The Lake Current - November 2019
Welcome to the November edition of our Council newsletter! Here's a quick (but important!) meeting reminder before we get into the news:

  • Our regular monthly business meeting is this Wednesday, November 13th, starting at 7:30 p.m. We'll be serving dinner for only $5 starting around 6:30 p.m. There are many activities to plan for and important business news to share with the membership, so all members should attend!
Our 2019 Annual Was Another Night to Remember !

Over 100 members, Ladies Auxiliary, and guests made our Council's 48th Anniversary Annual Dinner Dance and Awards Ceremony a night to remember, and possibly the best Annual ever!

The St. James School gym was unrecognizable thanks to the efforts of our decorating crew! Elegant table settings, starry-night cityscapes on the walls, and all new subdued mood lighting created a beautiful venue that received rave reviews from our guests.

We danced and sang along all night to the awesome musical stylings of Kim and John Crecco -- Soulmates . (Good thing we got that extra hour from moving the clock back!) We created memories (or just goofed around) in the photo booth, and we had one of the best souvenir journals in many years thanks to the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of our new journal chairperson, Debbie McDonald .
After a great dinner from Sauro's Town Square Cafe (and our in-house filet mignon carving station), our awards ceremony recognized some of the many dedicated and hard working volunteers who make our Council such a special place.

Mike Bock received the well-deserved Knight of the Year Award for his leadership and dedicated service to the Council.
The McDonald Family -- Tim, Debbie, Ryan and Sean -- was recognized as Family of the Year for setting a wonderful example for Catholic families through their service and the values they live every day and bring with them to our Council.

The Council presented service awards to Treasurer Rich Dambra for stepping up to fill a difficult position, and ( in absentia ) to Recorder Steven Smith and Guard Stephen Kladis for their faithful service as officers.
Worthy Grand Knight Steve Gheduzzi also presented an award of appreciation to Ladies Auxiliary Treasurer Josette Firriolo for all of her help over the years at numerous Council events. Our Ladies Auxiliary President Maria Barry also presented the Auxiliary's own awards to Josette and to Rose DiGennaro for their many outstanding contributions and devoted service.
Our Worthy Grand Knight extends his heartfelt thanks to our tireless army of volunteers who worked so hard to make the night so enjoyable and run so smoothly.

Enjoy a few more pictures from our Annual below. And if you would like electronic copies of any of your photo booth pics, send an email to Webmaster Rob and he'll hook you up!

Thanks to all of our guests and see you again next year!
Sunday-Funday Football in Our Lounge is BACK!

Don't forget that our Lounge is open every Sunday during football season! We're always open in time for the one o'clock game.

Stop in, watch the games on our big screens, and enjoy some snacks and appetizers in the company of your brother Knights. All Council members, Ladies Auxiliary, and their guests are welcome!
Designer Bags & Buck$ Bingo - Saturday Nov. 16

Our Ladies Auxiliary is holding another one of their often-imitated but never-duplicated evenings of Designer Bags & Bucks Bingo on Saturday, November 16th ! All monies raised will go to outstanding local charities.
 
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the first game begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.
 
Your $50 admission gets you 9 cards / 10 games - that's 90 chances to win, including the jackpot! Extra "specials" will be sold for a Mystery Bag Game and a 50/50 Game.
 
There will be raffle baskets of Designer Bags with proceeds to benefit the Putnam County SPCA !
 
Attendance is limited to the first 100 players. For RSVP & payment details, email: ladieskofc@gmail.com .

Coffee, tea and cake will be served. Food will be available for purchase. Don't miss it!
Fourth Degree News

MEETING NOTICE
The next meeting of the Fourth Degree Sir Knights of Mother Cabrini Assembly will be Thursday, November 21st, at 7:30 p.m. at our Council. All Sir Knights should attend!
SUPPORTING OUR VETS
As Patriotism is the principle of the Fourth Degree of our Order, Mother Cabrini Assembly focuses its efforts on supporting our local veterans and armed forces service members. This summer the Assembly was a major sponsor of the Putnam County Vet2Vet outing to see the Hudson Valley Renegades play baseball and enjoy a great meal. Last month they volunteered to serve our vets at the Putnam County Veterans' Chowdown.

