The Lake Current - October 2020
Welcome to the October 2020 edition of our Council newsletter! We're continuing to ramp up with activities, trying to get back to normal as fast as circumstances and government regulations will allow.

Our next regular monthly business meeting is this Wednesday, October 14th, starting at 7:30 p.m. We will be serving dinner around 6:30 p.m. Please join us for dinner and the meeting, while observing social-distancing and face-mask use as appropriate.

At our meeting, we hope to be able to present a donation check to the clergy of St. James the Apostle Parish. Our Oktoberfest for St. James fundraiser was a fantastic success thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the support of the parishioners. Read more about it in the article below.

We're also happy to announce that our 49th Annual Dinner Dance & Awards Ceremony will be celebrated on Saturday, November 7th! It will be as close as possible to the great event we've held annually for the last several years -- cocktail hour, buffet dinner with Italian favorites and filet mignon, awards ceremony, live music (Soulmates!), photo booth, and dancing -- except that this time we need to hold it in our Council hall. As we've proven with this year's Golf Outing and Oktoberfest held at our Council, not only will we "make it work," but it will be another event to remember.

All guests must reserve and pay in advance, by no later than November 1st. Seating will be limited. You can order online by clicking here, or save the processing fees and get your cash or check payment to GK Ralph or Ladies Auxiliary President Allsion Keating. Read all the details below (including about our honorees), and make your reservations at Wednesday's meeting or online.
Oktoberfest for St. James Parish Was Wunderbar!!!

Our Oktoberfest for St. James parish fundraiser on Saturday, October 3rd, was a huge success and a ton of fun!

We served over 275 full schnitzel dinners and wurst platters, including over 100 to-go orders, all in compliance with our Putnam County Health Department-approved COVID-19 safety plan. It was an amazing success thanks to the support of our guests and A LOT of hard work from our volunteers and the Oktoberfest Committee.
We had four seatings starting at noon featuring authentic German food, German beer on tap, and live German music from the famous Austrian Boys Band.

Dining room guests were treated to a five-course meal that included salad, hot Bavarian pretzels with beer-cheese dipping sauce, potato pancakes, entree (full schnitzel dinner or wust platter), coffee and a dessert of fresh apple strudel and ice cream. All with full table service from our great wait staff.

Our guests also enjoyed the perfect weather throughout the day in our beer garden, with some staying to enjoy the warmth of the fire pit well into the crisp, clear fall night.

The effort put forth by all of our team of volunteers was truly amazing. Our Committee began the planning down to the last detail only a few weeks beforehand. Along with invaluable volunteer support, the Committee shopped and prepped every day for a week before the event. Our Ladies Auxiliary did a fantastic job decorating inside and out on Friday evening.

Then our kitchen kicked into high gear at 5 a.m. on Saturday. Throughout the day, we had more crews in action than at any event in recent memory: 3 separate plating stations (two upstairs, one downstairs); table servers and bussers; a takeout order station; a wellness check station; a hostess / check-in station; raffle and bell jar ticket sellers; a grill crew; a cleaning crew; bartenders; and, of course, our prep and line chefs.
Special thanks to event chairman Mike Bock and the Oktoberfest Committee for putting together such a special event for a good cause and under very challenging conditions.


Enjoy some great photos from the day courtesy of Harry Gorman and PGK Mike McDonald.
Our EVENT OF THE YEAR: Annual Dinner Dance & Awards Ceremony - Nov. 7th

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION AND PREPAY BY NOVEMBER 1ST - NO WALK-INS OR DOOR SALES!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS

Join us for our 49th Anniversary Annual Dinner Dance and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 7th at 7 p.m.! Fine dining, open bar, live music, dancing, raffles, and recognition of our members who do so much to make our Council so special.

We're going to keep everything you loved about the last four Annuals: the cocktail hour, buffet dinner with great catered food our own filet mignon, live music from Soulmates, dancing, our awards ceremony, and the fun photo booth. The only change we have to make this year is that we're unable to hold it in the St. James school gymnasium. We'll hold it in at our Council just as we did this year's Golf Outing dinner and Oktoberfest. Cozy and comfortable, and we'll clear some tables after dinner to make a dance floor.

And just like Oktoberfest, we need to have everybody reserve and pre-pay in advance so that we can make everything work. You can purchase tickets online by clicking here, or you can avoid the online service fees by reserving at Wednesday's business meeting, or by getting your cash or check payment to GK Ralph Fleischman or Ladies Auxiliary President Allison Keating BEFORE NOVEMBER 1st, when all reservations will be closed.

Because of our venue change, seating will be limited and this will necessarily be a members-only event, with guests limited to our Council members, Ladies Auxiliary, and their families and invited guests.

