March 2025 Meeting Minutes
March 17, 2025
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 7:31 pm by Grand Knight (GK) Joe Tarallo.
Warden’s Report
All present were in possession of a current membership card.
Opening Prayer
Opening prayer was led by GK Joe Tarallo.
Pledge of Allegiance
Salute to the flag was led by the council members.
Chaplain report
Deacon Tony encouraged us to all be the best disciples of Christ for our families and our parish this Lenten season.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting
Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted on a motion by Wally Krake III, seconded by Dan Fuller, approved with a unanimous vote.
Grand Knight’s Report (Joe Tarallo)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all.
We welcome a new member to the Council, George Suarez, who completed his online CUF.
We are well into Lent and this Friday, the Knights will be leading Stations of the Cross in the Church at 7pm. Please get there by 6:45.
The Baby Bottle Drive is complete and the Blood Drive is upcoming.
State Convention – rooms still available but are booking up. We have 7 or 8 signed up so far.
We are currently looking for new social events for the parish community.
Name badges are available is anyone is interested.
We need expense authorizations for motions. Forms are in the back.
Treasurer’s Report (Wally Krake Jr.)
The Bank statement was sent to trustees. A copy can be obtained upon request.
Membership Report (Chip Sturm)
Recruiting continues as we work toward our goals. There are few Squires candidates. Squires need to be between 10-18 year of age.
Financial Secretary’s Report (Gerard Petrocelli)
Financial secretary’s report is emailed in advance to Trustees for approval of expenditures.
Program Reports – Led by John Watral
Bingo (Mike Mallon) – Going well. We had over 80 players last week. We need to consider raising candy and pizza prices. We are training new callers, including Rob Marsac and Waleed Alnaser.
Soup Kitchen (Lenny Martin)– Nothing to report. Resurrection Parish recently provided 112 in-house and 37 take out meals.
Baby Bottle Drive – raised $2,348.50 so far, and are likely to reach $2,400. We got over 100 bottles back, so we have enough for the next drive.
RTL (Gerry Kaufhold) – 40 Days for Life prayer vigils are every Wednesday after 9:30 mass. Vigil is held at PP on Speedwell Ave. All are welcome to attend. Last week, we only had 4-5 people.
Blood Drive (Gerard Petrocelli) – At the February 1 drive, we collected 135 products with 20 ALYX – still waiting on the official results. The blood center was hacked so it is harder to get reports. We had over 110 appointments. April 5 is the next drive. The 30 ALYX donors from December will be eligible to donate again. We need help to advertise the drive and clean up after.
Intellectual Disabilities Drive (Mike Sabella) – Will be held on April 26-27. Locations will be Weis in Flanders, Dunkin on Rt. 46 next to Jersey Mike’s, Budd Lake Diner and St. Jude’s Church. The program is sponsored by the State Council and supports organizations including Special Olympics New Jersey, the county ARCs (for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), Camp Recreations, local schools, independent living, and residential care facilities. The Squires have signed up for several slots on Saturday and Sunday but there are still open slots remaining.
4th Degree (Tom Rohe) – All are welcome to join our meeting on Tuesday 7:30 at Flanders Hall to see if it’s for you. There will be a pasta dinner on May 3 at St. Theresa’s in Succasunna with all profits going to veterans charities. Cost is $17 per person – all you can eat.
Charity (Hoops) Mania (Tom Rohe) – Starts this week until March 19. So far, 107 tickets have been purchased. We had expenses of $728.96 including commissions. Profit is $1,281 so far.
Squires (John Watral) – Easter Egg Hunt will be held on Palm Sunday. Squires will also be assisting with Outdoor Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. The Squires International 100th Anniversary Convention will be held in July in Ottawa, Canada.
Eucharistic Procession – (Dan Fuller) – We will be presenting a plan to Fr. Antonio and Deacon Tony. The plan should be ready, with budget, for next meeting.
Blood Drive (Gerard Petrocelli) – Will be held April 5. Please donate, advertise, and tell your friends.
Dues – $25 are due. We will be printing and distributing cards.
Divine Mercy Sunday (Paul Ferrugia) – please come and spend some time with our Lord in adoration, which begins at 1pm and continues until 4pm. Hour of Mercy is the 3 o’clock hour. We are looking for decades of the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Please reach out to Paul. We would like to include the Color Guard.
