Wives Appreciation Dinner, New Bern CC, Feb 8th

Pizza Hut Special Olympics Spaghetti Dinner, Feb 13th

Lenten Friday Fish Fries: Feb 18th , Mar 13th , and March 27th

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration w/Catholic Daughters, March 14th

2nd Degree Exemplification to be held on Dec 10th

Monsignor James R. Jones Council 3303 and District 2 will host a Formation (2nd Degree) Exemplification on Tuesday,

December 10th at 7 p.m. at the Columbus Club Hall. All 1st Degree Knights in our council as well as other nearby councils

are highly encouraged to attend and seek advancement in our Order. 1st Degree Knights who are candidates for the 2nd

Degree are asked to be at the Hall no later than 6:40 p.m. and all 2nd Degree and higher order Knights by 6:50 p.m.

Dress is business casual. There is no cost and food and beverages will be provided after the ceremony.

Please plan on joining us while we strengthen the Unity that makes us Knights.

Michael Lynch Grand Knight

Knights of Columbus to Host Annual Family Christmas Party on Dec 8th

Please come join in on some Christmas fun on Sunday afternoon, December 8th at the Columbus Club Hall from 2:00 -

4:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale after the masses for $5.00 per person (Children 13 and under are free). There will be gifts

for the Children 13 and under who are registered, a meal with chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, and Christmas treats, along

with Santa and entertainment by the St. Paul Singers.

Special thanks to Brothers Gordy Barnes, Steve Harman, and Rosemary Whetzel for organizing this wonderful event. Hope

to see you and your families there.

Sir Knight of the Month – November

Our selection for Sir Knight of the Month for November is SK Bill Elliott. Bill lived in the Washington D.C. area and Mayo, MD where he was a grocery store manager before relocating to the New Bern area approximately 16 years ago. He and his wife Pat now make their home here in New Bern on Rustic Court. Bill Joined the Knights after moving here. He made his 3rd degree in December of 2009 and his 4th degree in April of 2011. Bill has always been an active member of the Council and Assembly. You can find him just about every week helping out at our yard sale. He always puts in a shift or two during our LAMB collections and he helps every Memorial Day, placing flags on Veteran’s graves in St. Joseph Cemetery. He has served as the Warden in Council 3303 and spent a year on the Columbus Club Board of Directors. In addition, he performs usher duties at St. Paul’s. He lists his special interest as interacting with other people. Bill’s dedication and hard work help make this Assembly the strong, cohesive organization that it continues to be. Congratulations, Bill, on your selection for SK of the Month this November.

Vivat Jesus!

Doug Uhland

Faithful Captain

Knights provide some Warmth for School Children

in need of Winter Coats

As we have for many years, Council 3303 ordered 72 Children’s coats in various sizes and colors for boys and girls as part

of the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids program. After receiving input from school counselors, we delivered coats to

St. Paul Catholic School, kids in our parish’s Hispanic community, Havelock Elementary School, and a few other children

in need of a good warm winter coat.

Mike Lynch Grand Knight

Honoring our Widows is the Least we can do

Council 3303 and Assembly 1820 honored 31 widows that attended a special

luncheon held at Columbus Club Hall on Sunday afternoon, November 3rd.

Actually, we continue to honor the 65 living widows on the rolls whose husbands

were exemplary Catholic gentlemen and members of the Knights of Columbus. The

afternoon began by welcoming the ladies to a social hour in the lounge followed by

a 2pm Thanksgiving style lunch which was catered by Sweet Peas Café of New

Bern. Our Worthy Chaplain, Father Tully said a special blessing and grace. Worthy

K of C State Chaplain, Father Bill Lesak, also provided enjoyable conversations

with many of the ladies.

Thank you to Mr. D’Nadre Bell and

the St. Paul Catholic School

singers who delighted the

audience with their beautiful

singing.

Thank you to Jayden Sforza, 8th grade, and Thomas Perkins, 6th grade who

volunteered from St. Paul Catholic School to give 4 hours of service.

We are also very appreciative of the Assembly for providing gift cards to

the widows.

Mike Lynch Grand Knight

Council 3303 Grows Stronger with New 1st Degree Brothers

On Tuesday, November 12th, the Monsignor

James R. Jones Council 3303 hosted an

Admissions (1st Degree) Exemplification where

5 Catholic gentlemen became Knights of

Columbus. Congratulations to Dan Macsay,

Guy Ferrante, Ken Gossler (son of Brother John

Gossler), and Jim McConnell who joined

Council 3303 and Dan Walczak, who joined

Council 6648 in Havelock. Once again, our

Degree team did a superb job. Special Thanks

to Nick Nastasi from Council 7024 in

Swansboro, who served in the Chancellor role.