Every year they purchase a flag in the Putnam County "Row of Honor" along Lake Gleneida to benefit the Putnam County Joint Veterans Council. (This year they have flag #282 in the "Gold Section," dedicated "In Honor of those who have and are still serving.") And they once again presented a beautiful patriotic-themed floral wreath for the 2019 Veterans Day ceremonies at the Carmel VFW (pictured here with the Assembly's Outer Sentinel, SK Mike O'Brien ).

Join us in thanking our brother Sir Knights for their efforts on behalf of our veterans!
Lots of Christmas Festivities at Our Council!

  • Crèche Setup
  • Wreath Sales
  • Family Fun
  • Kid's Christmas Party
  • Parade of Lights
  • Council Tree Lighting
  • Adults' Christmas Party
  • Possible sightings of "Grumpy the Elf"!

There are multiple events over several days, so read it all!
Saturday, November 30th

We will be setting up the Nativity Scene at St. James -- including the newly reconstructed stable -- on Saturday, November 30th . 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. Meet outside the rectory at 9 a.m. and don't forget to dress for the weather!

Saturday, December 7th - HOLIDAY ON THE LAKE!

Come down to the council on Saturday, December 7th , where we will be hosting Christmas festivities all day long !   Start bright and early in the morning to buy beautiful, handmade Christmas wreaths in a great assortment of ribbons and decorations. These are sold by a local Boy Scouts of America troop to fund their youth programs. For only $20, they are an amazing bargain. Supplies are limited , so get there early to get yours while they last! (Best to get in your pre-order with PGK Rob Firriolo.) Look for the scouts in the front of our building starting at 9 a.m., and be advised in recent years they have sold-out by early-afternoon!
There will be a host of activities around town that day, including breakfast and hay rides with Santa, story reading, craft fairs, family fun activities, and the beloved chowder tasting at Cornerstone Park. Click here for the full schedule from the Hamlet of Carmel Civic Association. At the Council, we'll be building our float for the Parade of Lights.
Then, we continue with a great recent tradition where the Council provides a free Children's Christmas Party with dinner starting at 4:00 p.m . Adults will enjoy a pot-luck dinner, so please bring a dish for the community table . Santa will be attending, so please bring a gift (value $20) for each child you bring, for Santa to distribute. RSVP to Anthony Falco at anthonyfalco17@gmail.com  or (914) 907-4802.

 Starting at 5:45 p.m., we will make our way over to the Paladin Center (former Guideposts) parking lot to line up for the Parade of Lights ( steps off at 6:30) , with our very own parade float (with the crankin'ist sound system in town!).
All brother Knights, Ladies Auxiliary, family members and friends of the Council are welcome to march behind our banner and with our float, and help us hand out thousands of the wildly popular glow necklaces to kids along the way. (Oh yeah, we have even more to hand out than last year, so get in on the fun!)
 
The evening proceeds with caroling and the lighting of the trees along Lake Gleneida from 7:30 to 7:45. After that, come get warm back at our Lounge and enjoy a refreshing beverage.

JOIN US -- BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY -- THE MORE, THE MERRIER!
Tuesday, December 3rd

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. on Tuesday, December 3rd for light refreshments, caroling, and the tree lighting. Bring the family and your best singing voice!
Friday, December 20th

Yet another annual holiday tradition continues with our adult Christmas Party for members of our Council and Ladies Auxiliary on Friday, December 20th at 7 p.m. , jointly hosted with Mother Cabrini Assembly. We'll have a complimentary, informal, but very tasty hot buffet dinner with a cash bar. (We hear that, due to popular demand, our Worthy Grand Knight will be making his famous deep fried turkeys again!)

All we ask is that each person bring a gift for the less fortunate in our community, to brighten their Christmas season by helping them put good meals on the table for their families.

This year we are once again collecting donations for the St. James the Apostle Church Food Pantry. The pantry is well stocked with canned goods and other non-perishables, but what they need is supermarket gift cards so families can buy perishable items like milk, meats, fresh vegetables and frozen foods, which the pantry cannot stock. So, please bring $10, $20 or $25 ShopRite or Tops gift cards to our party, and we will present them to St. James on behalf of the Knights and our families.