There's no better way to remember this special event and congratulate the Council and our award winners than by taking out an ad in our beautifully produced souvenir journal. Journal ads also help us defray the cost of the event, and give you an opportunity to congratulate our honorees and/or promote your business. Click here to download this year's ad form. Ad copy may be emailed here. Contact Deb McDonald by email or call (914) 589-6751 with questions or to place your ad. Please get in your order by 10/30!

All the info you need to know is below, so be sure to read on. But now...

Presenting our 2020 Awards Winners!
Presenting our 2020
Knight of the Year:
Rich Dambra

This year's Knight of the Year is Sir Knight Richard Dambra!

Rich Dambra is a Fourth Degree member of our Council and of Mother Cabrini Assembly. In his eight years as a member, Rich has been a tireless volunteer, helping out with numerous events.

Rich took on the daunting task of filling the big shoes left by the retirement of Joe Groneman as our Council's Worthy Treasurer. Rich has done a magnificent job and has used the expertise he developed over his long career as a financial services executive to manage our Council's many accounts and make investments that safeguard our Council's funds now and for the future.

Rich's talents are not limited to finance, and he quickly became a mainstay of our Council's kitchen crew. Rich prepares and cooks for just about every Council event. He's not only an invaluable asset as part of the Fish Fry Crew, but he has earned the esteemed position as the lone man at the stove next to Schnitzelmeister Mike Bock when its frying time at Oktoberfest.

Exemplifying that our Order is a family organization, Rich brought his wonderful family into our Council. His wife, Christine, is a member of our Ladies Auxiliary. Their younger son, Matt, became a second degree member of our Council in January of this year. And their older son, Richy, is a frequent guest at Council events (and we're still working on getting him in as a member).

So please congratulate Rich and his family when you see them on his well deserved title as our "Knight of the Year."
Presenting our 2020 Family of the Year: The Kane Family
 
This year's Family of the Year is The Kane Family - George, Beth, George Junior, and Jack!

George is a Third Degree member who joined our Council in 2015 and quickly got his whole family involved. He currently serves on our leadership team in the office of Guard.

George and his wife Beth are both originally from Mahopac. They were married in 2001 and moved to Carmel, where they now reside with their family.

A member of both New York's Bravest and Finest, George joined the NYPD in July 1998 and then switched to the FDNY in 2002, where he currently works and is stationed in the Bronx. He also continues to serve as a police officer in Cold Spring since 2005, and is a member of the FOP Stephen P. Driscoll Memorial Lodge #704.

Beth is an active member of our Ladies Auxiliary. She works as a benefit specialist for an employee benefit broker firm, Acrisure-PGM, and has been a volunteer CCD teacher at St. James while the boys were attending there.

George Junior, age 18, is a 2020 graduate of Carmel High School, where he played lacrosse and football. He now attends Western Connecticut State University and works at Tilly's Table restaurant.

Jack, age 16, is a junior at Carmel High School and also attends Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES, where he studies electrical construction. Jack plays lacrosse and football for Carmel, and works in a restaurant in Mahopac and at a farm in Philipstown.

The Stephen P. Driscoll Memorial Pipe Band also plays a big part in the Kane family's life. George Senior serves president of the band. George Junior is a bagpiper who started playing at the age of seven. Jack is a drummer in the band. Both Kane boys have volunteered with the band in its performances at numerous local events, and they teach other students whenever possible.

The Family of the Year award is presented to a family in our Council that models Christian family values and visibly lives them every day. The Kane family's embrace of these values is clearly evident by their devotion to serving others in a wide variety of ways.

We're sure you'll agree that Rich Dambra and the Kane Family are worthy honorees. And as is our tradition, we will also present very well-deserved honors to our immediate Past Grand Knight, Steve Gheduzzi, and to our immediate Past President of the Ladies Auxiliary, Maria Barry. So come to the Annual and take out a Journal ad to show your support!
So what's on tap for the night besides these well deserved awards?

You loved 'em, you wanted 'em back, and we're proud to once again feature the musical stylings of SOULMATES ("Music from the Heart and Soul")!
Also back by popular demand will be our FUN PHOTO BOOTH! (Bring your funniest face or take a nice couples' shot for a memento.)
 
The feedback on our food for the past two years has been so positive that we will once again be using Sauro's Town Square Cafe for our catering. Our dinner buffet will feature outstanding Italian cuisine including antipasto, hot appetizers, a hot buffet dinner, and fine desserts.

Plus, since nobody does a carving station better than we do, we'll again be serving hand-carved filet mignon with dinner prepared by our own in-house chefs! If you enjoy our masterpiece of charcoal grilled prime beef at the Council Golf Outing, Men's Beefsteak, or the Ladies Auxiliary Appreciation Dinner, you know that this is something really special!

