Saint Thomas the Apostle

GRAND KNIGHT'S Message November 2007:

A quick glance in the dictionary for the word thanksgiving produced this definition: thanks.giv.ing-noun 1. the act of giving thanks 2. the expression of thanks, especially to God.

What a wonderful word to reflect on as we find ourselves in early November, the month of our national holiday to give thanks to God. We have so much to be thankful for as individuals, as families, as parishioners and as members of the St. Thomas the Apostle Council of the Knights of Columbus.

And the month of November affords us many special opportunities to express our gratitude. Whether it is the celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day that remind us of the great lives and works of those extraordinary and even very ordinary souls that have gone before us united in our faith. Veterans Day is another opportunity this month to express gratitude to all those who have served in the armed forces. Honoring our veterans reminds that our freedom, often under appreciated, comes at a precious cost and with those freedoms comes even greater responsibility. And of course there is Thanksgiving, our national holiday, that sadly today is more often more associated with: over eating, football and the start of the Christmas shopping season than the beautiful remembrance that the early settlers of this great country of ours paused to give thanks to God for their successful harvest and for blessings received.

So join me in remembering the true meaning of meaning of Thanksgiving this year and also in reflecting on those personal experiences of the past year that you are grateful for happening. Be assured that those two short words of Thank you often leave a much longer and lasting impression.

While on the subject of thank yous, let me thank all those who participated in our annual Halloween Party chaired by Joe Miller and Carl Cullen. It was, as always, a most enjoyable evening for people of all ages. Let me also thank those members that have already returned their 2007 C&B Books and donations. Time is quickly running out so do get your C&B books in before the drawing that will be held on December 1. “Thanks” is also going to be the word of the day when we gather in early 2008 for PGK Lael Von Elm's testimonial dinner. Details are almost finalized, so be on the lookout for more information on what promises to be a memorable evening. Thanks to Dave Nilson for recently completing his second degree. For upcoming 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd degree dates please contact me at bbrowne420@aol.com

Many important and upcoming Council events are listed on the Calendar page, some of them include:

• Canned food drive. Bring some canned food or boxed goods to any Council event this month (Business meeting, Social Meeting, stop by our table at the Craft Fair) and all foods collected will be turned over to the St. Thomas Parish Outreach Office.
• C&B Sales at the Parish Craft Fair-Saturday November 17
• Holiday at Halls Ceremony-Sunday December 2
• Nassau Chapter Meeting hosted by St. Thomas the Apostle Council- Friday December 21

Finally, from my family to yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reading this,

Brian