We were honored with the presence of the

Worthy State Membership Director Bob Beck,

Worthy Field Agent Norm Wilson, as well as

District 2 Deputy, Joe Banks.

The Honoree for the Degree was Brother Chris Skaggs, who serves as the Ceremonial Financial Secretary.

The next degree will be held on Tuesday, December 10th when the council will host a Formation (2nd Degree)

Exemplification.

Mike Lynch

Grand Knight

2019 Annual Jim Whetzel Memorial Shrimp Boil was the Best One Yet

Wow! The Columbus Club Hall was filled to capacity as over 225

folks enjoyed an incredible All-U-Can-Eat Shrimp Dinner with all

the fixins. These were some jumbo shrimp (excuse the

oxymoron). The event is held every year, and for the last two years

was held in honor of our late Brother Knight, James Whetzel, who

was the master of hosting Shrimp Boils.

The weather was perfect, and the attendees raved about the

shrimp. Many thanks to the Shrimp’in Crew pictured to the right.

Bill Camp, Vince Fragnito, Ralph Aviles, Mark Layel, Craig Baader,

Phil Nassef, Fred Nelson, Bo Wernersbach, and Doug Uhland.

Once again, thanks to Rosemary Whetzel for decorating and

setting-up, Lucy Andre for the 50/50 raffle sales which netted $400

for charity as well as Danny and Cindy Gennantonio for

spearheading the ticket sales.

Not sure how we can do this any better next year. Great Job, everyone!

Mike Lynch Grand Knight

Knight of the Month – November

Brother Guy M. Norton is the Knight of the Month for November 2019.

Guy attained his 1st Degree in May 2018 and he completed his 3d Degree in February 2019. Our council is proud to

recognize our new Brother Knight for his leadership of a very successful parish activity. In the Fall of 2015 our pastor,

Father Tully, encouraged Guy to take on the leadership of a new program called the Bountiful Tree. This program has

been very successful due to the leadership of Brother Norton and the hard work and superb organizational skills of several

parishioners. Guy gives credit to Father Tom for his ingenuity in devising a program that reaches out to worthy members

of the community. The Bountiful Tree Program is organized to identify and vet needy families who will benefit from the

receipt of Christmas gifts. An important feature of the program is that once a family is identified then every member of the

family receives a gift. Last year 900 gifts were provided and Guy and his team plan to give away another 900 gifts this

Christmas season.

We are proud of the accomplishments of Brother Guy Norton and we are pleased to honor him as our Knight of the

Month.

Steve Harman Deputy Grand Knight

Faithful Navigators Report

Greetings Brother Knights….

It’s that time of year! The weather has gotten a lot cooler, the frost is on the

pumpkin and all turkeys are going into hiding. Thanksgiving is right around the

corner. Christmas will soon follow. This is one of my favorite times of year, where

we get together with our love ones, thank the Lord for all we have and remember

all those who are no longer with us. I would like to wish each of you and your

families a very Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels wherever you may go.

This past week was Veteran’s Day. We participated in the Veteran’s Day Parade

in Morehead City with the American Legion Post 539 and several brother Knights.

We were also invited by a local church to enjoy a luncheon for the veterans. On

Veteran’s Day, Temple Baptist Church in New Bern hosted a program which

included a free lunch to all Veterans . The Pastor of Temple Baptist is a sponsor

of the Vietnam Wall which will be coming to New Bern on March 24, 2020. He is

also allowing visitors to the wall to be able to park in the Temple Baptist parking

area. There will be more information coming in the near future regarding this

event.

The Knights of Columbus Annual Family Christmas Party will be held on Sunday

December 8, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are already on sale for this event.

Poinsettas will also be distributed to our widows in the near future.

I would like to thank Dr. McQuade for coming before our Assembly monthly meeting to provide instruction on how to use

the defibrillators. Dr. McQuade is willing to come once a year for refresher classes for defibrillator use. Thank you Dr.

McQuade! In case you are not aware there is a defibrillator in St. Paul’s Church and one in the kitchen at the Knights hall.

Please keep Brother Knight Joe Urbaniak and his family in your prayers on the passing of his wife Marlene.

Please also keep Brother Knights Mikey Casem , Leo Minervini, and William Robinson in your thoughts and prayers.

A big welcome back to Brother Knight Rich Tomasik. Glad to see you are on the road to recovery.

Please keep all our active military and their families in your prayers along with all veterans.

God Bless You All,

Ralph Avilas

Faithful Navigator

Protect your assets. Get quality care. Prepare for the future.

What is it?

Long-term care insurance helps you pay for your extended medical needs in a nursing home facility or in the comfort of your own home.

Who needs it?

