Knights of Columbus celebrating centennial
The bowling shirts have been swapped for golf polos. The minutes are typed on the computer rather than written by hand. And the oysters from the monthly meetings have been eliminated completely.
All that history and more will be on display Saturday as the Father Trayer Knights of Columbus Council No. 1126 in McCook celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The Knights are marking the occasion with an open-house Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the K.C. Hall, located at 308 E. Ninth.
In addition to cake and refreshments, the meeting room at the hall will be filled with a 100 years worth of memorabilia including the original charter from 1906. The event is open to the public.
Members will attend an awards banquet that evening at the hall to recount the council's history as well as pay tribute to the organization's philosophy: Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.
Several K of C members have spent the past few months preparing for the 100th anniversary by re-reading one-hundred years worth of meeting minutes. The information gleaned from those books has proven entertaining -- to say the least.
For example, publicity director Bob Burns has learned that the early meetings, circa 1911, included a monthly expense for a box of oysters and a box of cigars.
In 1913, the membership fee was 50 cents. In 1914, the Knights held their first -- of many -- raffles with $2 buying a chance to win a Studebaker. In 1936, the Knights began their involvement in youth sports with the creation of the junior legion baseball program. And in 1946, bingo received its first mention in the meeting minutes.
In 1954, the group, which had previously been known as the McCook Council, changed its name to the Fr. Trayer Council.
And the Knights finally got a permanent home in 1964 with the $15,000 purchase and building of the current hall on East Ninth Street.
Burns said he is hoping the older Knights will be able to fill in the gaps in the history books during the banquet Saturday night.
For example, there are several mentions of financial donations to a hospital, but the hospital name is not familiar. On the other hand, the minutes specifically mention that in 1954, the Knights ended the practice of sending a box of cigarettes to every patient at the hospital, instead handing out a rosary.
Despite all those changes, the Knights have always kept busy by not only raising money but also providing man-power for a variety of causes around the area.
The Knights' calendar is kept full throughout the year amid fund-raisers and celebrations.
Annual events revolving around a popular theme -- food -- include the Right-to-Life breakfasts, the Hunter's Stag dinner, fish fries during the Lenten season, burger feeds and a K of C hog roast.
Sports also play an important role such as sponsoring a bus to the state high school football finals, parties during football season in front of the big screen at the hall, sponsorship of recreational basketball teams, a trip to the International Amateur golf tourney in Pennsylvania and the state golf meet in York.
In addition to regular meetings, members enjoy New Year's Eve parties, attend the State K of C Convention and sell the Lucky Irish Calendars.
The organizations supported by the Knights of Columbus council in McCook are also as varied. Groups and events which have benefited from the Knights include boy scouts and cub scouts, the annual free-throw contest, the Bloodmobile and Legion Baseball and softball, as well as the Life Chain and the Right-to-Life organization.
Last year, the Knights raised more than $15,000 during benefit dinners for those in need. And St. Patrick School is a regular beneficiary of the Knights' generosity with an average of $10,000 a year donated for items such as new carpet, a copier, risers and bus trips. St. Patrick Church has also been on the receiving end as the Knights help with upkeep by painting the basement and rebuilding kneelers.
So what has changed and what has stayed the same for the McCook Knights over the past 100 years? While members may have swapped golf shirts for bowling shirts, things have actually stayed relatively the same.
Burns said there are two continuous problems throughout the 100-years of meeting minutes: The Knights were always trying to raise more money for their causes and they were always trying to get more members to their meetings.