Joined the KofC - Good or Bad

[AlexB23]

"Wait! Come back! Just confess, and it will all be over".......(I can see a tongue in cheek thread in a different forum, perhaps, that is a fantasy catholic story of a fictional nature, where we all can add in from scene to scene, post to post....?!)

Hmm?

 

[prodromos]

No horses or suits of armour? How can they call themselves knights?
Is outrage!

 

[tampasteve]

Just to chime back in

The KoC tends to do a lot of fundraiser type events for the parish, they are known for the fish fry on Friday's during Lent - which is generally their largest event and fundraiser during the year. The funds that are raised go to various parish activities and groups, generally not just to the KoC. At my parish the fish fry one year paid for a new parish playground for the kids. So, while their events tend to be "secular", they really contribute a LOT to the life of the parish and the events become something that the whole parish can enjoy and rally around as a way to know one another more than just going to Mass once a week.

I am sure the "spiritual" aspect varies by parish, but if one is a member and one wishes to add more spiritual activities for the men I am certain that the local KoC would be more than happy to add that to their schedule. As with pretty much any church group, what you get out of it and the activities they do are largely driven by the people in the group and the member themselves personally. It is sad that the previously mentioned leader felt the KoC was too secular or social oriented, I think he was missing the most valuable aspect to the larger parish life. If he was the leader he needed to add some more spiritual activities, work with the parish priest on how to do that.

The meetings tend to be more of a Men's club to hang out and socially interact, which honestly most men sorely lack. Having the KoC is a good way for Catholic men to gather together and socially have a nice time, there are not a lot of other places that enable that. Generally a meeting will have "free" (you member dues or donations pay for it) soda, beer, and wine as well as snacks.

However, the social interaction along with prayer and enabling the parish to have a more fulfilled lifecycle is very valuable.

 

[AlexB23]

Just to chime back in

The KoC tends to do a lot of fundraiser type events for the parish, they are known for the fish fry on Friday's during Lent - which is generally their largest event and fundraiser during the year. The funds that are raised go to various parish activities and groups, generally not just to the KoC. At my parish the fish fry one year paid for a new parish playground for the kids. So, while their events tend to be "secular", they really contribute a LOT to the life of the parish and the events become something that the whole parish can enjoy and rally around as a way to know one another more than just going to Mass once a week.

I am sure the "spiritual" aspect varies by parish, but if one is a member and one wishes to add more spiritual activities for the men I am certain that the local KoC would be more than happy to add that to their schedule. As with pretty much any church group, what you get out of it and the activities they do are largely driven by the people in the group and the member themselves personally. It is sad that the previously mentioned leader felt the KoC was too secular or social oriented, I think he was missing the most valuable aspect to the larger parish life. If he was the leader he needed to add some more spiritual activities, work with the parish priest on how to do that.

The meetings tend to be more of a Men's club to hang out and socially interact, which honestly most men sorely lack. Having the KoC is a good way for Catholic men to gather together and socially have a nice time, there are not a lot of other places that enable that. Generally a meeting will have "free" (you member dues or donations pay for it) soda, beer, and wine as well as snacks.

However, the social interaction along with prayer and enabling the parish to have a more fulfilled lifecycle is very valuable.

Ooh, this sounds like a good idea. In a few days, I will talk with my parents about this. Now you are making me hungry for Culver's fried cod or Aldi fried cod.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Ooh, this sounds like a good idea. In a few days, I will talk with my parents about this. Now you are making me hungry for Culver's fried cod or Aldi fried cod.

Culver’s sometimes also has Walleye, which I find to be an excellent fish.

 

[FaithT]

Culver’s sometimes also has Walleye, which I find to be an excellent fish.

I never had Culver’s fish before. I’ll have to keep it in mind.

 

[RileyG]

I almost joined once. They made you take a pledge to keep everything they did secret - red flag. Instead of taking the pledge I declined in front of the whole group. The group wasn't really spiritual, mostly functional, anyway - Friday fish fry's, a basketball contest, etc.. Not much a secular group couldn't do.

I have no idea what the secret stuff was to this day, but it was weird.

That’s actually correct.

 

[RileyG]

I never had Culver’s fish before. I’ll have to keep it in mind.

It’s delicious!

 

[Michie]

Culver’s sometimes also has Walleye, which I find to be an excellent fish.

Mmmmm! Walleye….*drool*

 

[tampasteve]

That’s actually correct.

Except the part about the secret stuff being weird, it most certainly is not. It's not even secret, it is pretty easy to find online.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Hello folks. I made a decision to join the Knights of Columbus, and looking for feedback on the program. Is this a good thing, or is is just not a good idea for a 24 year-old man who does not drive, but can take a taxi? The HQ is about 3 miles away from my place.


