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How to join the Knights
We strongly recommend that you visit the Supreme Council's site which goes into great detail about our Order.
QUALIFICATIONSTo join the Knights you must meet three qualifications: be a "practical" Catholic man (go to Mass on Sundays, practice the Sacraments), be in communion with the Holy See (be in agreement and good standing with the Church), and be 18 years or older. OUR TERRITORYCouncil 971's territory covers several churches in Santa Cruz County: Holy Cross, Star of the Sea, St. Joseph's in Capitola, The Shrine of St. Joseph (Oblates), San Agustin in Scotts Valley, St. John's in Felton, St. Michael's in Boulder Creek. (Resurrection Church in Aptos has its very own council, #9580.) MEMBERSHIP FEESAnnual dues are $40. The initiation fee is $15. Annual dues are prorated for new members. If you cannot pay your fees due to financial hardship yet want to be an active knight, the council will make special arrangements. If you happen to be disabled in some way, you may qualify for a dues waiver. Priests are exempt from dues. "I WANT TO HELP, BUT I DON'T WANT THE INSURANCE."No problem. Some knights buy the additional life insurance, some don't. The insurance program is absolutely optional. As a member of the Knights, you do get an accidental death benefit simply for being a member. The accidental death benefit starts at $1,000 and increases $500 per year until it reaches $2,500. At about age 65 it decreases $500 per year until it settles back to $1,000 again. The insurance field agent is at your disposal. If you want to investigate the program, great. If you don't, that's fine too. (Though for the benefit of your family, you should try to get some life insurance from somewhere. You know not when the master is coming, right?) "I WANT TO JOIN NOW!"Call council member Rudy Quijance ("key-hawn-see") at 458-9169. Or e-mail us: knights@kofc971.org. First Degree "exemplifications"initiation ceremoniestake place monthly at various councils in the area. Our council hosts a First Degree as often as needed. You could be a member in within weeks. Later on, if you wish to progress in the order (officers are required to be Third or Fourth Degree members), Second and Third Degree exemplifications are offered in the Central Coast a few times a year. Fourth Degree exemplification ceremonies are generally offered twice a year, once in Southern California and once in Northern Californiathese are gala events, literally hundreds of people show up. To qualify for the Fourth Degree (the Patriotic Degree of the Order), you have to be a U.S. citizen; have served in the First Degree for at least 12 months; and be a Third Degree member in good standing with your council. This means that it does not matter if you just became a Third Degree just recently, as long as you have been a First Degree member for over a year. "I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION"Well, just send us e-mail or call us. We'll be very happy to answer any questions. We love to make new friends at the council! Truly! |
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