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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Knights of Columbus Mattoon Council No. 1057
3 is celebrating its 100th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary this year;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Knights of Columbus Mattoon Council No. 1057
6 (Council) was granted a charter by the Supreme Council of New
7 Haven, Connecticut, on November 26, 1905; on that day, an
8 initiation was held and a charter class of fifty members was
9 received into the order; from its very first meeting to the
10 present time, the Council's records of meetings give evidence
11 of its years of assistance to others; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The Council has upheld the highest standards of
13 dedication in providing service to its church, its community,
14 and its nation for a century; following the formation of the
15 Council, the new members worked to increase their ranks and to
16 put into practice the principals of Columbianism, which are
17 unity, fraternity, charity, and patriotism, in Immaculate
18 Conception Parish and in the Mattoon community; and
 
19     WHEREAS, In early years, the Matoon Council was confronted
20 with the problems common to many at the time, such as racial
21 bigotry and religious intolerance; in the early 1900s, the
22 Knights were in the forefront proclaiming the brotherhood of
23 all men and put into practice the Christian ideals of racial
24 understanding and religious tolerance; the Knights again took
25 the lead in the 1930s in trying to alleviate the suffering of
26 many in the community, as members concentrated on helping the
27 priests of the parish with many of the functions and in taking
28 leadership posts when school or parish projects were
29 undertaken; and
 
30     WHEREAS, As World War II progressed, the Council started
31 its blood donor project, which is still one of its most

 

 

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1 important continuing projects; the Mattoon Council also became
2 more active in other areas, such as polio fund drives, numerous
3 youth programs, and school and church renovation projects; it
4 was also during this time that the Council answered the call of
5 the Bishops to aid and assist the Newman Program for students
6 in public colleges and universities, which has grown to become
7 the number one priority project in the State, with the Council
8 now raising over $1,300 per year for this vital program; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Following the war, the Council was instrumental in
10 providing and erecting the war memorial for the deceased
11 servicemen from the Mattoon community that still stands in
12 front of the Mattoon City Hall along with the eternal flame; in
13 the 1950s, the Council took on important leadership roles in
14 fundraising projects for St. Mary's School and St. Joseph
15 School of Immaculate Conception parish and implemented more
16 family related activities; in the 1960s, the Council joined
17 with the Knights of Columbus nationwide and made a greater
18 commitment to help the young people of its parish by
19 participating in activities such as teaching CCD classes,
20 assisting Boy Scout groups and similar organizations, and
21 providing various social functions for the youth; and
 
22     WHEREAS, In 1971, a seemingly small project of selling
23 "Tootsie Rolls" in order to raise a few dollars for programs
24 for the mentally handicapped was adopted by the Council; few
25 realized at the time how this project would grow to become one
26 of the continuing activities of the Council involving the
27 enthusiastic participation of the majority of its members and
28 an annual goal of nearly $10,000, with almost $250,000 raised
29 over the past 34 years; and
 
30     WHEREAS, Over the past quarter of the century, the Council
31 has sponsored and organized the Annual Knights of Columbus
32 Picnic on the Immaculate Conception Church grounds, which has
33 become quite a successful event, as it provides a venue for all

 

 

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1 of the parish organizations to participate and raise funds for
2 their individual causes; the Council has also been nationally
3 recognized numerous times by being awarded the Star Council
4 Award, the highest award granted by the Supreme Council and
5 four members of the Council have been elected to the Hall of
6 Fame of the Springfield Diocese Chapter of the Knights of
7 Columbus; and
 
8     WHEREAS, The Council has worked diligently to maintain and
9 grow its works of charity; a recent accounting of contributions
10 over the last 10 years shows that the Council has contributed
11 over $300,000 to numerous charities, churches, St. Mary's
12 School, youth groups, and vocations; and
 
13     WHEREAS, The Council has remained very involved in parish
14 activities; it assisted the parish with fundraising efforts for
15 a new parish center and formed "The Apostles", a group of
16 parishoners who volunteer their assistance with maintenance
17 and repairs around the church, school, parish center, and
18 rectory; therefore, be it
 
19      RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 we congratulate the Knights of Columbus Mattoon Council No.
22 1057 on the occasion of the organization's 100th anniversary;
23 and be it further
 
24      RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
25 presented to the Knights of Columbus Mattoon Council No. 1057
26 as an expression of our esteem and with best wishes for the
27 organization's future success.