Nebraska State Council Proceedings Knights of Columbus 1905-1926

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF NEBRASKA

Number of associate members, last report	447
Number of present membership insured	238
Associate	672
Insurance members suspended	5
Withdrawn	4
Dead	2
Associate members suspended	5
Withdrawn	26
Dead	3
Cash on hand last report	$ 2,610.26
Received from initiation fee	5,211.83
Dues	4,380.25
insurance assessments	2,270.82
Miscellaneous	707.30
Total	$15,180.46
DISBURSEMENTS
National Council account insurance	$ 2,326.24
National Council account assessment	529.15
Council expenses	8,002.85
Cash on hand	4,322.22
Total	$15,180.46

I hereby certify that the above is a full and complete statement of the financial condition of the five Councils now in this State as reported to me by the local financial Secretary and Treasurer of the Councils.

Signed:
T. F. SWIFT,
Acting State Secretary.

Treasurer's Report

Receipts for the year	$183.00
Paid out by voucher	125.20
Balance cash in bank	$ 57.80

Respectfully submitted,
P. J. O'DONNELL,
Treasurer.

     On Motion of Mr. Mullen, the State Deputy was requested to wire greetings to the State Council of California through Bro. Jos. Scott of Los Angeles.

     A recess of twenty minutes was declared by the Chair for the purpose of carrying out the previous motion.

     The meeting was called to order, and reports of the District Deputy were called for, as follows:

PROCEEDINGS OF ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

Report of District Deputy, Arthur Mullen, of the Northern District

T. J. Mahoney, State Deptuy (sic) of the State of Nebraska, and Members of the State Council.

Brothers:

     In accordance with the suggestion made by T. J. Mahoney, State Deputy of Nebraska, I beg leave to submit the following report as District Deputy of the Third District of Nebraska. In this district there are two councils of the Knights of Columbus. Charles Carroll of Carrollton Council, No. 701, located at O'Neill, Nebraska, and the Alliance Council, No. 975, located at Alliance, Nebraska. Both of these councils are in a fairly prosperous condition.
     The Charles Carroll of Carrollton Council has at the present time forty-eight insurance members and 153 associate members, total membership 201. Its members are scattered from Wayne on the East, to Valentine on the West. Since the organization of the Council three of its members have died, Michael Mullen, Captain Richard F. Cross and Charles Shoemaker. Mr. Mullen was the only one of these who carried insurance. During the current year, one insurance member was suspended, at the present time there are two or three who have not paid up their dues to date, they are subject to suspension at the present time. The initiation fee is $10,00, dues $5.00. The insurance members are all in good standing and indications are that the insurance membership will increase considerably during the coming year. The council is in a prosperous condition financially; it has no debts of any kind and has a goodly sum in the treasury. Arrangements are now being made to erect a home for the organization. The site has been secured. There is a committee appointed to take up this matter, at the present time they are devising ways and means of erecting this home. The council has a complete set of robes and all the necessary paraphernalia. All the officers have memorized their parts of the ritual. A class of fifty-six candidates was initiated in the three degrees on February 18, 1906. The present out-look is that there will be no more initiations until late in the winter.
     The Alliance Council was organized in May, 1905. At the present time they have thirty-eight insurance members and thirty-four associate members, a total membership of seventy-two members. The membership is confined to Alliance vicinity. No deaths have been reported among the members. One member was suspended for nonpayment of dues. On the 4th of March a class of twenty-nine candidates was initiated. At that time a movement was begun by the organization to build a hospital and a convent at Alliance. My information is that since that time, definite steps have been taken to carry out this project. There is need of both of these institutions at Alliance. The local council should be encouraged and assisted in every way possible by the brother Knights through the state. Most of the officers of this council have memorized their part of the ritual, the important parts are memorized. The initiation fee is $15.00 and the dues $5.00.
     Generally speaking the outlook of the Columbians in this district is bright. Arrangements are about completed for the institution of a council at Chadron, Nebraska, about forty-five applications so far have been received. About the 1st of January, Creighton took up the matter

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF NEBRASKA

of organizing a council, but they have concluded not to begin until this fall. Arrangements are being made, with a view of organizing a council at Hartington in Cedar County. This is a new field in which there are great possibilities for the Knights of Columbus. Fully 50 per cent of the people in that county are Catholics, mostly Germans, and if a council of the Knights of Columbus could be instituted at Hartington, it would mean much to the organization; there is plenty of material to support the order there, and we would reach a class of people who have heretobefore not taken any interest in our organization.
I made investigation regarding the number of persons in northeastern Nebraska who are now members of the Sioux City Council. I find there are about forty-seven residents of north-eastern Nebraska who belong to the Sioux City Council. In fact, I think it would be wise and proper for the State Council to notify councils outside our jurisdiction that when applications are presented to them by persons residing in Nebraska that the State and District Deputies should be notified that the application has been presented. In other words the by-laws of the order should be strictly enforced in this matter.

Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR F. MULLEN,
District Deputy.

