Monthly Knight and Family Awards – June/July 2022
Each month at the council meeting a Knight of the Month and Family of the Month are named. Below are pics for June and July 2022.
November 2019 Council Message
As Thanksgiving approaches, I like to take stock of all the things that I’m thankful for.
It’s easy to say family and friends. Those are blessings that we sometimes take for granted. But how about the little things in life? Like a smile you get from the person who hands you your cup of coffee in the morning. Or relishing the crisp air on an autumn day. It may be a simple stroll in the park marveling at God’s abounding nature. Or maybe the joy of helping an older neighbor with a chore. There are many little things to be thankful for.
When I think about helping older neighbors, I often wonder just how many Knights have taken advantage of help that they might need as they age. Some won’t be able to manage the simple activities of daily living. They will need assistance and with our rapidly mobile society they may not have a relative nearby to help. That’s where our Knights of Columbus Long Term Care Insurance plan can help.
A long-term care policy helps cover the costs when a policyholder has a chronic medical condition, a physical disability, or a disorder such as Alzheimer’s Disease. You can receive care in your home, or in a nursing home, in an assisted living facility, or at an adult day care center.
Long term care insurance helps protect all those assets you’ve worked so hard for over the years: Your house, IRAs, savings, and investments. They could all be wiped out with even a short stay in a nursing home. The website, https://longtermcare.acl.gov/costs-how-to-pay/costs-of-care.html, says that home health care costs about $22 per hour, assisted living facilities about $4,245 per month and an average nursing home around $85,000 per year. More expensive areas of the country like the Chicago area run more than that. Without long term care insurance many families face a serious financial crisis.
Most people aren’t eager to talk about long term care; but it’s important to have a plan. Many people want to wait until they are in their 60s or 70s before they start to consider it. But at younger ages one is more likely to qualify. And the price is less expensive when you are younger.
I can help design a plan to fit your needs and your budget so that you can have the peace of mind that you will be able to get the care you need: When you need it and where you want it.
Let’s talk and see how you can protect your assets.
Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
October 2019 Council Meeting Message
A field agent who has been doing this great work for even a short time has personal stories of the disorder that a family goes through when there is a sudden loss. If our goal is to protect Catholic families from the near devastation that our Venerable Founder faced, then I must tell stories of how I can help my brother Knights. Making sure you have adequate protection for your family is not painful. We are Brother Knights serving Brother Knights. This is a time of not only helping to protect all that is important to your family, but also a shared experience that often leads to an abiding friendship.
Years ago, there was a young boy named Julius. When Julius was 7 years old his mother, Irene, died of cancer at the age of 37. His father, Norman, had two teenage girls along with the 7-year-old boy to raise. Norman was forced to rely on the help and generosity of friends and relatives because Irene died without life insurance. He had a three-hour commute to his job, but always supported his children’s activities. Julius excelled at sports, especially football. Norman spent what little free time he had fostering Julius and his talent. Julius later admitted that he “was handed a life lesson early, growing up with one parent. It wasn’t the easiest life—my dad sacrificed a lot.”
Fast forward to Julius some 30 years later. He is married with a wife and two children. He’s done quite well for himself both professionally and financially. He has had a distinguished career. He also has a considerable amount of life insurance to protect his family. Julius understands protection quite well after the early life he experienced. He understands the hardships of a family that loses a parent and what the children must go through. He also enjoyed considerable success in his professional life because of the people that looked out for him. For 13 years he was protected: Protected by 300-pound offensive linemen. And nobody called him Julius. His nickname was “Boomer.” You remember Boomer Esiason: Four-time Pro Bowler, NFL Most Valuable Player and a Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year. Most importantly, he is a husband to Cheryl and a father to Sydney and Gunnar.
“Life happens at the most unexpected of times, and life insurance is about protecting the future and the people you love,” Boomer says. “Remember, if something happens and you haven’t done the planning, the people you leave behind will feel the brunt of your mistakes.”
That story comes from the website LifeHappens.org.
I have another completely different story. It’s about a member of the Knights of Columbus. He died recently and left behind a wife and several young children. But there were no whispered worries at the wake. There was no GoFundMe page to raise money for the funeral and burial. There was no concern that the children would not go to college or talk that the wedding he dreamed of for his daughter would not take place. His family’s home and their future are secure. Who was that Brother Knight? I don’t know! Because you don’t hear about those men. His council didn’t have to host a spaghetti dinner or pass the hat. But I assure you he was out there somewhere. But you’ll never hear about it. Because he planned.
Let’s sit down and do some planning for your family. Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
September is Life Insurance Awareness Month.
It’s the month each year that the life insurance industry coordinates a campaign aimed at educating people about the importance of life insurance and helping them get the coverage they need. A recent survey from LIMRA (Life Insurance Marketing Research Association) found that only 59% of Americans own life insurance and about half of those are underinsured. So that means that roughly 70% of the population either has no life insurance or has too little life insurance.