As usual, the night will start at 7 p.m. with a cocktail hour with plenty of hors d’oeuvres, followed by a great buffet dinner, our brief awards ceremony, entertainment and dancing, and delicious desserts & coffee. Open bar all night!

------> $80 each or $150 per couple* <------
Reservations required by November 1st
(No Walk-ins and no reservations after November 1st, so make your reservations now!)
 
Order tickets online by CLICKING HERE, or save the online processing fees by getting your cash or check payment to GK Ralph Fleischman or Ladies Auxiliary President Allison Keating.
Exemplification for New Members - October 18th

We will be holding our first new, combined exemplification ceremony on Sunday, October 18th, starting at noon.

This new ceremony highlights the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, to bring new members in to our Order. As explained by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson:

“Instead of having separate ceremonies, all three degrees can now be conferred in a single ceremony. The new exemplification focuses on the history and principles of our Order. It presents a fuller and richer understanding of who we are, what we stand for and what we are called to be. It hearkens back to the simple ceremonies of Unity and Charity first approved by Father McGivney. Our new ceremony can be held in a council chamber or in the parish with families and friends seated in the pews. They will see firsthand, the organization that their husbands, fathers, brothers, sons and friends are joining — the principles and values they are committing to and why it matters.”

Any practical Catholic gentleman over the age of 18 who wishes to join should contact our Membership Director, Chancellor John Nuculovic, or GK Ralph Fleischman, as soon as possible to submit an application and be interviewed.

All current members are strongly encourage to attend this new degree and support our newest members. Social distancing and mask wearing will be practiced as appropriate.
Tag Sale - Saturday, Oct. 17

There's something for everyone at our Ladies Auxiliary's fabulous Tag Sale. Stop by our Council from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 17th and find your treasure!

The Ladies will be accepting donations on Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October 16th, from 6 to 9 p.m.
There's free parking and refreshments will be served!

Please bring your own bag and wear a mask. Cash only, please.
Sunday Cash Bingo Returns on 10/25 for Vet2Vet!


Join us for Sunday Cash Bingo presented by our Ladies Auxiliary on Sunday, October 25th. $300 Jackpot!

All monies raised will go to a very worthy cause: the Putnam County Vet2Vet veterans service and advocacy program. The Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Outreach Program of Putnam County connects veterans who have experienced and overcome post-service social and emotional challenges including PTSD, TBI, substance abuse, and other illnesses. The program provides veterans, current active military personnel, children, adolescents, groups, couples, and families with the opportunity to come together in support of each other.

COVID-19 safety guidelines will be followed. Limited to 50 players. No walk-ins; you must reserve your spot in advance.

To reserve or if you have questions, email: ladieskofc@gmail.com.

Doors open at 1 p.m. House rules read at 1:45 p.m. First game starts promptly at 2 p.m.

Your $30 payment includes your admission and all-nighters. Extra Specials and Bell Jar tickets will also be sold! Coffee, tea and cake will be served.

No persons under age 18 are permitted in the gaming room.
Fourth Degree News

MEETING NOTICE

The next meeting of Mother Cabrini Assembly will be Thursday, October 15th at our Council. SK Bob Mazza will be cooking up some food for the members to enjoy before the meeting begins, so please let FN Vincent LaRusso know if you will be attending. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. All Fourth Degree Sir Knights are welcome and encouraged to attend.







Please make sure to SAVE THE DATE for our upcoming events!

  • Nov. 28 - Crèche Setup: We will be setting up the Nativity Scene at St. James on Saturday, November 28th. We will need the usual tools and supplies (ladders, socket set / wrenches, staple guns, Tyvek for the roof, hay bales, baling wire, etc.). After we're done with the setup, we'll head back to the Council to decorate it for Christmas.

  • Dec. 1 - Council Tree Lighting: Once again we will join with KofC councils across America to "Light up for Christ" and light our Council Christmas tree to signify the true light of the world. Meet at our Council at 7 p.m. for light refreshments, caroling outside by the tree, and the tree lighting at 8 p.m. Bring the family and your best singing voice!

  • Dec. 18 - Adult Christmas Party: We're tentatively planning to hold our annual Council / Assembly Christmas Party on the evening of Friday, December 18th. This has been a tremendous fundraiser for the St. James Food Pantry, and we're sure that donations to food pantries all across Putnam County will be much in need this holiday season. Again, we'll announce more when we know it, but do save the date.
Remember, a full calendar of events can always be found on our website: carmelknights.org under the Upcoming Events tab. And don't forget to "like" our Facebook page for up-to-the minute announcements, photos, event listings, and items of interest.