DD Report – Worthy DD was not able to attend, but provided the following report:
March 2025 Report (CY 2024-2025)
- Mt. Olive Council #6100 (Meeting 03/17/2025)Star Council Award Progress
| Awards Progress (as of 02/17/2025) | ||
| McGivney Award | Founders Award | Columbian Award |
| Membership Goal: 8 members; to date, 4 Prospect List Candidates: 0 | Financial Benefits Seminars Quota: 2; to date, 0 (Form #11077) # Members Req’d: 14 | Service Program (SP 7) due 6/30/25 |
OLM Prospect List:
| Safe Environment Program (As of 02/17/2025) | |
| Compliant | Non-Compliant |
| Grand Knight, Program, Community, Family Directors, Circle | None |
| Other Criteria (Forms Submitted and Per-capita compliance) | |
| Forms 185 (6/30)/ 365 (6/30)/ 1728 (1/31)/ 1295 (2/15)/ 990 (5/15)/SP-7 (6/30) | Per Capita Compliance Balance |
| 185-Yes/365-Yes/1728-YES/1295-YES/990-No/SP-7-No | As of 2/1/2025: $0.00 |
- Reports DueCurrent & Upcoming EventsFri, Apr 11 at 7:30PM: Next Federation meeting in Pompton LakesSun, Apr 27: Exemplification of the Degree of Patriotism at the LeNeve’s in Haledon. Please consider taking out an Ad Journal.Sat May3 from 4:30 to 9:30PM: Msgr. E. E. Lange Assembly 1562 All You Can Eat Pasta Dinner at St Therese, Succasunna. Adults $17, kids 6 to 12 $8, under 6 Free; Max per family $40May 16-18: State Convention in Wildwood. Please consider taking out an Ad Journal.RemindersThe Free Online Membership Code BlessedMcGivney remains in effect.To complete and submit Form #10784 at the end of each completed program.Submit Form #11077 for all Financial Benefits Seminar attendees.Fraternal Assistance is available at any time for a Brother Knight in need.GeneralPlease continue to provide spiritual and financial support to the CPCs through ASAP and the Ultrasound Initiative, our needy families and Food Pantries through the Helping Hands and Food for Families Programs, our teens through the KofC Scholarships, and to your deacon candidates, seminarians and religious novices through our RSVP program, and please acknowledge their sacrifices through letters of appreciation. For any Council that donated to ASAP, please ensure you complete the ASAP paperwork to get the $100 matching from Supreme (KofC.org/ASAP).Fraternal Leader Advisory (FLA) (03/06/25)Review kofc.org/training for upcoming training sessions and featured Programs: Global Wheelchair, ASAP, March for Life.March Religious & Civil Rights (R&C) Talking Points highlights from Dr. Dan Rossi, PSD:
This month’s topic for discussion and prayer focuses on the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). The ECCA is a federal school choice bill that which would financially enable parents to pay tuition to enroll their children in the best, most suitable school available or pay expenses to access education services for their children.
Please consider contacting our U.S. Senators and your member of the House of Representatives and ask that they support the ECCA and also that they sign on as co-sponsor of the bill. The New Jersey Catholic Conference makes it easy for you to contact your representatives through their Voter Voice System:
You can read Dr. Rossi’s message on the following page.
This month’s topic for discussion and prayer focuses on the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). The ECCA is a federal school choice bill that which would financially enable parents to pay tuition to enroll their children in the best, most suitable school available or pay expenses to access education services for their children. The following information is from an Action Alert from the New Jersey Catholic Conference, a summary document from the Invest in Education Coalition, and a letter of support for the ECCA from Bishop David O’Connell of Trenton, who is chair of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education:
• Under the bill, private and corporate donors will be able to contribute to a scholarship granting organization which would then provide scholarships to low- and middle-income families for private school tuition.
• The federal government would then give a non-refundable 100% tax credit to the donor.
• It is estimated that the ECCA will generate up to as much as $10 billion in annual donations to not-for-profit scholarship granting organizations (SGOs).
• As many as two million students in grades K through 12 from both low-income and middle-class households in every state are eligible for a scholarship.
• The ECCA protects religious liberty and school autonomy. It prohibits governmental control or encroachment over SGOs that receive tax-credited contributions, schools that enroll scholarship recipients, or parents who instruct their children at home. The ECCA’s use of private donations, not public funds, further protects against government infringement of religious liberty or operational autonomy.
