VETERANS AFFAIRS VOLUNTARY SERVICE FLORIDA DISTRICT 4 TH DEGREE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

To be exemplified at the first meeting in January annually. A copy of this ceremony with explanations can be found on the state web site. Click on the 4th degree icon, then click forms, the fourth item under 4 th Degree forms is your ceremonial. CEREMONIAL FOR RENEWAL OF OBLIGATIONS

REMEMBER VETERANS DAY NOVEMBER 11th Memorial Mass Sarasota National Cemetery 2014 James A. Haley Veterans Hospital 2014 Remember to send in your pictures of your Veterans Day Celebration

You are invited to participate in the 8th Annual Veterans Day Parade Wednesday November 11, :00 AM at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital 1300 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa. WORTHY SIR KNIGHTS

Orlando Exemplification November 28, 2015 clicks forms, Information can be found on the state web site. Click on the 4th degree icon, then 4th Degree Exemplification Candidate Proper Dress Form-PDF Candidate Proper Dress Form-Orlando PDF Candidate Certificate – Orlando PDF Candidate Proper Dress Form-Orlando PDF Exemplification Information – Orlando PDF Exemplification Order Form – OrlandoPDF Exemplification Program Booklet – Orlando -Sample Form Four PDF FLORIDA DISTRICT FOURTH DEGREE

The Knights of Columbus has established a new scholarship program to help fund the education of seminarians preparing to become Catholic chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces. The program will distribute $1 million in scholarship money to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, over a period of five years at a rate of $200,000 per year. These funds, in turn, will help produce a new generation of much-needed Catholic chaplains to minister to U.S. military personnel and their families. Fundraising for the Order wide project will be led by the Fourth Degree, the patriotic degree of the Knights. UP DATE The Knights of Columbus has raised the $1 Million in a four year period. The Supreme Knight has requested the during the fifth year we raise an additional $200,000 in scholarship money for the Chaplain's Fund. Gary McLain’s four year term as Vice Supreme Master of the De Soto Province ends August Thanks to the State of Florida, Gary McLain’s De Soto Province raised more donations than any of the other 19 Province’s in the United States he has been asked to stay on as Co Chairman of Military Chaplains Fund. PLEASE MAIL YOUR DONATIONS TO Gary McLain 36 Currant Avenue Middleburg, Florida Please make you checks payable to Knights of Columbus Charities In the information line on the bottom left hand side of the check type Military Chaplain Scholarship.

Next Honor Flight Mission 23 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, followed by Mission 24 Tuesday, October 20 from St Pete Clearwater International Airport. All War Era veterans such as WWII and Korean War veterans are a part of Honor Flights to Washington, D.C.. Flight day welcome home 7:30pm until the celebration is complete. HUGE THANKS to everyone who made Mission 22 possible, everyone who waited at the airport to welcome home our Veterans at 12:20AM, and the awesome Guardians for staying awake that late after such a long day!!.

Worthy Faithful Navigator Every September 10 th the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee places a call for nominations for VAVS NAC Volunteer of the Year awards. Rather than wait until the last minute to receive the award criteria for nominating volunteers, I sent you a copy of last year’s criteria from supreme, it will be the same for this year. The award application must be sent by October 1 st to the State Master (Robert W. Read SW 81 st Ct. Ocala, Florida ). He will pick a male and a female winner and forward them to the Vice Supreme Master. Then he will pick a male and a female winner from the five jurisdictions in the De Soto Province and send them on to Supreme who will pick the final winners. This year the State Master will do something different. At the Annual 4th Degree Exemplification held in Orlando on November 28, 2015, the Sir Knight who was picked as Florida’s choice for the National award will be acknowledged. He will receive the first annual FLORIDA DISTRICT 4 TH DEGREE VAVS VETERANS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

Attn: FAITHFUL NAVIGATORS The State Master realizes that all our Sir Knights do not volunteer in veteran’s medical centers, veterans hospitals and out patient’s clinics but are indeed very active in serving our veterans in many other activities. Therefore he is asking you to pick a knight from your assembly who is actively serving our veterans. At the November 28, 2015 Exemplification The John V. Girvin Veterans Award will be given to the Sir Knights whose activities, serving our veterans, best represents the Florida District 4 th Degree Veterans Affairs. The criteria for this award is very easy: Submit your recommendation, with a minimum of 300 words plus any additional information you wish, to (State Director A. R. Dick Anci 1004 Daleside Lane, New Port Richey, Florida ) The deadline for your recommendations is October 1, 2015.

Florida Division 4 th Degree De Soto Province Message from the Master Robert W. Read What better way to show our patriotism then “To Serve Those Who Have Served”. I am asking all assemblies to participate in the (VAVS) Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service program. Please report all your assemblies and your councils, veterans activities, to Dick Anci the State Director for VAVS, at We just need the number of your assembly, the number of Knights involved in a activity, the number of hours spent by the knights, any cash money donated and cash value of your in kind contribution. We compile this information in to a statewide report that is reported to Supreme showing we in Florida care about our veterans. If your assembly wishes to make a financial donation to the 4 th Degree Florida District VAVS fund, make a check payable to “Robert Read, Master” and note on it: for the VAVS Fund. Mail your check to SW 81 st Court, Ocala, Florida The money goes to support VAVS financial ASSEMBLY ## knights# OF HOURS$ CASH$ IN KIND VALUE ACTIVITY Total 0 0 $0.00

C. W. Bill Young VA Medical Center Request from the Chief of Volunteer Services Nathen Witt Your help is needed on this Homeless Veterans project. The VA is placing Homeless vets into living quarters and we need to supply them with supplies to get them going. I have attached a list of what they need and hope that you can organize a drive in your assemblies and councils to assist this project. Our Homeless veterans program can always utilize the following items organized into kits for when they move into their HUD-VASH:  1. Laundry Baskets 10. Mop Bucket  2. Bath Towels 11. Mop  3. Kitchen Towels 12. Floor Cleaner  4. All purpose spray cleaner 13. Dish Soap  5. Pack of cleaning sponges 14. Laundry Soap  6. paper Towels 15. Dryer/ fabric softener sheets  7. Glass Cleaner  8 Broom THANK YOU  9. Dust Pan Nate