The Knights of Columbus Port Elgin had reason to celebrate.
On Sunday, December 7th, the organization following church service at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, celebrated its 50th anniversary in the Parish Hall in Port Elgin.
The local Knights of Columbus, officially authorized on December 1, 1975, is a chapter of the Father Thomas Clancy Council #6736 and is part of the more than 57,000 members in Ontario.
Christopher Columbus is the patron and namesake of the Knights of Columbus that was started by Michael J. McGivney, an American Catholic priest, founded the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut. He gathered a group of men from St. Mary’s Parish for an organizational meeting on October 2, 1881 and it was incorporated on March 29, 1882.
The Order was intended to be a mutual benefit society. Before most government support programs were established and as a parish priest in an immigrant community, McGivney saw what could happen to a family when the main income earner died and wanted to provide insurance to care for the widows and orphans left behind.
Unfortunately, because of religious and ethnic discrimination at the time in the late 19th century, Roman Catholics were excluded from labor unions, popular fraternal organizations, and other organized groups that provided the needed social services.
The first Knights of Columbus, Canada Council number 284, was established in 1897 in Montreal with only six French Canadian members. Its first Grand Knight, however, was J.J. Guerin, a physician and politician as a member of the Quebec Legislature.
“The Knights grew rapidly in Canada, and by 1904 there was a state council in Quebec and one for Ontario and the Maritimes and six years later, in 1910, the 60 Canadian councils had 9,000 members.” (Wikipedia)
“We have 40 members in Saugeen Shores,” said Grand Knight James (Jim) LaBlance, “and I am following in the footsteps of my brother Albert who was also a Grand Knight in 1991/92/93. One of our charitable organizations that we have supported for almost 30 years is Special Olympics.”