Report of the District Deputy, C. J. Smyth, of the Middle District

Omaha, Nebr., Apr. 30, 1906.

T. J. Mahoney, Esq.,
State Deputy, K. of C.,
Omaha, Nebr.
Dear Sir and Brother:
As District Deputy for the Middle District of Nebraska, I beg leave to submit the following report from the councils within my district, for the year ending April 24th, 1906:

OMAHA COUNCIL NO. 652

Insurance members, May 1, 1905		60
Initiated		8
Transferred from associate		1
Transferred from other councils		3
Total		72
Suspended	3
Transferred to associate	1
Transferred to other councils	2	6
Insurance members, April 24, 1906			66
Associate members, May 1, 1905		243
Initiated		58
Transferred from other councils		3
Transferred from insurance		1
Re-instated		1
Re-instated from insurance		2
Total		308

PROCEEDINGS OF ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

Transferred to other councils	17
Transferred to insurance	1
Suspended	2
Died	1	21
Associate members, April 24, 1906		287	287
Total members, April 24, 1906			353

Funds on hand, April 24, 1906, as follows:

Cash, Merchants National Bank	$ 939.45
Cash, Omaha Bldg. & Loan Ass'n	1,021.16
National Fund	97.89
Total	$2,058.50

COLUMBUS COUNCIL NO. 938

Number of members in good standing, May 4, 1905, forty-five, divided as follows:

Associate members	24
Insurance members	21	45
Number of members acquired during past year, 56, divided as follows:
Associate members	44
Insurance members	12	56
Total number of members		101
Number suspended during past year	0
Number suspended for non-payment of dues	0
Re-instated during past year	0
Resigned during past year	0
Transferred to other councils during past year	0
Number of deaths	1
Total	1	1
Total number of members		100
Average attendance at meetings		20
Amount of cash in treasury, April 24, 1906		$17.64
Amount of debts		$175.00
Number of candidates approved for initiation but not initiated		32

In addition, I beg leave to report that there is strong prospect of the establishment in the very near future of a council at North Platte and at Kearney. Our friends there are earnestly at work. There is also some talk of a council at Greeley, but nothing definite has been done in that direction.

Respectfully submitted,
C. J. SMYTH,
District Deputy, Middle District.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF NEBRASKA

Report of the District Deputy, J. A. Maguire, of the Southern District

Lincoln, Nebr., May 7, 1906.

Hon. T. J. Mahoney,
State Deputy, Knights of Columbus,
Omaha, Nebr.

Dear Sir and Brother:
     I hereby submit the following report of conditions and growth of the Order in the Lincoln district, covering Southern Nebraska.

     The district has thus far but one council--Fitzgerald Council of Lincoln. A large council will be installed at Hastings on May 13th. Permission has been also granted to install a council at McCook which is expected to be ready for installation in the immediate future.
     The number of members in this district is 217. One year ago the membership was 120. Of the membership 142 are residents of Lincoln and 75 are scattered over the district in forty towns as follows: Tecumseh, Friend, Nebraska City, Seward, York, Indianola, David City, Bancroft, Milligan, Havelock, Wilber, Kearney, Wisner, Cheney, Bremo, Cambridge, Burnham, Harvard, Fairbury, Sutton, McCook, McCool Junction, Ashland, Grafton, Upland, Comstock, Davey, Greenwood, Red Cloud, Orleans, Fairfield, Minden, Greely Center, Stratton, Trenton, College View, Avoca, Sheridan, Wyo., Crete and Benkleman.
     In the Lincoln parish an improved change in the spiritual and religious tone is observed. There is now a real Catholic community of interest even apart from our organization which cannot be traced to any other source than the presence of our Order since February 7, 1904.
     The above is pratically (sic) true among the younger Catholics. There seems to be a real Catholic atmosphere for the young people, while in the recent past they found associations entirely in organizations and societies outside the Church and in many cases antagonistic to it. With this community of interest seems to come increasing members of Catholics, and men are now identified with the Church as a living asset who were never credited up to it before.
     Splendid co-operation is now had between the Order and the clergy. This spirit is more manifest than anything else in the growth of the Order in this district. There are now seventeen priests who are members with about ten more applicants among those who are to be initiated at Hastings.
     At the beginning of the Easter period, attention of the members were called to their Easter duty. A record is kept in the Council of each member in this regard, and they have generally complied, and it is believed that before the Easter season is over that practically the entire membership will have complied with this law of the Order and the Church.
     Fitgerald (sic) Council is on a safe business basis; the funds are well conserved and no outstanding obligations. The Council pays all bills promptly and its insurance assessments always paid to the national office within the time prescribed by the laws of the Order. This council is to be commended for having an active, self-sacrificing set of officers who lend their time and effort in placing the Council on advance ground.
     The Council has been reasonably fortunate in the character of its

