Knights of Columbus
STA Council #9287
Thank you for inquiring about becoming a member of the Knights of Columbus. Let me be the first to welcome you, and invite you to join our council. We serve the St. Thomas the Apostle community, located at 24th Street and Campbell Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. The information below covers most of what you need to know. Should you have any questions, please contact our Financial Secretary listed below. Financial Secretary - Council #9287
Bob Hawthorne
Email: tonitiger@msn.com
Cell: 602-316-0938
Who are the Knights?
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. God, Community, and Charity, are the foremost principles of the Knights. For more information, please visit us at www.kofc.org; the Arizona State Council at www.azknightsofcolumbus.org; or join our council's Facebook group at Knights of Columbus - STA Phoenix Council #9287
What we do
The STA Knights do more than serve coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass. Council #9287 supports the entire St. Thomas community. This includes the addressing the needs of the parish school, as well as seminarians. We provide financial support through fundraising activities such as Christmas card sales and raffles. In addition, we are often called upon to provide man-power for various events in the parish community.
If you are a member of the STA parish, and/or have children enrolled in the school, there are many great reasons to be a member of the STA Knights. Everything we do benefits each of us as members of the St. Thomas community. For example, donut sale revenues directly support STA Seminarians, and our school in the form of tuition assistance.
Meetings
Our council meets 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM on the second Tuesday of the month. Meetings are held in classroom #13, located adjacent to the east entrance of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Meetings are about one hour. Should you be unable to attend, we will keep you informed via email and through our Facebook group.
Eligibility
Any Catholic male, 18 years or older, may join the Knights of Columbus.
How to Join the Knights - New Members
If you are new to the Knights of Columbus, you must first contact the council's Financial Secretary (FS) listed above. The FS will help you fill out a "Form 100" membership application, and get you registered for your 1st Degree Ceremony. These ceremonies are held a few times a month at different locations throughout the greater Phoenix area. There are plenty of options to fit your schedule. You will be accompanied to the 1st degree Ceremony by one of our council officers. Once you are "Knighted," you may attend our monthly meetings and events. Typically, 1st degree Ceremonies take about an hour.
Time Commitment
Understandably, you may be reluctant to join the Knights of Columbus due to concerns of a huge time commitment. However, this is not the case. Many of our council activities are typically held after Mass and require 20-30 minutes of your time. Our monthly meeting is typically about one hour long.
STA Dads
Extra demands on your time by becoming a Knight are minimal. The service hours you dedicate to the school by coaching STA sports teams, or volunteering at the school events, fulfill service hour requirements for the Knights.
Council Requirements
Each Knight is required to participate in at least two council activities per year. There are a number of opportunities in which to participate.
For example, you could represent our council by becoming a Eucharistic Minister in the church, or volunteer for a few minutes after Mass selling donuts.
Members who are unable to participate due to health issues or work schedules can participate by offering a daily prayer for our St. Thomas the Apostle community.
Dues
Annual dues are currently $35 per year, and billed in January.
Benefits
Knights of Columbus members automatically receive a one-thousand dollar life insurance policy at no cost to the member.
Discounted Insurance
Additional insurance may be purchased through the Knights of Columbus. Life insurance, long term care insurance, and annuities are available to members only. Since K of C insurance is a privately held, no commercial insurance company can match our discounted rates!
Transfers
If you are already a Knight, and are transferring to our council, you need to contact the council Financial Secretary listed above. He will help you fill out a Form 100 transfer, and get you all set-up.