The historian Christopher Kauffman spent several years at the Supreme Office researching the book that he wrote on the 100th anniversary of our founding, Faith and Fraternalism. In it he notes that, “…he [Fr. McGivney] was deeply interested in pursuing the topic of a Catholic fraternal insurance society among groups of Catholic laymen of New Haven.” Later he goes on, “…he [Fr. McGivney again] spent his energy in promoting the insurance feature…his emphasis on business was his pastoral concern for the social and financial security of the family.”
Fr. McGivney lived both the social and the financial insecurity of a desperate family with the breadwinner suddenly taken and that had to be supported. He left the seminary to work and support his mother and siblings. He didn’t want other Catholic families to find themselves in such a predicament. That, and uniting men of faith, was the impetus for establishing our Order. Everyone who joined in those first years was insured; that was part and parcel of being in the organization. Now every member has a choice and every member should know what we do, and how we do it.
Here’s the process I use when I meet with families:
- Discover – Identify & prioritize your financial goals
- Gather Data – Collect facts & figures based on your current situation
- Analyze – Input data, run calculations, identify shortfalls
- Recommend – Propose a financial strategy designed to satisfy your goals
- Implement – Choose a financial strategy and implement
- Periodic Review – Review regularly, measure success, make adjustments
As you can tell this is a painless process. But it can help any family at any age determine if they have blind spots in their coverage. It can help you avoid the pain of being underinsured. With a variety of life insurance products we offer we can help just about any person within any budget.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to buy life insurance. I want to buy what life insurance provides: No change in lifestyle for the survivor in the house where they want to be. It’ll pay for a daughter’s wedding, a child’s college education and much more. What does life insurance provide? It provides peace of mind, security, freedom from anxiety, and a safeguard from the unknown.
That’s where I can help. Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
he St. Anne KofC Council held the first annual Fall Fling dinner and dance on Saturday, September 7 at the Fox Valley Kicker’s Club, Oswego.
The event raised just over $2,000 to support the KofC charities and council administrative costs. There were nearly 100 attendees and everyone had a great time! We’d like to thank the Fox Valley Kickers Club of Oswego for the beautiful banquet hall and Just Kabobs of St. Charles for providing the delicious meal. Everyone raved over the Pork and Chicken skewers served over rice pilaf with potato wedges and salad.
The evening began with opening statements from Gary Horneman (event chairman) and Rick Llanes (Grand Knight), followed by prayers by Father John Ouper. As the night progressed, there were many winners of wonderful door prizes, raffle baskets, 50/50 raffle and silent auction items. Congratulations to all the winners.
To keep the evening hopping, DJ Ronnie played music throughout the evening and kicked it up so we could dance the night away.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Knights of Columbus and make this fundraiser a big success.
Pictures from the Event:
August 2019 Council Message
Each August we look to the Supreme Convention and all the news about the prior fraternal year. Although this message has been prepared prior to the convention, here are some predictions:
- The Order will set a new record in the amount of money we donated to charities.
- The Order will set another record in the number of hours volunteered.
- We already know that our insurance program had another record year ending last December with 18 consecutive years of growth; thanks to the many of you who protected your families and helped set that record!
- We will have given a substantial amount of money to Pope Francis from the Vicarius Christi fund.
- Our Asset Advisors will have more dollars under management; administered using the investment guidelines from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
- We will add to our surplus; which means our strength to pay claims and weather poor economic times will improve.
- The Supreme Knight will report that the Order will have provided more money to rebuild homes for persecuted Christians in the Middle East, donated more money to disaster relief in the wake of hurricanes, floods and typhoons, and placed more ultrasound machines in service to save lives. The Order will have given more support for religious freedom.
This organization started by a simple, humble parish priest with men at St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven, Connecticut in 1882 has grown to spectacular heights. All these efforts and worthwhile projects are a source of pride for us members.
For the Catholics in this council and in our parishes—you, my brother knights, are the Knights of Columbus. When people think about us, they may have some general notion about all the good works we do and the Order’s amazing impact around the world. But to the local parish and the community, you represent all that is good in this Order. When you are volunteering at a Special Olympics event, when you are visiting the sick, helping your pastor, handing out coats for kids, selling Tootsie Rolls, raising money for a charitable cause right here in your own backyard—this is what people see. They see you. To them you are what it means to be a Knight of Columbus. When you lead with faith, protect your family, serve others and defend your values, you are a witness inspired by our founding principles.
Congratulations for another record-breaking fraternal year. I look forward to helping protect your families and reaching Star Council this next fraternal year.
Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
July 2019 Council Message
The Catholic Difference.
Our Catholicity as an organization forms all that we do. Our Order was founded on the principles of Charity, Unity and Fraternity. As a Catholic business the Knights of Columbus also has core values of Integrity, Professionalism, Excellence and Respect. In all our dealings we try to embody those values.
Funds from insurance premiums and annuity deposits are managed by our investment department, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors. They manage that money (now amounting to more than $24 billion) using sound investment strategies in full compliance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ socially responsible investment guidelines. We will not invest in companies that engage in abortions, producing abortifacient drugs, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning or pornography. Our Asset Advisors prove that a business can operate on these principles and still produce a healthy profit. That’s the Catholic Difference!