Long-term care insurance should be an important part of every family’s planning. While we’d like to think that we will never need long-term care, or that we could easily afford it the statistics suggest otherwise:

• 70 percent of people over age 65 will need some type of long-term care services during their lifetime.[1]

• 3 years is the average duration of long-term care needed per individual.[2]

• $91,250 is the average annual cost of private nursing home care.[3]

• $80,300 is the average annual cost of at-home nursing care.[4]

Traditional medical insurance programs and government medical insurance programs don’t usually provide enough help. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare only pays for long-term care services for a maximum of 100 days, with a copay after the 20th day, and only if you meet certain criteria. Medicaid does pay for long-term care, but only if your income is below a certain level, and you meet state requirements.[5]

How does it work?

Knights of Columbus Long-Term Care insurance policies establish a pool of money (also known as a maximum lifetime benefit), which is determined by a number of options that you choose from. That pool of money is then available for you to use to cover qualified long-term care expenses. When the pool of money is exhausted, your long-term care policy ends.

The Knights of Columbus also offers a spousal discount program, through which spouses who apply for long-term care insurance coverage together are eligible for up to a 30 percent discount.

Contact your Knights of Columbus field agent today to learn more about our long-term care insurance products and the safety and security that we can help provide.

Vivat Jesus!

Norman J Wilson, FIC Field Agent, Knights of Columbus 910-803-8002 norman.wilson@kofc.org

Knights have a New Charity - Habitat for Humanity

Earlier this month, Council 3303 presented a check for $500 to Habitat

for Humanity of Craven County. Pictured to the left are Deedra

Durocher, Habitat Volunteer Coordinator; Brother Gordy Barnes,

Brother Mike Williams - Executive Director for Habitat and a Brother

Knight in our Council, your Grand Knight, and Richard Peoples - Board

President for Habitat for Humanity of Craven County.

Since 1989, Habitat for Humanity of Craven County has been helping

families achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to

build a better life for themselves and their families. Habitat for Humanity

of Craven County has built or renovated 66 homes with partner families,

impacting 110 adults and over 120 children.

We look forward to providing future support and possibly volunteer

opportunities with Habitat in the coming years.

Mike Lynch Grand Knight

Our Christmas Pilgrimages to Cabbage Hill

Let’s face it. The ‘good old days’ are a myth. In an ever-changing world each generation encounters its own new and familiar tumultuous anxieties and sufferings. Such afflictions may not be obvious through the innocent wide-eyed exuberance of a visiting grandchild. When Mom and Dad would inform us that we would be embarking on a trip this Christmas to visit Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my younger sister Patty, older brother Tommy, and I could hardly contain ourselves. Even Mom and Dad would feel good once we got there. It was a rare treat, an escape to a seemingly perfect world of welcoming faces and laughter, enticing sights and smells, homemade scrumptious cookies and pies, and another chance to encounter a cast of uniquely unforgettable characters who came and went at Grandma’s house, like the ice man, the coal man, the rag man, and the boy with the tweed cap and rosy cheeks selling fresh hot soft pretzels and funnel cakes.

It was the late 1940’s and our home was a tiny third floor walkup apartment in northwest DC. The fire escape outside the back door was our playground. The alley below was our ball field. Mom was a diminutive salt and pepper haired third generation German woman who had her hands full washing clothes, grocery shopping, and keeping her three munchkins in toe. Dad was a tall blacked-haired second generation Irishman. Trying to make ends meet for his growing family of five, he worked extra shifts as a foot patrolman with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Dept.

On the Big Day of our departure for Grandma’s Dad would fumble with the suitcases down three flights of stairs before stuffing them into the trunk of his old tan Chevy while Mom clutched her Rosary and gave us games to play in the backseat. Our three-hour pilgrimage took us through the smelly clouds of bus fumes, honking taxies and street litter of downtown Baltimore. We sensed that Dad was not having the time of his life weaving in and out of traffic as he periodically mumbled his familiar refrain: geez, I sure could use a cold one right about now. Unsure of exactly where we were headed, Patty always laughed at my scrunched-up face when I asked Tommy a stupid question, like, are we going to Lancaster, or are we going to Pennsylvania? Tommy would elbow me and with typical big brother leverage, inform me that we are going to both. Lancaster is a town inside the state of Pennsylvania. “You’ll learn all about important stuff like that next year in third grade.” When Dad finally wheeled us to a stop at our hilly destination, 613 Saint Joseph Street, a sea of flinging arms and legs burst through the front door and onto the stoop of the red brick narrow row house built in 1860. Located in a predominantly German section of town, this hilly area of Lancaster was then known as ‘Cabbage Hill.’ Aunts, uncles and a zillion cousins clamoring for our undivided attention yanked us out of the car and unloaded the trunk. Raucous greetings and outstretched arms hugged us. Framed in the doorway was my maternal Grandma Margaret Beck Young, a robust German woman standing with arms folded and smiling in her familiar hair bun and apron. Inside the door was the living room where Grandpa Frank Young patiently awaited us in his usual quiet manner. Smoking one of his pipes or puffing a cigar, he would rise from his wingback chair opposite the gaily lit modest Christmas tree and greet us one by one as we entered.