Alex B.

It's a good thing. I joined shortly after I converted in 2017 but I didn't become an active member until last year, and they nominated me for an officer's role right away so now I'm a third degree knight, though I'm stepping back from my officer role cause I'm so busy otherwise.

Don't worry about transportation challenges. If I've learned anything about KOC it's that the men support each other extremely well. So if there's a KOC event coming up (like a fundraiser, or maybe a work day or some other thing) surely a brother knight would give you a ride.

Even though it's a little inconvenient for me to go to the monthly council meetings and such I still find it very fulfilling to be a part of something that I know is contributing to the well being of my parish and the broader community. The fact that the average age is older than me is something I wish I could change, just cause having more of my generation represented in the council might bring new ideas to the table for the different things the council does.

So don't shy away from it, we've had a couple guys your age join up and you have a lot to offer.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Eh, will I have to wear that costume? It is not 1920s London, my brother.

View attachment 349441

Don't worry, those ceremonial uniforms are only worn by the knights color guard, only a few high ranking knights are a part of that. And the occasions for the color guard are usually escorting the Bishop on certain occasions or the funeral of a brother knight.

Three things come to mind.

I didn't know they were still operating. Seems every town has a KoC lodge building that's being used as something else.

I'm surprised it was that easy to join. I would have expected it to be a deal where someone has to recommend you.

I'm surprised you joined it knowing so little about it. Personally I would have researched it to death first.

Yep, we're still carrying on Fr McGivney's original vision. Not to be pedantic but they're usually called "Halls", I think we avoid the "lodge" title just to avoid associations with the Freemasons. Joining is easy though, councils are always welcoming new members. In fact, every meeting there's usually a point of order where the Grand Knight asks whether there are any new members looking to join. If someone knows someone they mention his name and maybe a quick bio, we arrange for his orientation and we vote for him to join the council. It's a little bit of a process but it's not a heavy lift or anything. It's just important to us that men understand the mission of the knights and what they're joining into (like anything in the Catholic Church, we like to make sure well-informed choices are being made).

Also I've heard if you quit they follow you around everywhere in a black Winnebago, but that could just be something I made up.

Actually it's the A-Team van but we won't split hairs.

I almost joined once. They made you take a pledge to keep everything they did secret - red flag. Instead of taking the pledge I declined in front of the whole group. The group wasn't really spiritual, mostly functional, anyway - Friday fish fry's, a basketball contest, etc.. Not much a secular group couldn't do.

I have no idea what the secret stuff was to this day, but it was weird.

The word secret hasn't even been used in my time with the knights. Nothing we do is secret. Our meetings are private, but there's a difference between privacy and secrecy. We still publish our meeting minutes, and everyone knows the extent of everything we do which can be summed up in fundraisers and service projects. Such as the annual crab feed that raises the majority of the funds we use to support people and events around the parish, like we just donated $18k to our parish school to replace the HVAC in their cafeteria, and we give college scholarships out to high school seniors graduating high school. Things like that.

We have spiritual components, like the knights have the new COR (Latin for "heart") program which is a monthly Bible study for all men of the parish, not just knights. My deanery is doing something called the Eucharistic Camino where each month for a year a different parish hosts a Holy Hour and Catholics in the deanery basically pilgrimage to these different parishes. The knights help facilitate those Holy Hours by coordinating logistics.

You're right that a secular group does this too but the point is that the support goes to things we can be sure are righteous. The money's not going to some satanic abortion clinic or a Godforsaken Stonewall Alliance center.

I can say flat out, there is no secret stuff. We're a bunch of Catholic men getting together to enjoy being men, we carved out a space for ourselves which in this day and age is every-shrinking (space where men can hang out just with other men and enjoy friendship and brotherhood).

I was a third degree KoC. I can only speak highly of the parish organization and the good things they do in the community. They did weekly prayer and group rosary with the parish priest as well as before any meetings. The "rites" are fun and nothing concerning in the least, it is not a red flag at all and not weird at all, you can find all of the rites online if you search enough. It is an organization that I wish more denominations would copy, it was nice for men to have somewhere to get together in an official way that was tied to the parish.

Most of the members were really nice men, largely 30-40 years older than I am, but they were still nice enough. I did not make any lasting friendships, however. Nobody bothered to contact me when I left the parish and stopped contributing time or money. The KoC headquarters still sends me the monthly magazine.

Getting there via taxi or uber should not be a problem for Parish events, you can probably even ask another member to pick you up for meetings or events since you are pretty close. Initiation nights could be a problem, mine were all over the metro area - each initiation held at a different place for various reasons, but they were up to 45 minutes away form the parish.