PROCEEDINGS OF ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

membership and the members have become thoroughly instilled with the necessity of protecting the council in the case of applicants. There have been some, though I think not in any degree general, infractions of the rules and spirit of the Order in the case of personal conduct and my attention has been called to few cases of excesses in the uses of intoxicants, but these are isolated cases, and I am certain that the membership as a whole are temperate in all their personal conduct.
     Fitzgerald Council has taken definite action towards the purchase of a club house or home for the Council, a committee of the Council has the matter of purchase now in charge and early action is expected. At present, the Council meets twice each month for regular meetings in a leased lodge room on Thirteenth and L streets.
     In harmony with the spirit of charity so characteristic of the Order, this Council unanimously voted $100.00 for the relief of the San Francisco sufferers and sent the same to the national council to be forwarded to the sufferers.
     Thus the groundwork has been laid over the entire district, and I have every reason to believe the missionary spirit which has followed these members into their several communities cannot fail in continuance of a wholesome growth and become an ever increasing factor in propagating the work of the Order.

Respectfully and fraternally submitted,
JOHN A. MAGUIRE,
Deputy of Lincoln District.

Report of the By-Laws Committee, C. J. Smyth, Chairman

State Council of Knights of Columbus,
Brothers:
Your committee appointed to draft and present at this meeting of the Council a code of proposed by-laws for the government of the State Council, beg leave to report as follows:

By-Laws of Nebraska State Council of Knights of Columbus

ARTICLE I--MEETINGS, ETC.

     Section 1. The order of business shall be as specified in Section 61 of the Laws and Rules of the National Council.
     Sec 2. The State Council shall be convened annually by the State Deputy at the time designated in By-Laws of National Council, at such place within the state as shall have been designated by the last preceding council, and if no such designation has been made, then at such place as the State Deputy shall designate.
     Sec. 3. The State Secretary shall furnish credential blanks to Recorder of each Council at least one month prior to the meeting of the State Council.
     Sec. 4. The Recorder of each Council shall furnish delegates and alternates with credentials, and shall also furnish a duplicate copy to the State Secretary at least twenty-four hours prior to the meeting.
     Sec. 5. The State Secretary upon the credentials so presented to him shall prepare a temporary roll call, which shall be the roll call until the report of the Committee on Credentials shall have been acted upon.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS OF NEBRASKA

     Sec. 6. Any Council having failed to pay duly levied assessments by the State Council shall not be entitled to representation therein.
     Sec. 7. All committees shall be appointed by the State Deputy, or other presiding officer.
     Sec. 8. All meetings of the State Council shall be in the third section, and the State Warden shall take up the password. Duly qualified third degree members may be admitted as spectators in the discretion of the Council.
     Sec. 9. All resolutions and committee reports shall be in writing.
     Sec. 10. In matters not herein provided for, Roberts' Rules of Order shall govern.

ARTICLE II--MONEYS AND ASSESSMENTS

     Sec. 1. All funds of the State Council shall be first paid to the State Secretary, and by him immediately turned over to the State Treasurer.
     Sec. 2. The State Treasurer shall give a bond with a surety company as security, in the sum of five hundred dollars, the cost thereof to be borne by the State Council, and shall pay out money only on the order of the Secretary countersigned by the State Deputy.
     Sec. 3. Assessments levied by the State Council shall be due and payable on the first day of May succeeding said levy, and shall be computed on the basis of the membership of each local Council on the first day of April of each year.

ARTICLE III--MISCELLANEOUS

     Sec. 1. At the annual meeting the state officers designated by law shall be elected by ballot. A majority of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect. Two tellers shall be appointed by the Chair to collect, count and report the result of each ballot.
     Sec. 2. The state officers shall immediately after their election meet and by a majority vote of those present appoint a State Chaplain.
     Sec. 3. These By-Laws or any part there of may be amended or repealed at any regular meeting of the State Council by a majority vote, and any law or rule adopted which shall be in conflict with the constitution, or laws of the National Council, shall be void.

Respectfully submitted,
C. J. SMYTH,
Chairman.

Accepted and approved as read.

ARTHUR F. MULLEN.
JOHN A. MAGUIRE.
THOS. FITZIMMONS.
FRANK C. GERHARZ

     Moved and seconded that the State Secretary be instructed to compile the minutes of this meeting, and that same be forwarded to each Grand Knight in the state.

     Motion carried.

     Moved that the Per Capita Tax of the coming year be Fifteen (15) Cents.

PROCEEDINGS OF ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS

     Motion carried.

     Moved that the next convention, in 1907, be held in Omaha.

     Motion carried.

Election of Officers

     The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:

     State Deputy, C. J. Smith, Omaha.
     State Secretary, J. E. O'Donnell, O'Neill.
     State Treasurer, J. H. Schmidt, Omaha.
     State Advocate, J. H. Sherlock, Lincoln.
     State Warden, Mark Burke, Columbus.

Alternates to the National Convention

     J. A. Maguire, Alternate to the Past State Deputy.
     A. F. Mullen, Alternate State Deputy.

     Motion to adjourn.

     Carried.

Respectfully submitted,
T. F. SWIFT.
Acting State Secretary.