Mom had informed us she was the oldest of the ten children (6 girls and 4 boys) in the Young family. At Grandma’s we learned that all four brothers answered the call to serve their country in the military during WW2. Uncle Mart and Uncle Dick enlisted in the Army while Uncle ‘Firp’ (Francis) and Uncle Bobby joined the Navy. We listened as the adults shared the amazing story of Uncle Dick and Uncle Bobby getting severely wounded in separate combat action, and how each was transported to the same rehab hospital in Germany where they were shocked to run into each other. After returning stateside, each of them was presented a number of special commendations, including the Purple Heart.

During our stay at Grandma’s it made me feel good to watch Mom enjoy sharing recipes with her sisters, in the kitchen while Grandpa and Dad swapped favorite pipe tobacco samples in the parlor. Out back even Tommy smiled, as our cousins shared their bikes and wagons and we entertained ourselves with new board games. At the end of the backyard was Burger’s Slaughterhouse where an occasional loud bang or squealing chicken meant that there would soon be fresh meat available for sale around the corner at the popular Burger’s Butcher Shop. We cousins always made fun of how different we spoke. The Casem clan was mocked for our southern drawl and we laughed at their odd way of saying things (e.g., “throw Poppa down the stairs his slippers, “Outen the light”). When a neighbor dropped by, Grandpa would call me into the living room and I’d squirm at his side as he’d introduce me, this is the sickly one I was telling you about. After Sunday Mass up the hill at St. Joseph Catholic Church Grandma would proudly show off her visiting relatives from Washington. If it snowed, everyone raced outside to taste a snowflake. When it began piling up in the corners of the windows, I’d race to the front window in my pajamas, feeling like I was on the inside of a Christmas card looking out.

These cherished boyhood experiences of our Christmas Pilgrimages to Cabbage Hill always ended too soon. But they served all of us well. As for this 77 year-old grandpa, they afforded me an early joyful glimpse of Heaven.

Mikie Casem Pest Grand Knight

K of C

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THE KNIGHTLIGHTER

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THE KNIGHTLIGHTER

THE KNIGHTLIGHTER is published

by Council 3303 K of C, New Bern,

NC.

Editorial deadline is the 15th of the

month preceding the publication

month.

Editor: Craig Baader

Assistant Editor: Open

Circulation: William Camp & Craig

Baader

Father Kenneth I. Parker Assembly

For information on the

4th Degree, contact:

Faithful Navigator

SK Ralph Aviles

(252) 204-7700

SK Rev Robert Schmid

SK Ralph Avilas

SK Doug Uhland

SK Phil Nassef

SK Craig Baader

SK Randall Ramian

SK Nick Dalessandro

Inner Sentinel

Outer-Sentinel

Faithful Admiral

Trustee 3 Year

Trustee 2 Year

Trustee 1 Year

SK Ron Biggs

SK Chris Skaggs

SK Pat Rocco

SK Rich Tomasik

SK Craig Blackwell

SK Sandy Stewart

Faithful Friar

Faithful Navigator

Faithful Captain

Faithful Pilot

Faithful Comptroller

Faithful Scribe

Faithful Purser

Officers of Father Kenneth I. Parker Assembly 1820

Officers and Program Chairmen of Msgr. James R. Jones, Council 3303

Chaplain Reverend Thomas Tully Faith Director Dick Dodson Grand Knight Michael Lynch Life Director Stan Namowicz Deputy Grand Knight Steve Harman Community Jim Kelly Chancellor James Kelly Family Open Recorder Paul Masotta Treasurer Doug Uhland Financial Secretary James Knickerbocker Hispanic Membership Open Membership Director Tony DiFede Bingo Doug Uhland Advocate Craig Blackwell Operation LAMB Bob Donnelly Lecturer Don Hanson Knightlighter Craig Baader Warden Stan Namowicz Golf Paul Masotta Inside Guard Chris Skaggs 300 Club Kevin Blust Outside Guard Charles Havens Columbus Club Craig Baader Trustee (1 Yr.) Dick Dodson K of C Insurance Norman Wilson Trustee (2 Yr.) Clark French Public Relations Bo Wernersbach Trustee (3 Yr.) Phil Nassef Web Master James Knickerbocker Program Director Steve Harman Lounge Manager Don Hanson