I would advise against their financial programs like the annuities, simply because there are better investments, their life insurance is fine, but again you can find better coverage for less with regular financial companies. I had both life and an annuity but I gave them up recently as I found better coverage from Prudential. They will pressure you to get some sort of coverage through them.

Well said.

I would note that the primary incentive to use the knight's financial products is because they do their best to invest according to Catholic morals and ethics. So the money's not going places that would offend our Catholic sensibilities like it might if you're investing with Blackrock or Vanguard. That being said, I don't have any of their products. Maybe if I had extra money lying around I'd pursue that but not right now.

No horses or suits of armour? How can they call themselves knights?
Is outrage!

Maybe we're a hockey team

 

[AlexB23]

Culver’s sometimes also has Walleye, which I find to be an excellent fish.

Interesting. Never knew that.

 

[tampasteve]

Three things come to mind.

I didn't know they were still operating. Seems every town has a KoC lodge building that's being used as something else.

I believe most councils meet at the parish, not in a hall/lodge. I know here most all of the councils are based out of parish churches and use the social hall or room at the church.

I'm surprised it was that easy to join. I would have expected it to be a deal where someone has to recommend you.

One can simply reach out, that is what I did.

Also I've heard if you quit they follow you around everywhere in a black Winnebago, but that could just be something I made up.

No one ever called or emailed me when I left, just like the rest of the parish.

 

[Gnarwhal]

I believe most councils meet at the parish, not in a hall/lodge. I know here most all of the councils are based out of parish churches and use the social hall or room at the church.

Correct, mine just meets in the school cafeteria which is underneath our church building.

One can simply reach out, that is what I did.

Yep, if you wanna be a knight you can be a knight. There aren't any barriers to entry.

No one ever called or emailed me when I left, just like the rest of the parish.

That's a shame, sorry to hear that.

 

[chevyontheriver]

No one ever called or emailed me when I left, just like the rest of the parish.

Sorry about that.

 

[mourningdove~]

I know men who joined and really enjoyed it.

The guys I know do a lot of volunteering.

Last year, I attended a Griefshare support group at a local Catholic Church.
The Griefshare group uses a study book; the book goes for about $25.
But at this group, the books were paid for and provided to the participants (free!) by the local Knights of Columbus.
I thought that was a very kind thing for them to do.

With parishes here merging, I've noticed that the K of C here continues to provide these books for free at several parishes where they are offering Griefshare support groups.

Additionally, our Griefshare group was co-hosted by two men in the K of C, who both had gone thru Griefshare after losing their wives. The one man in particular was humble spirited and very spiritually minded. He had alot of meaningful feedback to share with our group. Both men were comfortable leading the group in prayer.

This was my only experience with the K of C, and it was a very pleasant one.

 

[AlexB23]

Major Update: So guys, I have made my decision to not partake in the Knights.

The guy told me that the Knights pledge* to the flag before every meeting at the local chapter. I will not pledge, as it goes against Matthew 5:34.

*Matthew 5:34: "But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne".

The pledge for the flag reminds me of this 1919-1933 pledge the Germans had to say.

1919-1933 pledge:
"I swear loyalty to the Reich's constitution and pledge, that I as a courageous soldier always want to protect the German Reich and its legal institutions, (and) be obedient to the Reich President and to my superiors."

But hey, people have freedom to pledge, but pledges and oaths should ideally stay out of religious organizations, just as the woke crud (from the far-left) should stay far away from schools and churches.

 

[joymercy]

Well, I'm not sure if its wrong to make a pledge, if its the same as a vow?

Like just today, I said once again in my prayer time, " Jesus, I give you my all, my everything, I give you all that I am."

Isn't that a pledge?

How about making a pledge to defend and protect Blessed Mothers Virginity and Assumption by praying for reparation to her Immaculate Heart?

How about making the Pledge of allegiance in the US, although no longer required in schools, many patriotic adults in America, may still recite it together at various events this July 4th.

 

[AlexB23]

Well, I'm not sure if its wrong to make a pledge, if its the same as a vow?

Like just today, I said once again in my prayer time, " Jesus, I give you my all, my everything, I give you all that I am."

Isn't that a pledge?

How about making a pledge to defend and protect Blessed Mothers Virginity and Assumption by praying for reparation to her Immaculate Heart?

How about making the Pledge of allegiance in the US, although no longer required in schools, many patriotic adults in America, may still recite it together at various events this July 4th.

The "Jesus, I give you my all, my everything, I give you all that I am" prayer is a promise to God, same thing with the Mary stuff. But saying the pledge of allegiance does not sit well with me spiritually, as the pledge focuses on worldly stuff, not spiritual stuff.

But hey, you do you.