Last year our charitable contributions of more than $185 million went to a wide variety of organizations. Many were Catholic, but some were not. We give money to support worthy causes not because they are Catholic but because we are Catholic. That’s what our faith calls us to do. Sirach 40:17 tells us that acts of kindness and charity last for an eternity. We are supporting victims of genocide in Syria and other places in the Middle East. We have placed more than 1000 ultrasound machines in all 50 states and saved over 1 million lives. We financially and spiritually support seminarians, disaster victims, Special Olympians and many others. All this is from the profits of our insurance program and investments as well as the contributions of members. That’s the Catholic Difference!
Our products are designed with our members’ needs in mind. For example, I’m not aware of any other company that offers a Spousal Waiver of Premium benefit (and there is no additional charge for that.) We have never raised our Long-Term Care Insurance premiums, something very few, if any, insurance companies can say. We offer Disability Income Insurance to blue collar workers as well as white and grey collar workers. We recognize that it’s not just the affluent that need that coverage. We still meet with brother knights and their families in their homes if they prefer. We make sure that a Brother Knight can protect his children with life insurance that has a guaranteed purchase option. Our fixed-rate annuity has a minimum guarantee for life which means that a member will always make money on his money. That’s the Catholic Difference!
If you’d like to find out more let me know. I’d appreciate the chance to meet with you.
Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
June 2019
NEVER INVEST IN AN ANNUITY!! You’ve seen this kind of headline in the financial pages or on pop-up ads on your computer. Or you’ve heard someone repeat what he’s heard from his buddy’s uncle’s investment planner.
An annuity is a tax-favored savings instrument. The government gives it special tax treatment because it’s designed for retirement income. An annuity can be qualified or non-qualified. A qualified annuity is funded with money that you have not yet paid taxes on, like an IRA. A non-qualified annuity is funded with money you’ve already paid the tax on; like money you take from your paycheck or out of your savings account. Either way, the tax on the growth of your Knights of Columbus annuity is deferred. You pay tax only later when you withdraw money.
An annuity is a is a great product in the right situation. In addition to tax deferred growth, here are a few more reasons why:
- The minimum interest rate is guaranteed for life. There is a floor that the interest rate will never drop below. The Knights of Columbus have always paid a higher current interest rate than the guaranteed interest rate. Nobody has ever lost a dime on a Knights of Columbus annuity.
- The principal is guaranteed by the Knights. This guarantee is only as good as the company backing it. We’ve had 40 plus years of Superior ratings from A. M. Best for financial strength.
- There are no administrative fees. 100% of your money earns interest from day one.
- Even though annuities are designed for long-term growth, after one year you can access 10% of the value without any penalty.
- Owners name a beneficiary so that at death the proceeds bypass probate. This saves time and usually saves money.
But an annuity is not right for everyone. It’s not a short-term product. It’s not designed to be a savings account where you stick money in and then take it out a short time later. There is an early withdrawal penalty over the first seven years if you take out more than the 10% free withdrawal. This is to encourage you to leave the money alone until retirement age. This applies to all annuities, not just KofC ones.
There are some situations where an annuity is not the proper product but there are many where it is. How do you know if an annuity is right for you? Meet with me and let’s look at your goals. It might be the perfect fit.
Where do you keep your safe money?
Vivat Jesus!
Bob Strahanoski
Field Agent
815-953-6785
We are very pleased to announce that our annual ‘Tootsie Roll Drive’ was a huge success this year thanks to the many volunteers who helped out and the generosity of donors.
The St. Anne Knights of Columbus, Council #16720, held our annual Tootsie Roll Drive on September 14 and 15. Volunteers were located in front of the Jewel Osco on 2540 US-30 & Douglas, Jewel Osco on 3795 Orchard Rd., Marcley’s Mini Mart in Oswego, and Riverview Restaurant in Montgomery.
All the donations go to various charity organizations that help people with Intellectual Disabilities, including the St. Anne SPICE program. The event collected over $3,000 in donations!
On behalf of Council 16720, we wish to extend a special Thank You to those who volunteered your time and talent, and for the generous donors throughout the Oswego community.
God Bless you all.
Rick Llanes – Grand Knight/ID Drive Chairman
The St. Anne Knights of Columbus Council 16720 held its first annual Free Throw Competition at the Our Lady of Mercy Parish Life Center of Aurora on Thursday, January 18, 2018.
Boys and girls from nine to fourteen years old were eligible to compete against each other for the local championship. This year, over 50 children participated in the competition. Winners moved on to the district competition that was held immediately after the local competition.
The St. Anne KofC Council welcomed three competitors that showed their free throw skills shooting fifteen baskets each. Certificates and trophies were presented to Kyle Merten, James Ferguson, and Joshua Ferguson for winning their respective age groups.
A special Thank You to Fr. Mark Bernard who kicked off the competition with a prayer and friendly competition to all contestants to beat his score. We’d also like to extend a huge thank you to the Robert H Weaver Council #12005 for their hospitality and invitation to use their in-door basketball facility.
A great time was had by all in attendance and the boys and girls free throw skills were very impressive.
Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s competition!