At last year's Christmas party, we collected $1,555 in gift cards for the parish food pantry - a new record. Let's try to beat our own record again this year!
Sunday Cash Bingo on 12/1 to Benefit the Putnam County Children's Committee

Join us for this year's last great afternoon of Sunday Cash Bingo presented by our Ladies Auxiliary on December 1st ! All monies raised will go to support the Putnam County Children's Committee .

The Putnam County Children’s Committee acts to collect, administer, and distribute financial aid to children who are in need of assistance for health, education, and welfare. The goal of this tax-exempt charity is to protect children from “falling through the cracks” in the bureaucracy of public assistance, helping needy families after other sources of aid have been exhausted.

As always, our bingo features big cash payouts and a $500 jackpot ! Admission is only $30. Doors open at 1 p.m., first game at 2 p.m. Attendance is limited to the first 100 players. Complimentary coffee and cake. Bell jar tickets will be sold.

For RSVP & payment details, speak with President Maria Barry or email: ladieskofc@gmail.com .
Annual Penny Social - Sunday, Dec. 8th

Our Ladies Auxiliary is hosting their fantastic and super-popular Annual Penny Social on Sunday, December 8th. (Really, people go nuts for this stuff, probably because our Ladies do such a great job at gathering the merchandise.)

Doors open at 1 p.m. and calling begins at 2 p.m. There will be raffles for an assortment of gift baskets, a grand prize raffle, and a 50/50.

As always, proceeds will benefit local charities!

Refreshments will be available. All are welcome!
The "JO" Men's Beefsteak - Jan. 11th

Join us for our Fifth Annual James "J.O." O'Neill Memorial Men's Beefsteak Dinner on Saturday, January 11th !

We continue the tradition started by J.O. by gathering at our Council to enjoy lots of great food, watch the NFL Playoffs on our BIG screen TVs, and have lots of fun while we raise funds to benefit St. James the Apostle Parish!

This year we're earmarking the funds we raise to benefit St. James School!

Doors open at 3 p.m. for the afternoon playoff game and cash bar. Dinner at 5 p.m. includes our signature, charcoal grilled gourmet filet mignon, steak fries, draft beer or wine, dessert and coffee. Stay after dinner and watch the evening playoff game with us.

$50 if prepaid by January 4th - $60 after January 4th and at the door.

SEATING IS LIMITED – RESERVE & PREPAY TODAY!!!!!!!

Make reservations today with GK Steve Gheduzzi or mail your check and list of guests to KofC Council 6318, Attn: Beefsteak, 10 Fair Street, Carmel NY 10512.

NOTE: We REALLY need donations of items for our live auction and raffle table, including sporting event tickets, theater tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants and other businesses, items for gift baskets, and stays in vacation homes. We count on these donations to raise enough funds to meet our fundraising goal for St. James. Please contact GK Steve about any donations you may be interested in making or soliciting for us.

Do it for St. James the Apostle School! ( GO THUNDER! )







  • Winter Holiday Blood Drive - Fri. Dec. 27: Save the date for our annual Holiday Blood Drive from 2-8 p.m. at the Carmel VFW. More information to follow as the date approaches. As always we will need donors and volunteers throughout the day.

  • First and Second Degrees - Fri. Jan. 3: We will be hosting First and Second Degree Exemplifications starting at 7 p.m. Members wishing to sponsor a candidate, or any Catholic gentlemen wishing to participate in any of these ceremonies, should contact Membership Chairman Mike Bock or GK Steve Gheduzzi for more information and to ensure a place in the degrees.

  • Bartenders Needed! Our Home Corporation is once again putting out the call to members who may be interested in tending bar in our lounge. Please speak with Rich Keating or Anthony Falco for more information.

  • Midnight Bowling - Sat. Feb 8: We're planning another incredibly fun night of bowling to benefit our Scholarship Fund. More details will follow, but contact DGK Ralph Fleischman now to guarantee your spot. Last time we ran out of lanes, so be sure to sign up in advance! Bowling will be from 9 p.m to midnight. There will be pizza, raffles and prizes.
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.