It must come a time when the torch must be passed on. The time is now after two successful fraternal years.
I have been a member of the Knights for over 20 years. Having seen the attributes of my predecessors, I realized why a grand knight must be worthy: that is, be worthy of a man of honour, integrity, passion, and more importantly, a man of vision. A man prepared to serve. In addition, he must be a man who strongly believes in the objectives and ideals of the Order and ready to instill in his fellow knights the visions of our founder, Fr. Michael J. McGivney. You all saw these traits in me and warmly and unanimously elected me as the grand knight of the council 12067 for two consecutive years. I thank you all for giving me that opportunity.
As explained in the grand knights' handbook, the grand knight is responsible for the overall welfare of the council. '...the office of grand knight is ... to serve his fellow Knights and to lead his council in service to family, Church and community'. In the past two years, we developed a vision for the council: the Vision was TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS by offering the opportunity to all brothers for self-development and challenge, promoting acceptance and love amongst the brothers to sustain and encourage growth, recognizing the contribution of all brothers, and supporting cooperative efforts with other councils. I am pleased to advise that with your help and participation, we were able to achieve this vision as demonstrated by the various activities and programs undertaken by the Council.
To all the officers and directors, I express my sincere gratitude. Through your efforts, we were able to achieve our objectives. Evident of our achievements are the various accolades awarded to us as a testimony of our activities within the community. These activities performed through our Church, Community, Council, Family and Youth programs encompass the principles of our Order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism. I thank you all for your efforts and dedication in fulfilling your commitment to the Church and to the Council.
My sincere gratitude to the past grand knights: Mathew Rodrigues, Anthony D'Souza, and Fred Gamboa. You were all of great resource and support. Having served under your leadership in different capacities, I was able to learn the ropes of the council perspectives and service to the brothers and the Church. I encourage future leaders of the council to take advantage of the experiences of our past grand knights. Not very many Councils can boast and take pride in 3 (soon to be 4) 'young' and active past grand knights who have a lot to offer.
I thank our district deputy Bro. Joe Mathews, district warden Bro. Anthony D'Souza, and fraternal advisor Bro. Alan Pires, for their words of encouragement, support, and interest in the council. The support of the parish is extremely crucial in the success of our council. I seize this opportunity to thank Monsignor Terence D'Souza for his relentless support and guidance. I also thank the parish Administrative Assistant, Hilary D'Souza, for her tremendous support. On August 23, 2004, Fr. Laszlo Nagy Associate Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, became the Chaplain of our council when he was installed together with the officers of the council for the 2004/2005 fraternal year. Within the short time in the council, you have inspired us immensely. We pray that God in His mercy will guide you in your new assignment.
Leading the council had not been easy. There were times of gratification and times of frustration. Our council is extremely rich in culture, diverse in experience, and with low average age and young families (compared to some other councils). These can have a positive or negative impact on the council. I must say that we have only tapped on the periphery of their respective benefits.
Our council won 4 consecutive star council awards. The award is based on a number of criteria, one of which is membership growth. There are 189 members in our council. Since our inauguration in October 1997, the council has experienced an average growth of approximately 20 brothers per year. We must continue to grow as Fr. McGivney will like every catholic gentleman to be a member of the Order. The growth in our council is quite rapid and we must pay special attention to it. There is a saying that there is strength in numbers. This 'strength' has been on the shoulder of a very few active brothers in the council. We must all stand up and work together to improve the council. My appeal to brothers is to use our cultural diversity to strengthen the council. Through our collective efforts, the burden on individuals will definitely be minimized. I believe that sharing of one's experience in whatever area of expertise is the key to moving the council forward. Everyone, regardless of the role in the council, is encouraged to share these values for the benefit of the council. We must match forward. We must REMAIN united. It is demanded of us to work fervently with the incoming officers under the leadership of Bro. Marcel Lemmen. The future knights, our squires need our help and we need to work with the chief counselor, Bro. Edwin D'Cruz to achieve their objectives.
Some of us, at one time or another, have expressed frustration if there are no extra hands to get our programs and activities executed. Does it mean that we have not taken the pain to 'seek for help'? On the other side of the equation, some of us are there waiting to be called upon. That is, waiting to be given some special responsibility. Does it mean that these brothers have not taken the pain to 'Seek to help'? We need to make ourselves part of the council by making things happen rather than watch things happen. It's an affirmation that we want the best for the council by making good of a potentially bad situation/circumstance. Essentially, taking responsibility of an activity is an important aspect of 'taking ownership' of the council.
I joined the Knights of Columbus Council 8668 in 1985 and transferred to this Council as a Charter Member. During my interview, it was remarked that: You get out of the Knights what you put into it. I have served in various offices (outside guard, inside guard, recorder, chancellor, DGK, and finally GK) and participated in many activities that included lots of hours of bingo, garage sales, church activities, visit to old homes, etc. In the process, I strongly believe that I have been blessed several fold through my participation in these activities.
It has been a fruitful and rewarding experience serving the council as grand knight. This would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my family. Thanks to my wife, Funmi, and my children Francisca, Anthonia, Anne, and Andrew.
I implore you my fellow brothers to be a Chevalier sans peur et sans reproche (Be a Knight without fear and without blemish).
Thank you and May God bless you and your family.
Vivat Jesus
Gabriel Ogundele
Grand Knight