• There are more than 150 national and state-based organizations and influencers that have endorsed the ECCA, including the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB).
• Bishop David O’Connell, in his letter of support for the ECCA stated: “The Catholic Church teaches that parents are the first and primary teachers of their children and therefore have the right to select the best educational environment for their children. Whether that is in a public, homeschool or private school, parents know the needs of their children.” He further stated that “The Educational Choice for Children Act protects this right by empowering parents with the financial resources they need to select the education environment that aligns to their values and works best for their children.”
• During the previous session of Congress, the House ECCA bill was passed by the Committee on Ways and Means in September 2024, which amended the original ECCA that had more than 150 House co- sponsors and more than 30 Senate co-sponsors. This is the most congressional support ever for a bill to enact parental choice in education.
• The ECCA has been reintroduced with genuine prospects for success. It currently has 28 sponsors/co-sponsors in the Senate and 41 sponsors/co-sponsors in the House.
• Please consider contacting our U.S. Senators and your member of the House of Representatives and ask that they support the ECCA and also that they sign on as co-sponsor of the bill. The New Jersey Catholic Conference makes it easy for you to contact your representatives through their Voter Voice System:
Faith in Action Supreme Programs
| Faith | Family | Community | Life | ||||||||
| Into the Breach | 2 | Consecration to Holy Family | Helping Hands | Aid & Support After Pregnancy | * | ||||||
| Pilgrim Icon | Food for Families | 2 | Coats for Kids | 2 | Novena for Life | ||||||
| Holy Hour / Eucharistic Procession | 2 | Family Fully Alive | 2 | Global Wheelchair Mission | 2 | March for Life | 2 | ||||
| Family of the Month / Year | 2 | Habitat for Humanity | 2 | Special Olympics | 2 | ||||||
| RSVP | 2 | Family Prayer Night | 2 | Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest | Ultrasound | 2 | |||||
| Build the Domestic Church | Family Week | Disaster Preparedness | Christian Refugee Relief | ||||||||
| Spiritual Reflection | 2 | Good Friday Family Promotion | Free Throw Championship | Mass for Special Needs People | |||||||
| Rosary | Keep Christ in Christmas | Soccer Challenge | Pregnancy Center Support/ASAP | 2 | |||||||
| Sacramental Gifts | Hockey Challenge | Silver Rose | |||||||||
Complete and submit Form #10784 at the end of each completed program (online 5 minutes).
For a list of the State Council Programs reference www://njkofc.com
Blue Highlighted Programs are referenced in the FLA as programs to begin planning now.
Unfinished Business
The following motions were made and passed unanimously:
| Motion | Made by | 2nd by |
| 2nd READING Donate up to $5,000 for California Wildfire Relief funded by the Community Impact Fund. This donation is to be made through the NJ State Council. | Recorder | Dan Fuller |
| 2nd READING Donate up to $1,000 to support the October Tricky Tray event | Recorder | Wally Krake III |
New Business
The following motions were made and passed unanimously:
| Motion | Made by | 2nd by |
| 1st READING Spend up to $1,000 for the 2025 Eucharistic Procession in addition to the proceeds from Hoops Mania. | Dan Fuller | Gerry Kaufhold |
| Donate $250 to Tunnels to Towers Foundation in memory of William Sturm | Gerard Petrocelli | Lenny Martin |
| Spend up to $150 to cover costs of repast for William Sturm | Lenny Martin | Paul Ferrugia |
In addition, there was a motion to amend the Mount Olive scholarship criteria through which eligible candidates would include students of MOHS who are residents of Mount Olive or any children or grandchildren of any Council member in good standing. The motion was made by Gerry Kaufhold and seconded by John Watral. Concerns were raised in opposition with regard to ability to obtain student records for students outside of Mount Olive, how to consider such grades in comparison to MOHS students, and whether it was appropriate to extend participation in the scholarship program to students outside of Mount Olive in light of the fact that the funding for the program was raised locally for local students. The votes were 3 in favor, 10 opposed and 3 abstentions. The motion did not pass.
Good of the Order
The Good of the Order was directed by Tom Rohe.
Closing Prayer
Closing prayer was led by GK Joe Taralllo.
Attendance: 20 people.
Meeting adjourned at 8:28 pm.